by Kira Blakely
***
Chad winced as he opened the door to his apartment, opening the split in his lip. He went straight to the bathroom to check it and cursed for letting Christopher get that cheap shot in.
He thought about what happened earlier after practice and what led to Christopher getting a well-deserved ass-kicking from him.
Chad walked with the rest of the team back to the locker room when someone called out to him.
“Stephens!” Christopher yelled, and Chad rolled his eyes and waited impatiently for Christopher to get to him.
“Bartlett,” Chad said coldly.
“Why didn’t you give me the ball earlier?” Christopher asked angrily, and Chad shrugged.
“Evans was the better option,” he answered.
“Bullshit, I was open!” Christopher cried, and Chad glared at him.
“You don’t call the shots out there, Bartlett. I do. And Evans was in a better position to take it. Get over the ball-hogging,” Chad said, and he turned away from Christopher, jogging back to the locker rooms.
A few minutes later, he heard Christopher talking with the other teammates and, not being able to control himself, leaned into one of the lockers and listened in on their conversation.
“So how are things going with your girlfriend?” Roberts, the halfback, asked. “You tapped that yet?”
“Girl’s playing hard to get, but don’t worry, boys. I’m gonna have my dick inside her soon enough,” Christopher replied, and the others jeered and whistled. Chad clenched his fist, seething.
“She’s Thompson’s little sister, right?” one of them asked.
“Yep. And get this – she’s a freaking ballet dancer. Man, I got a feeling I’m going to have so much fun with that bitch. I’ll be coming all night long. She could probably turn into a fucking pretzel! I am so going to flip her in every way possible,” Christopher said.
Chad came out of his hiding place and glared at Christopher, having enough of his shit. He stomped over to him and slammed his fist in his cheek, sending him flying off of the bench he was sitting on.
Then all hell broke loose.
The others had worked together to pry Chad off of Christopher, but the latter already looked worse for wear by the time they succeeded. Christopher was sporting a bloody nose, two black eyes, and two of his teeth knocked out. The coach had yelled at Chad good for attacking Christopher, saying Christopher could file a lawsuit against him, but the other teammates who witnessed everything swore that Christopher baited Chad. They knew Chad was good friends with Jason and Nicole, and correctly surmised that he blew his top over Christopher’s lewd comments. They helped him out and the coach reprimanded both of them before telling them they were suspended for a week. Chad was okay with it, grateful that he wasn’t getting kicked off the team for kicking Christopher’s ass.
Chad had also decided to forget all about his earlier promise and talk to Nicole again, this time not giving up until she faced him. He missed her like crazy, and knowing just what kind of douchebag Christopher really was had set Chad’s mind. He didn’t care if he had to steal Nicole away from him, but he was dead sure he was going to treat her so much better than her boyfriend ever would.
He called her phone again, gritting his teeth as it went straight to voicemail. He then walked back out of his apartment to find her.
Chapter Ten
Chad searched for Nicole for over an hour, but to no avail.
He went to her place, but she wasn’t there, so he tried the studio where she took ballet classes next. Madame Prince had glared at him and told him that she was kicked out of class this morning and didn’t know where she went, and Chad was shocked. When he asked why she was kicked out, the old woman merely turned her nose up at him and went back inside the studio, leaving Chad no choice but to continue his search.
“Where could she be?” Chad grumbled to himself, trying to contact Nicole’s cellphone again while he drove. It went straight to voicemail once more and Chad slammed his feet on the brakes in frustration, ignoring the beeps and horns of the other cars in his lane. He had tried everywhere he could think of, but he couldn’t find her anywhere.
If only Jason were here, he thought. Jason was usually his go-to guy when it comes to the whereabouts of his sister. If he were here, he would’ve known.
Chad blinked and turned his car around, figuring out where she was.
“Thank you, Jason,” Chad whispered.
