Sports Gods

by J J Loraine

  “I’m going to fucking kill you!” he shouts, before turning and sprinting for his weapon.

  I immediately bend down and grab another pan. I don’t have much time before he gets to his gun, so I barely even wind up. I just take a short breath and throw with all my might.

  This one’s for you, Sandy...

  Chapter 64

  Sandy

  I hear yelling.

  I stay on the phone with the emergency operator but rush to my balcony just in time to see Bryce let one of my pan’s go from his hand.

  I watch as the black kitchen appliance disappears into the night. I hear it smack against the intruder’s head before I see him lying on the pavement, utterly motionless.

  It doesn’t take long for me to see his buddy lying some odd ten feet away.

  I hear approaching sirens. I can see their flashing lights a few blocks away. I look down at the unconscious burglars; they’re wearing backpacks... my stuff must be in there.

  “You stay up here with the pots and pans. I’ll go down and grab their bags,” I say. I turn around but before I can take a real step, I feel Bryce’s strong grip take my arm. He stops me in my tracks.

  “You’re not going anywhere, little lady. One of those guys has a gun. We’re waiting up here until the cops arrive. When those two are in handcuffs, then we’ll go get your stuff.”

  “They had guns!?” I gasp. I feel myself start to shake. “They ran right past me. I almost tried to stop them... if I hadn’t been so startled, I might have reached out... there are kids in this building...”

  I see Bryce sneer with disgust. “They’re animals. I hope they get what’s coming to them, but for now, we wait here.”

  He pulls me close and I fall into his hard body. His heart is beating like a jungle drum. I rest my head against his heaving chest and I immediately feel better. Waves of relief wash over my tense nerves. I melt into his hot, chiseled frame.

  “My hero,” I whisper.

  It doesn’t take long for the street to fill up with flashing police sirens. I look down over my balcony, one of the burglars is starting to come to. When he realizes the police are here, he tries to scramble away, but he’s not exactly inconspicuous. He’s dressed in all black and wearing a ski-mask, after all. He’s quickly tackled and subdued.

  The two men are put in handcuffs. Their backpacks are ripped off and they’re led into the back of two separate police cruiser.

  My stuff!

  “Hey!” I shout below to the police officers. “I called you guys! I think my stuff’s in those bags!”

  A cop looks up at waves us down. “Come and check it out!”

  “Let’s go!” says Bryce. He takes my hand and we run out of my apartment. I’m shaking with anticipation as we wait for the elevator. I need to get out of this hellhole...

  I feel Bryce’s strong grip around my hand and I suddenly realize that for once in my life I actually do have a way out... and it’s with him.

  I stare up at the hunky baseball god in awe. How lucky am I?

  How horribly wrong could this night have gone if Allison didn’t drag me to the baseball game...? How lonely would I still be if she didn’t drunkenly shout out to the hot pitcher...?

  I squeeze Bryce’s hand back and lean against his big broad shoulder. The elevator doors ding open and he leads me inside.

  “Thank you,” I whisper, as the doors close behind us.

  “Thank you,” he whispers back.

  Chapter 65

  Bryce

  We find all of Sandy’s missing stuff in the burglar’s backpack... locket included.

  We stand outside her building as the last of the police cars finally ride off into the night. The street is quiet again. Some people were watching the commotion from their balconies, but once the cops leave, they all go back inside to sleep.

  It’s just Sandy and I now, alone together again.

  I stare at the beautiful woman, feeling like I’ve known her all my life. It’s crazy to think we just met; we’ve already been through so much.

  I watch as she opens up her locket and shows me the picture inside. It’s of her parents... they look so happy. A little baby girl sits in-between them.

  “Is that you?” I ask.

  Sandy nods, barely holding back tears.

  “It looks like they loved you a lot,” I say, taking her in my arms. She buries her face into my chest and I hold her tight.

  “You know, my parents left me a picture too. It’s the only photo I have with them. Would you like to see?” I ask.

  “Yeah,” Sandy answers into my chest.

  “I’ll take you, then.”

  I grab her hand and lead her to my car. She follows. There’s no hesitancy in her anymore.

  “What about my apartment?” she asks, without ever really meaning to go back. “The door’s broken... anyone could go in... take more of my stuff...”

  I stop for a moment and turn to her. She stares up at me with those big doe-eyes and I want to give her the world.

  I lean down and give her soft lips an even softer kiss. We linger against each other, unable to part from our intimate embrace. Finally, I pull back.

  “We have everything important with us already,” I tell her, with a smile.

  She sniffs in her tears and takes a deep breath. A gorgeous smile comes across her face. She stares at me like I’m all she’ll ever need.

  “You’re right...” she offers. She squeezes my hand and I can’t control myself.

  “I love you,” I blurt out.

  I wasn’t expecting those words to leave my mouth, but they feel so right.

  I see tears start to well up in Sandy’s eyes again. These aren’t tears of fear or frustration anymore, though... they’re tears of happiness.

