by N Kuhn
Pulling into the parking lot, he leans over. Cupping my face with his big hands, he pulls me towards him.
“I’ll miss you.” Leaning in, he kisses me. It’s not the possessive, heated kiss like before. This one is more passionate and gentle. Sitting back, he looks at me. I can’t tell if he’s hurt or just sad.
“I’ll miss you too. But hey, we haven’t seen each other in five years as it is, what’s another two days, right?”
“Bree, waking up with you this morning was like a dream come true. I don’t want to wake up without you anymore.” What do I even say to that? Up until yesterday, I hated him. Hated his guts for what he put me through. It’s hard to just turn all that off and fall in love with someone. But his confession of having loved me all along helps.
“I’ll text you when I land, okay?” He just nods, looking straight ahead. I get out and slowly make my way inside, refusing to turn around and look back.
Chapter 6- Brent
My heart sinks into my stomach watching her walk away. I want to believe she’s only going for two days, but she’s run away from me for years. Part of me worries she won’t be coming back. Driving home, it’s weird. I don’t want to be here. I used to enjoy partying it up with the guys. But having spent last night and the last two days with Bree, she’s all I want right now. Maybe I’ll surprise her and help out from here. Digging my phone from my pocket, I call Elena.
“Hey, I hear you’re going to help Bree find a place while she’s in LA.”
“Yes, I am. I know what it’s like to relocate for this job. I only had to come from Alabama, but it’s still the same.”
“Well, I want to help. But I don’t want to look at apartments. I want to buy a house. For us.”
“Brent, that’s a huge step. Don’t you think you should slow down, give her a chance to get used to you two being together?”
“Elena, there was a pap at my boat earlier. I could see how scared she was. If she’s going to be part of my life, that’s going to happen, and I want her to be safe. Living in an apartment alone is not right. I want her where I can keep her safe from them, and I’ve also waited five years. I’ve been patient. I want this. I want her.”
“Okay, I’ll call my realtor and have her start looking for some two bedrooms. That way at least there’s an extra room for her in case she thinks you’re rushing too soon.”
“Thank you Elena. I owe you.”
Feeling exhausted, I head home. Laying down, I take a well needed nap. Waking up a few hours later, it’s starting to get darker, so I have no clue how long I’ve been asleep. Trudging to the shower, I can hear the party downstairs that is in full swing. Maybe I’ll stop down for a drink or two. As I’m showering, my mind keeps drifting to Bree. She’s an amazing, wonderful woman. I’m the luckiest man in the world that she gave me a second chance. Having been so lost in my thoughts, I didn’t even notice someone was here until I felt hands on my back. Startled, I spin around. Standing naked behind me is Jamie. Her long blonde hair damp from the spray of the shower. Any other man would be turned on by this. I’m disgusted. She just doesn’t get it.
“What the hell are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking I’m a dirty girl who needs to get clean. Can you help me with that?”
“Get out of my room Jamie. There’s nothing between us. Never was and never will be.” Grabbing her arm, I shove the shower curtain aside. Not caring about getting the floor all wet, I drag her out of the tub. Stopping only to pick up her clothes, I pull her out of my shower, to the bedroom door. Opening it, I toss her clothes to the floor and move her through.
“Stay away from me Jamie.”
“You’re going to regret that Brent.” Holding her arm, and trying to look sexy while bending down to pick up her clothes, she smiles at me.
“I left my purse and phone in your bathroom,” she says, pushing past me back into the room. Moments later, she emerges with her stuff, still naked, stalking back into the hallway.
“I’ll see you soon Brent. You know you and I belong together. She’s nothing compared to me.”
Slamming the door in her face, I return to the bathroom. Shutting off the water and wrapping myself in a towel, I collapse onto the bed. My door bursts open and Devon, my roommate and wide receiver. We went to college together, were drafted together and found it suitable to bunk together as well.
“Hey man, you’re missing a bomb ass party downstairs. You coming? The new cheerleader is prancing around half naked. Kudos man. I can’t believe you hit that already. She’s hot. You must work fast.”
“What the fuck? I didn’t hit that. She snuck in my room when I was showering and I kicked her out.”
“Well, that’s not the story she’s telling. You may want to fix that.” Shrugging, he turns back to the door. Coming to have some drinks?”
“Yeah, let me get dressed, I’ll be down in a bit.” Looking out my window, thinking about Bree. It’s around seven or so. Bree’s most likely packing to head to the airport already. She hasn’t called or text me since leaving her. Grabbing my phone, I text her a quick have a safe flight message, then get up to get dressed. Throwing on jeans and a tee, I pad down the stairs barefoot. No sense in getting dressed up. I’m not trying to impress anyone. Walking into our living room, the first thing I see is Jamie, wearing only her panties and bra, with her legs wrapped around Devon. As soon as she sees me, she jumps off his lap, and saunters over to me. The guys start yelling, happy that I got laid.
“Come back for more lover boy?” she asks, knowing everyone is watching us.
“Jamie, stop lying. You know I tossed you out of my room. I don’t want anything to do with you.”
