Exception (Cambria University Series Book 1)

by Sadie T. Williams

  “I can’t promise that if it involves Kiernan, but I already know about Johnny fucking Logan. I’m not going to do anything stupid, except maybe try to win her back.” I shrug.

  “It’s not Logan. Who gives a shit about him? Blaire said Kiernan doesn’t even know where they’re going cuz she wasn’t even paying attention when he asked her out. She was distracted watching you walk through the Quad.”

  “Hmm, that’s interesting,” I nod in approval. I love having a spy.

  “That’s not what I need to tell you, bro.” His face is telling me that this isn’t just about Johnny fucking Logan. This is much more serious than some dude hitting on my girl.

  “Just fucking say it. It can’t be worse than what has already happened to me.”

  “It is, bro. It’s actually worse.”

  “Dude…” I trail off. My palms are sweating and I can feel the pit in my stomach start to swirl.

  “Blaire finally told me why Kiernan broke up with you.” He pauses and sighs. He rubs his hands over his face.

  “I already know why. She doesn’t want to marry a football player and end up like her mom.”

  “Yeah, but do you know why she decided to do it after New Orleans? Do you know what flipped the switch? She’s always said that. That wasn’t a fucking secret, but she made an exception for you. Don’t you think the timing was weird?” he continues.

  I pause. That’s been one thing I’ve thought about over and over again. What spurred her sudden change of heart towards me? I’ve lost a lot of sleep over that question. We were so perfect. So in love.

  I shake my head. “I don’t. I’ve thought about it a lot, but I can’t settle on anything.”

  “That is what I thought. Because it is the last thing you’d expect, bro.” He sighs and rubs his hands over his face yet again, but continues, “It was your fucking dad.”

  “What?” My eyes shoot up to his. I’m so confused. “You’re gonna have to clarify that statement,” I command as anger begins to rise from my gut and rush to my head.

  “Blaire and Kiernan were out to lunch before the Oklahoma game. Your dad and brothers found them. Cornered them really. While they were eating. Your dad went off about how Kiernan is a distraction and you’ll be too busy for her once you’re drafted. And the nail in the coffin? He told her he knew that she didn’t want to end up married to you and live life the way her mom does with John. Fucking brutal, man. Kiernan caved. She lost it, B said. She said she knew she had to break up with you before it was too late for either of you. She wasn’t going to do it, bro. That wasn’t a thing until Rhett found her in New Orleans,” Bateman concludes with a pitiful shake of his head.

  I completely lose my shit at Bateman’s words. Red is flashing across my vision and I can’t see straight. I rip jerseys from lockers and throw them across the locker room, I throw helmets into walls and TVs, and I tear pictures off the walls and smash them on the floor. I tip over a table full of cups and a Gatorade cooler. So cliché, Brooks. Bateman is yelling at me, but I can’t hear his words. Everything is a fucking blur. I am going to fucking kill Rhett McCarthy.

  “Mac! Mac! Mac! Calm the fuck down! Mac!” I take a swing at him. Thankfully, I miss because I don’t want to lay out our star wide receiver before the championship game. I keep swinging. I’m just punching randomly. Lockers, walls, the images of Rhett that are blurring my vision, I’;m just swinging at nothing in particular. I’m out of my damn mind.

  Finally, Bateman tackles me to the ground. I’m out of breath, and so is he. He sits on top of me, trying to hold me down. I thrash underneath his weight.

  “Jesus, Mac, Coach is going to fucking kill both of us!” he shouts, and that snaps me out of my fit.

  When I regain my composure I look around. I trashed the locker room. I’m going to get suspended. I’ll be out for the championship.

  “I’m fucked,” I gasp and begin to cry. Bateman stands and lifts me by my shirt to my feet. He hugs me and I weep. I fucking heave cry into his shoulder. Rhett McCarthy is a sick son of a bitch. I feel so betrayed.

  “It’s okay, man, it will be okay,” he tries to comfort me. “I shouldn’t have told you.”

  I shoot up and look at him. “Yes, you fucking should have. I knew something was fucked up. I knew she didn’t just dump me to dump me. We were so good. I’ve been killing myself for weeks trying to figure this out and turns out my fucking father sabotaged my relationship, my life! I knew he was a control freak, but I never, ever thought he’d go this far.”

