ONLY ONE TOUCH

by Madison, Natasha

  “Hello there.” I smile at him as he comes closer to me. “Fancy seeing you here.”

  He laughs. “I would say the same since you are far from home.” He looks at the ice.

  “I was in the neighborhood.” He laughs at my joke.

  “Seriously.” He stands and looks at the players. “You really came all this way to scope out the kids?”

  “I wouldn’t be the best if I didn’t do my homework.” I look at the ice. “How’s Cooper?”

  He puts his hands in his pockets and I see that he is torn. “He’s doing good.”

  “It’s hard,” I say, and he looks at me. “The whole growing up and them leaving the nest.”

  “Do you have kids?” he asks, and I shake my head.

  “Not yet,” I say, and for the first time in my life, I wonder what it would be like if I had kids. The thought knocks me on my ass. “Not anytime soon, either.” Erika walks away toward the door as her phone rings. “It also must be hard for him.” Matthew just looks at me. “Listen, it’s one thing to be good, and everyone wants you.” I look toward the ice when I hear the whistle blow. “It’s another thing to be fucking good, yet you are constantly compared to everyone in your family.”

  He nods his head. “Yeah, it sucks for all the kids in the family.”

  “But from what I’ve seen,” I say. “He is a good kid with a level head on his shoulders.”

  “He gets that from his mother and less from me.” I smile.

  “The questions he asked me when we met.” I put my hands into my pockets. “I’ve never got those questions before. All the kids cared about was the money.” He nods his head.

  “I have to head out,” I say when I see Erika motion with her head. “I have another arena to go to. Say hello to Cooper for me.”

  “I will,” he says, and I walk away from him.

  Getting in the car, I don’t even bother with my phone. If I am needed, they know to call Erika. By the time we get to the other arena, I’m ready to call it a day.

  My ass drags when I get back to my hotel room. Erika is staying in the room right next door to me. I kick off the UGG boots and crawl into the bed fully dressed, looking out the window at the office building in front of it. I don’t know how long I lie here, nor do I realize that my pillow is soaking wet from tears when I hear a soft knock on the door. My heart speeds up as I sit up, and I’m about to go the door when it opens.

  I walk out of the bedroom, the room dark. I stand here and see Erika is the one coming in, and she turns on the light on the desk. “Oh, hey.” She looks at me. “I figured you didn’t eat.” She pushes the room service cart into the middle of the living room area.

  “I’m not really hungry,” I say, and she just nods.

  “I got you a bowl of soup and a sandwich.” She ignores the fact that I just told her I’m not hungry. She takes the silver dome off the food. “I got myself a burger.” She shrugs. “Because sometimes you just need to eat a greasy burger.”

  “Most of the time,” I say, walking to the couch. “What time is it?” I look around to see if there is a clock anywhere.

  “It’s almost nine,” she says, and I’m shocked. “Francis and Trevor both called me, all frantic.”

  I close my eyes, and they suddenly feel so heavy. “I turned off my phone.”

  “That’s what I told them.” She grabs her plate. “So take a shower, eat, and then just send them a text.”

  “Can you?” I ask, and she smiles at me. She turns to walk out of the room.

  “Erika.” I call her name, and she turns to look at me. “You are going to be a great agent,” I say, and her mouth opens in shock. “When we get back, let’s try to get your position filled. I don’t know if I’m going to find anyone as good.”

  “Well, we will die trying,” she says. “Thank you, Becca, for giving me a chance. I won’t let you down.” She doesn’t say anything else as she walks out. I get up and walk to the bathroom, shrieking at my reflection. My eyes are puffy and red, and my nose is also red. I start the shower, and I look semi alive when I get out. I take two bites of the food, but I’m so tired I walk to bed.

  The next day is almost the same. I walk into another arena, this one colder than the last one. I’m sitting down watching when someone sits next to me.

  “I’m going to think you are following me,” Matthew says, and I smile at him.

