Sidelined: A Wilde Players Dirty Romance

by Terri E. Laine

  The coach is interested in seeing how well my knee is doing. “I know you can throw, but what about pivoting and all that?”

  “I’m okay. I have a bit more healing to do, but I’ll be prime when training camp starts.”

  “Can you lunge yet?”

  “Yeah,” I say, “but I have to be careful. As you can see,” I point to my knee, “I’m still in a brace.” Then I show him how much I can do.

  “Good. Come on.” I follow him into the office where the general manager and president wait.

  “Morning, Fletch,” they all say. I nod in return.

  The president starts out by saying, “We were all impressed by your progress. To be honest, we thought you’d be warming the bench all season, and we were even prepared to trade you.”

  “Yeah, I figured as much.” So much for having faith in their players.

  “But after yesterday, we are prepared to offer you another contract, even though this isn’t your year,” the general manager says, while the others look on and I’m waiting for their tongues to hang out of their mouths.

  “Look, I really appreciate it. But before I can do any signing, I need to check with my girl back home.”

  Coach’s face turns a dusky shade of purple as he speaks, “Girl? What’dya mean girl? Why would you check with anyone on something this huge?”

  “Because I made a few mistakes when I first signed, and I won’t make those same mistakes twice. The fact is, there’s more to life than this game. Don’t get me wrong. I love this team, and I love football. But I love my girl more. So like I said, let me get back to you on that.”

  Coach holds up his palm. “But you aren’t considering another team, are you?”

  “I can’t say.”

  The general manager stands up and says, “We’ll raise you, Fletcher. And before you sign with anyone else, come to us. We’ll make it financially worthwhile for you.”

  I scratch my head a second. “Can I ask you guys something? When I was injured, and you didn’t know if I was coming back, did you even for a second give a shit about me and everything I had done for this team in the past?”

  The crickets are chirping as loud as I’ve ever heard them.

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought.” I turn to leave, and as I open the door, I say, “I’ll let you guys know.” Maybe this isn’t the team for me after all. I’ll have my new agent on the lookout for something. When this upcoming season is over, maybe I’ll be picked up by another team. And maybe it’ll be close enough to home so that Cass and I can figure a way to work things out.

  My bag is on the field, so I head on over and pick it up. On the way home, I really start to think about things—how important football is in comparison to Cass. I piddle around the house, putting things in order, and no matter what I do, the fact remains that I won’t be happy unless Cassie is with me. Tomorrow I return to my parents’ house. They will be getting back from their trip to Europe this weekend. And then I’ll be free to do whatever I want. But the thing is, I want to stay there until training camp. Being back here makes me realize exactly how lonely I am. My friends are few, and I don’t have a life that exists outside of football.

  With my head wrapped around this subject, it barely registers when my phone rings. I answer it right before it goes to voicemail, and I’m glad I do because it’s the one person in the world who makes me happy.

  “Hey, baby.”

  “Sorry, this isn’t your baby.”

  The voice turns my blood to ice in my veins.

  “What the fuck is going on? If you touch one hair on her head, I swear to God I’ll knock your teeth all the way into your brain, you slimy piece of shit. Let. Her. Go!” I’m roaring into the phone. I’m surprised my neighbors haven’t heard me. Then that shithead demands I bring him a million dollars.

  My molars crack as I grind them to death. “That’s impossible!” I yell. “Though I’d bring you ten if I could. The bank will only let me withdraw twenty grand at a time. Unless I get preapproval and that takes a while.” My hand scrapes my hair back. Jesus, if that fucker hurts Cassie, I’ll be in prison for his murder.

  Then he tells me I have twelve hours to do this.

  “Twelve hours? I’m in Okla-fucking-homa! How the hell am I supposed to do that?”

  Oh, he says I’m smart and that I’ll figure it out. And I will even if I have to charter a jet. I get on the phone, and that’s exactly what I end up doing. Chartering a jet. I go to the bank and make a withdrawal and then come back here, where I order an Uber. I have no idea how long I’ll be gone this time, so I don’t want to leave my car out there.