“That’s not what you said earlier,” she says, laughing. Turning back to Devon, she leans over to whisper in his ear. Moving behind him, she makes her way into the kitchen.
Throwing myself down on the couch, I pay attention to the baseball game that on. My mind is still reeling from what’s going on. Why? Why is it that she’s so hell bent on sabotaging what I have with Bree? I know the guys will believe me over her. But what if she tries to tell Bree her lies? Will Bree believe them? Looking around, I see a few more giggling girls, most likely the rest of the girls who tried out. Happens every new season. You get new cheerleaders and they end up here for a party whether they make the squad or not. A few minutes later, Jamie comes back with a bunch of beers. She hands them out to the guys. Sitting on my lap, she hands me one. I take the beer, then try to get her off of me. After a minute of struggling, she finally slides off my lap, leans over and kisses my cheek.
“Stay away from me Jamie. I mean it.” Taking the beer, I down the whole thing in one chug. Slamming the bottle on the table, I look at Devon.
“I’m out of here man. Have fun with the cheerleaders. Text me when that bitch is gone.” Running up the stairs two at a time, I grab my phone and some shoes. I’m going to head over to Elena’s and get a head start on the house hunting. Shooting her a text to let her know I’m on my way, I rush out the back door, hoping to avoid everyone partying in the living room.
Pulling into Elena’s driveway, my phone goes off. Devon text me to say that a few minutes after I left, so did Jamie. This chick is crazy. She just can’t get it through her head that I want nothing to do with her. Is she that desperate to hold on to high school? Coach meets me at the door.
“Hey kid,” he says. No humor to be found in his voice.
“Sorry, I know it’s getting late. I just needed to get away from the house.”
“No problem. Come on in. Elena has a list of houses she was going to show you tomorrow anyways.” Heading into their dining room, I see her sitting with a newspaper spread out and her laptop. Looking up at me, she smiles. Wearing her glasses, she looks like Librarian Barbie. It’s cute. I can see why Coach fell in love with her.
“Hey Brent. Come look at these. I think Bree is going to love this one.” Motioning for me to move next to her, I pull up a chair. Looking at the laptop, there’s
a beautiful two story house, white, black shutters, the perfect picture of suburbia. It’s in East Aurora, so it’s close enough to the stadium that we can still get there quickly. Considering I’ll be waking up next to her beautiful face, I’m sure we’ll be running late every day. Smiling to myself, I lean forward to get a closer look. This place is perfect. Quiet, serene, and I know Bree is going to love it.
“Lainey, it’s perfect. When she used to tutor me, she once told me she dreamed of the perfect little white house with a big back yard. Look, there’s even a garden. I love it. She will too.”
“Aw, Coleson, let me find out you’re a romantic,” Coach says.
“Hey, shut it,” Elena snaps at him, but I can see she doesn’t mean it maliciously. “I think it’s sweet that he remembered something like that all these years. Maybe you should take lessons on romance from Brent.” Blushing, I look at coach. He scowls and moves into the kitchen.
Having spent the night pouring over listings, I got home late. Looking at my phone, nothing. No response from Bree when I text her to be safe. No text saying she landed, although, I doubt she’s there yet. Collapsing into bed, I try to fall asleep. All I can think of is how much my life has changed for the better in the last two days. Bree is mine finally. I’m never going to let her go. I start mentally planning how to decorate our new home to surprise her. Elena is going to call the realtor in the morning for me and make arrangements, and I’m putting in an offer immediately. Coach, finding his inner romantic, decided that they would ask her to stay with them while Elena ‘helped her find an apartment’. That would give me the time I need to sign on the house and get it all set up. It’s going to be hard to keep this from her, but I think it will all be worth it when it’s done. I can’t wait to see the look of surprise on her face when she sees it. It’s going to perfect. I fall asleep with images of her smiling face floating through my mind.
The next two days go by in a blur. Other than Bree texting to say she’s landed and a quick one or two words since then, we haven’t spoken. I’m starting to get nervous, wondering if she’s bailing on me or having second thoughts. But a woman doesn’t just give up her virginity at our age and not want something more. Do they? Walking into the locker room, it’s time to suit up for our Pre-Season game against KC. Bree promised she would be here in time. She wouldn’t give me any flight info, she thought it would make me late for the game. So I have no clue if she’s gotten back safely or not. I left a ticket at the front window for her. Front row, right behind our bench. I’ll know when she’s there. Getting into uniform, my pads, lacing my shoes, I look around. We have a solid team this year. I think we’re going to do well this season. Devon reaches out for a high five when he walks by. Slapping his hand, it’s our pre-game ritual, and has been since college. As we line up outside the field entrance, my heart starts pounding. I’ve been playing football for as long as I can remember and it’s my second year in the NFL. That doesn’t change the fact that I get nervous before every game. Am I going to be sacked? Will I throw an interception? A fumble? Add to that the nervous energy of seeing Bree again, and I’m a wreck right now.
“Relax, she’s in her seat and you’re going to play an awesome game,” Coach whispers in my ear as he walks past me. Smiling, I pull my helmet on and follow him to the front of the pack. He turns to face us.
