“I’m not entirely sure. He said that it promoted happiness in couples. I think it was meant to sedate me in order to make me more pliable.”
“Like a date rape drug.”
“Exactly. He said that after he injected it into me, we would be back to how we were when we were dating.”
“While you were down here,” the officer said slowly, as if he were trying to find the right words, “he didn’t touch you inappropriately, did he?”
“He didn’t rape me, if that’s what you’re wondering,” I said frankly. “He did force me to kiss him on the lips. He stuck his tongue in my mouth.”
“I see,” he said, scrawling a few notes down.
My face burned. I hated talking about that kind of stuff.
“Can you describe the way in which Mr. Rider subdued the attacker?”
“He didn’t use excessive force, if that’s what you’re asking,” I said quickly. I didn’t want Chris to have anything against Shawn.
“That’s not it at all. We just need to have as much evidence as we can collect. We’re trying to protect the innocent here.”
“Oh,” I said, a little embarrassed about my outburst. “He just tackled him and held him to the ground so he couldn’t move. He showed a lot of restraint.”
“That’s good to hear,” the cop said. “We noticed that Chris had a pretty bad bump on his face. Do you know how that happened?”
I cringed. I didn’t want to get in any sort of trouble for hitting him. “That was from me,” I admitted. “I head butted him so Shawn could tackle him.”
The cop tried to hide his smile. “How’s your head?” he asked.
I hadn’t really thought of it. I touched the spot that hit him. It was pretty tender.
“Um, it hurts a little bit, I guess.”
The police officers looked at each other.
“I think that’s it for questioning, but we’re going to take you to the hospital to get checked out. You suffered a few nasty injuries, and we want to make sure you weren’t injected with anything other than saline solution.”
“I can’t,” I interjected. “I have to go to the game.”
They smiled. “It won’t take any time at all. You’ll still be able to catch part of it if we go now.”
I frowned, but I agreed. I left with the men who interviewed us while two new officers entered the crime scene to take pictures and collect evidence.
I was relieved that the questioning was over but disappointed that I couldn’t be there to cheer Shawn on. I wanted him to know that I supported him. I also wanted him to see me in the stands so he would stop worrying about me for once.
At the hospital, they checked me for a concussion and gave me medication for the pain and swelling. A nurse cleaned and bandaged my abrasions and gave me an ice pack to hold on my head for a while.
“You’re a tough one, aren’t you?” she asked as she wrapped gauze around my ankle.
“I don’t know about that,” I said, feeling embarrassed.
“You’re the type of girl who doesn’t take shit from anybody. I respect that.”
I suppose she was right. Even though it took a long time for me to figure out what Chris was doing, I cut him off the minute I knew what he was up to. I’m just glad I had other people looking out for me too.
Finally, I had to have a blood test to make sure that I was only injected with saline solution and the needle hadn’t been contaminated. I clenched my jaw when the needle entered my other arm. I thought I was going to faint—the sensation brought me back to the basement storage closet.
“You’re lucky he didn’t do more damage to your veins,” the doctor said. “Let’s just say this guy doesn’t have a career in medicine.”
“I can’t imagine he’s going to have any sort of career after this,” the nurse added.
I didn’t even think about what would happen to Chris. I assumed that there would be a trial and that Shawn and I would both have to testify. I wasn’t scared, though. I wanted to put him away for good, on behalf of every woman he’d mistreated. I didn’t want him to be able to hurt anyone ever again.
Before the doctor left, he wrote a prescription for sleeping pills.
“The first few nights may be a little difficult for you, but it’s important for you to get some sleep.”
“Okay,” I responded.
“If you’re having problems after the fact, it’s completely understandable. It’s best to get these things sorted out immediately and not wait until they get out of control. I know some of the psychologists at the university’s health clinic. Don’t be afraid to get help if you need it.”
“I will.”
Much to my surprise, the police officer was sitting in the waiting room after I returned from the exam room.
“Were you waiting for me?” I asked.
“Yep. Let’s get you home. You’ve had a rough day and you need to rest.”
I probably looked pretty insane. My hair was a frizzy mess, I didn’t have any makeup on, and I was covered in bruises and bandages. I needed a shower, a change of clothes, and a lot of work to look like the other girls at the football game.
“Can you take me to the stadium instead?” I asked, checking the time on my phone.
The police officer looked at me like I was crazy. “Really?” he asked.
“It’s important to me,” I said. “I’ve already missed most of the first half. I need to be there for the rest of it.”
I saw his eyes study me for a moment before replying. “Fine. Against my better judgment, I’ll drop you off there.”
I beamed. “Thank you.”
He chuckled. “It’s no problem. Take it easy, though. You don’t want to end up back in the hospital.”
“I will.”
I checked the score on the team’s website. They were down by seventeen points with only two minutes left in the first half. I needed to get there to give Shawn some extra motivation. He had only run for fifteen yards during the whole first half.