  “I know. I’m so sorry, bro. I thought you should know the real reason. It really wasn’t her choice. He mind fucked her and she didn’t know what to do. Master manipulator. She thought she was going to save you. Save both of you.” He offers me a sympathetic smile. “Let’s clean this up the best we can before the coaches get in here.”

  Bateman and I pick up the jerseys and helmets and return them to their lockers. The TVs and pictures, well, there’s no fixing that. We clean up the glass though and set the picture frames along the walls where they used to be. We set the table back up and pick up the cups. There is a big, wet, orange-Gatorade-scented spot over the Golden Knight in our carpet.

  “Best we can do,” Bateman shrugs. He’s a good friend. I owe him a big one for this.

  “Thanks for helping clean up. And for telling me about Rhett. You’re a keeper, man. I’m going to tell Coach what I did. I’ll leave your name out of it,” I tell him. And I will. He doesn’t need to get punished for this. Least I can do for what he told me. Blaire will be pissed at him for telling me. Pillow talk is supposed to be more confidential than attorney-client privilege. “Maybe he’ll be lenient if I come clean now.”

  He wasn’t. I got my ass lit up. There were a lot of f-bombs, dumbasses, and shit for brains during his tirade. Thankfully, Coach Hayes has a heart, so when I explained the reason behind my fit he understood what had happened, but he was still pissed I didn’t control my temper. He was pleased it was cleaned up before I came in at least. I’ll have to pay for the TVs and pictures to be replaced. I could have easily been suspended for vandalizing school property, but Coach Hayes said he’d smooth it over the administration since this is my first outburst. I’ve had a good run with my behavior. They’ve to deal with worse this year. Half the track team got caught doing blow in a professor’s office. This isn’t that bad. I thanked him and told him to bill Rhett. He can sign the fucking check.

  I leave the coach's office and return to the locker room. There are a lot of eyes on me and for once it isn’t a good thing. I call a team meeting quickly and I explained what happened and that I lost my shit. My boys are cool. They’re pissed we couldn’t watch SportsCenter now, but they’re sympathetic. They also have a new perspective on their hero, Rhett. Fuck him, I don’t care anymore.

  I text my brothers.

  “Boys, I just heard what happened in New Orleans. I’m fucking pissed. You two are dead to me.”

  Brett: “Come on, man. It wasn’t our fault. You know how Dad gets.”

  Bo: “Yeah, what were we supposed to do?”

  “Fucking tell him to shut his mouth. Stick up for me and my girl. Or at least fucking TELL me what he did? Do you know what I have been through these last few weeks? No, because you two are fucking Rhett’s little bitches. So fuck you both!”

  Brett: “That’s unfair and you know it. It wouldn’t have changed anything. If he doesn’t want you dating, you’re not gonna be dating. Why do you think I’m a doctor? Cuz I like it? No, cuz I wasn’t good enough for the NFL and I need to do something that he thinks is important. They’re not our lives. It’s Rhett's world and we’re just his pawns. You know that.”

  Bo: “You broke his rules, Brooks. Dad’s a control freak and you didn’t fall in line. You’re lucky you’re the golden boy or things could have been much worse.”

  Brett: “She seems like good shit, bro. We’re sorry. But you know nothing's gonna change.”

  “That’s bullshit. I have no intention of le
tting this go. I’m getting her back. Fuck the rules and fuck Dad. You 2 can stay his little bitches for as long as you want. I’m fucking done.”

  Bo: “What are you going to do?”

  I don’t respond. Instead, I call my dad. This ends now.

  “Hello,” he answers on the third ring.

  “I found out what you did, you asshole.”

  “Excuse me, son, did you forget who you are talking to?” Rhett’s voice is calm and cold.

  “No, I fucking didn’t forget. I’m calling to tell you I’m getting her back. I don’t give a shit what you say and I don’t give a shit about your rules. If you ever try to intimidate my girlfriend again, I will fly home and end you.”

  “I really think you need to reassess your priorities,” Rhett says, still calm.

  “How about this, Rhett?” I emphasize his name. “I quit the team. I refuse to enter the draft. I’ll finish my degree and go to work at a nice firm here in Boston. Just a regular old Joe. Wife. Job. Kids. Coaching little league. How would that look for the son of Rhett The Threat?” I growl.

