by N Kuhn
“No, it’s my mess. I’ll take care of it.” Ten minutes later we’re heading back out onto the field. Looking into her empty seat just rips my heart out. I can’t believe this mess. Just when I finally get her, Jamie comes and ruins it again. Unable to keep my mind on the game in the second half, I throw for two interceptions that turned over into touchdowns for KC. Even the echoing clink of helmets meeting in tackles, the grunts of players going down, which normally calm and center me, do nothing. I just can’t concentrate. If it weren’t for the amazing defense we have, we would have lost the game. Thankfully they came through for us, carrying us to a win. As soon as the games over, I run over to Coach.
“I have to go, I have to find her.” He just nods, and I leave my team standing there for the after game process and run towards the lockers. Just as I enter, someone steps out in front of me.
“Jamie, if you come near me again, we’re going to have a problem. You don’t get it, do you? Even if you were the last woman on the face of the earth, I would never touch you. You make me sick.” Her whole face falls, and tears stream down her cheeks. I don’t care though. Normally I feel bad about a girl crying. Not her. She’s evil. Hell bent on ruining any happiness Bree or I have.
“I told you, you would regret kicking me out of your room. You should have just taken me. We could have worked on us. Now, well, now you’re really going to pay. Did you like my video? I’m sure everyone else did. She looks like a screamer.” Turning on her heel, she stalks out of the stadium and hopefully from my life for good. I can’t take seeing her anymore.
Skipping the shower, I throw on street clothes, grab my keys and phone, and run for my Jeep. Dialing Bree, it just goes to voicemail. Damn it. Driving around the rest of the night, I can’t find her. She’s not at the Hilton, not at Elena’s house, not at any of the other hotels in town. She’s not even at her parents. Finally going home and crashing into bed, I roll to my side and let a tear fall down my face. I know I’m a big bad football player, and I should be tough, but my heart has just been broken into a million pieces. I finally had what I’ve wanted for years. The woman I love was in my grasp, and now she’s gone.
Chapter 7 – Bree
“Here, some tea,” Elena says, extending a steaming mug to me. Numbly I take it from her. I haven’t been able to eat much all week, and feel horrible for crashing with Elena and Dan like this. But they had insisted.
“I guess I know what he was up to while I was in LA uprooting my whole life.”
“Men are assholes for the most part, but Brent has a good heart and I know he loves you. I think this is a misunderstanding.” Dan sits down next to Elena, both of them staring at me.
“Misunderstanding? How can that be? There’s a video out there of us having sex. I thought that only happened to movie stars trying to get more famous? Not to mention, a woman who despises me for some unseen reason, sitting in his lap half naked.
“He’s left you about a hundred messages here. Maybe you should at least hear him out. Let him explain it. And, today was the last day of us training you in hiding. Tomorrow we have to go to the stadium. So you have to try to figure it out.” Looking away from their concerned gaze, my sight falls to the garbage news rag they brought home. The front page cover has a photo of me and Brent on the boat, one of us kissing before his game, and then the photo of him and Jamie. Not to mention all the gossip channels and web pages have that video on blast. The story says their ‘inside source’ tells them all about me in high school, including my nick name. It says that Jamie and Brent have been dating since school and that I was the other woman. Considering all the info in this story, it had to have been him and Jamie that leaked this to the press. Elena and Dan have been sending away reporters, photographers all week.
“I’m so sorry I brought this mess to your doorstep.”
“No, don’t be. It’s easier for us, as representatives of the team, to help you. You’re also safer here than at a hotel. There they can ambush you, or pretend to be housekeeping. Here, no one will get to you. Plus, you can help me find a loophole in Jamie’s contract to get her off my team.” I knew they were right. They have been trying to get me to talk to Brent and hear him out. I just can’t do it. My heart is broken, again, and just like last time, it’s him and Jamie that did this to me. Only this time, it was the whole nation that saw it, not just me and some kids from school. Even my parents have been calling, and I just don’t know what to say to them. I hadn’t even told them about moving back here yet.
