Love's Sporting Chance: Volume 1: 6 Romantic sporting novellas

by Janice Thompson

  I nod as I grab my coat and put it on. “Yeah, are you coming Dodge?”

  “Yes, she may be a witch but if she’s missing we should help her.”

  I nod as I follow them out the door. “Where all have you checked?”

  Ashley sighed. “We checked the ballet school, Ash’s house—which is when she joined us, Jennifer’s house—but like I said her mom wouldn’t let her in, James said she wasn’t at his place, we checked the hospital where April is but no one had seen her, we even checked Samuel’s place.”

  “Why wouldn’t her mom let you guys in?”

  James expression grows grim as he purses his lips before he sighs. “Her mother doesn’t like me, to tell you the truth.”

  Ashley winces. “I don’t know why, you treat Jenny better than her mom does.”

  I sigh softly and pat James’ back gently. “I’m sorry, man.”

  ~

  After an hour and a half of searching Ash and Ashley had to go home, Dodge had given up as well. But I was determined enough to help him out. But even we had to give up when it got too dark to see. So I walked James to his home.

  In the bad side of town there were several buildings that were rundown and darkened some were even covered in old newspapers. I wince as we head to his apartment. He has to use a key to even get into the lobby.

  As we walk up the stairs I feel a knot forming in my stomach. Like something bad is about to happen, I look around but no one seems to be following us.

  As soon as James opens the door to his rundown apartment the smell of older copper hits my nose and my eyes widen. Oh, no. James is already walking through the house calling Jennifer’s name. I walk through the house and then notice the bathroom door is closed and the light is on.

  I reach my hand towards the door and open it slowly. There in a tub of bloody water, wearing her leotard, was Jennifer.

  “James!” I call out.

  I hear him running and watch as he turns pale as he practically screams Jennifer’s name.

  Jennifer opens her eyes slowly, but even I can tell she’s lost enough blood to make her sleepy. “I’m sorry, Jamie,” she says, her voice a little better than a whisper.

  James scoops her out of the tub and grabs a towel as he keeps her wrists elevated. “I forgive you for that, and I forgive you for this,” he says. “Just stay with me, okay?” He wraps the towel around her wrists as he glances at me and then at the phone.

  I nod and walk over dialing 911. I notice Jennifer’s head bob and wince a little.

  “911, what’s your emergency?”

  I wince. “There’s been an accident 905 Neptune Avenue, apartment 307. She cut her wrists.”

  “Is she still conscious?” the woman asks.

  “Yes, she is.”

  “We’ll send someone around as soon as we can, sir.”

  “Thank you,” I say and glance at James as I hang up the phone. “They’re on their way.”

  James nods. “Thanks,” he says. “Can you grab the first aid kit from the kitchen? I need to keep her awake.” He looks back at Jennifer. “Stay awake, okay? Just stay with me.”

  I smile sadly to myself as I search the kitchen for the kit. I was starting to hope and pray she would be alright. As I head back to James and Jennifer I hear her whisper that she’s so tired and wince. I hand him the kit.

  “Do you want me to drain the tub?”

  He pauses and then nods. “If you could, I don’t think I can handle going back in there.” He takes Jennifer’s hand gently in his. “You are going to stay with me, okay?”

  Jennifer winces as he works on suturing her wounds. “I’m always causing you problems, Jamie. I’m sorry.”

  “You’re worth every hard day, sweetheart, okay?” James reassures her as I enter the bathroom.

  I grimace a little, of all the things I was picturing doing today, sticking my hand into a tub of bloody water was not one of them. I shove my shirt sleeve up before reaching down and pulling the rubber plug out. As I search his bathroom for alcohol in order to get the blood off my hand and wrist. I rinse my hand off and grimace when I realize I have a papercut because the alcohol stings my finger.

  As I was putting the alcohol away I notice a note on the sink and read it with a wince.

  Jamie,

  I’m sorry, I realize now that I only cause problems to you and everyone around me. I think the world would be better off if I wasn’t here. Just, know that it’s not your fault, Jamie. If anything I would blame my mother. No, to be honest I blame myself.