  “It could be the other way around,” I say and look back at the play at hand. “What are you doing here?”

  “I wouldn’t be a good GM if I didn’t check the kids out myself,” he says, and I nod at him. We spend most of the time watching the kids play. “Are you okay?” he asks me.

  “What do you mean?” I ask, shocked.

  “You look a bit sad,” he says. “I noticed it yesterday and well more so today.” He turns back and looks at the ice. “I don’t mean to pry.”

  “No.” I shake my head. “Just a lot on my mind.” I try to sound upbeat. “Plus with the holidays coming up.”

  He nods his head and gets up. “You’re a good one, Becca,” he says to me, and all I can do is smirk at him. “My son is going to be in good hands.” My mouth hangs open. “I’ll be in touch.” He turns and walks away. “And if it has anything to do with a man.” He smirks. “He’s not worth it.” I throw my head back and laugh. “It’s what I tell my daughters and my nieces.”

  “Thank you for the advice.” I rub my hands on my legs as he walks away.

  Erika comes into the arena with two cups of coffee. “Here you go.” She hands me one and sits down next to me. “How is it going?”

  I look at her, holding the hot cup of coffee in my hand. “Not so good,” I say, and I’m not sure if I’m talking about the kids on the ice or myself. “But it’ll get better.”

  She looks at me, not sure what to say. “It will definitely get better.”

  I get up and walk out of the arena, taking my phone out of my pocket. I have pretty much ignored everyone in the past day and a half, and I’m actually going to give myself another day before I get back on the horse.

  I’m getting into the car when the headlines flash on my phone.

  Newly married Nico Harrison is spotted coming home without his bride. Is there trouble in paradise already?

  Chapter 28

  Nico

  “What the fuck is all that?” I say, looking out the window of the plane toward the gate of the airport.

  “That,” Lizzie says, looking out her own windows, “would be the press.” I look back and see maybe fifty people with cameras around their necks. Some of the camera flashes go off.

  “What are they doing here?” I get up, grabbing my jacket and putting it on.

  “I believe they are here to get a picture,” Lizzie says, putting on her own jacket. “I told you before we left that you have to put out a statement.” I side-eye at her. “And this is why.” She points in the direction of the cameras.

  “They have never done this before,” I say, grabbing my bag.

  “You’ve never eloped before.” She grabs her own bag. “Put on your sunglasses.”

  I grab my sunglasses and see that Lizzie does the same. “Here we go,” I say as soon as the door opens. I step out the door hear the screaming of the reports.

  “Nico, where is your wife? one of them shouts.

  “Nico, how long were you together?”

  “Nico, is there trouble in paradise?”

  “Nico, did you get down on one knee?”

  I ignore the questions and try to ignore the camera flashes getting into the waiting car and then taking off my sunglasses. “Well, that wasn’t so bad,” Lizzie says, huffing as she sits next to me.

  “Did you tell the driver I want to go to Becca’s place?” I ask, and she turns with her back against the car door.

  “Are you insane?” she asks. “You don’t think they are going to follow your every single step?”

  I look over my shoulder as we drive out of the gate, seeing four or five SUVs follow
ing us. “You have two choices.” She looks down at her phone and then up at me again. “We can either go home, where there are seven reporters waiting.” My mouth hangs open. “Or we can go to the office where there are four reporters.”

  “I have to go and see Becca,” I say. “So drop me off at home and then give me the keys to your car. My patience is running very fucking thin at this point, Lizzie.”

  “Trust me, I know,” she tells me. “But do you want them to get an inkling that you and Becca are linked?” I just look at her. “Do you want them camping out at Becca’s house and hounding her and throwing it in her face that you are married and that she’s your mistress?”

  “She’s not the fucking mistress,” I hiss out. “She’s the actual person I’m with. She’s my …” I don’t even know if I should call her my girlfriend.

  “Why don’t we go home and see if the press gets bored or there is another more entertaining story out there?” She is the voice of reason in this whole thing, and I know that she would not steer me wrong.