I hopped out of the cop car and raced to the entrance. The woman who scanned my ticket gave me a funny look, as did just about everyone who walked past me. I must have looked a mess.
Since I was so late to the game, the only seats left in the student section were way at the top. I could hardly see the players from this high—there was no way that Shawn would know that I was here.
We kicked a field goal with seconds left in the half to add three points to the score. The team was still two touchdowns behind, and Shawn hadn’t scored any yet.
During halftime, I racked my brain for ways to let Chris know that I was here. I walked toward the field so I could wait for him to come back.
“Hey, do you have a pass?” the security guard asked me at the gate.
“No, but I need to talk to one of the players. It’s important.”
“Is it a family emergency? Are you his sister?”
I shook my head violently. “I’m Shawn Rider’s girlfriend. I wanted to see him.”
The security guard rolled his eyes. “There’s always a ‘girlfriend’,” he said, wiggling his fingers in air quotes. “You can talk to the players outside the locker room after the game. It can wait.”
I was on my way back up to my seat when I got an idea. I made my way over to the announcer’s booth. I knew I wasn’t supposed to be here either, but there were so many people entering and exiting the box that I sneaked in behind a guy carrying a giant soundboard.
“Excuse me,” I said to the announcer as he was eating his hot dog while the band was playing.”
“Are you an intern?” he asked. “I’ve been waiting for someone to get me a refill on my water.”
“No, I’m not an intern. I just have a big favor to ask.”
“What is it?”
“I want to let Shawn Rider know that I am here to support him. It would really mean a lot to him to know that I made it to the game. It doesn’t have to be much, just a few quick words.”
“Did you speak wi
th someone from advertising?” he asked. “They usually just send me the request themselves.”
“No,” I said, a little confused. “Is that something I need to do?”
“Yep. You pay the fee, and we’ll announce it. There are a few people who work directly with the sponsors.”
“How much does it cost?” I asked, rummaging through my wallet. I had about fifty dollars in cash on me.
“Oh, it varies for the message and how often we repeat it. For a single message, I think it’s between five and ten thousand.”
“What?” I gasped. “I don’t want to sponsor anything. I just want a favor. It would mean a lot to both of us.”
“No,” he said flatly. “This is a business. We can’t just hand out freebies when we have sponsors on waiting lists, ready to fork over thousands of dollars when we have the ad space. I’m sorry, but no.”
I felt defeated. I had no idea that there were so many rules built into what I thought was just a game. I couldn’t think of any more options.
I felt tears welling up in my eyes, and I really didn’t want to cry in front of all these people. I already looked insane. I found the nearest bathroom and closed myself into a stall.
After a few deep breaths, I was starting to feel more like myself. So maybe I wouldn’t be able to talk to Shawn. I suppose it wasn’t the end of the world. We would still meet up after the game. I just wanted him to know I was here and I was fine.
I dried my tears and splashed a little cool water on my face. I was already feeling better. Instead of some grand gesture to thank and support Shawn, I could just cheer as loudly as possible. He wouldn’t hear me, but maybe it would make a difference.
“Oops, sorry,” a girl said as she bumped into me.
“It’s okay,” I said, turning around. The girl towered over me with her long legs and teased hair. She touched up her heavy makeup.
Seeing the cheerleader gave me a moment of clarity.
“Hey, can I ask you something?” I said shyly.
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“I’m dating one of the players. Shawn Rider.”
“Yeah, I know Shawn. He’s a fun guy.”
“Something happened, and I need him to know that I made it to the game to support him. It’s pretty important to me, and I think it might make him play better if he knew I was here. I don’t know how else to reach him, and I figured since you’re closer to the field than I can get, you might be able to tell him.”
“What’s your name?” she asked, giving me a funny look. I wasn’t sure if she was going to help or if she thought I was crazy.
“Alice.”
“Is there anything else you want me to tell him? Besides the fact that you’re here.”
“Can you say . . . can you tell him that I love him?”
She gave me a wide smile. “That’s the cutest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“So you’ll help me?” I asked hopefully.
“I’ll do my best.”
I thanked her as she bounced away. I really hoped she’d give him the message.
I watched the cheerleaders like a hawk from my perch at the top of the stadium. It looked like they were busy doing their cheers. I didn’t see a single girl approach Shawn or any other football player. I was starting to get the idea that she was just trying to keep a fan satisfied.
Then, I saw the cheerleaders holding up signs. They looked different from the typical ones with the school’s name on it. Instead, these looked like they were made of poster board and markers.
There was a murmur amongst the crowd. I followed their heads to look at the big screen behind me. I gasped when I saw what everyone was looking at. Spread out amongst five signs, I read my message.
SHAWN! ALICE LOVES YOU! MAKE HER PROUD!
The camera cut to his utterly surprised face. He had the biggest smile I had ever seen on his face. I watched as he pulled on his helmet and darted onto the field.
The sign must have worked because in the second half alone, he ran over a hundred yards and scored two touchdowns. We won the game by a single point when he ran into the end zone for the two-point conversion.