  I don’t know why I thought this would be a good idea. I think I just figured that if I was better than my sister then everything would be perfect. But the truth is that I sank to my sister’s level. The only reason why she won that contest all those years ago was because she sabotaged the other dancers. She won by default, not by talent.

  If winning means cheating, then I don’t want to live in this world anymore. There’s only one thing I’ll regret in dying. And that’s that I never got a chance to have a family with you. Imagine that, we met because my fiancé was going on a date with my rival and I wanted to forget everything that was horrible in my life. You showed me how everything could be beautiful again, and I’m grateful for that, Jamie, believe me.

  I love you, maybe we’ll meet in another life. One where I’m just a simple girl and you’re just a simple boy.

  I just don’t want to cause problems anymore.

  Yours Forever,

  Jennifer

  I place my hand over my mouth with a wince. Sirens are going off in the distance and I just know they’re going to arrive before James would get a chance to read this note. I head out as James is finishing up his first aid, placing the letter in my back pocket.

  “I love you, Jennifer,” he says to her.

  She smiles a little lopsidedly and her eyes close a little. “I love you too, Jamie,” she says softly, slurring a little.

  I wince. “C’mon! Stay awake, Jennifer. Fight, please, fight.”

  “Trying, but I’m so tired…”

  The EMTs come into the apartment and I wince. I hold my hand out towards James. “Give me your keys, you’re going to go with Jennifer.”

  At least one of us would do the right thing. I was starting to regret that I hadn’t been there when April was taken into the hospital. He hands his keys to me with a nod.

  “Thanks, man. I owe you one,” James says as he walks with the EMTs and Jennifer. “You’re going to be okay, sweetheart.”

  She takes his hands in hers. “Yes, I will be,” she whispers.

  I smile a little and run a hand into my hair. Well that had been a heck of a day. I head out of the apartment after turning off the lights and lock the door.

  Chapter Fifteen

  When my eyes open I realize I am in a very white room. I have no idea how I got there but what I do notice is that I’m being watched. I look around slowly and see Luke.

  “Hey,” I croak. “What happened?”

  Luke winces and places a hand on my shoulder gently, trying to help me sit up. “The diet pills that Jennifer gave you weren’t diet pills. They were a pill version of heroin cut with aspirin that she had swiped from a drug dealer. I think she was trying to get you out of the competition. But you overdosed and ended up passing out. They had to pump your stomach to get it all out.”

  I groan and place a hand on my forehead. “I’m on suicide watch, aren’t I?”

  He grimaces. “I’m afraid so. But the good news is that you’ll get out three days before the competition.”

  “Seventy-two hours?” I ask.

  “Yeah, but they say that if they can prove it wasn’t a suicide attempt they will let you get out sooner.”

  I nod and rub my arm gently. “I’ll do my best, Luke. Just, I wasn’t trying to die,” I say softly. “I just wanted to be thinner.”

  Luke winces and takes my hand in his. “I think you’re thin enough and very pretty, April. You don’t need to change anything.” I can’t help it
, I giggle at him. He looks at me sheepishly. “Too cheesy?”

  “But so you,” I answer, smiling a little. “How long have I been in here?”

  “Almost Twenty-Four Hours.”

  A nurse opens the door I glance up at her. “I’m sorry, Luke but visiting hours are over.”

  I sigh but release Luke’s hand giving him a smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll be out of here before you know it.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” he said with a grin before he headed off.

  I glance up at the nurse once Luke has left. “I know they’ll want to move me to the mental facility so they can track my behavior. And give my bed to someone who needs it more than I do.”

  “While that’s true we still need to observe you for a few more hours to make sure the drugs are out of your system.”

  I nod. “Of course.” I sigh and rub my head gently.

  “Headache?” she asks.

  “A little bit. But I think that’s to be expected. I did after all down an entire bottle of—” I use hand quotation marks. “‘diet pills’ in order to be skinny for my contest.”

