But then I think about how I would feel if it were Sophie in my position, instead. Of course I wouldn’t blame her, so why blame myself? That’s the advice they always give, to treat yourself the way you would your best friend.
If it were Sophie, I would tell her to be proud and go straight to the police station. I’d tell her to give the report with confidence, knowing truth was on her side. I’d tell her to ignore the raised eyebrows and angry messages.
So that's exactly what I did.
Sean
Showing me off at the party seemed to have assuaged my parents some, and they've been nicer today. Even though it’s Christmas, I half expected them to lord my knuckles over me. But it turned out that only a few people noticed at the party, allowing my parents to protect their pride.
My dad and I are settled into the living room watching the sports channel when my phone rings. It's my coach. I walk away, stepping over Mike who is sprawled out on the floor as he plays around on his phone.
“Hello?” I say in the hallway, causing Sophie to poke her head out of the door. She eavesdrops, but I don’t motion for her to leave. Maybe it will be good if she hears what he says.
“Sean? Hey, I’m calling because members of the department have been bombarded with messages containing a video. Do you know what I'm talking about?”
“Yes, sir,” I say, and Sophie pulls me into her room. She closes the door and I put the phone on speaker.
“Well, to say it’s caused a distraction over the holiday is an understatement. I know we had talked briefly before, but I need to get a statement from you. Verbal is fine for now, but a written statement tomorrow would be ideal. In your own words, what happened?” His voice is stern.
I look at Sophie, who nods for me to tell the truth. I clear my throat.
“So, I was at a party. One of my friends was sexually assaulted, which obviously isn’t in the video. I intervened, and what happened in the video, um, happened,” I say, wanting to give as few details as possible.
“Mhmm,” He says, and I can tell he is writing my words down. “So, this other guy, do you know if he is pressing charges?”
“I haven’t heard of anything yet,” I say. Sophie’s eyes are widening and she’s staring at the phone, as if she’s trying to discern a secret meaning.
“Has the girl filed a report or statement?”
I look to Sophie to see if she’s heard anything, and she shrugs. She hasn't returned either of our texts.
“I think she was planning to, but I don’t know if she has yet,” I say helplessly. My coach sighs and there is a long silence between us. I can hear the scratch of his pencil in the background.
“This isn’t great timing, Sean. I think you already know that,” he says, and I don’t answer. “What is basically going to happen is that we’re going to receive pressure to not play you in the semi-finals.”
He pauses to hear if I have a reaction, but I don’t give him one.
“As long as there are no formal charges pressed, we are going to release a statement saying that we are handling discipline internally. You can expect to see that tomorrow. However, if he does end up pressing charges, we are going to have to suspend you, pending investigation. Understand?”
“Yes, sir.” I let out a whoosh of air into the phone. Sophie is biting her lip.
“And Sean? Even if nothing comes of this, character concerns are gonna affect your draft ranking. The time to start shaping up has passed, and you're behind the curb.” The call ends.
I put the phone back in my pocket and clench my fists. Sophie sees and grabs my arm.
“Calm down. That wasn’t so bad,” she says. Her eyes are searching mine, trying to gauge just how pissed I am.
“If I miss out on the semi-finals, the team probably won’t make it to the championship. And that’s not me being cocky, Soph, that’s the truth.”
“Vince would be an idiot to press charges,” she says.
“Have you met Vince?”
Sophie says nothing and follows me back to the living room. She sits next to me on the couch and looks at her phone.
“Everything okay?” My dad asks, not bothering to turn away from the television.
“Yeah, Dad. It was just my coach. He wanted to talk strategy.”
We sit in silence and watch the sports channel for quite awhile. My eyes are heavy and fighting to close. I am just about to turn in for the night when the television catches my attention.
“State’s hothead quarterback is at it again, and this time, it’s on video,” The reporter says, raising his eyebrows at the camera. My dad turns up the television, moving faster than I’ve ever seen.
