Crimson Catch (Game Time #1)

by S. M. Donaldson

  She looks at me like I’m retarded. “Women have to get checkups, dufus, and my mom felt like it was time for me to go.”

  I want to ask her if she’s on the pill now, because I want to have sex with her, but tonight is not the night for that question. Plus, I’m sure that would earn me a slap. She just saw me a couple of weeks ago being stupid at a party. I don’t want her to think that I think she’s like that girl.

  Once we’re parked in my driveway, I walk around the car and take her hand. Leading her in through the garage, we see my mom first. She scurries over to Jo, pulling her into a hug. “Joelle, sweetie, are you doing okay? Do you need anything?”

  Jo shakes her head. “No, ma’am. I’m fine, but thank you.”

  “What’s the noise in here?” My dad’s voice seems to boom off the tile in the kitchen. “Oh hello, Joelle. How are you doing?” She’s only met my dad a couple of times now, but he seems to like her.

  “I’m fine, Mr. Atwood. Just a little tired,” she says with a yawn.

  “Jo, honey, I’ve told you several times, call us Thad and Ella Mae,” he says, giving her an arm hug. “Your mom hanging in there?”

  “Yes, sir,” she answers quietly.

  “Good,” my dad says, pulling her in tight.

  “You guys hungry? I’ve got some meatloaf, mashed potatoes and cake for dessert,” my mom asks.

  “I ate a hamburger earlier at the hospital, but I’m sure Collin is hungry,” Joelle answers.

  I laugh. “I’m always hungry. Why don’t you eat some cake?” I suggest to Jo.

  She nods, sitting down to the bar while my mom brings the food out. My brother wanders in for another piece of cake while we’re there.

  After I’m into my meatloaf, and Brock and Jo are into their cake, my mom clears her throat. “Well, I have a little announcement. I went to the doctor today for my checkup.” She directs her gaze to Jo. Jo’s face looks like she wants to crawl under the table. Surely my mom wouldn’t say anything. My dad goes over to stand next to my mom. “Well, it was supposed to just be my check up, but it turns out we’re having a baby.”

  I choke on my meatloaf while my brother shoots milk out of his nose and Jo’s eyes get huge.

  My dad wipes the milk off of his dress shirt that my brother shot all over him. He laughs, “Well, I guess I should get used to being spit up on again.”

  Finally regaining my composure, I look at my mom and dad. “Wait, how did this?” A shiver runs down my spine and I shake. “Ugh.” I put my fork down, I can’t eat anymore. I don’t want to picture my parents doing what they had to do to end up pregnant. Maybe that’s not what happened.

  Jo stands up and walks around the counter. “Congratulations.”

  They both hug her and thank her.

  My brother still looks like he just ate a bag of lemons.

  My dad laughs. “I take it you two boys are in a little shock?”

  “Shit yeah,” my brother says and then immediately covers his mouth.

  I shake my head. “Um, yeah. I didn’t think Mom could have any more kids. I thought that um, you know.”

  “You thought I was too old?” my mom asks.

  “No. Well, yes. I mean did you have one of those insemination things or something? Please tell me you did.” Really, my parents shouldn’t be doing the things you have to do to make babies.

  “I’m not too old and I never had my tubes tied. For your information, your father and I are still very-.” My brother cuts her off by running from the room. I think I hear him throwing up.

  My dad laughs. “Okay, honey, I think we’ve scarred them all.”

  I stand up. “I need to take Jo home anyway.”

  Jo places her plate in the sink. “Thank you for the cake and again, congratulations.”

  My parents both hug her. “You let us know if you or your mom need anything.”

  She nods and I walk her out to my car. I can’t even form a conversation. I’m in total shock, my parents have been going at it like rabbits. They had to have been to make a baby, right? I mean, this is crazy. Jesus. Why can’t my dad keep it in his pants? They’ve got their kids. There’s a point where you stop, right? I mean after a certain age, like thirty or two kids, you shouldn’t have sex anymore? I wouldn’t think they would enjoy it like we do.

