Just as he finished getting dressed, his phone started ringing. Checking the caller ID, he saw that it was his agent, and he answered it.
"Congrats on your game, Lucas. Great things are in store for you, man."
"Thanks, Grant. So, anything for me?" an eager Lucas asked.
"Ooh yeah. Rough Ryders," that was all Lucas needed to hear and he was on cloud nine. Rough Ryders was a team he had idolized since he was a little boy, since he fell in love with the sport and now they wanted him. Dreams still came true. "They want you, my man, and they are willing to pay a fortune. So what do I do?"
"Are you freaking crazy, Grant? What do you do? You accept the deal for crying out loud. This is my future we’re talking about here!" Lucas shouted.
Grant laughed and then said, "Roger that. I'll be in touch."
An astonished Lucas let his hand fall to his side. He could not believe it. Rough Ryders. He needed to tell Amanda. That was the first thought that ran though his head. He needed to find her. He grabbed his gym bag and strode out of there, in search of her. He could not wait to share the news with her.
Where was Amanda? He wondered as he hurried down the corridor. Deciding to start from the restrooms, he headed in their direction.
Chapter 8
Amanda
The day before the game
Amanda was up but she kept staring at the blinds. The sun was already up and she was desperately trying to gather the strength to get up and close them but the strength was lacking. She groaned as she turned back and forth in bed. She was obviously coming down with something but what? She wondered. She had been doing very well since, and even the previous night, she had slept very well, in the arms of Lucas. It had been so comfortable being in his place and it had truly felt like home.
He had to go to the stadium for some early morning exercises, they had a game tomorrow after all, and she had had to come home to freshen up. On his way to the stadium, he had dropped her off at home. It was during her shower that she had started feeling sick. She had dressed in warm clothes and tucked herself in bed hoping to feel better after some hours of sleep but she had been wrong. She felt a bit worse. Amanda sighed as with all the strength she was able to garner, she sat up. Lucas’ face crossed her mind, like it had been doing for a pretty long time and she smiled sheepishly. She had to admit that she had no idea what they were doing but another thing that she knew was that she loved him, with all her heart. Did he love her too? She wondered. Or she was just another conquest. She sighed and slowly, she pulled herself out of bed.
She decided that maybe the previous night had been way too wild but still, she would not give it up for a simple and quiet evening. It had been a blast. When she had walked out on him in the locker room the previous afternoon and concluded that she would never have sex with him again, she had certainly never thought that she would rescind so early.
She chuckled lightly as she remembered what he had said when she agreed that May knew about them. Well, that had been a bit reassuring but she knew that if she was wise, she would not delude herself. Amanda got to the windows and shut the blinds. She did not need the sun. Slowly, she left her room and found her way down the steps. Just before she passed her sister's room, she heard moaning and her eyes narrowed. What was her sister up to that morning? She got to the door and stood there and from the sounds of the bedposts rocking, she did not need to be told what was going on. Well that was Maybelle, she had always been the sexually adventurous one. The sisters could not be more different in that aspect.
Amanda closed her eyes as she took a sip of her juice. In her mind, she could see Lucas. They were laughing and talking about random things and she smiled. She missed him like crazy. She needed to feel better, she told herself. She had to go to him.
"Well, someone is feeling better," May interrupted her sister's thoughts.
Amanda looked up to see her sister walking towards her. She was braless and had on a tank top and shorts. Her brown hair was a mess and was held up in a messy bun.
"And someone is having fun," Amanda teased her sister.
May shrugged and asked, "What can I say? Can I have some?"
Amanda filled a glass and handed it to her sister.
"So who is the guy?" Amanda asked, watching her sister down the juice. Well. She certainly used up a lot of energy. She thought to herself.
"Oh sis," May said as she set the glass on the island, "You know all too well that I am not like you. I don't believe in love and attachments."
"What you believe in is sex," Amanda concluded. She had heard it so many times already.
"Exactly."
Before she could go on, Amanda continued, "Yet, if I'm correct, he is the same guy that you've been having sex with for months now. That begs to say that there is a potential for something else. Wasn’t he the one who sent you flowers?"
May rolled her eyes and waved what Amanda said aside. "We are nothing more than friends with benefits, Danny knows that. See sis, I am attracted to intellect and looks. You look good. You're intelligent, bingo. Let's have a romp in the sack," May said with a shrug.
"But that's not how I feel," a voice said and the two sisters swiveled in the direction. Standing there was a bare-chested guy. He had on a pair of jeans and his hair matched the state of May's. He stretched out a hand and walked up to Amanda. "I'm Danny. Your sister's... You must be Amanda. I’m happy to finally meet you."