  On the way back to Cassie, I ignore the motherfucker’s warnings about not calling the police and call them anyway to let them know what’s going on. We’re on the phone the entire flight back, but I make it well within the twelve-hour window. The trip has done nothing except fuel my anger. Cassie will never suffer at that douchebag Calvin’s hands again. I don’t care if I have to kill him tonight. That dude is going down.

  When the plane lands, I’m surprised to be greeted by two FBI agents who escort me to their waiting black SUV. Just like in the movies, I think, as I sit in the backseat. We drive to their headquarters, and I tell them everything again. They explain that they believe Calvin is holding Cassie in her own home. The plan is for me to go to the door, with my money as a distraction. I’m to coax him out onto the porch, where the agents will arrest him.

  “How will I get him out there?”

  “Set the money out there. He’ll automatically go look for it,” one of the agents suggests.

  “Do you think he’ll be armed?” I ask.

  “We don’t know that.”

  “I don’t want to barge in there and risk Cassie getting shot.”

  “Mr. Wilde, if you don’t act, he’s going to suspect something, and her chances of getting out of there unharmed decrease with each passing moment.”

  “Okay.” I’m not overly confident in this plan because I’m worried about Calvin’s stability. He’s not playing by the same rules as normal people do. But if I don’t try, then she stands a chance of getting killed. My window of time is running out.

  “Let’s go.”

  One of the agents speaks up, “We need to wire you first.”

  Once I’m set, they run a quick test, and then we load up. They drop me off down the street and then circle the block, parking on the opposite end. It’s getting dark by now, but I’ve got to hurry. My time is about up.

  Following the plan, I ring the doorbell, but decide waiting for stupid fuck to answer is a mistake. So I do what any over-the-top, protective, mildly insane boyfriend would do. I kick the door in and rip it off its hinges. It crashes into the wall as I push it to the side, and shrimpy doodle is there to seemingly take me on. If this situation weren’t so dire, I’d laugh at Mini Mouse. Except he levels a kick right at my bad knee and brings me down instantly. Fuck! Next thing I know, the prick has a gun pointed at my face.

  “Where’s the money?” Little Fuck asks.

  “On the porch.” The Feds were right about that one, thank God. But then, the little shit fires the gun, and burning pain momentarily renders me motionless. Except I’m not finished with him. Instinct overrides everything, and I kick my leg out right as he walks by, only he doesn’t notice. He’s too focused drooling over the bag of money. He trips over me and goes sprawling. I almost chuckle, but my head is on fire, and I have Cassie to tend to. He face plants in the middle of the doorway, just in time for the agent to yell out, “Freeze!” How perfect is this?

  Crawling to Cassie, I undo the wire that’s wrapped around her wrists and ankles and check her out. She puts her arms around me and starts crying. “Are you okay, Fletch? Did you get shot?”

  “No, baby, I’m good. I’m worried about you.”

  “But you are bleeding.” Cool fingers press the side of my head. By now, the pain has subsided.

  “It’s nothing. I think the bullet only grazed me. But what about
you? How are you?”

  She’s not convinced I’m okay. Her hands are all over me, on my head, face, and knee. “I’m fine. Just bruised and stiff from being tied up on the floor. Your knee. Is it okay?”

  “It’s fine. Just bruised, too.”

  The agents cuff Calvin and read him his rights. Then they come and check on us.

  We get up, but they call an ambulance.

  “We’re fine.”

  “It’s policy, Mr. Wilde. We need to make sure.”

  “Fletcher, Calvin was the one who hit you. It was him.” Cassie squeezes my arm.

  “What? How do you know?” She explains about her insurance agent and also that Calvin admitted it to her.

  Part of me wants to strangle the guy for being the asshole who hit me. Then again, had he not, I wouldn’t have gotten Cassie back. So maybe in some miniscule way, I’m grateful. Though when the FBI calls in the police to coordinate Calvin’s charges for that unsolved crime, I’m thankful the fucktard will be off the streets longer.