“Come on, I have some errands to run, you’re coming with me. You have to get out of this house,” Elena says. Tugging on my arm, I get off the couch. She pushes me towards the guest room and bath. “Clean up, you stink. I’m not letting you get in my car that way,” she laughs. Showering and changing did feel much better. When I come out in my jeans and tee, Elena tosses a sweater at me. Smiling, she turns to leave.
“Honey, we’re running out, okay?”
“See you later babe,” he says from somewhere behind us.
“So where are we going?”
“Eh, you know, here and there.” As we walk out of the house, the paps that are at the end of the driveway begin snapping photos. Holding my head down, and my hand to cover my face, I try to get to the car quickly. Safely tucked inside, we pull away from the circus I’ve brought to their quiet neighborhood. I stare out the window as we drive, wondering what Brent’s doing now. Is he happy with her? The way I see it, they belong together. I hope they self-destruct with each other. Elena stops the car in front of a house.
“Hey, what’s this place?” I ask her. It’s beautiful. Definitely something I would love to live it. It’s two stories, white, black shutters, and the yard looks enormous. The neighbors are far enough away to allude privacy.
“Oh, well Dan and I are thinking of starting a family, so we need something bigger. I’m supposed to meet the realtor.” Her phone rings, and she looks at me like she’s sorry.
“Can you just go in and tell her I’ll be there in a minute? I have to take this. Team business.” She flashes me that million dollar smile of hers. She makes it seem like everything will be all right when she does that. Nodding, I get out of the car to let her take the call in private. Slowly making my way up, I notice the door is open. The realtor must already be here. Pushing it open, I look around.
“Hello?” I call out. The hardwood floor of the entry way has rose petals all over it. What’s going on? Is the house still occupied? It can’t be, there’s no furniture. Venturing further inside, the trail leads up the stairs.
“Hello? Anyone here?” This has got to be the strangest set up by someone trying to sell a house that I’ve ever seen.
Tires squealing catch my attention. I rush back to the door in time to see Elena rushing off, waving at me with that damn smile.
“What the hell is going on here?” My phone vibrates in my pocket. Pulling it out, I see its Elena texting me.
Go upstairs and keep an open mind. Just listen.
What the hell does that mean? Feeling scared, I turn on shaky legs, making my way back to the stairs. Holding on to the railing for fear of falling, I climb up them. At the top, the trail of flowers turns to the right. To the left looks like it would be a bedroom, but the door is closed. To the right, there are three doors. I would think bedrooms and a bathroom. Only one door is open, and that’s the one that the flowers lead to.
“Hello?” I call out again. Silence. There’s either no one here, or they are just really good at being quiet. As I reach the door, I poke my head in. Inside the most beautiful white bedroom I’ve ever seen is Brent, on one knee, in the center of a heart of rose petals. There are large glass doors leading out to a balcony. The view of the backyard is breathtaking. The tree line behind these homes are amazing to look at. But what is he up to? Is this another damn joke?
“What the hell is going on? Now Elena is setting me up too? Is your heart that cold? Do you and Jamie have to take away every bit of happiness in my life?”
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“Bree, would you please just shut up for a minute? Elena is just trying to help us. There has never been and never will be anything between me and Jamie. The girl is sick in the head. I have loved you since I met you. Remember when I moved here in sixth grade? Yeah, I loved you then. But you would never talk to me. I finally found a way to get you near me though. I started flunking so that you could tutor me. I’ve done everything I could think of to get you to see me, to be with me. Jamie for some reason has done everything she can to try to rip us apart. She and I never dated in school. I had no clue she would be at the zoo. You ran and I’ve been chasing you since. You came back into my life and it was like a dream come true. You’re my dream Bree. I didn’t sleep with her. She snuck in my room, I kicked her out. She lied to my roommates, but they believe me. She sat in my lap and had someone take a photo before I dumped her off of me. Then, she pulled that shit at the stadium and with the papers. My lawyers are already working on getting it retracted for being false. She’ll be sued to give that money back. Elena is kicking her off the squad. Now, if that’s not enough to show you how much I love you, then maybe this is.” Pulling a box out of his pocket, he looks up at me.