  “You wouldn’t fucking dare,” he huffs into the phone. That got his attention.

  “You wouldn’t understand this, because you’ve never loved anyone except yourself, but I love her. She’s the most important thing in the world to me. I would give all this up for her in a heartbeat. She would never ask me to do that either, regardless of what you believe about women. She’s made me a better football player, a better person.”

  “That is asinine. There are a million of her out there and you can have a different one in every city if you just play by the rules. My rules!” he shouts. I got to him.

  “No, there really aren’t. She’s different. Your fucking rules don’t apply here. So, this is my only warning. Leave us alone. I’ll be happy with her, but you won’t be happy if you don’t have a son in the NFL. Only one of us has the power to control that. And it isn’t you.” With that, I hang up.

  Chapter 21: Kiernan

  It’s almost 10 p.m. and I’m snuggled on the couch watching Love Actually because I’m a glutton for punishment and just want to cry.

  Brooks was awful today. I knew he wouldn’t wait around. Why would he? He has pussy at every turn and I dumped him. I dumped him. Fucking Rhett. Fucking John. Fucking stupid Kiernan. I hate Rhett for convincing me to break up with Brooks, and I hate John for making me too scared to end up a washed-up, unhappy wife of a football star. I lost the love of my life. I hate myself for being too weak to stand up to them. I hate my mother for not being stronger either. I’m just as weak as she is, and I didn’t need to be married to prove that. I’m Monica already, and it makes me sick.

  Tears are streaming down my face. I’m at the scene where the guy is flipping through the flashcards in front of the love of his life who just married his best friend and gets to the one that says “and my wasted heart will love you” when there is a loud pounding on my door. I jump.

  Watts and Duncan pop their heads out of their rooms.

  “Who’s that?” Duncan shouts down the hall.

  I shrug and wipe the tears from my cheeks as I walk to the door. Brooks is standing there when I open it. He looks so hot in his sweats and hoodie. They hang on his broad shoulders and dip off his hips so perfectly. I can smell his body wash and cologne. My stomach flips and a small fire starts in my toes, heat spreading through me just being in his presence.

  Watts and Duncan disappear back into their rooms with a giggle.

  “Hi,” he says. His icy blue eyes are burning into mine. He’s so calm.

  “Hey,” I reply. I have no idea why he’s here or what to say. But being in his presence, I can feel him. His presence makes my body come alive.

  “Can we go somewhere to talk?”

  “Um, no, that’s probably not a good idea. You said enough today.” I think back to him tapping that chick’s ass and calling her sweet cheeks. The tears are still rolling down my cheeks.

  “You can’t be pissed about me trying to make you jealous with some stupid jersey chasers. You broke my heart, remember?” he says as he reaches up, cups my cheek and uses the pad of his thumb to wipe away my tears. His touch causes my skin to tingle and makes me catch my breath.

  “I didn’t really have a choice.” I wish I could tell him the truth, but that won’t solve anything.

  “I know,” he says in a somber tone. His words shock me.

  “You do?”

  “Yeah, Rhett can be pretty persuasive, and he’s a master manipulator when he needs to get his way. He knows what to say to cut a person down. To break someone. Even strong people bend under his spell.”

  “You know about your dad?” I’m stunned. I didn’t tell anyone except… fucking Blaire. She was at the restaurant and she told Bateman. “I’m going to kill Blaire.”

  “No, you’re not. She did me a huge favor. I’ve been killing myself trying to figure out what I did. I can’t sleep without you. Every day it’s hard to wake up. To want to do human things. I don’t want anything if I can’t share it with you. You’re the love of my fucking life and I know I’m yours too.” He sighs. “Turns out, we’re pretty fucking amazing together. In and out of the bedroom.” He winks. “And I think it’s bullshit it was ripped away from me and I didn’t even get a chance to fight for it.”

  “I-I—” I stutter. I don’t even know what to say.

  “Do you really think I’m like Rhett and John? That you’ll turn into your mom, or worse, mine? Do you think you’ll miss a single one of my games, or that our kids won’t be there with you too?”

  “Our kids?” Our eyes lock and I know I’m done. Who am I kidding? I was done before he even started talking.