  “We believe Mr. Miller will be facing some serious prison time,” one of the agents says. “We’re glad they caught who did this to you, Mr. Wilde.”

  “Thanks.” I pull Cassie close to me. To think she was alone with that man. “He could’ve killed you.”

  She looks up at me and nods. I run my hands through her hair, not wanting to let her go.

  The sound of the sirens is getting closer, so Cassie calls Gina to ask if she can give us a ride home from the hospital.

  “What! What the hell is going on?” Gina screams into the phone.

  Cassie sighs. “Just come to the hospital, and we’ll fill you in.”

  “You two.” I can hear her say.

  Our diagnoses are the same, with the exception of the minor laceration on my head caused by the grazing of the bullet. We both have bruises. But the good news is my knee is fine. No damage at all.

  “God, Fletcher,” she breathes. “If he wasn’t such a miserable shot, you would be dead.”

  I kiss her so we both know we’re okay. “But I’m not.”

  We are released into Gina’s capable hands.

  “So, it was that shit, Calvin, huh?”

  “Yeah,” Cassie answers. “He was in my house when I came home. He was crazed I guess from all the coke he’d been doing.”

  Gina is strangely silent as she drives us out to my parents’ house. When we get there, she comes inside and stands there with her arms crossed.

  “What?” I ask.

  “So, this is what happens when you leave? What is she going to do in July, when you go for good? Can we expect this to happen again?”

  “Gina,” Cassie says in warning.

  Gina’s hand flies out. “No, you know I’m right.”

  I take a step forward. “Yes, you are. But it’s not going to happen anymore, because I’ve made a decision. I’m not going back.”

  Cassie’s brows shoot up to her hairline. “You’re not going back where?”

  “To training camp. To Oklahoma. To the team. I’m done. I came to the realization on the flight back here when I didn’t know if I would find you dead or alive that you are far more important to me than any football deal. So I’m staying here. With you. So we can be together.” I beam.

  If I thought she would smile in return, I’m terribly disappointed. Because she doesn’t. Instead, the corners of her mouth pull down as she seriously frowns. But then, she’s in my arms. When she pulls back, she wipes at tears.

  In a voice that there is no arguing with, she declares, “Like hell you are. I love that I’m so important to you. Important enough that you’d give up playing, but I won’t let you do it, Fletcher. You can’t play football forever. In fact, you have what, eight, maybe ten to twelve solid years of playing left in your arm?”

  “Cass,” I warn. “None of it matters if I don’t have you by my side.”

  “True. But your career is limited.”

  “I don’t care.”

  “I do. And mine, on the other hand, is not. I may have started something here, but I realized something, too, when Calvin threatened my life.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I can be a physical therapist anywhere in the world. But there is only one you. And you mean the world to me. I won’t make the same mistake twice. So, on that note, I’ll go wherever you are.” Now she’s the one beaming.

  “You would do that?”

  “I would. We were both young and selfish back then. Look at how much time we lost being apart. I would have never married that asshole if I’d followed my heart to you.”

  “This is crazy. First, neither of us would bend. Now, both of us are willing to do whatever it takes.”

  Cass says, “Maybe we’ve finally grown up and realize what’s important in life.”

  My arms are around her before I can even think. Her kisses are like the greatest things in the world. Okay, maybe not as great as her pussy, but whatever.

  “Hey, break it up over there. You all have company,” Gina teases.

  Cass pulls away and says, “You’re not company. You’re Gina.”

  “Ah, yeah. I’m outta here.”

  We don’t even wait for the door to close behind her before I pull Cassie’s pants off and lift her onto the counter. I want that sweet pussy on my tongue and don’t want to wait any longer. The idea that she may have been hurt sends me into a sexual frenzy, and my tongue laps her up until she moans her pleasure. I know she’s damned pleased, too, because she just about pulls all my hair out. I unbutton my jeans and pull them off, and in one clean thrust I’m hilt deep inside my girl as she sinks her nails into my arms. Then I lift her up and walk her over to the wall where I plunge into her softness and lose myself. She wraps her legs around me as I grab her ass—God, I love this ass, but I’m so close so I want her to come again.

