Tex comes back looking angry. “The bitch that answered the phone? That’s his agent. And she basically told me that if people keep saying bullshit about Tate having a fiancé she was going to sue for slander.”
“She can’t do that, can she?”
“Doubtful but her father is a lawyer.”
“Yeah. But mine is better.” I grin.
“Maxwell family?” A doctor calls, coming into the waiting room.
“Here.”
“Relation?” He asks.
“I’m her best friend, this is my husband.”
“Her parents?”
“They can’t make it, but I can put them on the phone right now, and they can let you know you can speak with me.”
“Do that.”
What a hardass. I dial Mrs. Maxwell and she answers instantly. “Courtney, baby, what’s going on. How is she?”
“Mrs. M, sorry, the doctor here won’t speak with me until you give permission, I’m gonna hand you over the phone.”
“Your daughter has a crushed ankle and a clean break of her femur. She needs surgery. We are prepping her now. No ma’am I doubt she will dance professionally again.”
My hand goes to my mouth. I look at Tex and he shakes his head muttering a curse. He squeezes my shoulder and the doctor hands my phone back.
“I’ll update you once the procedure is over.”
I can only nod. Amaya is never going to dance again…this will crush what is left of her.
Chapter 36
Amaya
I
wake to the sound of beeping and memories come flooding back. Blinking open my eyes I see Courtney and Big Tex sitting in the chairs next to my bed.
“Amaya?” Courtney asks the second I try to sit up. “Are you okay? I’m going to call the nurse.”
She moves out of the room and Big Tex stands. “You scared the hell out of us.” He looks exhausted.
“Were you guys here the whole time?”
“Yeah, you got out of surgery a few hours ago, your parents are on their way, we didn’t want to leave you here alone in case you woke.”
I try to reach for his hand, and when he notices what I’m trying to do he comes closer and touches my hand. “I’m so sorry for what I said.”
“Don’t, don’t be sorry, just rest, get better, get healed.” I nod, tears swimming in my eyes.
“Did, is, Tate?” I stutter.
He flinches and squeezes my hand slightly, shaking his head no.
That kills, worse than before. At least now I truly know he doesn’t give two shits about me. I’m in town, in an accident, and he doesn’t bother to call or check in on me. Nothing. He can rot for all I care.
I’m interrupted from my ranting in my head by the doctor coming into the room.
“Miss Maxwell, glad to see you awake. How’s the pain?”
The pain in my heart hurts the most, but I don’t say that. “It’s not too bad right now.” It’s mostly because I haven’t even let myself think about the pain to my body, not when I’m more hurt by Tate not being here.
He goes over a few things in my charts and as he drones on and on and on, I tune him out. “When will I be healed enough for dancing again?”
The energy in the room goes south, so south I feel a chill.
“I’m sorry, Miss Maxwell, you will never dance again, at least not at the capacity you are used to,” he states.
I feel like I was just punched in the stomach and my breath rushes out of me.
I’ll never dance again? No, how? Why? What did I do to deserve this?
I don’t even get to question or grieve the loss of my dream. A cop comes into my room to question me.
He’s an older man, reminds me of my Uncle Tim in a way, he has dark green eyes like his. “I wanted to let you know that we got that guy that ran you down in the street.”
“You did? Was he drinking?”
He nods. “Do you know a man by the name of Keith Digger?”
My head hurts, but I get a flash of him from the club. I clear my throat and take a sip of water. “What does this have to do with Keith? I dated him in college.”
“After reviewing footage from the club and the street, it appears he may have drugged your drink at the bar and he’s the one who ran you down. When we got a report about blood on his car and him trying to get it repaired this morning we investigated and went to his hotel room. The guy had all kinds of pictures of you and had been following you for some time. We don’t have all the information yet, but we even believe he followed your dance company overseas.”
I feel sick. “Keith did this to me, on purpose?”
**
Ever since I woke up in the hospital realizing my dreams were over, never to dance again I’ve been battling depression. It’s not only that I lost my dream but the fact that Tate wouldn’t take my calls, and last week when I tried again his number was disconnected.
I guess the love we shared wasn’t real. It feels like another lifetime ago that we were even a couple. I thought he loved me.
Keith was arrested for hitting me with his car. Attempted murder is the charge. However, he has plead insanity and his parents have spared no expense getting him a great defense team. He’s currently in a mental ward.
They say that he never got over me after our breakup and that he blamed me for his getting kicked off the football team. He never made it to playing pro and thought it was all my fault and had I only taken him back his life would have been perfect.
I’m still having a hard time wrapping my head around it. He had stayed away, at least I thought he had, but it turns out he had been burning through his trust fund to follow me around the world and he’s even responsible for my partner blowing his knee out.
My dad was able to pull some strings and get me back into USC so I could get my doctoral degree in sports medicine. I only have to do two years of it, since I already have my masters. My mom has been smothering me nonstop. I moved home for a while as much as I didn’t want to. I needed their help though. Taking care of myself wasn’t an option and I wasn’t going to impose on Courtney and Tex. They are starting a family. They didn’t need me in the way.