***
Nicole had ridden a cab to the hospital, but she panicked and backed out, telling the cab driver to take her to the cemetery instead. She was scared and alone and the first thing she wanted to do was run into her brother’s arms for help. Growing up, Jason was always a constant. He was the person she always counted on to find her when she got lost; the person who was always there to help and comfort her during tough times.
And she needed to be with him now, more than ever.
She went down on her knees beside his grave, her tears falling down her cheeks as she sobbed. She opened her mouth and told him everything: how her relationship with Christopher wasn’t as perfect as she thought it was going to be. How she slept with Chad after that huge fight with Christopher. That she thinks that after all this time, she’s still in love with her best friend, and that she’s probably two months pregnant with his child.
“I was kicked out of class this morning, Jason,” she sniffled, wiping her tears angrily. She failed to notice Chad walking towards her and she kept talking. “She told me to go the hospital immediately but I backed out because I was scared she was going to be right.”
Chad frowned, wondering what Madame Prince had told Nicole that she was so scared of the results.
“I’ve always dreamed of being a star, Jason. I’ve always wanted to dance on stage in front of thousands of people. I’ve always pretended to be the prima ballerina of every recital I’ve been in, and my focus has always been to achieve that goal. But how am I going to accomplish that with a baby?” Chad’s eyes widened, shocked that Nicole was pregnant.
Am I the father? he wondered to himself.
“Oh God, Jason. How am I going to tell Chad? He probably hates me now. How am I going to support this baby? I don’t think I can live with myself if I get an abortion, but I don’t–”
“So don’t get rid of it,” Chad said, startling Nicole. Nicole’s eyes widened as she turned around and saw Chad standing behind her, his eyes deep and serious as he stared down at her.
“Chad, what are you doing here?” she asked, wondering how much he had heard.
“I was looking for you. I kept calling your phone, but you never answered,” he said.
“I left it at home,” she said. Chad knelt down beside her and caressed her face, wiping the stray tear that fell on her cheek with his thumb.
“You didn’t have to shoulder these things on your own, Nikki,” he whispered, and Nicole looked down at the ground. He placed a finger under her chin and tilted it up so he could look into her eyes. “I’m always here. I’ve always been here, no matter how many arguments we get into. And this baby you’re carrying? He or she is a blessing. This baby has brought us back together, and I promise you, I will take good care of the both of you. I promise, Nikki.” He said.
“I’m sorry I left without saying anything. I’m really sorry,” Nicole sobbed, but Chad smiled, shaking his head.
“It doesn’t matter. I was already planning on stealing you away from Christopher if it came down to it. I was drunk that night, that’s a fact. But I wasn’t drunk enough to not remember that I love you. It just made me confess it sooner than I had planned.”
“You really love me? That wasn’t just the alcohol talking?” she asked, grinning a little bit.
“I love you, Nicole Thompson. I love your crazy ass. And now, I love Chad Jr., too,” he declared, and Nicole laughed at him.
“I don’t want to name him Chad Jr. No offense, but your name sucks,” she teased, and Chad looked at her like she grew a second head.
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“I’m not going to retaliate because you’re carrying my baby, but I swear to God, woman. If you insult me again, I am going to make you pay for it. In double,” he threatened. Nicole raised an eyebrow at him.
“Oh really? And pray tell how you’re going to make me pay for it?” she asked. Chad put a finger to his lips and pointed towards Jason’s gravestone.
“Not in front of your brother,” he joked. He then remembered something and frowned before fishing his cellphone out of his pocket and handing it to Nicole. She took it from him, confused.
“What do you want me to do with this?” she asked.
“Call Bartlett and tell him he’s demoted to ex-boyfriend status. I’m not going to make love to you tonight without officially calling you mine,” he commanded, and Nicole giggled but did as she was told. After she sent Christopher a text telling him it was over, she threw her arms around Chad’s shoulders and hugged him tight, her smile splitting into a wide grin.