“You may have seen it online earlier today. It was uploaded this morning and has since gone viral, reaching well over 9 million views in less than 24 hours. The video allegedly depicts State’s quarterback, Sean Foley, in a fight with another young man. Sean is seen hitting him repeatedly, and at one point, the man’s body goes limp.”
The video begins to play, and I don’t dare look at my dad. In fact, I close my eyes and pretend I’m not there. But I can still hear the sounds from the video, and I hear my dad crush his beer can. However brief the clip is, it seems to last an eternity.
“The controversial video has caused many to question State regarding whether they will play Foley in the upcoming game. Many are stating that it is indicative of their program that they even signed on a player with a history as extensive as Foley's in the first place. State said tomorrow they will be issuing a statement regarding the matter.”
My dad flicks off the television and rises out of his chair. I remain sitting, and don’t look at him.
“What in God’s name is this shit?” He bellows. When I don’t respond he grows even louder.
“We’ve given you every opportunity, Sean! And you’ve wasted every single one with your shit choices and bad attitude. What’s your plan, now, huh? What are you gonna do when they kick you out of the program?” He spits, towering over me.
“I guess I’ll just have to fall back on an easy job. Maybe I’ll sell insurance like you,” I say, still not meeting his eye. Sophie gasps at my words and I hear Mike trying to leave the room unnoticed.
“Get out.” His words are quiet, but firm.
I had expected him to scream and yell, maybe even throw something. The sudden quiet calm was something I hadn’t experienced before, and it was scarier than anything I’d known. I stand and grab my coat from the closet.
“Daddy,” Sophie says softly, trying to mediate.
“Enough, Sophie,” He says as he watches me walk out the door.
The snow is falling heavily, and I fish into my pockets to find the keys to my truck. I am about to climb in when I notice that Bree’s bedroom light is still on. I check behind me to make sure that my dad didn’t follow me, then hastily cross the street.
I tap the window quietly, and her pretty face appears behind the glass. She lights up when she sees me, and just seeing her smile makes me feel somehow less heavy. She opens the sash and brings her finger to her lips, telling me to stay quiet. I climb through into her warm pink bedroom and close the window behind me.
Her yoga pants are hugging every curve, and as she turns to shut her bedroom door, I'm hypnotized. I watch as she twists her full hips, amazed at how she can make the most mundane motions look graceful. She turns back to me, and I try to keep my eyes on her beaming smile, but her generous cleavage is spilling out of her scooped shirt.
“I was hoping I’d get to see you tonight,” she says in a soft voice,
“I wanted to see you, too. When you didn’t answer my texts I thought you wanted space,” I say, bringing my hands around her waist.
She looks up at me, smiling. “Never. I've just been getting so many notifications that I must have missed your texts.”
“Mmmm, that explains it,” I say, kissing her gorgeous lips. Her small brown hands start caressing me, and she wastes no time pulling away fabric. She wants flesh to flesh.I
move my lips to the crook of her neck, alternating between kissing and sucking lightly. She moans, and I’m pulling down her top to see more of her.
She’s wearing a lacy black bra that leaves little to the imagination, and I can hardly keep myself from staring. My lips find hers again and I pull her towards her bed. We tumble onto the mattress and her body is on mine, and if it’s even possible, I grow harder under the sweet weight of her curves.
She’s straddling me, rocking back and forth against the hard bulge in my jeans. Her bouncing breasts and strong eye contact are almost overwhelming.
“You're getting bold,” I say, remembering that less than 24 hours ago she was a virgin.
“Mmmm, you made me free,” She answers, bringing her hands to pull at my shirt.
I oblige her and pull my shirt off. I’m lying beneath her with my chest bared and my dick throbbing. She runs her sparkly nails down the clenched muscles of my stomach, and I inhale sharply.
Her thick thighs are parted on either side of me, begging to be gripped. She moans at my touch and spreads them farther as I massage into them. All I want is to be inside her again.