  “Yeah, the kids I’m going to coach in little league and pee-wee football. Those kids.”

  I can’t help but smile. The pieces of my heart and slowly being glued back together with each word that falls from his mouth. He’s envisioned our family already.

  “Why are you crying again?” he asks as he reaches up and brushes my tears away with his thumb, again. The feeling of his skin touching my reignites that fire inside of me.

  “I’m watching Love Actually because—“ He stops me.

  “Because you want to be sad?”

  “Yes. You know me too well.” I smile.

  “FUCKING GO OUT WITH HIM ALREADY!” Watts shouts from her room.

  We both laugh.

  “Nachos?” he asks.

  “Definitely a nacho kind of day,” I say, and I truly smile for the first time in weeks. I feel the tears finally start to dry.

  Half an hour later, the hostess seats us the exact same booth she did on our first nacho date.

  “What did you say to Rhett?” I need to know if he’s changed his mind.

  “I told him I’d quit if he messed with my relationship again,” he replies casually.

  Water shoots out of my mouth as I gasp at his words.

  “What?”

  “I told him I’d walk and get a normal job. Be a normal husband and father. I said he wants a son in the NFL and only one of us has the power to make that happen.”

  “You would never do that though. Didn’t he call your bluff?”

  “It wasn’t a bluff, KK. Can I call you that again or no?”

  I nod sheepishly. That was a dick move on my part that night.

  “I was serious. If you don’t want to be an NFL wife, I’m done. I’d like to beat LSU first, if that’s okay, but then I’d walk away. Maybe play my senior year so I can finish my degree on scholarship, but after, I’d never take another snap. For you. You’d never ask me to do that, so that’s why I’m offering it. You’re the most important thing in my life. I don’t know how or why this all happened. I don’t know why our paths crossed, but I am glad as hell that they did. I didn’t know what love was, what true happiness and unconditional love were, until you. Without you, I will never know again. You’re it for me. You’re my end zone. You’re the place where I win. You’re the place wh
ere I score.” The corner of his mouth turns up with the implication of those words. “You’re the love of my fucking life and I am never letting you go again.”

  “I can’t believe you would walk away.” I am absolutely stunned. “I just can’t. I could never let you do that. You know that. You were born to be a football player. You love it and I would never want to take that away from you. I don’t know what to say.”

  “Say you still love me. That you only broke up with me because of my dad. We can figure the rest out.”

  “I love you, Brooks, with all my fucking heart. I never stopped. But I would never let you give up football for me. Ever.”

  “Well, then we have some things to talk about. Good thing we have ‘cheer you up’ nachos coming soon.” He smiles. “I love you, baby.”

  I’m not even hungry for nachos. I’m hungry for him.

  “Let’s get out of here. Your place. Now.” I don’t have the words, but I can show him how much I’ve missed him.

  “For real?”

  “Do I look like I’m kidding?” I stare at him through my lashes with my best fuck-me eyes.

  He throws some money on the table and we leave without our food.

  Back in his room, I rip both of our clothes off. My hands have never worked so quickly. I’m not wasting any more time. I’ve lost weeks because of his asshole father and my naiveté. I let Rhett manipulate my thoughts and I’m so pissed at myself. I’m so much mentally stronger than that.

  I run my hands up and down the muscular chest I’ve missed so much. I lick every inch of abs and slide his rock hard cock into my mouth. He tastes so good. I’ve been craving him. He moans my name and I suck and swirl harder and with more vigor than ever. I’ve been starved of his manliness for too long. With each thrust his cock hits the back of my throat and I welcome the feeling. I’m trying desperately to take it all at once.

  “KK, stop, I don’t want to come this way,” he pleads.

  I stop because I don’t want him to either. I want to feel him inside of me.

  We climb on the bed and he immediately enters me with purpose and force. He definitely missed me. I can feel it in his desperate movements. He’s trying to reclaim my body. His mouth finds mine. Our tongues are dancing and he tastes like mint. He’s swallowing every moan I let out of my mouth. He ravenous. His hands are traveling rapidly over my breasts, squeezing and flicking. He can’t control himself and neither can I. His movements become jerky and rapid. He moans my name with so much desire, I feel it in my loins. I can feel him twitching inside of me, his abs flexing with his release.