  CHAPTER 26

  Joelle-

  Once we are in the car, he just sits there. Finally, I ask him, “Collin are you going to take me home or just sit here and stare into space?”

  He reaches and cranks the car. “Yeah, I’m sorry. I just-.”

  I burst out laughing. “I cannot believe you are that freaked out by this.”

  “I don’t know what I’m more freaked out about. My mom being pregnant or the fact that it happened naturally.”

  “You’ve never heard your parents having sex before?” I’m a little shocked. I mean I thought everyone had had that traumatic moment in their lives.

  “NO!” he yells.

  “It’s not like I listened on purpose, but I’ve walked past their door in the middle of the night and heard things. Big deal. Most adults have a sex life and by the way, women can have babies all the way in their fifties,” I defend.

  “My parent’s room is on the first floor by itself, thank God! I seriously don’t know what I’d do if I heard my parents going at it.” His entire body shivers.

  As we pull up to my house, I turn to him. “Are you going to be okay?”

  He nods. “Yeah,” but he’s still looking like he may be sick at any moment.

  “Are you going to kiss me goodnight or what?” I tease.

  Trying to erase all the thoughts of his parents from his mind and the crisis with mine, I reach over the console and touch his chest. He pulls me to him and our mouths fit together perfectly like always. I run my hand under his shirt and over his abs.

  I groan into his neck. “God, your abs are intoxicating.”

  His hand starts to roam under my shirt and I feel my nipples harden. He’s going slowly, as if to ask for permission, so I slowly run my hand down to his jeans, rubbing his erection through them.

  His hand slips over my bra and touches my nipple. I let out a small cry. This feels so freeing, so carefree. I want him to touch more. I want to touch more, but he stops.

  “We can’t do this here.” He pulls back, trying to adjust himself through his jeans while I put my bra back into place and right my shirt. “I’m not doing this in your parents’ front yard. Jo, you’ve had a really shitty day and I’m not going to take advantage of that.”

  He’s right. I know he’s right. “You’re right.”

  “Believe me, you felt the evidence that I want to. God, I want to soooo bad, but it’s not right. You’re not some chick who I’m just going to bang in my car,” he expresses.

  I cock my eyebrow. “Or on your car?” I say, thinking about that chick the other week.

  “Babe, we really need to talk about that and we need to do it before major stuff happens with us, but tonight you need rest.” He leans over and gives me one more kiss. “Do you want me to walk you up?”

  I shake my head, still trying to fight back my need. “No, because if you walk me up there, I’ll drag you to my room and have my way with you.” I wink.

  He flops his head back to the headrest. “Go inside, you wicked, wicked woman.”

  He always picks and calls me a wicked woman when he sees me at practice in tight tank tops.

  “Collin, do you think…”

  “Do I think what?” he whispers.

  “Are we in this for the long haul?” I say with a stutter. I need to know these things before I decide to give him the most private part of me.

  He leans forward and gives me a small, but hot kiss. “I see you all through my future.”

  Oh God. That gives me the feels. As one of my characters would say, there are butterflies in my stomach and I’ve got the tingles.

  On the way into my house, I begin to wonder. Do cold showers work for girls, too
? I’m going to try it.

  ~*~*~

  A week seems to fly by and my dad is home. He’s promised my mom that he’ll stop drinking and take better care of himself. I’m sure it’s because his parents are here driving him crazy. The Touchdown Club is having a meeting tonight and he’s determined to go. He’s been so ill, but the doctor said he would probably be ill throughout his recovery. I think it’s because he’s sober and going through withdrawals.

  I am, however, excited this week is a bye week so that means no football game tomorrow night. There is a party at the Daffin’s but I’m not going out there. Booker has started to pull his weight on the field a little more, but I’m not up for him. Collin and I are going on our first real date. Not at the Frosty King, no party after a football game. A date. We have tutoring today since both of our schedules are kind of lax with the off week. James is dropping me off there now.

  I knock on the door and as soon as it opens, I’m pulled inside and pressed against the wall. “We have the house to ourselves for two hours.”