  The nurse looks at me. “Assuming the way you said that, your young man told you they weren’t.”

  I run my hand that isn’t hooked up to an IV into my hair. “Yeah, Luke is awesome like that,” I say with a smile.

  “Where did you get them?”

  I shrug. I wasn’t about to throw Jennifer under the bus like that. “I got them from a friend at school. To be fair they worked and I hadn’t thought anything of them. I would get dizzy from them but she said that it would be normal.” I sigh softly. “I should have known better.”

  The nurse pats my shoulder. “We all do silly things when we’re young, April.”

  I smile. “Thank you.”

  “One of your classmates is down the hall if you want to see her.”

  I blink. “Is she visiting someone?” I ask.

  “No, she was admitted late the night after you were.”

  My eyes widen. “Is she alright?”

  “She will be. They’ve been putting her on a lot of sedatives to keep her calm so she won’t pull her stitches.”

  I wince a little. “She’ll be with me in Suicide Watch, won’t she?”

  The nurse nods. “Yes, she will.”

  “What’s her name?”

  “Jennifer Morton.”

  I pale, Jennifer had attempted suicide? “What room?”

  “332, you can visit her if you want. But you’ll need an escort.”

  I nod slowly. “Thank you. I’ll think about it.”

  After almost half an hour of debating I stand slowly and grab my IV rack to walk down the hall. I wasn’t going to be that long, so I didn’t look for an escort. I was in Room 322, so only a few doors down from Jennifer. I walk slowly so I don’t pull my IV out and sigh softly. What would push her to try to commit suicide? It couldn’t have been me, could it?

  I gently push the door open to Jennifer’s room. She has an IV in her arm as well. However, she has two bags on hers. I wince a little as I sit on the chair beside her bed gently.

  Jennifer mumbles in her sleep softly. “Jamie?” she whispers.

  I place my hand gently over hers. “No, it’s April, Jennifer.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  I wince. “I forgive you,” I say softly. “You know life is still worth living right?”

  Jennifer cracks a green eye open and looks up at me. “Yeah, Jamie told me I was worth every hard day,” she says with a heartbreaking sob and blinks her eyes quickly. “But I don’t know why. I’m such a horrible girlfriend. And there’s no way he’s going to want me now.”

  “Hey, don’t talk like that. If he brought you to the hospital that means he cares enough. Besides,” I gently move her hand so I can look at the stitches. “It looks like he helped patch you up before you were brought here, right?”

  Jennifer nods. “Yes, he did.”

  “There, see, he wouldn’t leave you because of this, Jennifer.” I gently pat her hand. “Besides, it seems like we’ll be roommates at the mental hospital while they keep us under watch.”

  Her brow furrowed. “Why are you going to the insane asylum?”

  “Apparently they think I tried to commit suicide because of the overdose.” Jennifer winces and I shake my head. “Don’t blame yourself, Jennifer.”

  “Jenny,” she says softly. “Call me Jenny.”

  I smile a little at her and stand slowly. “I should get back to my room before they miss me.”

  I stand slowly and turn to make my way out of her room before I hear her say my name quietly.

  “Yes?” I ask, facing her.

  “Thank you.”

  I smile a little back at her. “Anytime, Jenny. Get better so I can pester you at the mental hospital, okay?”

  She laughs a little and I trudge my way back to my room.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Two days later Jennifer and I were transferred to the mental hospital. I run a hand through my hair and sigh. Who would have thought that the girl, who gave me fake diet pills in order to try and get me out of the contest so she could win, attempt suicide, and become one of my friends?

  I wince as I watch her pace. And then glance around the room. It’s visiting hours so I know that Luke is coming soon and that also means that James will show up too. I smile a little when I come up with a small plan.

  I rub my arm before I stand and make my way over to her and place my hand on her shoulder gently. She shakes underneath my hand.

  “Jenny?” I whisper.

  She sniffles and looks at me before she glances towards the floor again. Her eyes are bloodshot. I tug her into a hug. She wraps her arms around my neck and sobs softly. I gently pat her head.

