Always Mine: An Enemies to Lovers Romance

by Natalie Lux

  “Back in the hospital for another round of chemo,” I said, my face falling. Everything had been looking so great for her and then last week, dad had told me she needed emergency treatment. “The doctors are hopeful she’ll make a full recovery, but she’s not out of the woods yet.”

  “It’s good that the doctors like her chances though, right?” said Reid.

  “I guess,” I said, eager to change the subject. “So, tell me what you think about this. You know that senior you always used to hang out with back in elementary school? Josh Porter?”

  “Yeah, what about him? I haven’t talked to him in years.”

  “Well, he made quite a show of asking me to prom after our dress rehearsal yesterday. Even got down on one knee and everything,” I said, giggling. To my surprise, Reid’s expression changed from relaxed to alert and tense. His entire demeanor shifted. One second, he was my best friend, the next he looked almost panicked.

  “Josh is an asshole. What did you say?” he whispered, his sandwich forgotten.

  “What do you think?” I said, a little reproachful. I was telling him because I thought he’d find it funny. The last thing I expected was for him to look as though his dad was about to walk through the cafeteria doors and start beating him up.

  “I don’t know, Eva, what did you say?” he asked impatiently. I blinked.

  “I said no, of course. I’ve never really liked him.” My eyes narrowed. “Why, what does it matter if I go with him or not? What do you care?”

  “Like I said, he’s just kind of a jerk,” muttered Reid, the relief on his face palpable. A sudden thought popped into my head.

  “And what if I had said yes? What if I told you that Austin Edmon had asked me instead? You know I’ve been thinking of asking him out, right?”

  I almost wanted to laugh. There was that look of panic etched all over his face once again. What the hell was his problem?

  “You can’t go out with Austin,” he said flatly, his eyes narrowing.

  “Excuse me, I can go out with whoever I want,” I said, my voice rising slightly. What the hell was it to him who I went out with? We’d agreed last year we would never date each other in high school. We’d stay friends, but there was no getting closer than that. It just wasn’t worth it.

  “I-I know, but Austin already has a girlfriend,” he said lamely, trying and failing to hide his jealousy.

  “Reid, we talked about this. You know we can’t-”

  “Stop, Eva. Just stop. I know.” He took a deep breath and forced a smile. “It’s fine. Tell me about how bad Porter’s proposal went.”

  I giggled and began to regale the story, our argument forgotten.

  6

  Reid

  It was raining during our last practice of the regular season, which only added to my shitty mood. I could tell Coach Tanner knew my mind wasn’t totally on the game. Nope, not even close. After my third dropped pass during scrimmage he finally screamed at everyone to run an extra ten laps and then head back to the locker room.

  “You wanna tell me just what the fuck is going on with you today, Mannix?” he growled, glowering at me from the sidelines. Unlike the rest of us, coach didn’t seem to mind a little rain.

  I shook my head.

  “Just busy at home, coach,” I said, ignoring the images of Eva floating at the top of my mind.

  “Look, son, I know you’re a busy guy,” he said, with a surprising hint of sympathy. “You’re taking care of a big house all by yourself, busy with school, and practice every day. I get it.

  “But we only have a few more practices before the National Championship. You do want that this year, I take it?”

  I nodded. The national championship seemed to have been just out of reach for us for the last three years I’d been going to school. Coach Roswell had been here for almost ten years and was probably more desperate than any of us.

  He was a hardened guy and had been around the pros and college for years and years. He knew how to spot talent in people and knew how to wear you down. He was a great guy until you got on his bad side—then you were doing laps till you threw up.

  “Good. I don’t think I need to remind you that your NFL workouts and draft position will depend heavily on the result of that game.”

  I groaned. I hadn’t been contacted by any agents yet and coach knew it. I was a great receiver, but he and I both knew that the only chance I’d have at getting drafted into the league was if I stood out in the national championship. I was supposed to the second-best offensive player on our team, but the ones getting agents and offers were Dom and our rock-solid defensive players. Even our running-back had been getting a few calls.

  “We run a lot of plays for you, Mannix. Don’t make me bench you on national TV, okay? I want you to spend more time studying the playbook. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  And with that, he turned around and left me in the rain, to contemplate my thoughts.

  “So, what was the deal today?” said Dom, as we left the gym a few hours later. “Everything okay? Coach didn’t kick the shit out of you too much, did he?”

  I forced a laugh.

  “Nah. Threatened to bench me if I didn’t step it up. The usual.”

  Dom chuckled and shook his head.

  “Mannix, I’ve known you since freshman year. You only get that brooding, solemn look on your face whenever there’s someone on your mind.” He didn’t wait for me to respond. “Don’t tell me it’s that girl from the bar last night! What was her name again?”

  “Eva,” I said through gritted teeth. Dom had become my best friend throughout college, and we knew a lot about each other’s pasts. But there was no way in hell I’d tell a soul about what happened between me and the only woman I’d ever loved.

  “What is it with her?” asked Dom as we walked to my car. “Like is she that special or something? You never told me much about her.”

  “It’s no big deal really,” I said, fighting to keep my voice even. “We just have a bit of a history. She’s just some girl, no big deal.”