I’m on spring break for Courtney’s baby shower right now. I’m not really in the mood for a celebration, but I want to do this for Courtney. My mom is trying to better about hovering, but I know she’s jealous that Tessa is becoming a grandma first and that she isn’t sharing in that experience. I guess she thought Courtney and me would have babies at the same time so they could be best friends like we are.
I thought that someday maybe it would happen. I wanted that with Tate, but we will never have that.
Courtney comes in, completely glowing. Even about to pop, her curves are still banging. I wipe away my self-pity and put on a big smile for her. I am so happy for her. She is so excited for this baby. I am excited to be an appointed aunt. None of Tex’s family is here. They still don’t speak. I don’t even know if they know about the baby. It’s none of my business though. Tex comes in behind Court and immediately wraps me up in a bear hug.
“Thanks for putting this together for us. Court is on cloud nine.” He grins.
Guys usually don’t come to these parties, but there was no keeping him from it. He’s so ecstatic about being a dad. He’s so good to Courtney and always makes sure she’s taken care of. He even ran out at three in the morning just to get her sour cream last week to dip her pickles in.
“Of course,” I tell him and get the party started.
We play all the silly stuff, guess the candy bar poo in the diaper, how many candies are in the baby bottle. I watch Tex often, he seems to be enjoying playing the games more than anyone else. I smile, shaking my head.
Once everyone leaves Big Tex helps me clean up. “All this free stuff is so awesome. I didn’t know babies needed all this though. We’re gonna go broke before the baby turns one.”
I laugh. “It’ll be fine, wait until they hit about eight, my mom couldn’t keep
me in clothes for longer than a month, until I was twelve and stopped growing.”
“Great,” he mutters.
“Just buy cheap stuff during growth years, even secondhand stuff, trust me, otherwise you will waste so much cash on that stuff.”
“Good plan.” Tex ties up the garbage bag and lugs it outside. When he comes back in, he says the name I wish I could forget exists. “Have you heard from Tate?” He asks gently.
I shake my head. “I’ve tried, a few times, but he never answers, doesn’t text back, and last week when I tried calling, his number was changed.”
“That dick. I’m sorry, Amaya. I really am. He doesn’t deserve you.” He kisses my forehead and steps back. “Well, cleanup is done, how about we go hop in the car and sit outside of the grocery store until Courtney texts me in about twenty minutes for a craving snack?”
Laughing, I agree, “Sure, sounds like a plan.”
**
“I thought she would text by now?” We’ve been wandering the aisles of the grocery store for the last forty-five minutes. Tex thought it would be a good idea to be here at the time her craving came on, so she wouldn’t rage a war for him taking too long.
“Same, maybe she’s asleep?” He looks slightly worried. “It’s like clockwork, every night at this time, she craves something.”
Seconds later, the phone rings with an incoming call. “Hello? Shit, okay, be right there!”
“What?” I shout at him, as he drags me through the store and to his truck.
“Her water broke. She already called an ambulance, we gotta meet her at the hospital.” He’s shaking as he tries to start the vehicle.
“Tex, let me drive.”
He nods and gets out. “Good idea. I might crash. Holy shit, I’m having a baby!”
Part 3
I want you back for good
Chapter 37
Tate
E
very time a commercial comes on for this local dance studio, my mind flashes to Amaya, and I get so fucking angry. I can’t believe she completely shut me out. I just hope wherever she is and whatever she is doing she’s truly happy. I’ve always wanted the best for her. Whenever I try to ask Courtney how she is she freezes me out and Tex shrugs it off. I wonder if it’s because she’s found someone who makes her happier than I was able to. The thought shreds me, but I couldn’t give her what she needed.
Maybe she fell in love with a guy from her company. That would probably be the best since they would be on the road together, even the thought of any other man touching her makes me sick to my stomach.
Courtney and Tex both have kept a distance from me the last few years. Every time I try to get together to hang out, or want to meet their kid, the response is always sorry, busy tonight or sorry, want some time with my girl, and the most common one, sorry man, Courtney hates you, not gonna happen. I’m not sure what the hell I did to make her so angry with me, and she’s not even giving me a chance to fix whatever it is she thinks I did.
“Hey, King,” Valentina purrs from the kitchen. “You ready? I told Taylor and her new beau we’d meet them for drinks before the premier.”
“Yeah,” I say with a sigh. The parties and shit aren’t really my scene, but V says it looks good for my image. I did a music video with Taylor for one of my endorsements and her boyfriend is a pretty chill guy and comes to the games.
I finish buttoning my shirt and slip my shoes on. Amaya always loved to see me dressed up. I smile thinking back on our first date, when she took me to that improv show. Things seemed so easy then. If only they were now.
I have contracts and appearances to uphold to. I feel like my time never belongs to me. I can’t remember the last time I watched Tex coach a game or sat down for a family dinner with my parents. Family has always been important to me and now it seems to be the last priority, I hate it, but I love playing, no matter the costs.
Valentina is standing at the door in her fancy dress, she does make for good arm candy, but I feel a bit smothered by her at times. I’ve thought about firing her, but not sure how well that will go over since I made the mistake of fucking her a few years ago. She could ruin me, and I know it. So, I continue to play her games and try to beat her at them.