"Right... I am," Amanda said. She could sense the tension in the air. Her sister's face was the picture of discomfort. If there were two things May hated, it was confrontation and sensitive talks. Amanda had always thought that her sister avoided emotional attachment because of what happened to their parents. She could not help but think that her sister was scared it would happen again to someone she loved. The only people she had emotional connections to in her life were Robert, Thomas, and her. She never tried to have friends and only settled with a few acquaintances. At that moment, Amanda could see that her sister was not looking forward to having a conversation with Danny but there was nothing Amanda could do. There were some things that the sisters had to do themselves. She could not fight the battle for her the same way her sister could not fight her battle concerning her feelings for Lucas for her. That was just it. There were just some journeys that we travel through on our own and we do not always need another's help. We have to do it ourselves.
At that juncture, Amanda knew that she had to leave. She smiled at Danny and said, "Well, it was nice meeting you. I'm going to do some really important things."
As she walked past her sister, she whispered, "Well, he's cute. You better not let him slip out of your fingers."
May gasped and chuckling, Amanda left them in the kitchen. She headed back to her room. She was feeling better already and was thinking of what to wear. She would be heading over to see Lucas soon. She wanted to take over some of last night's desert. The whole mood of dinner had really been soured by the talk of her parents and she had noticed that he did not eat much after that.
She headed into the bathroom and suddenly, she felt dizzy. She quickly held on to the sink as she waited for the wave of dizziness to pass over. What was wrong with her? She queried in her head. Why did she feel so horrible?
She sat on the edge of the bathtub as she thought of what to do. She would have to go to the hospital, she decided. If she kept feeling this horrible, she would end up missing Lucas' game and that was something she did not want. He had invited her to it and his eyes had twinkled at the thought of her watching him play. There was no way she would disappoint him by not going. She had to feel better, she willed herself.
Amanda returned to her room and slipped on clothes- a sundress and boots. She shrugged on a checked shirt and pulled her hair up into a ponytail. Just as she picked up her phone and purse, her door opened and in came May, a small smile dancing on her lips.
"You look happy. That is good, right?" Amanda asked her.
May chucked and nodded, "Yeah, it’s good."
"Well, we talked. He listened to what I had to say and I listened to what he had to say and..."
"And what? Don't keep me in suspense, sis. It's mean and evil.”
May laughed and said, "I know I was completely against emotional connections and all that but like you rightly said, I've been with Danny longer. There might just be something here that keeps bringing me back to him. So... I agreed that we should give us a chance. Let's see if we will work out."
"Nice. I'm happy for you, sis."
"Yeah, well, we have our first date tomorrow evening. Don't worry, it's after the game. I will get to watch your prince charming play," May teased.
"He is not my prince charming," Amanda chuckled.
"Then he's what?" May quirked a brow. She looked at her sister and her brow went higher. "Please don't tell me you're going to see him again. Jeez, won’t you both get tired of seeing each other already? And to think you're not even in a defined relationship yet. If you both are in one, then, you might as well glue yourselves together."
"May!" Amanda rolled her eyes and said, "I'm not going to see him, at least not till later in the day. Right now, I’m going to the doctor's."
"You still don't feel good?" May stretched out her hand and touched her sister's forehead with the back of her palm.
"You don't seem to have a temperature."
"Yeah, it's more of throwing up and fatigue."
"I see... It’s possible you ate something bad. You both went out last night, maybe something there? Anyway, I'll go shower now. I'm coming with, you." May stood up from the bed and opened the door.
"No need, May, you don't have to. I can go alone. You have projects to work on right? I really don't want to stress you."
May was an architect. Their house was actually a design of hers.
"Shut up, Mandy!" May called.
"Yes, ma'am," Amanda replied.
She looked around her room and decided to clean it while she waited for her sister. A while later, Just when she was contemplating going to break down her sister's bathroom door, she heard her sister going downstairs. “Finally,” she muttered under her breath.
"You took your precious time," Amanda told her when she met her in the kitchen. "Come on, let's go."
They spent a few hours at the hospital but by the time they were done and heard all they had to, Amanda was not up to seeing Lucas so, she headed home with her sister.
After the game
Amanda held her hair back as she threw up into the toilet. Her body hurt and she had no one to blame but herself. She had been cheering and screaming so loudly forgetting that it was not just her anymore. The young woman sighed as she looked around her. She could not believe where she had found herself. She was on the floor of a restroom, throwing up the contents of her breakfast and a lone tear rolled down her cheek. It was a good thing that she had a backstage pass and so she had her privacy but that did not stop the whole situation from being embarrassing.
She pulled herself to her feet and flushed the toilet. Then she turned on the faucet. As she wet her face and washed her mouth, she stared at her reflection. She sighed in relief. Her eyes were not sunken and she did not look sickly. What she looked like was a very troubled young woman and troubled she certainly was.
Her phone vibrated just then and she looked at it. It was a message from her sister. Will you be okay driving yourself home? Do you want me to wait while you talk to him? Anyway, you don't really have a choice. I'll be waiting in the cafe across from the stadium.
Amanda smiled as gratefulness filled her heart. She might not be sure about Lucas but if there was one person in her life that she was sure of, it was her sister. May would never disappoint her. She would always have her back. Not only was May her twin sister; she was also her best friend.