“Are you ready to go again?” I ask, hopeful that she has healed from the pain.
She shakes her head and bends to kiss me slowly. “I’m still a little sore,” she says as she pulls back.
My face falls, and she has a twinkling amusement behind her big eyes. Her whisper falls into my ear like honey, “ I can still do things to you.”
The words make me feel like the luckiest son of a bitch on earth. I smile as she starts kissing on my neck and shoulders. My blood is rushing and she's squeezing my biceps, then tracing her fingers along the shapes of my tattoos. I shiver and she smiles, then her face darkens and she bites her lip. She’s fucking serious, and I fucking love it.
Her mouth goes lower, down my stomach and abs. She’s licking and grazing her teeth like a professional, and all I can wonder is how she learned this. I don’t have time to wonder, though, because she’s undoing my pants like she’s desperate. I help her and pull them down, and she pushes me back against the bed. She’s all business.
Her mouth finds my stomach again, and her hand is wrapped around my cock. She’s stroking, and I'm growing harder from her touch. I watch as her hand grips it and wonder just how many times I’ve fantasized about this moment while we were eating at my family’s dinner table or riding in the back of my parents' car.
And here we were. Her little hand wrapped around me, pumping me rhythmically. Her breath is hot against my stomach as she gets lower, tantalizing and teasing. Her lips are close to my hardness, and I flex, preparing for her to take me inside.
But however confident she appeared before, now she's looking at me with uncertainty. I take her head and guide her to me. She flicks her tongue against my shaft hesitantly.
“Mmm," I moan, watching her. She’s looking up at me with her big dark eyes, and I ache.
Encouraged, she parts her lips and takes my head in, sucking lightly. I wince a little, afraid she might use teeth. My worries are unfounded, and she takes me perfectly.
She takes more of me in, and then breaks completely off. I watch as she takes a deep breath and tries again. She gets further this time, pulling me and sucking. I watch as I disappear between her pretty lips. I’m flexing my hips, trying not to thrust to far into her mouth, but she keeps looking at me through black lashes, driving me crazy.
She moans around my dick, the vibrations making me grip her by her curls. I restrain myself from pushing her head down further, letting her decide the depth. She seems to understand, though, and takes even more of me in her mouth. I close my eyes, focusing on the suction and wetness, imagining being inside her again and feeling her clench around me.
“Mmm, Breezy,” I groan as I hit the back of her throat. She pulls away and covers her mouth, gagging silently.
“You okay?” I pant, and she nods. Before I can tell her that it’s okay if she needs a break, I’m inside her mouth again.
She’s bobbing her head back and forth, her gorgeous lips are wrapped tightly around me. She's working hard to please me. Her eyes are watery, and her mascara is starting to run, but she keeps sucking relentlessly. Knowing that this is her first time and that I'm the only one she's done this for amplifies the experience to a level I've never had.
I moan, surprised by how close I am. She hears the strain in my voice and increases her suction and speed. I feel myself drawing close, ready to erupt. One of her hands splays across my abs, and she looks up at me with her dark eyes.
“I’m gonna go,” I say, expecting her to pull away. Instead, she stays right on me as I pulsate in her mouth, filling her with myself. She closes her eyes as if savoring the taste, and I know she must be putting on a show for me.
But Goddamn, I love it.
After she drains me, I pull her up next to me on the pillow. I kiss her forehead and cheek, and then lightly on her mouth.
“You’re so fucking perfect. You know that, right?” I say, and her brown eyes sparkle in the low lamplight.
She is smiling and holding me close, but then her face gets serious. She touches my face, making sure that I’m looking at her.
“I filed a report,” she said, her voice laced with hints of pride.
“How'd it go?”
“I told them exactly what happened. That I went into the bedroom to get some air, and that Vince came in and tried to force himself on me,” she says. She buries her face into my neck. “I told them how you saved me.”
I hold her close, wanting to keep her like this forever, to always keep her safe.
