Breakaway: A friends to lovers romance

by Heather M. Orgeron

  “Colton?” The blond flight attendant’s hand went to her chest. A slow smile spread across her face. “It’s been a while.”

  Colt’s eyes darted to the side to look at me as he answered. “Yeah, it has...How’ve you been, Jill?”

  “I’m good. Looks like you’re, umm...doing okay yourself,” she mused, eyeing me.

  He cleared his throat. “Yeah, this is Allie, my girlfriend. Allie, this is Jill.”

  I nodded, trying to force a smile and keep my lunch down at the same time.

  “So, it’s so good seeing you again, but you’ll have to go back to your seats.” Her cheeks flushed as she batted her lashes at Colt like I wasn’t standing right here.

  “Sure, no problem,” he said, starting for our seats before turning back. “Hey, Jill. You think we could get our wings?” he winked. “We earned ’em.” I hated him.

  When we returned to our chairs, I was humiliated, horny, and fuming. “Really, Colton?” I asked, shaking my head when he looked at me with his shit-eating grin.

  “It was a long time a—”

  “Don’t,” I said, cutting him off. “I can’t even deal with you right now.”

  Colt’s lips pressed into a flat line, his body shaking with suppressed laughter as he rested his head against the window and left me to stew by his side.

  “Welcome home, Lexi!” Finley met us at the door to the apartment with a grin that spread clear from one ear to the other. My heart was racing with nerves. I knew that Colt had said they were fully onboard with my moving in, but it’s not like he’d have told me if they weren’t. After slapping Colton on the back, he reached for my arm, pulling me into his chest and squeezing the breath from my lungs. “I’m so happy you’re back,” he said, rocking us from side to side. “It’s been so much less sexy around here without you!”

  I snorted out a laugh, my jitters already beginning to dissipate. “Missed you too, Finley.”

  “Should I be worried about the two of you?” Colton teased, lugging the suitcases in from the porch, his eyes bouncing between us.

  “Duh,” came Finn’s response as he waved his hands over his body. “What girl wouldn’t want this?” He was joking. But with that blond hair, those crystal blue eyes, and a body like his, he’d be hard-pressed to find one. Finley was going to make some girl very happy someday.

  “It’ll be hard to refuse,” I answered, unable to wipe the smile from my face, and I didn’t want to.

  “So, don’t fight it, sexy.” He winked, bursting into laughter when Colt shoved his chest, knocking him off balance.

  “Pistols at dawn, motherfucker.” Colt made one hand into the shape of a gun, aiming it at his friend and cocking it with his other.

  “Hey, new roomy,” Blex called, walking in from the kitchen, dismissing the other two idiots in the room with a shake of his head as he passed them by. “Don’t you ever disappear like that on us again, young lady...You caused quite a commotion around here,” he said, enveloping me in his arms as he placed a kiss on the side of my face.

  “Right?” Finley agreed, jumping in on our conversation. “Had Colton here so fucked in the head, he was licking on man titties and shit.”

  “Oh my God!” I busted out laughing. “I forgot all about that message.”

  Colton’s face blanched. “Guys, seriously, that’s enough.”

  “Don’t listen to him...Tell me everything.”

  Every so often while Colt and I were unpacking my things, I’d burst into hysterics, picturing his run-in with the cross dresser. Let’s just say Colton was highly unamused. It was quite possible he was already regretting his decision to invite me to move in.

  “Colt?”

  “Yeah?” he called from the dresser, where he was busily arranging all of my underwear and bras by color.

  “If I ask you something, do you promise to be honest with me?”

  He stopped what he was doing, looking back at me with a nervous frown. My heart skipped beats at the sight of my man with his mussed hair, furrowed brow, and his fingers draped in satin and lace thongs. “Sure, what’s up?”

  “Whose tits are better?”

  Next thing I knew, I was flat on my back on the floor beside the bed, Colt’s hard body towering over mine. Shrieking with laughter, I slapped at his chest. “What’re you doing, maniac?”