“Are you serious? I know you’re not about to ask me to marry you.”
“Bree, please, I said shh. Let me talk. Would you please do me the honor of moving in with me?” Opening the box, inside sits a key. I look at him questioningly.
“This key, opens the door downstairs. I bought this house for you. For us. It’s funny how quick you can close on a house with the right amount of money.”
“How did you afford this? I know what this community costs to live in.”
“I’ve saved my signing bonus from last year. I didn’t really need anything, so I thought, why not save it for something important.”
“And I am?”
“Important? Yes, to me. You’re everything I want. I would pay every last dollar I make just to see you happy.”
“What if my being happy means not being with you?” The rejected look on his face almost breaks my heart. Good, he deserves it for even getting into a position where Jamie could do this to us.
“Then I would do it.”
“Ok,” I shrug.
“Ok what? You’re happier without me?”
“No, you idiot. Get up off the floor. Ok, I’ll live with you…here.” He smiles the biggest smile I’ve ever seen and you can see the happiness oozing from him. You would think the man just won millions in the lotto. He stands, stalking towards me. The box and key fall to the floor. He wraps those strong arms around my waist, pulling my body flush with his. Crushing his mouth over mine, our tongues playing off each other, and I just can’t get enough of him. My fingers find their way into his hair, grabbing on for dear life. I can feel his excitement growing between us. Lifting me up, he carries my over to the corner, where he’s laid out a sleeping bag. Laying me down gently, he covers my body with his. Tugging at the sweater, I try to sit up and wiggle out of it. His warm hands send electrical jolts through my body when they connect with my skin. His long fingers spreading up my stomach, covering my breasts. He breaks out kiss and hurriedly yanks my shirt off my head and lowering my bra. Wrapping his hand in my long red tresses, his head dips down to my breasts. Taking a nipple in his mouth, he expertly rolls his tongue over it and the warm wet sensations are almost too much to bear. My panties soak themselves in my excitement of Brent’s touches. Fumbling with the zipper, I try to get his pants off. Standing up, he quickly undresses and before me stands an Adonis. The most beautiful man, with all the chiseled lines and rock hard muscles. Football seems to do a body good. Smiling at him, I crook my finger, motioning for him to get back down here with me. He complies, stopping only to rip my jeans from my legs.
“No panties, really Bree? You’re trying to kill me.”
“Hey, I haven’t done laundry and Elena just said we were going to run errands. I didn’t know we were going to have make-up sex.”
“This is make-up sex. This is a promise. From me to you. I’m yours and yours only,” he whispers, as he returns his mouth to my body. Making his way kissing down my stomach, I groan, bucking my hips.
“Please, I need you,” I sigh. His hands hold my hips to the floor as his mouth covers my clit. His tongue stoking the fire inside of me with just one lick. As his mouth kisses my most sensitive area, he moves a finger inside of me and I fight to hold back a scream. He matches the movement of his finger with that of his tongue and it’s almost too much to handle. Within moments he has me falling over the cliff of my orgasm as sensations rock my body.
“Oh God Brent, please, no more. I need you inside of me,” I beg. Looking up at me with those mischievous green eyes, he smiles.
“Your wish is my command my love.” Moving up my body like a predator coming in for the kill, he doesn’t miss a single beat. Thrusting himself deep inside of me sends residual shock waves of pleasure throughout my body. Rocking his hips so I’m full of all I can take, he then glides out, and back in, starting a torturous rhythm. Grabbing hold of his shoulders, I wrap my legs around him. I don’t ever want to lose this sensation again. I feel so full, so full-filled, and so happy. Something I never thought I would be able to feel. As my body bubbles with another burning sensation, I dig my nails into his back, gripping for fear he’ll pull out of me and I’ll be empty and lonely again.
“I love you Bree,” he whispers as he body shakes with his own orgasm. The feeling of him inside of me, twitching from his release is one of the most erotic and amazing things I’ve ever experienced. I smile at him.
“I love you too Brent. It just took me longer to realize it than you.”