“You’re very brave,” I whisper, but she shakes her head.
“You’re the brave one. You risked it all, Sean. Everything you’ve worked for. You might lose it,” she says, pulling away.
I pull her back, feeling her hot skin against mine. “Not everything, Breezy. Not what’s important.” I lift her chin, making her look at me.
She relaxes back into me, and I think I feel a warm tear drop on my arm. I trace my fingers down her spine until she’s fallen asleep. But sleep won’t find me.
So I stare at my house and watch as each light turns off, one by one.
Breanna
I dream Sean's tapping on my window, and a warm happiness settles over me. But as the sound rouses me further, I become alarmed. Sean's heavy arm is draped over me, making it impossible for him to be at the window. My eyes flash open, and I shift his arm off of me.
“Sean, someone's at the window,” I hiss.
His eyes barely crack open, but he seems to understand. He pulls the covers to conceal him from view as I creep to the window and pull back to curtain. Sophie is standing there, wrapped in just a light sweater.
“Bree, is Sean here?” Her voice is strained.
Sean hears her voice and pulls away the blankets.
“Sean, the cops are here looking for you. Mom and Dad have them inside and are trying to track you down. It doesn’t look good.” The whites of her eyes are red, like she's on the verge of tears.
He nods and tells her to go home. He’ll be there in a second. She does what she’s told, and he is pulling his shirt and pants on before the curtain stops swinging.
He kisses me slowly on the lips before turning and walking down the hall. He walks right past my parents and out the door, while I follow him barefoot in the snow.
“Breanna!” My mother calls out after me. I hear a shuffling behind me and realize that my parents are following me.
Sean opens the front door, and I hover in the entrance. Two officers are standing there, waiting for his return. His mother’s eyes are puffy. His father is standing with his arms crossed, but his eyes are sad.
“Sean Foley, we have a warrant for your arrest,” one of the officers says, and Sean puts his hands behind his back to comply.
Behind me, my mother gasps. The officers are frisking him and saying something about battery. I bite my lips to keep from crying as I watch them
roughly jerk him towards the door. My family and I move aside, and as he passes me, his blue eyes burn into mine.
“Don’t say anything, Sean!” Sophie yells. “We’ll get a lawyer.”
The cop shuts the door of the car, closing Sean inside. It isn't like the back of a cop car is a strange place for him. In fact, he is probably more familiar than most. But this time is different. His face is fallen and his eyes are closed. His expression is of a man who has just lost everything. I try to remember his words from last night, when he said I was the only thing that mattered. As pretty as the words were, I know they aren't completely true.
“He isn’t going to be able to play in the semi-finals,” Sophie said softly next to my ear. I give her arm a squeeze as the car pulls away. She's sugarcoating it. He may not play again. Everyone knows it.
“Where are you getting money for his lawyer, Sophie?” Mr. Foley asks gruffly.
Sophie’s eyes widen and she swivels to face him. “I thought you-"
“You’re mother and I are done with him. He never learns, and we keep giving him chance after chance. At what point are we enabling the behavior? He deserves what he gets.” He turns to walk inside, and I can’t stay quiet.
“Mr. Foley. Sean was protecting me,” I say, my voice wavering.
My father and mother snap to look at me, and Mr. Foley stops in his tracks. He keeps his back towards me, but I can tell he’s listening. Mrs. Foley brings her hand to her lips, but her eyes are hopeful.
“We went to a party and someone tried to do stuff to me,” I say, trying to soften it for my parents. “Sean found out and he saved me. That's why he beat the other guy up. It was to keep me safe,”
Mr. Foley whirls around and scans my face. I know he’s evaluating every word, but as I watch his expression, I can see that he knows it’s true. He's never known me to lie.
“Is that true?” He asks Sophie. She nods, her lips tight.
My mother and father grab me, holding tightly. My mom is crying. My father is asking who the guy is.
Snapped: A Sports Romance Page 7