  “Shutting you up,” he growled against my lips before thrusting his tongue into my mouth, ripping our clothes off, and fucking me senseless.

  The very next morning, ball practice resumed, and a few days later, classes. With the start of school came added afternoon practices and games. Colton hadn’t been exaggerating how little downtime he had. His life was hectic, to say the least, and I lived for the nights when he would fall into bed and show me he’d been missing me just as much as I had him. Those moments more than made it all worth it.

  Nonetheless, my days were long. I’d dropped all of my classes at Texas State and enrolled for the spring semester at UCLA, but until then, I had nothing to occupy my time. A girl could only sleep so much, and since our time was already so limited, neither of us was too keen on the idea of me getting a job. But I needed something to do when I wasn’t following him to games or popping in to watch him practice, which I did regularly. Colton Fowler always was a sight to behold on that court. I hadn’t realized just how much I’d missed watching him play.

  Finley of all people suggested I find a place to volunteer, and that’s when I found Saint Anthony’s homeless shelter. It was only a few miles away from the apartment, and I was able to pop in to help out as little or as often as I could. I became fast friends with the other volunteers. There was always plenty to be done, from serving meals to handing out clothes and toys to children.

  My new life in California was busy, but it fulfilled me in ways I never imagined possible. And for the first time in a very long time, I was truly happy.

  COLTON

  WHILE ALEX WAS OUT visiting Gertie, who’d come back to LA to spend the Christmas holidays with her family, I was rearranging our room so we could fit another dresser. After sliding the bed over to the other wall, I went on a scavenger hunt, foraging through the crap that had somehow migrated underneath, and that’s when I found it—the letter.

  Dear Colton,

  I miss you already, and I haven’t even left...

  As soon as I finish writing this, I’ll be on my way to the airport to catch the next flight home. Dean’s dad was in a bad car accident this morning, and it doesn’t look good. I know that you understand how much Mr. Ryan means to me, and why I need to be there right now. Still, I hate leaving without saying goodbye—truthfully, I hate leaving at all. The past few weeks, especially last weekend, were the happiest I’ve been in years.

  This is a conversation I hoped we’d have in person, but I don’t want you to come back, find me gone, and assume the worst. So, this letter will have to do. I’ve made my decision. Hell, if I’m honest, I made it the minute I hopped on that plane to come to LA—to come to you. You’re the reason I couldn’t say yes. I know that now, without doubt. There’s no way that I could ever marry Dean feeling the way I do for you. I’m in love with you, Colton Fowler. I think maybe I always have been.

  Thank you so much for everything. The summer, this weekend, your big cock—the shirt, you perv. I’ll call you later tonight when I get settled.

  Love always,

  Allie

  xoxo

  I sat at the foot of the bed, reading it over and over again. My heart broke as I imagined the pain she must’ve felt after baring her heart like that and then thinking that I’d run off and slept with Lyla.

  I couldn’t believe that girl pulled such a juvenile stunt, but I let her know in no uncertain terms that if she even looked my or Alex’s way again, I’d report her to the coaches and have her ass banned from the gym and thrown off the cheer squad. Lyla hadn’t been a problem since.

  Mine and Alex’s relationship had been perfect since she moved in a month ago, but I walked ar
ound with a knot the size of Texas in my chest, constantly feeling like this was all too good to be true. Like it wasn’t going to last because it never had before. Our parents always said we were destined to be together. But, it felt like fate just really liked fucking with us.

  “What’re you reading?” Allie asked, plopping down beside me on the bed, so engrossed in my thoughts, I hadn’t heard her come in. When I turned to look at her, my heart sped up. Fuck, she was gorgeous, I thought, staring down at her windburned cheeks and bright red nose. At her teeth biting her lower lip.

  “Hey,” she said with a giggle, cupping her icy cold hands on my cheeks. “Are you okay?”

  “You look really nice today, Al,” I rasped, unable to focus on much else. She was here, and she was mine. But for how long?

  Alex’s eyes narrowed as she searched mine. “Thank you, Colton...You’re acting weird. Did something happen while I was gone?” Jeez, I needed to snap out of this.

