“You’re so full of it. I see the way the man looks at you. Not to mention Reid thinks Theo is in love with you. The only time he gets worked up over anything it’s centered around you. He’s normally cool and laid back.”
She’s right. His mom pretty much said the same thing. That I must be special if he is bringing me around. He’s never done that before.
“Stop doubting yourself, Willow. You’re something special, and those stupid parents of yours make you question that.” I smile, loving how my best friend always gets me. “As for the rest of it, you shouldn’t worry about people finding out about you guys either. Theo will handle that when the time comes. He’s just that kind of man.”
I hope she’s right. I don’t think my heart could take losing him.
17
Theodore
Reid tosses the football into the air and catches it. He’s been sitting in my office for the last twenty minutes. The locker room has cleared out. It was our last practice. Tomorrow we head out for the National Championship game.
“Zoey busy?” I ask him, looking up from my playbook. With all the time I’ve been spending with Willow, Reid and I have become friends. Except when we’re with the rest of the team.
“She and Willow are hanging.” My eyes flick to the clock. Willow and I have been together almost four months now. It was damn nice having her to myself over winter break. Reid and Zoey went back home to their families. I’d talked Willow into staying with me and going to my parents’ place for Christmas.
Mom started wearing her down over Thanksgiving. It can be hard to tell my mom no, as Willow has learned. Mom has really tucked her under her wing and pulled her into our family.
I want Willow to have that. She deserves parents that love her, and I know mine are more than willing to step up to the plate. They adore her. How could they not?
“What are they doing?” Reid pulls out his phone.
“Looks like they're at the coffee shop.” I close my play book and start packing up.
“I could use some coffee.” Reid is on his feet before I finish my sentence.
We head out together. When we enter the coffee shop, we spot them at a corner table. The table next to them is full of a group of boys I don’t recognize but that keep looking their way. This is the one thing I hate about Willow and me. Our relationship is still a secret.
People think she’s single. I want to stamp on her forehead that she’s mine. To make us permanent and official before she can change her mind thinking I’m too old for her or some shit.
Reid heads toward them, and I follow after. One of the boys stands and walks over to them, beating us to the table. My hand comes down on his shoulder, making the boy jump.
“Sit your ass down.” I give him a small shove back toward his table. His eyes bounce between Reid and me. He doesn't just go back to his table; he grabs all of his shit and bounces out. His friends follow suit. They’re much smarter than they looked.
“You guys are ridiculous.” Zoey rolls her eyes. Willow smirks at me. I want to lean down and kiss the smirk off her lips. Irritation rides me hard that I’m unable to do so.
“It’s time to go,” I tell her. This time it’s Willow who rolls her eyes at my bossy tone. I bet if I put my hands down her pants right now, her pussy would be wet. She pretends to be annoyed by me ordering her around, but I know the truth. She gets off on it. I get off on getting her off. So it works for both of us.
“Those fuckers can’t see the ring on your finger?” Reid grumbles.
“He was hitting on Willow, not me.” Zoey tries to reassure him. I grit my teeth.
“Let’s go.” I pull Willow's chair out for her.
“People can see,” she says under her breath. “You’re acting like a jealous boyfriend.”
“I’m not a boy. When we get home, I’m going to fuck you like a man takes his woman.”
Her whole face flushes. She stands, gathering her stuff. “I’ll text you when our flight is ready,” she tells Zoey. They are flying out for the National Championship game. I need her there. She’s my good luck charm.
“You’re such a caveman,” she huffs when we get outside.
I take her bag off her shoulder and carry it for her. “You love it.” Her breath hitches, and she steals a peek my way. I dropped the L word on purpose. I’m tired of walking on eggshells trying not to spook her with how obsessed I am with her. Hell, it scares me at times how much I want her.
I’m going to give her until the championship game to keep things hidden. I’m starting to feel like a dirty secret. Is she worried what her parents might think? She says she’s worried about what might happen to me.
There is also the possibility of her being pregnant. I don’t think she’s on birth control. She hasn’t had a period in all this time. Maybe she has one of those inserts that not only prevent pregnancy but can stop her from having her period too? It was something we should have brought up a long time ago, but neither of us have. The caveman in me wants to keep it that way, but I know that’s not fair to her.
I pounce on her the second the elevator door closes. She melts into me. It doesn’t matter if she’s pissed at me. My girl never denies me her mouth. Anytime I get my hands on her, she opens for me.
Willow will give anyone lip that crosses her. She’ll go head to head with someone. Except me. With me she craves my dominance. If that’s what it’s called. She knows that she can let down those walls and trust me to handle her with care. That I’d never do anything to hurt her.
“I missed you,” she says between kisses. We’ve only been apart for a few hours, but I get it. I fucking missed her too. Winter break spoiled me with all the time I got to have her to myself.
I want that to be my every day. For me to wake up to see her lying next to me, exactly where she’s meant to be. Sometimes I wonder if I’m holding her back. If I’m not letting her live her youth, and she’ll resent me later on for it. Still, I can’t let her go.
