Sports Gods

by J J Loraine

  I don’t argue. I follow Caden’s strong pull around the corner and towards the cove where we first met.

  He’s limping pretty bad, but he won’t stop moving. His chiseled arms are bruised and his lip is still bleeding. When we’re out of sight of the scene of the fight, I stop in my tacks.

  “Caden, you’re hurt.”

  “I’ll be fine,” he says. His eyes don’t meet mine, though. I can tell he’s hurting.

  “Let me make you better,” I insist.

  “We need to go...” he says, before I interrupt him. I put a finger up to his glistening lips.

  Police cars pull up around the corner. The flashing lights bath our little alleyway with colour.

  Caden gazes down at me like I’m his entire world. I can almost see my reflection in his sparkling blue eyes.

  “My hero,” I whisper.

  I stand up on my tiptoes and lick the blood off his lips with my mouth. He sighs and his hot breath sends shivers down my spine.

  “Hailey, let’s get somewhere safe first...” he mumbles, but I don’t let him take me anywhere.

  “I’m safe anywhere,” I tell him. “As long as I’m with you.”

  I fall into him and our lips meet again. Our kiss isn’t as lustful as our first kiss was. Instead, this kiss is filled with passion and care. We’re too bruised for anything rougher.

  I feel Caden grow against me. I kiss him harder and harder, and he fills up with more and more of my life.

  His chest beats out and his manhood throbs alive. All of our soreness is flushed out through our carnal sighs as I pull out his girth and climb on top of him. Her sinks his hands back into my ass and I feel weightless again. All the heaviness of the nightmare we just escaped from washes away through our lips.

  Caden flips us around and pushes me against the brick wall of the little alleyway. I close my eyes while he kisses down my neck. I lead him inside of me.

  We tango in the light of the sirens like two long lost lovers, forever bonded by our blood and our sweat. We care for each other’s wounds, both physical and emotional, and by the time Caden finishes inside of me, I feel completely healed and reborn.

  Steam rises from our bodies as we gather ourselves once again. We leave a shroud of mist in our wake. It covers our troubled pasts and lets us focus on the path in front of us.

  I don’t know where we’re headed but I do know one thing for sure – wherever we end up, it’ll be together. I’ve found the man of my dreams and I’m not letting him go.

  He might even be able to drag me to a lacrosse game.

  Lacrosse God

  Part 2

  Chapter 81

  Caden

  My first step almost sends me through the floor.

  It takes every last single ounce of strength in my thighs to keep me up. I can feel every muscles flexing, every tendon clenching.

  I’ve never been so sore in my life.

  Last night was wild. I met a girl, we made love, then I fought off a gang of rowdy football players. Oh yeah, then we made love again.

  Every part of me aches. We somehow made in back to our little library cove, got our stuff and snuck back to my place.

  The area was surrounded with cops. This campus doesn’t let anyone mess with football players, and I put FOUR of them on the ground. I still don’t know how bad any of them are hurt, but if one of their injuries puts their next season in doubt, I may as well be a dead man.

  Hailey pretty much acted as my crutch as we evaded the police and the gathering crowds. By the time we got to my place, we were both so exhausted that there was nothing else to do but pass out.

  I take a deep breath and shuffle to my bathroom. I’m already dreading having to look in the mirror. Any bruises or cuts on my face is going to make me look suspicious. I KNOW people are going to be out looking for the guy who knocked out the four football players last night; I can’t afford to be found out.

  Being discovered could not only mean the end of my lacrosse career, but my academic one too. This school has a zero-tolerance policy for fighting – not that it stops some goonish jocks, like those football players from last night – but it means that if anyone realizes I was the one fighting them, I’m going to be in a load of trouble.

  I flick the light onto my bathroom and close my eyes. The room is bright and I have a headache. I hear Hailey turn over in my bed. She’s still out cold. Her warm touch lingers on my back and gives me the courage to open my eyes and look in the mirror.

  I sigh in relief.

  My face is relatively untouched. I have a busted lip, but the cut is small enough that I can explain it away. I got hit with an elbow during a party... I don’t know by who, it was crowded and we were drunk...

  I’m already thinking up my excuses while I study the rest of my body. I purse my lips. My torso hasn’t been as lucky as my face. A huge bruise fills my right peck. The right side of my stomach is scraped. A long cut flows down my abdomen. Where did that come from? Oh, well, it doesn’t matter now.

  I look down past my belt-line and see some more bruises on my thighs. I should be able to cover everything with clothes, though; I may not be as screwed as I thought I might be.

  I brush my teeth and wash my face. Everything hurts. The only part of me that throbs pleasantly is right between my legs.

  Hailey tosses and turns in bed again. I flick off the bathroom light and go to her.

  Chapter 82

  Hailey

  A warm blanket of muscles and lust lulls me awake.

  It takes me a second to remember where I am and what happened last night.

  Caden...

  I roll around and bury my head in his heaving chest.

  He wraps me up in his arms and I breathe him in. I’m sore, but Caden’s earthy musk runs through my nostrils like a steam bath.