  “Mmm,” I moan as he kisses my neck. Our make out sessions have gotten a little more intense each time they happen. We stumble our way upstairs to his bedroom. This is the first time I’ve been up here. The room is just as I would picture his room. Neat with matching bedding I’m sure his mom picked out because it’s a mix of greys. Dark wood furniture and a few posters on the walls along with a huge trophy shelf.

  Spinning me around, we tumble onto his bed. Soon both of our shirts are off, along with my bra as we feverishly rub against one another.

  “Fuck, babe, we gotta stop.” I prop up on my elbows with my breasts fully exposed to ask why but he answers first. “I don’t want our first time to be rushed. You’re beautiful and I want you so bad, but I think we need to talk about some stuff first.”

  He puts the brakes on every time, seriously. I’m tired of him treating me with kid gloves. I know he respects me and that’s wonderful, but I have needs, too. How am I so different from the girl he banged on his car that night? An idea pops in my head.

  I shove him over to his back. “Jo, what are you doing?”

  “You’ll see,” I say with a grin.

  Pulling down his gym shorts along with his boxer briefs, I look at his erection for the first time. I wonder how it will eventually fit inside me, but I’ve read enough to know not to worry too much about it. “Seriously, Jo. I’m about to explode.”

  Leaning over, I place my mouth on him as he cries out my name.

  A little later, once we’ve redressed and he’s cleaned up, I laugh. “Do you feel a little better now?”

  He gives me a huge grin. “So much better. You didn’t have to do that though.”

  “I know that, but I kinda wanted to. It made me feel-.” I pause.” I don’t know, kinda like a bad girl.”

  He chuckles and kisses me. “Well, next time I promise to repay the favor.” He glances at his watch. “I should be getting you home.”

  “I feel bad we didn’t study at all,” I say with a bit of seriousness.

  “I studied your body, that’s good enough for me.” I laugh as he smacks my ass.

  I thought arriving home with my football player boyfriend, whom my dad has really only met before we started dating, would be great. Boy was I wrong.

  Walking in the front doors, I hear my dad yelling. “Who in the hell does she think she is? Faith, how did we end up with such an ungrateful brat?”

  I think they must be talking about Janae, but my dad interrupts my thoughts. “She doesn’t care that she’s taking money from her brother’s program, the program we’ve busted our asses for. She’s always acted like she was too good for us.”

  “Joel, stop. She hasn’t done any of this. Plus they made some valid points tonight. But first you need to calm down, you aren’t doing yourself any favors by getting riled up like this,” I hear my mom saying in a hushed tone.

  I also feel Collin tense next to me. I turn to him. “Just go. I’ll call you later.”

  “Oh, look who’s home! The thief!” my dad shouts from the doorway to the kitchen.

  I look at him confused. “Excuse me? I’m no thief.”

  “Oh, so your sob story didn’t get money taken from the Touchdown Club?” he sneers.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I state as I see my brother enter the room and stand quietly along with my sister. Great, an audience. Where are my grandparents?

  Collin steps forward. “Mr. Prescott, I think I know what you’re referring to and that wasn’t Jo, it was me.”

  “How could you betray your own team?” my father asks him.

  James steps in when he sees Collin’s face go red. “What’s going on?”

  My mom faces us. “Tonight it was brought to the attention of the club how much money the band spends just to support the football team. How they go lacking on certain things, like shoulder pads on their drums.” She looks at me. “It was also brought up how the concessions were basically stolen away from the band. So the club decided to split a portion of the concession stand’s profits with the band as long as some of their parents help work it during the game. Same goes for the cheerleaders. I think it’s a fine compromise and it’s only right. Joel, our daughter keeps bruises on her shoulders, you saw the pictures,” she says, looking at my father.

  “Only right? What the hell, Faith? The band has only ever been a waste of energy for her. She could be doing other things, like an actual sport.” He turns his head, mumbling something about a lazy good for nothing kid.