She typed back a message. Don't worry about it, dear. Go on home. I have no idea how long it's going to take. Besides, you have a date with Daniel, don't you?
May's reply came almost immediately. Oh come on, I can push it. Promise you will call if you need me.
Don't you dare! It's your first official date. You are not taking a rain check. Yeah, yeah, I'll call if I need you. Even as she sent it, Amanda knew that no matter what happened, she would not call her sister. She wanted her to have fun and enjoy herself and the last thing she needed on her first date with a guy that she genuinely liked and was willing to finally open her heart up to was a sister crying over heartbreak. So no, she would not call her. Even if she did not get her happy ending, her sister deserved to get hers.
Okay then, I love you sis. Now and forever, May sent to her.
Amanda smiled and replied. It was a ritual of theirs. I love you sis. Always.
She sighed as she returned her phone to her purse. The game ended and she had hurried to the restroom while her sister had left for the parking lot. May understood her always, she had understood back than that she needed space and just now, she had figured out that she was not doing too well and would need some cheering up and boost of courage. Oh, indeed she was grateful for the automatic best friend she got as a result of being born a twin.
She straightened up and cleaned her face. It was time. It was time to get to the task at hand. She could not run away from it anymore. No matter how far she ran, it would always be with her. She pushed open the restroom door and stepped outside. Amanda looked up and down the hall as she wondered where she was going to start her search for Lucas. It would be better to call him, she decided. She pulled out her phone as she walked down the hall. Her eyes were so focused on her phone that the collision occurred before she realized that she had been hit. Before she could fall, Lucas caught her and pulled her into his arms, holding her in a tight embrace.
She could hear his heart beating very hard against his chest and judging from his actions, he was very excited.
Amanda freed herself from his hold. "What's going on?”
Lucas rubbed his hands with glee and Amanda watched him. Whatever he had to say, she hoped that her own news would not wipe the smile off his face.
"You would never believe what just happened. I have been searching all over for you," he diverted.
Amanda sighed and said, "I was in the restroom. What happened?"
"Remember the Ryders? You know, the Rough Ryders? I've told you about them. The team that I've wanted to play on since I was a kid? My dream team?"
Amanda swallowed hard as she said, "Yes. Did something happen?"
"They called, Mandy! They want me! Me, Lucas Dennison! My dream, all I have ever wanted. Can you imagine it?" Lucas was still stunned and he looked at Amanda as if wanting her to reassure him he was not dreaming.
Amanda smiled and nodded. "I can imagine it, Lucas. You are good. The best at what you do. You deserve it. This is no surprise."
Lucas looked at her in awe and as she opened her mouth to say something, he lowered his head and kissed her lightly. When he raised his head, he smiled down at her and stroked her cheek. "Thanks for being my number one cheerleader."
Amanda nodded. "I really want to be happy for you, Lucas. Scratch that, I am happy for you."
"What's wrong, Mandy?" He cupped her cheeks and looked at her with concern written all over his face.
"I have some news of my own, Lucas."
"Okay, go on, spill it," he urged. He was obviously still on cloud nine.
Amanda shut her eyes tight and then she opened them. She said it at once, "I’m pregnant, Lucas."
It seemed like the next moments happened in slow motion. One minute, he was stroking her cheeks, waiting for her news, the next minute, his hands had fallen from her face and he was staring at her, horror written all over his face.
"I don't understand. You're joking right?" As he spoke, his hand was outstretched in front of him and he backed away.
"I'm pregnant, Lucas." Amanda repeated.
"No, no, no, it can't be, no, no," Lucas whispered. His hand had flown to
his mouth in shock and he was stunned as he looked at Amanda. She guessed he was waiting for her to tell him that he was being pranked.
All she could do was nod to show him that it was no joke.
"No, this can't be," he backed away. And in a second, he was turning down the hall.
As he disappeared, a dejected Amanda stood in the hallway, shoulders sagging as she saw her love story crumble before her very eyes. For a minute there, he had looked like he was going to throw up, she thought to herself. Was that how much he hated the thought of a child with her?
Amanda looked around as tears obscured her view.
Chapter 9
Lucas
Two nights before
Once they were in the car, Lucas cupped Amanda's face and dipped his lips, drinking the pleasure from her mouth. They had barely been able to take their hands off each other when they left the ice cream parlor.
"You are a bad girl," he whispered against her lips as his hands skimmed her bare shoulders. He lowered his head as he showered them with kisses.
She shuddered and whispered, "You started it."
Lucas lifted his head and kissed her eyelids. Then, he lowered his head and bit her nipple through the dress. She moaned and her back arched towards him.
"You like that? I'm going to make you scream my name, Mandy."
"Please do," she moaned.
They were in the car so it was a bit uncomfortable. Lucas had his chair as far back as he could and he set her astride across him. His hands ran up her bare legs and she leaned in, as she ran her hands under his shirt.
While he kissed her, he unzipped his trousers and he pulled out his throbbing erection. Her eyes widened at how hard he was for her already.
Expose: A Secret Baby Sports Romance Page 7