  “Doesn’t sound like it,” he pressed.

  “I said no big deal.”

  Dom raised his hands in mock surrender and grinned.

  “Hey, no problem. Figured I should ask about her anyway since I ended up getting a number from one of her friends.”

  I rolled my eyes. If anyone was more of a womanizer than I’d turned into, Dom was definitely it. It did help that he was in the running for the Heisman and everyone knew who he was.

  “Of course you did. Catch you at practice tomorrow,” I said, waving and hopping in my car. I sat there for a few minutes trying to wrestle my thoughts. Should I visit Eva? I knew for a fact she was going to be in town again today because of her last post on Instagram.

  I grimaced. I knew it’d look creepy and stalker-y if I followed her into town. But I had to see her. I had to apologize properly. I had to clear the air or it would haunt me forever. Even if she didn’t want to take me back, I needed closure. No, I needed to give her closure.

  9 Years Earlier

  “When I ask for a fucking beer, I expect a fucking beer!” screamed my father above a sea of beer cans. My mom flinched as his voice rose. Even as fat as he’d gotten over the last few years, I couldn’t help but do the same. Ever since he found out he’d lost his job at the VA’s office, he’d been getting worse and worse. Even from the couch, the old sot looked as though he was ready to murder something.

  He wasn’t always like this. My mom and I were always closer, but occasionally when he had time off work, we’d go to the park and throw around a football, or he’d take me to a baseball game or something any typical father would do with their kid.

  But once he lost his job, the alcohol flowed quickly. The only reason he could afford to keep the farm running was due to a massive pension he’d gotten once he left the military. He’d delegate tasks to mom and me and even though I was now almost sixteen and ready to start working somewhere else, I didn’t have a choice.
>
  “My roof, my rules,” was one of his favorite mottos. I’d be responsible for plowing the fields or dealing with the crops or some other form of manual labor for the day. “It was good, honest work,” he’d always say. “It’ll make you more of a man someday.”

  My hatred of him had grown and grown, especially because I suspected he’d started hitting my mom. I had started to notice new bruises popping up on her face and neck and couldn’t pretend I didn’t notice. She looked as though she’d been in a boxing match every night and forgot to put ice on anything.

  “Dammit Nancy, get me the fucking beer!” he slurred, lurching suddenly from the couch. I looked up from the armchair, my biology textbook forgotten. It was still tough trying to get used to his drunken rants, especially when they were directed at my mother.

  “In a minute!” called my mother from the kitchen, focused on cooking the fresh chicken I’d brought in from the barn earlier today.

  But something seemed to have broken in his brain. Some kind of nerve or something that kept what little self-control he had in check. In a moment that happened so fast I almost thought I’d missed it, I watched as he shoved my mother to the ground, knocking the frying pan to the floor as she screamed.

  “What the fuck did I say about being on time, bitch?” I thought I heard him yell. I couldn’t let him keep this up, I couldn’t let him hurt my mom again. As though in a daze, I leaped from the couch and wrapped my arms around him, tackling him to the ground. There was no way he was going to touch us again.

  7

  Eva

  I couldn’t lie to myself, the encounter I’d had with Reid last night had left me reeling. I knew my friends didn’t mean to ditch me, but I was still pissed at them for leaving me alone with that asshole.

  Was I being unfair to Reid? A big part of me seemed to think so. The part that couldn’t stop thinking about his toned arms, brilliant white grin, incredible cock…

  No. Stop it, Eva.

  I had left the makeup off today, hoping to blend in with the crowd on the bus, heading into the city. There was an amazing book shop on the corner of Main and Jefferson that had been one of my favorite places to relax as a kid, and I hoped it was still there.

  I always loved escaping the real world as a kid, especially after Mom passed away. Reading had been my first love, even before I’d met Reid. It let me get away from all the troubles of the world and escape to a much more exciting place.

  I think that’s why I decided to become an actress—I never really loved being myself. I’ve always preferred pretending to be other people. I knew after Reid broke my heart that I was never good enough for him, never good enough for the great high school football star in a small town.

  I shook my head and checked my phone, ignoring the missed calls from my agent. Sally would have to wait until I finished my vacation to bumfuck-nowhere. She’d been haggling me to get the first plane back to Los Angeles after my dad’s wedding so I could audition for a Disney role that she promised would bring ‘epic bank.’

  Sure, it’d be nice to make more money, but I was starting to get tired of it. Sally would be horrified to hear it, but I was getting tired of the money, fame, paparazzi. It was nice to have no paparazzi around to take pictures here—I could definitely get used to this.

  As Morgan and Tracy had talked about at length yesterday, I needed to settle down. For real this time, not just with some stupid pop singer that didn’t know how to fuck and wanted to bang every barely legal girl in sight. No, I needed someone real…

  My face lit up as the bus pulled in front of the familiar-looking bookstore. It was even quieter than when I’d been a regular, all those years ago, and was starting to show its age. But to me, it looked like heaven on earth. I clutched my mystery novel and walked in, equally pleased no one had recognized me yet. I shouldn’t have worn makeup at the bar last night, I’m sure Reid wouldn’t have recognized me otherwise.