  “Nico.” She says my name softly. “I know that you want to go to Becca.” I swallow, and the only thing going through my head is that I’m so close to her, yet I couldn’t be more farther from her. “I can only imagine what is going through her mind right now, and my heart hurts for both of you.” My fist goes into a ball. “But you have to protect her, and showing up and stomping to her door isn’t protecting her.”

  “Protect her?” I say the words so bitterly. “If this is me protecting her, then what is me hurting her?” My mouth is as dry as the desert in the summer heat.

  “I just don’t want her to think that what we had …” Lizzie puts her hand on mine, and she squeezes it.

  “Lizzie,” I say. “I felt something for her I haven’t felt with anyone else,” I admit to her. My heart hammers in my chest, the pain becoming stronger and stronger the more I think about how Becca must feel. “She was.”

  “She is,” she corrects me, and I look at her. She has her own tears in her eyes. “Let’s see how today goes, and if anything, I will sneak you out tonight.”

  I don’t say anything more. I just swallow the lump in my throat, and when we pull up to the house, the number of reporters seems to have doubled. “Call security and have them off my property,” I say to Lizzie, who is already on the phone with them. “I also want people outside the gate.”

  “I’m ordering it right now,” she says, and I walk into the house. I walk up the stairs to the bedroom, and I smell her right away. Walking over to the bed, I sit on her side of the bed. The note I left her two days ago is on the side table. My stomach hurts, the burning starting. Nothing is going to make this go away. The only way this is going to go away is when I see her and hold her in my arms. When I can kiss her and tell her everything.

  I hold the note in my hand, hearing Lizzie’s steps coming closer and closer. “Okay, so they have been escorted out, and security is parked in front of the house.”

  “Good,” I say, looking at her and then looking down. “How long before I can leave?”

  “I would say maybe an hour.” I look back down at the note. I take my phone out and send her another message.

  Me: I miss you.

  The rest of the messages have been of me begging to talk to her. I don’t even know if she is reading them or ignoring them. But I’m going to send them to her anyway. Over and over again, just so she knows how much I miss her. How much I need to speak to her. How much I want her. How much I need her.

  I look at the screen, hoping the three dots come up, but they don’t. Nothing happens. One hour later, I’m sitting in the security guy’s car as I drive away from my house. I watch to make sure no one follows me.

  I pull up to her building, and my heart hammers in my chest harder than it has ever done before. I take off the baseball hat that I’ve been wearing and walk into her building. The security man stands. “Hello,” I say to him. It’s always the same four who man the desk.

  “Good evening,” he says to me, “who are you visiting?”

  “Becca.” I smile. “I’ve been here before.”

  He grabs the pad that is on the desk. “Can I have a name please?”

  “Nico Harrison,” I say my name, looking around to make sure no one is watching me from a fucking bush.

  “I’m sorry, sir,” he says once he looks up. “But you aren’t authorized to go up.”

  “I was here four days ago,” I say, and he looks at me.

  “If you aren’t on the list, I can not let you up,” he says, and I just eye him.

  “How about you call Becca and see if she will make an exception?” I say, and he nods his head, picking up his phone. He dials her number, my hands in my pockets as I wait for her to answer.

  “I’m sorry, there is no answer,” he says, putting the phone down. “If you can maybe get her on the phone and have her come down and get you.” I nod at him and walk out of her building, knowing she won’t answer my calls.

  Getting back into the car, I want to punch the steering wheel. I drive back to the house, and Lizzie comes out of the kitchen, her smile disappearing when she sees the look on my face. “I take it that it didn’t go well.”

  “I didn’t see her,” I say. “She can refuse to see me all she wants. Tomorrow, I’m going to her office.”

  “Nico.” She says my name, and it’s more of a warning. “You really want to bring this to her job?”

  “She gave me no fucking choice. I have to see her.” I turn back and run back to my room, where I can feel her. The whole night, I look up at the ceiling, hugging her pillow in my arms.