“Miss you too.” I carry her off the elevator into my place. I need to see about getting her to move in here. Slowly more and more of her stuff has ended up here.
Soon I’ll have it all.
18
Willow
“We’re next to each other.” I hand Zoey her hotel room key. It was tough getting rooms since the whole city seems to be booked. It might be terrible, but my father’s assistant made a few calls and bam, I had two rooms.
My parents might be absentminded when it comes to being a part of my life, but when it has to do with anything else I might need, they always come through. It makes me think that maybe I should let some of my anger go and take them as they are. I know I wasn’t a planned pregnancy for them.
Speaking of pregnancy, my hand goes to my stomach. If I’m knocked up that wouldn’t be planned either. Bear and I have been careless. He’s never once asked if I was on birth control, and I haven’t divulged that I’m not either. I’m not sure what to make of him not asking.
“I’ve got a test in my bag.” My head jerks up. I told Zoey the other day at the coffee shop that I thought I might be pregnant. I was too chicken to take a test. “Let’s go to our rooms and wait for our bags to come up.”
“Sometimes I think you can read my mind.” We catch the elevator, heading up to our rooms.
“I’ll be over when my bags get here. Don’t be peeing until then.” I snort a laugh, putting my key into the door to let myself in.
A few seconds later there is a knock at the door. That was fast. I pull a ten out of my purse before heading to the door to let the bellhop in.
I freeze when I open the door and see Tiffany there. I haven’t seen her in months. Not since she busted me in Bear’s room on one of the road trips.
“We need to talk.” She pushes into the room. I’m so stunned I don’t stop her.
“I’d rather not.” I keep the door open.
“I’m pregnant.”
“Okay. Congratulations?”
“It’s Theo’s.” Her words hit me l
ike a sledgehammer. It’s not possible. They didn’t even really date. But that doesn’t mean they never… I feel as though I’m going to vomit, but I try to keep it together as my mind snaps back to the night Bear got on the elevator with Zoey and me. I’d thought he was headed out to a booty call. When I asked him about it later, he said that wasn’t the case.
“I don’t believe you.”
“I didn’t want to have to do this, but I will.” She walks back over toward me, showing me her phone. A video of Bear and me in the elevator going at it plays on the screen.
She starts to scroll. There is picture after picture of Bear and my stolen moments. One picture is me wrapped around him as he pins me to the elevator wall. His hand is around my throat. It looks bad. Really bad. This could end him. I’m not sure what my parents will think either. I’m not sure how it will affect me at school. So many thoughts continue to race through my mind.
The truth is that’s one of the hottest things my Bear does when we’re going at it. I crave him taking control. It’s so freeing.
“What do you want?”
“Break it off with Theo.” My stomach drops. “And I want $100,000 dollars wired to this account.” She shoves a card at me.
“Why? Do you think if I break up with him he’ll go running to you?” What is wrong with this woman? Doesn’t she know that money can’t buy you love or happiness? Or make someone want you?
“Yes. Once he finds out I’m pregnant with his child.” She rubs her hand across her stomach, and there is a small baby bump.
Tears burn at the back of my eyes. “Don’t do this. Bear is a good man. This could ruin him,” I try to plead with her.
“Then you should let him go.”
“Okay.” I agree, trying to buy time. She gives me a skeptical look.
“Text him.”
“Right now?!”
“Yes, or I’ll leak all this to the media before the game starts.” Oh God. Bear has gone his entire career without having his name smeared all over the tabloids. The thought of me being the reason why has me feeling sick to my stomach. I pull my phone out. My hands are shaking. She snatches the phone from out of my hand. “I’ll do it.”
Me: I can’t do this anymore. We’re over. This will never work.
A tear escapes. I try and grab the phone back from her, but she drops it to the ground and stomps on it.
“You’re a crazy bitch.” I want to smack her, but she’s pregnant.
“Stay away from my Theo.” My whole body feels numb. “I expect my money Monday morning when the banks open,” she says as she walks out the door.
“Willow! Open this door. Our rooms connect.” Zoey pounds on the connecting door. When I open the door and see her, I burst into tears. She grabs me, holding me tight. “What’s wrong?”
It takes me a minute to get it all out. By the time I’m done, my normal sweet Zoey looks like she could murder someone.
“It’s not his baby. I’m not buying it.”
“The man isn’t known for wearing condoms.”
“He never did anything with that bitch.”
“Do we really know that?”
“Yes! That’s not the kind of man Theo is.” That is true. “We’re taking this.” She holds up the pregnancy test.
“I’m scared.”
“I think you and Theo knew what you were doing. You’re not careless, Willow, and neither is he.”
She’s right. I take the test from her hand. Even after everything that just happened I know I want the test to say positive. Maybe I am crazy.
He’s never told me that he loves me. But I swear I could feel it in his touch. A baby would be skipping all kinds of steps, and I don’t want him to pick me because I’m pregnant with his baby.
“Let’s do this.” Zoey follows me into the bathroom. We wait together, knowing this could change everything for me.
19
Theodore
She has lost her damn mind. I don’t even respond. I’m going to turn her ass red when I get my hands on her. I don’t know what could have changed in the past few hours, but it doesn't matter. We’re not over. We’ll never be over.