  I breathed a sigh of pleasure and gazed around the large first floor. Home sweet home.

  “Nice to see you again, dear,” came a familiar voice from behind the counter.

  I grinned, recognizing the elderly manager, Elizabeth. She was just about the sweetest woman in town and had been working here ever since it had opened a few decades ago. She was noticeably older, but her smile hadn’t changed a bit.

  “How are you Elizabeth?” I asked warmly, smiling at her.

  “Oh, just getting older. Nothing out of the ordinary,” she said. “When your father told me you’d be back in town for his wedding, I had a feeling you’d be paying me a visit.” She looked me up and down.

  “My, you look beautiful,” she said. “Even better than on TV.”

  “Thank you, ma’am.”

  “Well the bean bags are over there still,” she said, pointing to the corner with rays of sunlight poking through the windows. “I’ll leave you to read in peace,” she said with a smile.

  I waved goodbye and rushed over to my familiar spot, sinking into one of the blue bean bags that had been here since I was a little girl. Finally, some peace and quiet. No agents, no bitchy stepmom, no more Reid. I cracked open my book and began to read.

  “Eva?” came a familiar voice, waking me up from my nap. I hadn’t even realized I’d dozed off, but the drool on the front of my shirt was a pretty good indicator.

  I didn’t know how much time had passed. Two hours or maybe more, I wasn’t sure.

  “You know you’re just as sexy when you’re drooling on yourself, right?” came Reid’s voice from next to me. I watched him sink into the bean bag next to mine, a Jane Austen novel in his hand.

  “What the hell are you doing here? And since when do you read Jane Austen?” I whispered, glaring at him. He was wearing a tank top today, stretched over his bulging pecs. His yoga pants tightened as he leaned back, the outline of his massive cock plain as day.

  It took me a second to realize what I was doing as I gaped at him, but then quickly went back to my book, trying to ignore the rhythmic pounding of my heart as my brain tried to tell me what I really wanted. Fucking hell, just a glance and I was starting to get wet. What the hell was wrong with me?

  “Oh just happened to be in the area. And I’ll have you know, Jane Austen is one of my favorites. She just gets people, you know?”

  “How did you find me?” I growled, biting back the urge to laugh as I turned a page with unnecessary force.

  “Oh, I have my ways,” he said, his smile as easy and relaxed as ever. “I’m a real Sherlock Holmes. That’s my major in school, forensics.”

  “Is it really?”

  He laughed again.

  “Nope, actually it’s engineering. But I bet forensics would be pretty cool. Imagine me in a lab coat with goggles and a microscope. Think I could do it?”

  The corners of my mouth twitched as I forced myself to look into my book. The last thing I needed was to pay attention to anything this dumb jock was telling me.

  “Well, that and your last Instagram story showed you heading into town. I figured you’d make your way over here at some point.”

  “You seriously still follow me on Instagram? Stalk much?” I said, unintentionally glancing over at him still laying back in the bean bag as though he owned the place. He knew that was one of the things that made him hot to me, that confidence and swagger he’d had ever since I’d known him.

  Sure, he wasn’t much of a social person, but there was a reason he made friends with people easily. Once you started talking to him, he had a way of making sure you’d like him. Unless of course, he burns you and ghosts you when you need him the most. Oh, and goes off after some random high school football groupie the second he’s dumped by his ex without a care in the world.

  He grinned at me and scooted the beanbag closer so they were touching.

  “Maybe,” he said. “But your Instagram isn’t always reliable. All your pictures are you covered in makeup. Don’t get me wrong, you look stunning regardless, but sometimes it’s nice to see the real
you without all the glitter and ‘Hollywood touch.’ Like now.”

  He’d moved even closer without me realizing it.

  With difficulty, I forced my eyes back to my book, ignoring the scent of his cologne.

  “Don’t you have some sorority girl to fuck or something?”

  “Well, the thing about all the sorority girls around here who like me is that none of them get me, you know? I haven’t had that connection with anyone. Except for you.”

  I let out a derisive laugh.

  “That’s why you ghosted me and when I finally tracked you down to dump your sorry ass, you were already up in another girl's guts the second I dropped you. Makes perfect sense.”

  It wasn’t exactly what went down, but it made me feel good to say. He shook his head, his expression turning serious.

  “Eva, that’s not how it happened. You know I didn’t have any choice. I wasn’t even eighteen yet, and dad was still around. If you’d just—”

  “So now my fault you turned out to be an asshole?” I whisper, fighting to keep my voice steady. I knew I was being unreasonable, but he was pissing me off.

  “That’s not what I said. I deserved everything I got, including getting dumped. I should have immediately tried talking to you and explained, but I didn’t. That was on me. But when my dad says I can’t see you anymore and controls whether or not I go to college…”

  I sat there, stunned at his words. He’d never talked about this before—not that I’d given him much of a chance. At the time, I hadn’t wanted to hear anything from him. It was already too late. But an apology would have been better than nothing after watching the head cheerleader trying to eat his face.

  “That doesn’t explain making out with Sydney Coplin while we were still together.”

  “I didn’t want to and you know that. Did you know we didn’t even have sex?”