  “Cassie, touch yourself for me. Now, while I’ve got you up here.”

  Her hand moves between us, and I feel it move on my dick as she presses it against her clit.

  “Tell me you’re close, baby. You’re so good for me here.”

  “Ah, yeah.”

  A few more strokes, and she’s there. I follow as I orgasm into her, feeling her tighten against me.

  Her mouth is a mere inch away from mine, so I steal a kiss from her. Only we end up making out like we did in high school. “You always did have the sexiest mouth I’ve ever seen.”

  “I love you, Fletcher Wilde.”

  “I love you, Cassie baby,” I say because I refuse to call her Miller anymore. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Yeah. Are you interested in changing your name?”

  “Ugh, yeah. I need to get rid of Miller and go back to my maiden name.”

  I laugh. “That’s not what I was referring to.”

  A crease appears between her brows. “What do you mean?”

  “I was wondering if you wanted to change it to Wilde?”

  “What are you saying?”

  “I think you know what I’m saying.”

  Her eyes linger on mine for long moments before she grins.

  “Cassidy Wilde. I love the sound of that.”

  “So do I.”

  All of a sudden, the dogs start barking. And then we hear the sound of a car.

  “Oh shit,” Cass says. She wiggles out of my arms and runs to put her clothes on while I do the same.

  “I wonder who’s here.”

  Right as we finish dressing, Mom and Dad walk in.

  “Fletcher. Cassie.” They look at the two of us in surprise.

  “Mom. Dad. How was the trip?”

  “Great. Your brother is doing amazing over there. He loves Europe, but there are several American soccer teams who want him, so who knows?” Dad says.

  My brother is a professional soccer player in Europe who’s been trying to get back to the American league. Everyone, including me, says he’s crazy, because soccer in Europe is like football over here. The money is better. Well, actually, everyth
ing is better. But I think he just misses being home.

  “So, did we miss anything while we were gone?” Mom asks. Then she steps closer to me and asks, “Fletcher, what the hell happened to your head? Have you been in a fight?” Her eyes swiftly move to Cassie and see the bruises on her arms, and she says, “Okay, someone better tell me what’s been going on here. And Fletcher, why are you wearing that knee brace?”

  Both Cassie and I burst out laughing.

  “This isn’t even funny.” Then her eyes ping back and forth between us. “Are you two back together?”

  About two hours later, we have them filled in.

  My mom is all tears. “Oh, Fletcher, I can’t believe I wasn’t here to help you.”

  “Mom, it’s fine. I had Cassie. And look what happened. We got back together. Oh, and the best part of it all was she agreed to marry me.”

  “I did?” Cassie asks.

  My face falls. “I thought—”

  “You thought right, except you left something out,” she says.

  “What’s that?”

  “You didn’t properly ask me.”

  I slap myself on the forehead, then immediately drop to my good knee. “Cassidy, I love you more than football, and you should know this because I offered to give it up for you. So, will you do me the greatest honor in the world and agree to be my partner and wife?”

  “Yes!”

  My dad smiles, and Mom claps.

  “Oh, thank God, we’re going to have a wedding at last!” Mom hollers.

  Cass and I kiss, and Boomer and Brady run around barking. I’d say it’s a very good day after all.

  Epilogue

  The box is similar to the one we sat in for Ryder’s game, yet it’s different in some respects, too. There are more tables, and the furniture, although nice, is showing some wear. Then again, Ryder’s stadium is new, and this one isn’t.

  “I could totally get on board living life like this,” Gina says.

  “Don’t. This isn’t where the wives normally sit. The owner is trying to sweet talk Fletcher into signing a contract extension. As such, we’ve been given this box for the home season opener as an incentive. I guess he thinks if he treats me nice, I’ll have an influence on what Fletcher decides. He doesn’t know us very well.” I can’t help but laugh. When my guy makes up his mind about something, nothing will change it. Besides, I’m totally on board with whatever Fletcher thinks is best for his career.