“No more running away?” he asks me, looking serious.
“Not unless you’re running with me.” Dipping his head down, he kisses me with all the possessiveness and passion in him.
“Mine,” he murmurs, rolling to the side and curling my body into him. Our first sleep in our home. Memories of the past fade away, replaced now by this amazing memory we have just created together.
“Yours,” I answer. “Hey, I guess I just intercepted Jamie’s pass at you huh?” Laughing uncontrollably, I think he’s going to turn blue from lack of air. Finally catching his breath, he looks at me.
“Yes, you did. But there would have been a pass if I hadn’t fumbled with you in the first place, my little football player.” Smiling to myself, I lay my head on his chest. Finally happy.
Epilogue-Brent
“32-Long, 32-Long, Hike,” I shout as our center thrusts the ball into my hands. Faking a long pass, I turn, handing the ball to Devon as he runs behind me. It’s been a hard game, but worth it. The stakes are high. This is our last game. If we lose, we won’t make the playoffs. If we win, we have a shot at the Super bowl. Devon spins out of a tackle and keeps running. The guy is fast and I love it. Five yards, that’s all we need to score. Hope builds up inside of me. I hold my breath, raising my arms, silently pushing him farther, faster. Right before he reaches the end zone, two players from Dallas crash into him, dragging him to the ground. The ball flies loose. That’s it. No play offs this year. But it was all worth it. We took a chance and ran on fourth down. A field goal wouldn’t have gotten us close enough. We needed that TD. But it’s ok. There’s still next season. Plus, Coach and Elena helped me set up something extra special for today. The announcer on the PA asks everyone to stay put for something special. As Dallas runs around celebrating their win, it doesn’t bother me, I’m too happy to care.
Taking off my helmet, I walk to the fifty yard line. My team lines up behind me. The girls from the squad are all facing us, wondering what’s going on. They take their cues from the games. My beautiful Bree, standing there in her red white and blue uniform. She’s the sexiest thing on this field. I take a knee, but the other guys all stand behind me. Raising cardboard signs I made, one by one, the words Marry, Me and Bree are revealed. Taking the box with the ring that coach had secretly handed me when I walked by, I h
old it up, gesturing towards Bree. The girls all squeal and the crowd goes wild. Her face turns red and she storms angrily towards me. I love it when she’s mad.
“You know I hate being the center of attention, damn it,” she scolds as she comes closer. Stopping a foot in front of me, she looks down at the ring.
“Bree, I’ve loved you forever. Please, marry me. I can’t promise you won’t be the center of attention, because that’s what you are for me. You’re the center of my world. A quarterback needs a strong center.” She smiles, and hold out her hand. Sliding the ring on her finger, I look up into her face. She’s crying as she pulls me to my feet.
“Yes, yes I’ll marry you Brent.” I squeeze her, lifting her off the ground. It takes me a minute to register that she’s screaming to be put down.
“What? What did I do wrong? You just said you would marry me. I’m the happiest man here Bree.”
“Well you have to be careful with me.”
“What do you mean?” I look at her confused. The other cheerleaders come up behind her and she smiles.
“Elena helped with this didn’t she?” she asks me. Nodding yes, I still don’t’ know what’s up.
“She helped me with my surprise too.” The squad behind her starts a cheer.
“D-A-D-D-Y. Daddy, daddy, daddy.”
Looking back at Bree, I feel like all the air has been sucked out of my chest. “Congrats daddy, you’re getting a wife and a baby all in one.” It’s now my turn for the tears, and a single drop falls down my cheek and I grin like an idiot. The crowd goes wild as I cup her face, pulling her into me. The guys behind me joke, calling me pussy, and whipped. I don’t care. I kiss Bree like there’s no tomorrow, pouring all my heart and soul into that one kiss. Leaving her breathless, I turn to my team.
“Hey guys, I’m going to be a dad.” The all come over, shouting, jumping, high fiving me. Looking to the sidelines, I see Coach and Elena holding hands and just smiling at us. They played the biggest trick of all. But the outcome was worth it. I got the girl and a family.