  James steps up in my dad’s face. “Don’t ever talk down to her like that again. She busts her ass out there, she sweats on that field just like I do. She keeps bruises on her shoulders because they can’t afford to fix her drums. They spend what budget they do have following the football team around supporting us. I will never let you talk down to my sister again.”

  I take Collin’s hand and walk back out the door. I’m still in shock of everything I’ve just witnessed. My dad has always been a little bit of a jerk and a little bitter, but never that loud.

  I look at Collin. “You did that?”

  He nods. “Yeah, I talked to my dad about it all. I just didn’t know when he was going to talk to them.” He hugs me tight. “Are you going to be okay?”

  I nod. “Yeah, he’ll take his meds and go to bed. I’m just going to go to my room.”

  He squeezes me again. “Love you, wicked woman.”

  “Love you, too.”

  As I walk back into the house, my dad glares at me from across the room. I walk over to James. “Where are Grandma and Gramps?”

  “He sent them home. He was rude as fuck to them. Grandma was crying when they left.”

  That’s when I notice that my normal smart-mouthed little sister is timidly cowering in the corner. I give a slight nod in her direction. James whispers, “He called her a whore earlier, told her she looked like a worthless slut.”

  “So this is what it’s like coming off of alcohol?”

  “I guess,” he mumbles.

  “What are you two so damn chatty about over there? Talking about how you’re all worthless? I’ve got one daughter who’s a whore and will be knocked up by the time she’s sixteen, a worthless son who can’t play decent football for shit and did nothing to carry on my legacy on the field, and one ungrateful bitch who thinks music is so damn important that she turns into a fucking thief,” he snarls.

  My mom storms over to him. “I understand that you’re hurting, but you will not ever talk to my kids that way again. I’ll kill you myself. I won’t have to wait for you to have another heart attack. Do you understand me?”

  He stands up but wobbles. I look at him. “Have you been drinking?”

  He steps over to me and backhands me so hard, I fall backward over a chair. James reaches down for me as Janae cowers over me. They walk me to the bathroom as I hear my parents arguing again. “James, go help Mom,” I say.

  Janae looks at me in the bath
room, she’s terrified. I can tell by her eyes. “What’s going on with him?” she asks me with tears in her voice.

  “Well, he’s going through withdrawals, but now he must have found some way to feed his addiction since they got home from the meeting. He wobbled and probably with the meds they have him on, it takes very little for him to hit his limit.”

  She grabs a wet cloth and tries to wipe the side of my face. “Sorry, this may hurt.” She winces.

  I hear a door slam and then a car take off.

  My mom comes in the bathroom a few minutes later. “Jo, are you okay? Dear lord, I didn’t expect for it to get like this.” She looks at the side of my face and grimaces.

  I try to give her a brief smile. “I’m fine, Mom. I’ll be okay.”

  James comes in. “So I’m assuming he won’t be back tonight?”

  My mom sighs. “I don’t know when or if your father is coming back. At this point, I don’t really care. None of us may be perfect but he’ll never talk to you guys that way again.”

  James looks at her. “So does this mean you’ve finally had enough?”

  She nods. “I’ve finally had enough. I thought him getting sober would be a good thing, but he turned into a monster tonight after that meeting and I know he snuck some liquor after we got home. I thought I’d thrown it all out, but I guess there was a stash. I’m done fighting him about it. He can find a new place to live.”

  She leaves the bathroom and shuts herself in her room to cry. My sister goes to her room and shuts the door, turning her music up loud. James hugs me and tells me how wrong Dad was and that I’m the smartest fucking person in this family, but it’s all a haze. I can’t understand any of it.

  Once I’m alone, I grab my phone. I have sixteen missed texts from Collin, all asking me if I’m okay.

  I text him back.

  ME: Can you come get me?

  COLLIN: On my way now.

  Grabbing a small duffle, I throw my laptop, clothes and some other stuff in there and sneak out to wait by the curb.

  What seems like minutes later, he pulls up and gets out, rounding the car. “Are you okay?” he says, pulling me into his chest.