“I’ve been waiting a long time to tell you this, but I love you, too, Stephens.”
Epilogue
Three years later…
Chad really didn’t understand why people had to wear suits and ties when they were going to be sitting for two hours in a dark theater anyway. The ballerinas were still going to be wearing their tutus and dance around the stage no matter what they were wearing, so why did he have to get dressed up for it?
He was busy fiddling with his tie when he felt something collide with his leg.
“Daddy, my shoes!” his son cried, pulling at his pant leg and looking up at him with the same honey-colored eyes of his mother. Chad smiled and went down on one knee so he could tie his son’s shoes for him.
“Is mommy going to be flying again?” he asked innocently, and Chad chuckled.
“No, sport, that was ‘Peter Pan’, mom’s old show. She’s in ‘Swan Lake’ now, remember?” he reminded him.
“What’s ‘Swan Lake?’”
“I honestly don’t know. Ask your mom when we go home.”
“What’s mommy going to be?” Chad chuckled at the never ending questions his son fired at him.
“Uh, I think she said she’s playing ‘Odette’. And before you ask, no, I don’t know who that is. Let’s just watch how it goes and we’ll figure it out later, okay?” Chad replied hurriedly. His son nodded vigorously, his curls bouncing on his head.
“Okay, Daddy. Can I eat chocolate this time?” he asked, and Chad shook his head.
“Jeremy Jason Stephens, no you may not. I don’t want your mother yelling at me because your ruined your suit again,” he said.
He took his son’s hand in his own as they walked towards the theater, Jeremy skipping over the sidewalk cracks. They gave their ticket and went to their seats, waiting for the show to start. When the lights finally went off, Jeremy climbed into his seat and stood up, excited to see his mother. Chad rolled his eyes, not bothering to reprimand him. He was always so happy to see his mother perform and was truly his mother’s biggest fan.
The curtains opened and Nicole opened the show, feeling the beat of the music as she dance and twirled around the stage. She knew her husband and son were somewhere in the audience and as always, she dedicated her performance to the two loves of her life, and to her beloved brother whom she named her son after. She knew wherever Jason was, he was probably watching over her and proud that she had accomplished her dream of becoming a star.
“She’s my mommy!” she heard the little voice of her Jeremy cry out, and the audience chuckled. She saw her little boy waving his tiny arms in the air as he watched her dance and caught the wink her husband sent her way, and she smiled. “I love you, Mommy!” Jeremy yelled.
Chad pulled him back down and murmured apologies to everyone in the audience, and just this once, Nicole broke out of routine and gave her husband and son a flying kiss.
She was going to get hell for that later, but she was too happy with her life to care.
The End
Exclusive
The Billionaire’s Pic
THE SEDUCTION SERIES
Kira Blakely
Wild Animal
Magnificent.
Powerful.
Dangerous.
That’s what I thought of Nathan Landers when I first saw him through the lens of my camera. Even with the parties we’ve attended together, I try not to get caught in his path. But no matter how hard I hide or how fast I try to run away, there’s nothing I can do once he sets a trap for me.
I fall. Hard.
At first, I try to escape. I fight back. But it’s useless. I’m only prey and he’s the predator.
And once I’ve felt what it’s like to be in his clutches, I don’t mind being devoured.
Wild begets wild.
And I don’t think I can go back to being tame after this.
A Squirrel in a Trap
People are not so different from animals.
Or maybe I just like to think so, because I’d rather be taking pictures of animals in the wild instead of pointing my camera at people wearing fancy clothes and fake smiles at galas that are just excuses for the poor to look rich and the rich to spend their money.
Hiding behind the lens of my Nikon D810, I can tell who’s who. That woman in the sparkly black dress, for example, is wearing sandals that are a tad too small for her, the tips of her toes over the front edge. A last-minute loan from her sister maybe? Or a friend?
She’s like a zebra, that one. Trying to blend in with the herd so that she doesn’t get picked off and torn apart by the lurking hyenas.