After the game, I went directly to the locker room entrance. I wanted to be the first person to greet him after the game. This day had been a rollercoaster. I went from being attacked to very publicly announcing my love for Shawn.
I was ready to take things easy for a while.
23
Shawn
Needless to say, I was a little shocked to see my name on one of the cheerleader’s signs. The first time I looked over, I thought I was seeing something that wasn’t there, like it was wishful thinking or something.
Then I got a closer look and my heart stopped in my chest.
She was okay. And she loved me.
I scanned the student section for her face, but there were so many people cheering, I couldn’t spot her. I could feel her presence, though, and I really did want to make her proud.
It was such a relief to know that she was at the game. I felt like a large weight had been lifted off my shoulders. All the guilt I felt for leaving her with the police when I went to my game had subsided.
Luckily, Jack did me a huge favor and explained the whole story to the coach after he saw me run off. Jack said he didn’t know if Coach was going to believe him, but I guess he gave me the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he knew when he saw the emotional exhaustion in my eyes. I had to convince him I was okay to play, but thus far, I wasn’t having an impressive day.
Things were different now. Alice was here and I was fired up. I had never been more ready to go out onto the field and show her what I could do.
I went out there and ran like my life depended on it. It paid off, too. We won the game by one point and were now the top ranked team in our conference. I couldn’t help but think that Alice was truly my lucky charm.
After a few minutes of celebrating the win with my team, I headed straight for the locker room. I had other things I wanted to do tonight.
Sure enough, when I left the building, Alice was the first person I saw right outside the door. I picked her up in my arms and spun her around.
“I’m so glad you made it,” I said.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“How are you feeling?”
“A little sore and exhausted, but I’m fine.”
I looked her over. She was all bandaged up and had a few scrapes and bruises, but she still looked beautiful.
“I have a surprise for you.”
“Ugh.” She laughed. “I don’t know if I can handle any more surprises.”
“It’s a good one, I promise. I know we originally planned to party and hang out at my place after the game, but seeing as circumstances have changed, I made other plans.”
“Like?”
“When I was in the locker room just then, I called around to some of the hotels in the area. If you want to go, we have a room booked for us. We can get room service and watch a movie there where it’s quiet. I thought it would be better than sleeping in a noisy fraternity house.”
She looked surprised but excited. “Really? That sounds amazing.”
“See, not all surprises are bad,” I said.
We got in my car and stopped by her dorm so she could pick up a change of clothes and her toothbrush. Then we stopped over at my place so I could get my things. I asked Alice if she wanted to come inside, but she was feeling self-conscious about her injuries so she stayed back in the car.
“Where have you been, man?” Jack asked me. “The party is starting now.”
“I’m going to skip this one tonight,” I said. “Don’t worry, I’ll be here next week after we win.”
“Are you having a night out with the missus already?” he teased.
“Actually, yes. I don’t want to hear anything more about it, Jack.”
“Are you going to tell her that you love her too? We all saw the sign.”
I hadn’t even thought about it. Of course sh
e would want a response. I wondered if she was pissed that I hadn’t said anything back yet.
“Oh, shit,” I said. “What do I do?” I asked my friend.
“Hell if I know. I suppose if you love her, you should probably say it back. If you don’t, you certainly don’t want to say anything back.”
I walked to my room to collect my things in a daze. Did I love Alice? Did I even have any idea about what love actually was?
I did like Alice more than I had ever liked anyone I had ever dated. I wanted to be with her all the time, and not just because we had sex whenever we were alone. I wanted more than that. Alice was the first thing that popped into my head in the morning. I even had dreams about her at night. She meant more to me than anything. Well, she tied with football.
When I took the time to think about it, I think I was in love with Alice the whole time. Even when we were fighting, I still longed to see her. I loved Alice Harper and I was going to tell her tonight.
I went back out to the car feeling extremely nervous. I had never said those words to anyone before.
We giggled when the hotel receptionist addressed us as Mr. and Mrs. Rider, but it felt so right. I liked having her by my side.
“Do you mind if I take a shower?” Alice asked the moment we entered our room. “I just want to wash this whole day away.”
“No problem,” I replied. “I’ll get us some food.”
I was really hungry, so I ordered everything that sounded remotely good to me. When the food arrived, there were three different trays filled with an assortment of sandwiches, fried shrimp, and burgers. I pulled a bottle of champagne from my gym bag and plopped it into the ice bucket.
Alice came out of the shower in just a towel. She looked incredible. If there weren’t platters of delicious hot foods in front of me, I would have been all over her.
“I snuck in a bottle of champagne,” I said, “but we don’t have any glasses. Is it okay if we drink it out of paper cups?”
She laughed. “Of course.”
I made a toast. “To escaping from a psycho’s clutches and winning a football game. Here’s to hoping our lives will never be this boring again.”
Fourth and Goal: A Bad Boy Sports Romance (Pass To Win Book 4) Page 14