  “Oh, Bryce... I love you too.”

  I wipe away the single tear that streams down her rosy cheek. Her skin is so soft and warm. I close my eyes and kiss the girl of my dreams; she kisses me back like I’m the man of her wildest fantasies. She makes me feel stronger and more powerful than any baseball game ever could. She makes me feel like a god... she makes me feel like I’ve finally found my slice of heaven on earth.

  I taste the salt of her tears on her lips and I try to drink up all of her worries. I only pull away to take another look at her beautiful face.

  Her big blue eyes shimmer up at me. I never want to look at anyone else ever again.

  I squeeze her hand and smile down at her.

  “How about it, then?” I say, in awe of her natural beauty.

  “Let’s go home.”

  Chapter 66

  Sandy

  Epilogue...

  I never went back to that apartment.

  Bryce paid off my lease... and he even paid off the shitty landlord to leave and never come back.

  No one deserves to live in such squalor. Bryce bought the building and got his own guy to look after it. He’s going to keep the rent the same, so the families already there can afford to stay, but he was going to be damned if he didn’t at least try to help.

  He tells me every day how I’ve made him a better person.

  Life has turned into a dream for me. It hardly feels like I even wake up every day. The hardest thing I have to deal with is being away from Bryce during his road trips, but we still chat over face time every single day he’s away; we spend every single moment together when he’s home.

  I keep my parents’ locket in our bedside drawer. I’ll take it out for a look every once in a while, and wonder what they’d think of what my life has become. I’m sure they’d be proud.

  I usually fish the locket out while Bryce is away. It makes me feel less lonely; like there’s someone watching over me.

  Today’s no different. Bryce had a day game in another state, he should be home soon, but I can’t help but feel a little lonely. I’ve been trying to make some more friends, but it’s hard for an introvert, and Allison has had to move out of town for work. I still go visit her as much as possible,
but today my place is at home, waiting for my man.

  I rummage through our bedside drawer for my locket... but it’s nowhere to be found. I don’t panic at first, but the longer I search without finding it, the more frantic I become.

  Where the hell is it? How could it go through all that it has and suddenly become lost during such a peaceful moment?

  Before I can get too worried, though, I hear the front door open downstairs.

  “Honey!?” I hear.

  It’s just a locket... I tell myself. You have something real waiting for you downstairs.

  “Coming!” I tell him as I race out of our bedroom.

  My heartbeat is already slowing when I bound down the stairs to my man, but when I see him in the doorway my heart drops like a brick...

  Oh my God...

  He’s on one knee!

  I gasp. I’m overcome with emotion. I shuffle towards my saving angel. I can hardly believe it.

  He has the biggest smile on his face.

  “Sorry, I just had to borrow this,” he says, when I’m close enough to hear.

  In his hands are two lockets. He hands me the old, worn out one first. I open it up. The familiar photo of my parents gazes up at me.

  Why did Bryce take it...?

  I close the locket and Bryce hands me the second one. It looks almost exactly the same as my old one, except newer and less worn down.

  “I had to have the original to make a faithful replica...” he says, as I open it up.

  Inside is a sparkling diamond ring; behind that is a picture of the two of us, as happy as clams.

  “So, what do you say, Sandy? Will you make me the happiest man on earth? Will you marry me?”

  There’s only one answer to that.

  “YES!”

  Bryce slips the ring on my finger and we share the first kiss of the rest of our lives.

  Who would have thought all this happiness could have come from a single, boring baseball game?

  Lacrosse God

  Part 1

  Chapter 67

  Caden

  I’ve had my fun for the night, now it’s time to get out of here.

  “I’m going to call it. You guys have a good one!” I pat my buddy Eric on the back and finish off my drink. If they knew I’d been sipping on a non-alcoholic since we first got in here, I might be in for a little hazing, but I have experience in keeping things low-key.

  “Are you sure? Things are going to get crazy when the hockey team shows up, they won their big game today too!”

  Oh yeah, I know. That’s why I have to leave. If I stay any longer, this club is going to be too packed to ever get out of. I have more important ways to spend the rest of my night.

  “I’ll see you boys.”

  I give my goodnight handshakes and chest bumps. “Call us if you get any trouble from the football players.”

  I hear the warning loud and clear. Football season has been over for a while now, and the football players at our sports-crazed college campus can get a little antsy without their weekly action. Sometimes, they start unnecessary shit with students from other sports, just to get their kicks. Last week they had a brawl with some of the soccer players, the week before that a few rugby players got swarmed. My lacrosse team is just about due for our yearly showdown with the boys from the gridiron. That’s fine with me, I’m not scared of them... but I do have other things on my mind.

  I squeeze through the crowded club, through the attached bar, and out into the warm spring night. The streets are lined with people. Every establishment has a line down the block. No cars run down this neighbourhood on the weekend.

  I just need to find somewhere quiet, and I know just the place.