Hyenas. Just like that older woman in the lavender gown. She’s already had her third glass of champagne, and she’s been looking around for prey. Someone she can say a mean word to or simply turn her pointy nose up at. Maybe someone whose cheap dress she can even spill her fourth glass on.
Right now, she’s eyeing the hen across the room. I say hen because she’s sticking out her chest more than usual, and because she’s been clucking the whole time. She’s got feathers on her head, too. My guess? She was born poor but married rich. Lucky bitch.
Having decided on its prey, the hyena starts moving, preparing to pounce. She’s interrupted by a man in a purple suit and a golden watch, though. A peacock. He says something, and she gives a loud, fake laugh.
Definitely a hyena.
As for me, I’m a squirrel. I like cozy spaces. I like nuts – almonds, pistachio nuts, and chestnuts. I keep a stock of them in my pantry. I forget where I put my things. I’d rather run than fight. And you bet I can run. I was on the high school track team. I can scratch and bite, too, though. Just ask that dumbass who tried to mess with the first camera I ever owned, or that jerk who tried to feel my bum during the first party I covered.
“How’s it going?” Matilda, who I like to call ‘Mattie’, interrupts my thoughts as she stands beside me in her perfect green gown.
A lynx. That’s what she is – slender and gorgeous with naturally sultry eyes and dark skin.
And my partner at work. I shoot the pictures. She writes the articles.
“Okay,” I tell her. “Nothing new. No one new.”
“Really?” She lifts a thin eyebrow. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen that blonde in the black dress.”
“The zebra trying so hard not to stick out?”
Mattie chuckles. “I see you’ve turned this party into a zoo again.”
“Not a zoo. I hate zoos.”
There’s nothing I dislike seeing more than birds in cages or lions in enclosures, lazily waiting to be tossed their next meal.
“A jungle, then.”
“A savanna,” I correct. “Zebras don’t live in jungles.”
Mattie shrugs. “Well, you’re the animal expert. Seriously, I don’t know why Henry won’t put you on the staff of the nature magazine.”
I narrow my brown eyes at her. “Are you saying you don’t like working with me?”
“Shut up.” She takes a sip from her glass o
f champagne. “You know what I’m saying. He’s stupid for not putting you where you want to be.”
“He thinks I’m not ready. Bullshit. I had my first camera when I was three.”
“A pink toy camera that plays nursery rhymes whenever you press the shutter.”
“I’ve been taking pictures of animals since I was six.”
“Farm animals,” Mattie reminds me. “They don’t really move around, do they?”
“Says someone who’s never been to a farm.” I frown. “Whose side are you on?”
“Yours. So what if you have no experience? You have talent. That’s what counts.”
“Tell that to Henry. He seems to have a thing for you.”
I’ve seen the way Henry looks at Mattie. Like the way a male dog looks at a bitch in heat.
“He has a thing for everyone with boobs and a place between their legs for him to stick his cock into,” Mattie says. “Hey, maybe he’s keeping you around because he likes looking at you.”
I snort.
“And he’s not the only one,” Mattie adds. “I’ve seen a few heads turn in your direction this evening. I can’t blame them. Your red dress is hard not to look at.”
I glance at my dress. Red. One strap over the right shoulder. A flared skirt reaching up to the ankles. Quite simple, really.
“This old thing? I haven’t worn it in ages.”
“So no one’s seen it then? It’s good as new.”
“So it’s the dress,” I tell Mattie. “People are looking at the dress, not me.”
“Sweetheart, they wouldn’t look at that dress if it was on a hanger right in front of them,” she says. “They only look at dresses when they have curves.”
So the men in the room were staring at my curves? What curves?
“That’s not very comforting.”
“I’m not trying to comfort you. I’m trying to compliment you.” She looks at me. “You’re a chick, Samantha Willis. There’s nothing you can do about it.”