I get back to getting ready for the game. When we run onto the field, I see Willow and Zoey sitting in the seats I got them. Willow keeps her head down, not making eye contact with me. Zoey looks like she wants to cut my balls off.
“What the hell did you do?” Reid says under his breath next to me.
“No clue.” I can’t stop myself from stealing looks her way. What has her running scared? I run my hand down my face, trying to figure out where I fucked up. These past months have been the best of my life. We have never actually had a fight before.
A reporter walks up to me for my pre-game interview. The questions start off standard. Then she hits me with one out of left field.
“You were voted the hottest football coach. Does that attention bother your fiancée?”
“Wait. What fiancée?”
“Are you not engaged to Tiffany? She gave us an interview twenty minutes ago. She’s pregnant with your first child.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I have a woman in my life, and it is not Tiffany. There is no way she can be pregnant with my child.” We never even shared a kiss, let alone had sex. I’m starting to think Tiffany is crazy. That she has gone all fatal attraction on me or some shit.
“Who is the lucky woman? You’re breaking girls’ hearts everywhere.”
“It’s me that’s lucky,” I respond. “The game is about to start.” The urge to tell the world that Willow is mine and off the market is so great, but I don’t.
I turn, heading back over to the team. The game starts. The first half was a little rough, but we still lead by one touchdown. Reid is playing the best game of his life. It’s the defense that’s the problem. They are having trouble stopping them.
The next drive Anderson sacks the quarterback. The ball goes flying. Rich scoops it up, sprinting down the field to score a touchdown. The crowd goes wild. Even Willow is on her feet screaming. Her eyes meet mine. I stare at her for a moment, noticing her eyes look a little puffy. Has she been crying?
Then it hits me. She must have seen the bullshit Tiffany said to the reporters. That’s why she sent me that text message. I told her nothing happened with her. The bitch is batshit crazy. I’ve ignored it up to this point. Now she’s fucking with my girl. This shit is going to end.
Willow is still fighting the demons of not being good enough to be loved that her parents instilled in her. I’ve spent the last few months trying to show her what she means to me with every touch.
The game keeps going as we get our stride back, blowing them out of the water. Everyone is screaming and cheering. We did it. We’re national champions. My attention goes back to Willow. Without thinking, I head for her. I grab the wall, pulling myself up, wanting to share this special moment with her. Enough is enough.
Her eyes go wide as she watches me. I grab her, pulling her in for a deep kiss. More cheers ring out. I take her hand, pulling her with me back over the wall and onto the field.
“What are you doing?” she hisses at me. I wrap my arm around her, holding her close as the reporters close in for a post-game interview. The whole time I keep Willow tucked into my side.
I ignore the looks, not giving a fuck what anyone else thinks. If they want to fire me, have at it. Nothing is more important than Willow, and I’m over this hiding shit.
“Is this the lucky girl you spoke of earlier?” The same reporter pops up. Willow ducks her head, her cheeks turning pink. I have to fight to not get hard. Every time my girl blushes, I want to pin her to the nearest wall and fuck her, which I’ve done on many occasions. And what I plan to do for the rest of our lives.
“Told you I’m the lucky one.”
“Everyone wants to know how serious you two are.” People are fucking nosy. Why the hell does anyone care? What the hell? Now is my chance to let the whole world know that Willow is all mine, and I
refuse to let it pass me by.
I drop to one knee, pulling out the box in my pocket. “Bear,” she gasps. Everyone around us stops celebrating, their eyes now focusing on us.
“Willow, you are the most important thing to me in this world. If you let me, I’ll spend my life showing you that. You’ll never doubt that I love you.” A tear escapes down her cheek. She wipes it away quickly.
“I love you too.” She throws herself at me. I rock back on my heels, getting my balance as I lift her. She wraps herself around me. Her words warm me to my core. And even though I’ve achieved so many things in my life, she is the greatest of them all.
“I take that as a yes.”
“Yes! Yes! Yes!” I put her back on her feet. The crowd bursts with screams once again. I take the ring out of the box. She holds her hand out, letting me slide it on her finger. Allowing me to mark her with a symbol that shows she’s mine forever.
“This was my grandmother's ring.” A large circular diamond sits in the center, a halo of smaller diamonds surrounding it. It makes the ring look like a snowflake. It looks perfect on her finger, as though it was always meant to be there.
“Bear.” More tears stream down her face. I cup her cheeks, kissing her. I take her hand, leading her over to the sidelines. I never let her hand go while I introduce her to everyone as my fiancée. I try not to rush through the celebration, but all I want to do is get Willow back to the hotel.
It feels damn good not having to hide this anymore. I can kiss her whenever I want. Tell other punks to fuck off when they hit on her.
“Bear.” She leans into my side as we ride the elevator up to our floor. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” I drop a kiss on the top of her head. If I get my mouth on hers right now, I’ll end up pinning her to the elevator wall. The elevator dings, and we step off.
“Bear!” Willow laughs. “My legs aren't as long as yours. Slow down.”
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