  “I’m sorry,” she says in between sobs.

  I wince and sigh softly, I already forgave her but I think this is just breaking her from the inside out. “Just, why did you do it?”

  She breaks down crying again and it takes several moments to calm her down as I whisper soft encouraging words to her. James enters the room and I smile a little at him while Jennifer can’t see me.

  I rub her back gently. “Just let it out, Jenny. Why did you do it?”

  Jennifer finally calms down enough to talk to me. “My mother wants me to be as good as my older sister, if not better. My sister won that very same contest five years ago and now it’s my turn. I’m just not as good as you. And then I sank down to her level and hurt you.”

  I smile softly. “Dancing isn’t your dream. My dream has always been dancing. You see when I was little my parents were always broke, but they still made sure that I was able to go to ballet classes and were so excited when I got my toe-shoes. I have always wanted to dance. But dancing isn’t your dream. What is your dream, Jennifer?”

  She rakes a hand into her hair and smiles a little sadly. “I-I just want a family, to be normal, I don’t care if I’m no longer a little rich girl. I just want to live a happy life with Jamie. Have kids. And just live. Not survive like I am right now.”

  James goes to her and gently tugs her into his arms. “Oh, sweetheart,” he whispers.

  I smile a little as I slip out from between them and feel Luke tug me into an embrace from behind. He chuckles against my hair.

  “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” he whispers.

  I smirk a little as I watch Jennifer hug James tightly and sniffle into his shoulder.

  “I love you, Jamie,” she whispers to him and I feel my heart warm to her. “Do you think we’ll have a family?”

  “Yes,” he said with a small chuckle.

  Her nose wrinkled. “But we have one problem.”

  I raise an eyebrow as Luke shifts beside me uncomfortably.

  James groans. “Your mother.”

  Jennifer nods and sighs a little bit. “But I think I have a plan.”

  “Whatever you do, I’m with you.”

  She smirks. “That’s the plan.” She waggles her
eyebrows. “You’re going to help me at the contest.”

  I chuckle a little bit. “Now this I’ll have to see.”

  Jennifer grins. “Well, of course you’ll be there! You’re the star, April.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  I sigh as I run a hand through my hair with a small sigh. Tomorrow, Tomorrow April is getting out of suicide watch and then the contest and Jennifer’s insane plan was going to happen.

  I shake my head. Her plan is so crazy it might actually work.

  “Alright, I give up, why are you so down, Luke?” Dodge grumbles at me. “April is getting out tomorrow and then she’s going to have fun at the contest.”

  I wince a little and sigh. “But if she wins the contest she’ll move on to France.”

  “Then you’ll go with her.”

  I give him a look and roll my eyes. “And leave you all alone?”

  Dodge snorts and rolls his eyes at me. “I’ll be fine. Besides, I’ve got Sarah to keep me company.”

  I laugh a little. “I know, but I still worry about you, you’re my only family that I count.”

  “Then you need to save up your money and call me to make sure that I’m alright. Deal?” he asks, holding his hand out to shake.

  I chuckle as I shake his hand. “Deal.”

  “Now stop being all mopey, got it? You want to be top notch for tomorrow when April gets home. Otherwise she’ll think it’s all her fault that you feel like crap. And you know it.”

  I groan and rake my hands into my hair. Dodge has a point. I sigh softly. “Right, thank you, Dodger.”

  Dodge punches me lightly. “Anytime, Luke. Now, are you going to visit her, or not?”

  “Yes, yes,” I laugh as I stand to gather my coat. It may be March but it’s still cold here up north. “Let me know if my mother calls while I’m out. She’s been trying to get in touch with me for a while. And I still haven’t called her back.”

  Dodge shakes his head. “You have always had a love-hate relationship with your family. What is she trying to get you to do this time?”

  I sigh. “Go back home and live with her and dad and accept their help paying for my college. But I’m too determined to do everything myself. Since they want me to go to college for what my father wants me to do. Not what I want to do.” I cross my arms. “I’m not cut out to be a business man. I barely think I’m cut out to be a camera man.”