  You see, unlike most athletes at this school, I have a serious major. I’m in medicine. It’s hard studying and playing full-scholarship lacrosse at the same time, but I know it’ll all be worth it in the end. I’m so sick of being poor. I went through so much shit in high school that my grades suffered enough to keep me from getting a full academic scholarship – instead I had to rely on my athletic talent to get me here. I was always a good lacrosse player, so I focused on that and became great; now I’m the captain of the best college lacrosse team in the nation.

  Still, I have to find my own time to study, and even though I’m jacked up on the rush from our big win earlier today, it’s about time I calm myself. I have a lot of stuff to go through before final exams start up, and I plan on doing well enough to get an academic scholarship from now on. I know I’m smart enough, it’s just about putting in the work, and not getting distracted.

  “Hey, Caden! My man!” My buddy Chris from the soccer team stumbles in front of me. “Where are you going!? The party’s back that way!”

  I bump his fist and give my acknowledgements to his crew, but I hardly even stop my stoic march across campus.

  “I’ve got somewhere to be. You guys have fun, maybe I’ll see you later.”

  Chris is already hammered. He’s onto something else before the disappointment of my absence can hit him.

  I find a hole in the crowded street and make my move. Nothing’s going to stop me from getting where I need to go.

  In the long run, that’s a spot at a good hospital, treating patients and getting payed big bucks, but for now, that all starts in one place.

  The library.

  Chapter 68

  Hailey

  I sink into my favourite couch, just off the main study floor of the only library left open at this time of night.

  I can barely hear the roars from everybody partying it up back on main street. Hell, even most of my nerdy friends are all out celebrating. It seems like everybody at this school loves sports but me. I actually don’t mind them, honestly – I just find them to be a bit of a distraction. I didn’t come to school across the country to watch muscle-bound men prance across fields and ice. I came here to study hard, get my degree, and be the first in my family to actually make a decent living.

  I used to hate how loud campus got on the weekends, but I’ve since found my little coves of quiet. As long as I can lose myself in my textbooks, I’m happy, and right now I’m ecstatic. My situation is as cozy as a dream. Final exams are coming up, so I have all my notes on my laptop, which is balanced on my knees while I sit cross legged on the plush backroom couch that I’m sure only I know about.

  I rub my eyes and bask in the wonderful silence.

  The only downside to this spot is that there’s no bathroom in the immediate area. I like to stay hydrated while I study, so I make a lot of trips – it all ends up working in my favour, though, as it provides a nice break and stretch from the constant sitting and staring.

  In fact, I’m feeling a little need for a break at this very moment.

  I slip my laptop under the foot table in front of me and let out a big yawn. I don’t mind that it’s so late. I won’t be able to get any sleep back at my dorm room until dawn anyway. The parties happening across campus can get insane. I’ve found my little pocket of peace and I’m going to ride it out until morning.

  There are other students in the building, but most of them don’t know about this spot. The most studious of the student population also find solace within these walls on nights like this, but I almost always have this floor essentially to myself.

  I shuffle out into the hallways and listen to the beautiful silence. The soft roar of the distant celebrations hits my ears almost like a far-off thunderstorm. It’s almost soothing.

  I close my eyes and open the door to the stairwell. I can make this trip blindfolded, so I give it a try. It’s a nice break from the strain of studying. I tiptoe down the steps like a ballerina, completely at home in the silence.

  I listen to my soft footsteps echo quietly off the empty walls and smile. This is my kind of Friday night. I sigh in peace as I twirl off the last step and open my eyes... just in time to have the stairwell door burst open right into my face!

  Chapter 69

  Caden

 
“Ah, fuck!”

  The metal door leading to stairwell stops half-way open and bounces back to me. I have to jump out of the way to avoid it.

  A voice curses on the other side.

  Oh, shit. Did I just hit someone?

  The main study hall is all filled up. I guess every nerd on campus has swarmed here to avoid the massive partying happening everywhere else. I had heard tale of a quiet little cove with couches on the floor just above, but the elevator doesn’t take you there. You need to take the stairs. The last thing I was expecting was for there to be someone standing on the other side.

  I let the swinging door calm before I steady it. I peak inside and see a bent over girl gently cursing to herself. Her hand is on her forehead.

  “Hey, shit. I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there,” I offer. “Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine,” mumbles the girl. She rubs her face and stands up straight as I step inside the door well.

  “Want me to get some ice or...?” my words catch in my throat when the girl’s hands fall form her face.

  Oh my god, she’s gorgeous!

  I stand stock still as our eyes meet. Her brown irises shimmer under the florescent stairwell lights. Her porcelain cheeks are flushed from bending over and her glistening, plump lips hang wide open.

  We gaze at each other like two deer caught in headlights before I snap myself out of it. I notice there’s a little mark just above her eyebrow, from where the door made contact.

  “Looks like you might be getting a black eye,” I point out, wanting nothing more than to cradle her face in my hand. If I had been drinking real booze tonight, I might have been able to shake off this intense feeling... but I was sober as a lark, and suddenly swimming with thoughts of what I wanted to do to this stranger.