  “Well, I found about five hundred pairs of dirty panties under the bed,” I chuckled, glaring at her.

  “Hey, you can’t blame me for those. You’re the one who’s always rippin’ ’em off of me. You should clean up after you eat,” she teased, scrunching her nose at me.

  “I also found this,” I said, passing her the letter.

  My beautiful girl’s face flushed with embarrassment. “Told you...” She folded it up, setting it on the bed behind us. Her eyes darted around the room as she crossed her legs, the top one swinging rapidly.

  “I’m in love with you too, Allie,” I said, moving to kneel in front of her. Alex and I had been saying the words ‘I love you’ to each other since we were kids, but loving a person and being in love with a person were not the same thing. I felt the earth shift when I read her words, so I got it. I understood when her shoulders started to shake and her eyes welled up with emotion. It was the relief of knowing that when I said those three words to her now, they meant something more.

  She blew out a long breath. “You are?”

  “Alexis Mack, I’ve been in love with you since we were in high school, maybe even before that,” I said, reaching up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. “All it took to make me realize it was seeing you with Dean, and by then I was already too late.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “You seemed so happy, and I was afraid that if I told you and you didn’t feel the same, things between us would change, and I’d lose you.”

  Realization dawned on her. “So, the move to California was because of Dean and me?”

  I shrugged. “It was easier when I didn’t have to see the two of you together.”

  “We really screwed this thing all up, didn’t we?” she asked, running her fingers through my hair.

  “I don’t know, Al. Maybe if we hadn’t tried with other people, we would’ve always wondered if what we had was real, you know? It was all we’d ever known.” Growing up, I’d always assumed Allie would be mine. I’d learned the hard way never to take her for granted.

  “Well, you sure sampled enough of the female population to make sure.” Alex’s eyes twinkled with mirth. “Were blowjobs your way of coping?” She snorted.

  “A man’s got needs, Al.” I shrugged, rising to my feet, which were starting to cramp from sitting on my heels so long. “I didn’t know that you’d ever leave Dean. But, yeah, I guess you’re kinda right. Girls get less emotionally attached from sucking dick than they do from fucking.”

  “Hmm,” she said, twisting her lips to the side. “Guess I never thought about it like that.”

  “See, so every time I let a girl put her lips around my cock, it was for you.”

  “You’re too kind.”

  It was Christmas Eve, and we were getting all decked out to go celebrate with my coaches and teammates. I felt awful for not being able to take Alex back to spend the holiday with our families, but we were in the middle of a big tournament, and I couldn’t leave. Allie refused to go without me, so here we were.

  “Your girl about ready, Fowls?” Finn griped, pacing the living room in his three-piece suit. “I’m starving.”

  It was after 5:00 p.m. and Alexis had been getting ready since early that morning. When I’d told her this dinner would be a formal affair, she’d worked herself into a mini panic attack. Unlike myself, who’d grown accustomed to the lavish productions the program put on, Alex hadn’t worn a formal dress since our senior prom. So, as an early Christmas gift, I’d set her up with an appointment at a designer boutique a few days ago and then surprised her this morning with a day at the salon—hair, nails, makeup, waxing, the whole shebang. All she had to do when she got back two hours ago, was put on the dress, which she had yet to allow me to see, mind you. I was dying to get a look at her.

  “She’s coming,” Blex announced, rushing down the stairs. “Just needed a little help.” That asshole smirked, waggling his brows.

  “What kind of help?”

  “Zipper...titty tape...”

  My eyes narrowed across the room at my best friend. “You touched my girl’s tits?”

  Blex burst out laughing. “No, I just helped her figure out how it worked and zipped her up when she was through.”

  Our conversation ended when the sound of Allie’s heels echoed off the stairs. Time stood still as I watched her step into view. Her dress was floor length with a slit that came up to mid-thigh. The skirt was red and trailed behind her, even in her sexy as hell, four-inch silver stilettos. The top was sheer silver with rhinestones that clustered in the shape of a bra to cover her breasts and were dusted lightly over the rest of the see-through top. She looked like she belonged on a runway.