  It doesn’t take long for our little embrace to heat up. Caden grows between his powerful thighs until there’s nowhere for him to go but inside of me.

  Before we can even say good morning to each other, we’re interlocked in a lustful wrestling match, half-awake and desperately starved for each other’s intimacy.

  I hadn’t dreamed at all last night. After we had finally dragged ourselves back to Caden’s place, I had been so tired that I can’t remember a single thing from after my head hit the pillows on his bed.

  I’m quickly reminded of why I came home with him, though. His girth slides in and out of me with a primal passion, mixed with just enough human care that I feel truly loved.

  Our damp skin sticks together as we tumble and heave and wrap around each other. I nibble on Caden’s earlobe and his hot, low growls wash over my tingling neck. His big, strong hands sink into the thickness of my ass. He keeps pulling me closer, even though I couldn’t possibly get any nearer. My breasts splay out against his hard, rippling chest and my heels meet on the other side of his back.

  “Oh, Caden...” I whisper, as his thrusts reach a fevered pitch.

  He seems to draw energy from my voice. Our thighs smack and our bodies meld as we pant into each other’s shoulder.

  A low, guttural groan escapes from Caden’s mouth and I shudder in early morning ecstasy. I feel him explode below. I clench and hold tight until there’s nothing left to take.

  We must have fallen asleep in each other’s arms afterwards, because when I wake up again, it’s to my phone vibrating on the bedside table.

  I don’t even look at the time on the clock before I answer.

  “Hello?” I mumble, groggily. I lay overtop of Caden’s sleeping body. I can feel my legs tingle in desire. I’m already up for another round.

  “Hailey...?” asks a raspy voice on the other end of the line.

  I grunt in the affirmative. God, I’m tired.

  “Where the hell are you!?”

  I struggle to concentrate. Everything comes rushing back to me. The voice on the phone sounds familiar. I’m at Caden’s place, but I’m not going to tell anyone that... whoever this person is.

>   I try to speak but I still have sleep in my mouth. I chew my lip and try to gather my thoughts. Is this...?

  “Our presentation starts in 5 minutes! Where the fuck are you!?”

  I’m suddenly dumped in a freezing cold lake. All my anxiety comes rush back and I topple out of bed from the weight.

  I roll over on the floor and check my phone. The voice is still yelling, but I can’t make out what she’s saying. It’s my friend Annie. It’s 10:25am. We have an end of term presentation at 10:30am.

  I had completely forgotten.

  I press the phone back to my ear. “I’m on my way. Sorry, I’ll explain later. See you in 5.”

  Before Annie can respond I hang up and shoot off the ground. I nearly collapse from the sudden movement. I’m sorer than I’ve ever been in my life. My knees buckle and I have to grab the bedside table to keep myself from falling.

  My clothes are lying in a pile on the floor, I frantically put them on. All the warmth of the past 24 hours washes away and is replaced by harsh reality.

  My presentation is at a building across campus. My final mark relies heavily on this assignment, as does the finals marks of some of my closest friends. I can’t let them down.

  Still, before I leave, I can’t help but look back at my sleeping hero. The blanket washes up from his thighs to just below his bulging chest. His pull makes me shake. I just want to dive back into bed with him, but I can’t and I know it.

  So much for a relaxing morning with my boyfriend.

  Boyfriend...

  Oh, but how nice does that sound?

  Chapter 83

  Caden

  A slamming door jolts me out of my peaceful sleep.

  Hailey...?

  I look over to my side. Empty. I shuffle up onto my ass. There’s no one else here with me. The bathroom door is open and the light is off.

  Did I just dream her up?

  No, I can still smell her lingering lilac scent. Her memory washes over me like a cool breeze.

  Where the hell did she go?

  I sit in bed and try to gather myself. My body is so stiff and sore, I might as well be a statue. Still, I manage to reach out and grab my phone.

  I suddenly freeze as I realize I don’t have Hailey’s number. How am I going to contact her?

  ... Does she even want me to?

  She sure left in a hurry. Did she wake up and truly realize what we had done last night... and then again morning? She didn’t seem like to the type of girl to have a one-night stand, but I guess that’s what last night was. How many couples fuck so quickly after their first meeting?

  I feel a knot forming in my heart. She didn’t feel like a one-night stand... she didn’t kiss me like she was a one-night stand.

  Maybe she just had somewhere to be...

  I check my phone. It’s Saturday. There aren’t any classes today... though, it is near the end of the year, maybe she has a presentation or something?

  I have to tell myself that she left for schoolwork, it’s the only way I can get out of bed.

  She is a nerd, after all.

  My clothes are in a pile on the floor. I pick them up and put them on. I quickly realize that my arms are too scuffed up from last night’s fight to wear a muscle shirt. It’s hot outside, but I’m going to have to wear a long-sleeve. I find one in my drawer and decide to head out.

  I know I have to be careful, but I need some fresh air. My head is pounding... maybe I’ll go for a sauna at the gym too.

  No, wait, I can’t do that, someone might see my battered body.

  Where can I go?

  The library.

  I still need to study. Plus, I doubt anyone will be looking in the library for an assailant strong enough to beat up four football players. Libraries are for nerds... sexy, curvy nerds...