  I’m up before the alarm, and I’m just shrugging on my gray suit jacket when my phone rings, and I jump at it. I see that it’s Miller, and I answer right away.

  “Hey,” I say, grabbing my keys and walking downstairs. “What’s up?”

  “Not much. Just getting in the car to head the practice,” he says. “You okay?”

  “Um,” I say, getting in my car and seeing that there are two news vans today waiting for me. “I’m on my way to see Becca.”

  “Shit,” he says. “I’ve tried to call her, but she just texted me.”

  “Well, at least she answered you,” I say sarcastically. “I’ll let you know after I get out of there,” I say, disconnecting. I’m so nervous I’m ready to crawl out of my skin.

  I drive toward her office and park my car. If anyone is following me, it isn’t out of the normal. When I step into the elevator, my palms get sweaty, and if I had eaten anything this morning, I am pretty sure I would have vomited right before I stepped in the elevator. I watch the numbers go from one floor to the next. I bounce on my feet as the elevator doors open, and I walk out. The receptionist smiles at me, and I think this might be a good sign. “Morning,” I say. “I’m here to see Becca.”

  “She isn’t here,” she says to me. “She’s out of town.” My heart fucking sinks to the bottom of the same feet that rushed out of the elevator to see her. “From what I know, I think she is going to be back—”

  “Never.” I hear from behind me and turn around to see Trevor standing there with Francis beside him.

  “You have some fucking brass balls,” Francis says, almost hissing at me, and he sees the receptionist just watching as her mouth hangs open.

  “We are not doing this here.” Trevor is the one who talks. “Follow me,” he says, and I wait for them to walk before I follow him to his office. I look at Becca’s office that is a bit dark since the lights aren’t on. Her assistant's desk is also empty. “Close the door,” Trevor says, and I close it, turning to look at them.

  “Where is your wife?” Francis hisses at me.

  “I’m not doing this with you,” I say. “This is between Becca and me.”

  “There is no you and Becca,” Trevor says, and it stings. It fucking hurts.

  “The end of you and Becca was the minute you slipped a ring on another woman’s finger.” I don’t tell him that I never slipped anythin
g on anyone. I don’t tell them anything because the only person who is going to get my truth is Becca.

  “I’m not going anywhere.” I stand my ground. “Not now, not tomorrow, not next week. Fuck, not even next month. So when you talk to your sister, you give her that message.” I turn to walk out.

  “I knew you would come looking for her,” Francis says. “I even told her you would.” My hand is on the door handle, and I look back, my hand slipping as I turn back and look at him. “She gave me a message for you.” I wait, holding my breath. “She said the contract is cancelled.”

  I glare at him. “Give her a message then. Terms have changed, but the contract is still the same.” I turn and walk out of his office, taking out my phone.

  Me: Get me my lawyer on the phone now.

  Chapter 29

  Becca

  “I’m not saying this out loud,” Erika says from beside me. “But I’m fucking happy to go back to wearing shoes and regular jackets.”

  I laugh. “It has been freakishly cold, hasn’t it?” We’ve been in Chicago for two days and are finally headed to the airport. It’s been a rough couple of days and nights. The days pass by slowly, but the nights are the worst. Playing it over and over in my head is what gets me every single time.

  The car pulls up to the private plane, and I step out and walk up the four steps as my phone rings in my pocket. I don’t rush to it like I used to, but taking the phone out, I see it’s Francis.

  “Hello.” I shrug off my jacket and hand it to the attendant with a smile. “Can I have a water please?” I ask, blocking the phone.

  “So he showed up here,” he says to me, and my feet lock in place. “I told you he would, and he did.”

  “I don’t know why,” I say in almost a whisper and sit down. I jump when the door slams shut.

  “He has a message for you,” he says, but I don’t want to hear it. I want to tell him I don’t want to hear it. My head is screaming at him not to tell me, but my mouth stays shut. “Terms have changed, but the contract is still the same.”