We head down to the car that is waiting for us and head to the party.
**
The party is in full swing, other players are here, some with their wives and girlfriends, others have arm candy next to them. Valentina took off moments after arriving and headed toward her boss. Probably to check in about stuff. Whatever.
“Hey, King,” Kent says. “This is my wife, Maia.” He gestures to her and she’s pretty, nothing like I thought she would be. Kent’s always had a type, big tits, big hair, and curvy. But his wife is slender, a pixie cut and at a guess, barely a B cup. Kent met her last year, but hid it from everyone, and last week he was in the tabloids for getting hitched in Vegas. It was a mess, especially with Coach, the team owners, and his manager, until it came out that they’ve been together for a year, and he didn’t want to wait to have her in the spotlight with him anymore.
“Nice to meet you.” I shake her tiny hand and she smiles at me.
“You as well.”
“I see you came with that bitch,” Kent says.
Sighing, I nod. “I can’t shake her. I made a few months ago, and now I can’t seem to stop making stupid ass mistakes. She doesn’t take the hint. Every single time I smile at another girl, she loses her mind.”
“You can fire her you know. Your contract runs out next week with her. Or have you renewed?”
Shit, I completely forgot about that. I smile. “Thanks, I completely forgot, now I can get out of it. She’ll still probably cause shit though.”
“No doubt. Maia here, her father manages a few big names, and he’s recently transferred a few to other associates at his firm, you should give him a call. I hired him myself once my contract ran out last month. He’s been doing great work, and hell, he won’t run you around doing stupid shit like movie premiers, and shit like that. Sports focus only.”
Damn, that sounds good. “Yeah, give me his number, I’ll give him a call once I ditch V, later tonight.”
I saunter off, walking around the room, chatting with a few people.
I spot V staring at me, sipping her drink and head over there. “I’m leaving, you want me to drop you off at home? Or can you find your own way home?”
She frowns. “Why would I go home, I’m going home with you?”
Shaking my head. “Valentina, we’re not a couple. Have I fucked you since that one night years ago? No, I haven’t. We’re not dating, you are my agent, that’s it. This crazy girlfriend vibe is driving me up the damn wall, and frankly, it’s more than pissing me the fuck off.”
“Fine,” she huffs, “Take me home.” I can tell she wants to say more, but surprisingly for the first time since I’ve ever known her, she keeps her mouth shut. Maybe I finally got through to her.
**
I ended up calling Maia’s father, and he took me on as soon as I told him who I was, just have to wait for my contract to run out with V first. And of course, I have to break the news to her. Which I will do soon. Valentina tried calling me all weekend, but I ignored every phone call. She’s either trying to call to renew our contract, or she’s trying to call to talk about us. Neither is a conversation I wanted to have until after the weekend. Hell, there has never been an us, but she loves to make people think we’re an item. I never really put her in her place on it because it kept women off me. My only focus has been my career.
I head into the locker room and my breath catches in my throat. I can’t believe she’s here—Amaya. It’s been five years and she still takes my breath away. She’s wrapping Jimbo’s ankle. She hasn’t seen me yet. I smile watching her work. I’m so fucking happy to see her, but at the same time, I wonder why she isn’t dancing. Did something happen? Why didn’t she call to tell me? I knew sports medicine was her fall back if dance didn’t wor
k out, but she’s an amazing dancer. I don’t understand why she went with her fall back choice. She glances up and when those caramel eyes meet mine, she scowls and looks away. What the fuck was that? I get angry. She’s never looked at me with such repulsion before.
I look to her hand looking for her wedding ring, but her ring finger is bare.
“Amaya,” I call to her and she wipes at the corner of her eyes and rushes from the room. Jimbo looks at me and shrugs.
“She was fine until you looked at her.”
I bang my fist against the wall.
After all this time and she can’t even look at me. Seriously? She walked away from me. She gave up on us. She stopped taking my calls. She moved on with some dancer dude. I don’t get it.
“Easy on that throwing hand, man. Do you know her or something?”
“Something like that,” I growl, before chasing her down.
Chapter 38
Amaya
“D
eep breaths, Amaya,” I scold myself. I didn’t think seeing him would be so hard. Sure, I’ve seen him on TV and in the tabloids. But seeing him up close and personal is something else. I wasn’t prepared to still love him.
Damn him.
I hate him.
I miss him.
I wipe at my tears as they fall freely. With my palms braced on the sink, I try to regain my composure. The door opens and what little air I have left is sucked from my lungs. Tate enters the bathroom. His arms are folded defensively across his chest. He’s so damn pretty to look at it physically hurts. His hair is still chunky and appearing silky. I want to run my fingers through the strands and feel for myself if it’s as soft as I remember. His arms are thicker than I remember. Hell, I think he’s taller too.
Those deep blue eyes that I’ve missed looking at me for far too long narrow on me through the mirror.
“Why are you crying? You broke things off. You stopped returning my calls.”
Is he seriously trying to lay this all on me? I spin around to face him, my breath catching in my throat. He does stupid things to my brain. “I needed you and you weren’t there for me. You promised, Tate!”
Sacking The Player Page 17