  “Well?” she asked nervously when I stood there gawking, unable to formulate words.

  “Jesus, Alex,” I rasped, loosening the knot on my tie. “You look...wow.” I closed the few steps between us and lifted my hands to her shoulders, lightly trailing my knuckles down her arms. “So fucking beautiful, Allie.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered, placing her dainty hands on my chest. “This suit is—” she closed her eyes, growling low in the back of her throat “—so hot,” she added, her eyes fluttering open.

  “You two lovebirds ready?” Blex called from the door. “Car’s here.”

  ALEXIS

  I FELT LIKE A movie star walking into the ballroom on Colton’s arm. So in awe of my surroundings, I practically floated in on a cloud. The ceiling had been draped in white netting with twinkling lights that set a romantic ambiance. It gave the feeling of being under a blanket of stars. Four-chair tables with white cloths and chair covers to match filled one half of the space. Each chair was adorned with a huge gold bow tied around its back. The place settings were white with gold trim. It was all so fancy, no expense spared. On the other end of the ballroom sat a stage where a four-man band filled our ears with classic Christmas music. Beside the stage was an enormous tree, decorated elaborately in red and gold. A dance floor was set up just in front of the stage and to the right of it, an open bar.

  “Colton and Alexis, don’t you two clean up nice?” Coach Grady boomed, coming up behind us as we navigated the room in search of our seats. “I’m sorry you’re missing the holiday with your family,” he said, his concerned eyes locked on mine. Colt must’ve mentioned how difficult our first Christmas away from home was for me. It’s not that I didn’t want to be there because I did. It was just hard. “Well, just know I appreciate the sacrifice you’re making to be with our Colt here.” His hand clamped down on Colton’s shoulder. It was obvious he cared for him a whole lot, and it warmed me to him.

  My lips stretched into a slow smile. “Being with Colt is never a sacrifice, Mr. Grady.” Colt’s hand squeezed mine gently. “I’ll be fine.”

  Coach beamed. “He is one of a kind, isn’t he?”

  “He sure is.” I turned toward Colton as I answered, and our eyes locked. My heart did a little dance. I couldn’t stop staring at my man in his Armani suit. I never understood why a pers
on would pay such an enormous price for a name, but I was certainly glad for Colt’s expensive taste tonight. And for Grandpa Fowler, who seemed to have no limits when it came to spoiling his only grandson.

  “Well, you two kids enjoy the party.” He walked off in the direction of his table, but before we had even taken two steps, he turned around and was headed right back.

  “Forget something, Coach?” Colt asked, smiling.

  “Yeah, I did, actually.” His attention turned to me. “Alexis, I wanted to see if you’d do me a huge favor and take part in the halftime show on New Year’s Eve?”

  My eyes turned to the side, meeting Colt’s. He shrugged like he had no idea what this was about. “Me?” My hand came to my chest, pulse racing with nerves.

  “We thought it would be fun to have a couple of the players’ girlfriends come out and shoot blindfolded.” Ugh. Why me? My first instinct was to tell him no, but he was such a nice man, and he looked so excited about the whole thing. He’d also just referred to me as Colt’s girlfriend, so I was really liking him just then.

  “You should do it, babe.” Colt nudged my arm with his elbow. “You’ve got a hell of a shot for a girl,” he teased.

  “For a girl?” I countered. “I seem to remember beating a certain someone at horse a time or two.”

  Colt chuckled, his green eyes glistening. “It was one time, and we were like twelve.”

  I dismissed him with the wave of a hand. “Semantics.”

  Coach Grady watched our interaction with an amused smile. “So, how ’bout it, Alex? Can we count you in?”

  “Sure,” I said, already regretting my answer. “Why not?” Why not? Was I serious?

  “Great. I’m gonna get back to Mrs. Grady. She hates when I leave her alone at these things.”

  I waited until he was out of earshot before growling at Colt. “Why’d you let me say yes?”