  My stomach rumbles. I guess we never ended up getting food last night either. I check my fridge.

  It’s practically empty. There’s a jar of half empty mayonnaise, a single slice of bread, and some celery. If I had some tuna I’d be in business, but I haven’t been able to go grocery shopping in forever.

  God, I’m so sick of being poor.

  I CANNOT be caught. No one with any power will care that I was only defending myself last night, they’ll do whatever they can to suspend me, or worse. I just can’t afford that.

  I need to graduate and I need to become a doctor. It’s my destiny... and it’s my only way out of this nightmare.

  I grab the single slice of bread and wolf it down as I leave my apartment building. I live on campus, and close enough to the library where Hailey and I met last night, but I can’t go there. If someone recognizes me, I’m done. Plus, who knows if I’ll be able to concentrate with the memory of our sexy encounter in that little cove looming over my head.

  I’ll have to go to a library in another area, and I’ll have to take the long way around.

  I sneer a little as I limp to my door. I don’t know how much walking I really want to do...

  God, how am I going to manage practice this week? I need to hide my pain; people will get suspicious about where my injuries came from.

  I check my phone. It’s almost 11am. I remember that I have no way of getting in touch with Hailey.

  She’s coming back...

  I have to convince myself she didn’t leave me, she just had somewhere else to be, right?

  I grab a post-it note from my bedside table and write down my phone number on it. I address it to Hailey.

  I hesitate to write anything else down. There’s something that’s dying to come out through my pen, but I don’t know if I should let it. Other people might see this note...

  Screw it. I don’t care. It’s true. We both said it to each other last night... right?

  I write it down and post it on my front door as I leave. The bright yellow note hangs like a testament.

  Hailey, call me...

  I love you.

  Chapter 84

  Hailey

  “What the fuck, Hailey!”

  I can’t help but blush.

  “You look like a mess; you still haven’t explained why you were late; you probably just slept in, but, still, somehow, you freaking killed it!”

  Annie slaps me on the back and our friend Cara gives me a little hug. “We’re going to get A’s all around, no doubt. You’re a queen, girl!”

  I shake them off. I’m happy, but I can’t deal with all this attention, positive or not. That’s just my shy side reining me in.

  “Yeah, queen of the nerds,” I mumble, through a smile.

  “Let’s go celebrate! I can spare a few hours before I stuff my head back between the pages of some dusty textbook. Beers at Pablo’s?” Annie points at each of us. Every girl in our group agrees on the idea. When she points at me, though, I hesitate.

  Caden... I don’t even have his number.

  I realized that about halfway through our presentation I almost had a panic attack. I didn’t even tell him where I was going. He was asleep, maybe he thought I got cold feet. Maybe he already hates me...

  I have no way of telling him that I love him.

  I just wanted to race back to his apartment and jump in his arms again, but we had to finish our presentation. Luckily for me, I had prepared so thoroughly over the past few weeks, that I probably could have done my part in my sleep. That’s a good thing too, because I was still practically half-asleep for a good part of it.

  I guess that’s just a bonus to being a huge nerd.

  Of course, all my friends and group mates had also killed it. They’re all huge nerds too. Pablo’s is a board game bar just off campus. It’s one of our favorite spots and usually super fun, but it’s also really far from Caden’s place.

  My stomach rumbles. I guess I never ended up eating last night either...

  I check my phone. It’s almost 1pm.

  “Hailey? You in?”

  I bite my lip.

  “No, I can’t,” I finally say. I put my phone away. I vaguely remember w
hat building and on what floor Caden lives on. I just want to go to him. Food can wait. I’ll live of his sustenance... his hunky, chiselled sustenance...

  “What’s up with you, girl? Is everything alright?”

  Cara hugs me from behind. Annie looks concerned.

  I just nod. “I’m fine. Just need a little nap. Maybe I’ll catch up with you guys later.”

  “Ah, up studying late last night. I hear ya, girl. It’s exam season. Get your rest. We’ll hang out later!”

  I chuckle at her concern. It doesn’t even cross any of their minds that I may have done something a little more exciting last night. It doesn’t matter that it was Friday -- nerds study, so that’s what all my nerdy friends assume I did.

  I love these guys.

  We hug goodbye and head in opposite directions. The full extent of just how drained I am starts hitting me in larger and larger waves as I find my way through campus. It feels like I’m walking into quick sand. I wade through the heaviness in a daze, roughly going in the direction I remember Caden’s place being in.

  He wasn’t so far from the library...

  I decide to head there first and then re-calibrate. I can’t tell if I’m enjoying my first real taste of the ‘true’ college experience. It’s exhausting. I wonder how all the jocks and cheerleaders deal with constantly being so tired. Maybe they’re all a little more admirable than I thought...

  I suddenly find myself back at the scene of last night’s altercation. There’s blood on the pavement... and a slew of police officers canvasing the area.

  Oh, shit. What did Caden do?

  I panic and start to shuffle off towards the side alley we passed through after the incident. I don’t get far, though, before I’m stopped by a cop.