“Alright boys. We’ve practiced for this very moment. For some of you, this is your first NFL game. For others, a new team. One thing is for certain, we are a team. We go out there together, we play together, and we win or lose together. No one person is responsible for any of it. We are a unit. Now get out there and show those fans what they are in store for this season.”
We all begin yelling, pumping our fists in the air, getting excited. The cheerleading squad minus the new girls line up outside, and we charge through them, entering the field to the deafening roar of the crowd. As they all yell, scream, clap, and make noise, each player gets more and more amped up. We charge the field like we’re going into battle. Sometimes we are, sometimes it’s a fight to the death for a game. But either way, these people in the stands are why we do it. Sure, we all have other different reasons, but to hear a crowd yell your name, cheering for you, is a rush all in itself, and one that every player looks for. Making way to our bench, we clear the field for the visitors to come out. Taking my helmet off, I run to the wall and jump, lifting myself right in front of Bree. The smile on her face reassures me that she’s back for good. She’s not running this time. Leaning into me, we kiss and it’s the sexiest thing ever. The crowd goes wild, and as she pulls away, I can see her face redden. I know she doesn’t like all the attention, but I can’t help it. I had to kiss her.
“Welcome home, I missed you,” I shout to her. She just keeps smiling at me, her beautiful red hair blowing in the breeze. I want to reach out and tug it. Turning around, I see that we’re up on the jumbo screen. The entire stadium, not just those around her, saw that. Smiling and waving to her, I turn and run back to the bench.
“Show off,” Coach says as I run by.
Twenty minutes later, we’re finally ready to play. Having won the coin toss and opting to receive, our running back got us up to the forty five to start. Toeing up to my line, I shout out the play to our offensive line. Looking back at Devon, he knows what to do. Watching the play clock, I shout out another call. Our tight ends move, shifting to their new position.
“Hike,” I shout, and my center thrusts the ball into my hands. Falling back two steps, I turn, finding Devon. He’s fast. Real fast. Moving past the defense, he drops back, and I release the ball with all my strength just as I’m taken out. Laying on the ground watching the ball arch in the air, I hold my breath. Like a dancer, the way Devon leaps into the air, snatching the ball, I feel like I’m watching art. Gracefully, he lands on his feet and is already running before anyone knows what happened.
“Go go go go!” I scream. I know he can’t hear me over the cheers of the crowd. It’s deafening down here. But he keeps going. Three defensive players gain on him, and he thrusts out a burst of energy, propelling him forward. As he reaches the end zone, one of the players dives for his legs, just nicking him. I watch in horror as Devon begins to fall to the ground. In a last ditch effort, he holds the ball out in front of him as he lands on his knees, then stomach. Both teams move that way, blocking him from my view. I hear the announcer on the PA shouting “Touchdown” and I can’t help but yell, throwing my arms in the arm, making my way towards Devon. As he runs towards me, I leap on top of him, smacking his helmet. The perfect way to start a season, scoring in the first minute of the game. Turning back towards our bench, I see Bree on her feet screaming and clapping. It’s the best feeling in the world to see her cheering me on and happy.
The first half went much the same way. We were walking all over KC and it felt good, because last season, they murdered us. As the buzzer goes off, announcing the end of the first half, I turn towards Bree. The players were instructed to stay on the field for part of the festivities of the Pre-Season opener. We’ll retire to the locker rooms in three minutes we’re told. There’s supposed to be some little league players coming out on the field to get trophies for winning county. Everyone standing around waiting, I keep glancing back at Bree. The announcer asks everyone to divert their attention to the jumbo screen for a surprise. Looking around, the cameramen, Coach, no one seems to know what’s going on. Looking back at Bree again, her face is red, and she looks like she’s about to cry. What the hell just happened? Devon taps my shoulder, pointing to the screen looming above the stadium. As I look up, there’s a photo of Jamie, sitting on my lap, in just her panties. On the other half of the screen is video of Bree and I having sex in the locker room. I remember hearing footsteps, but I never thought someone had been there. Jamie, she must have followed us. Now the whole world is see her and I fuck. Damn it. I can’t believe this is happening. Turning back to Bree, she’s already shoving her way out of the crowd. I take a step towards her, and Coach
grabs my arm.
“Locker room, now,” he shouts. “All of you, locker room.” Hanging my head and ignoring all the whistles and cheers, I stalk my way into the passage. I’m fuming. I can’t believe she would stoop that low. I should have expected it though. She’s a devious bitch. Elena steps in front of me, and I stop, looking at her. She’s pissed. Before I can react, she slaps me across the face.
“I can’t believe that even I fell for your romantic bullshit you spewed. That poor girl. She didn’t deserve this.”
“Elena, please, let me explain. That’s not what it looked like.”
“Not what it looked like? I saw a half-naked girl, someone who I know Bree has issues trusting, sitting on your lap. Oh, and not to mention the humiliation of everyone seeing you two fucking. In our locker here none the less. Please, tell me how that’s not what it looks like.”
“It’s not, I swear Lainey. You know what she means to me. You know I would never hurt her. Jamie is just obsessed and she doesn’t get it that I don’t want her. She snuck in my room while I was showering. I threw her out. She went downstairs and told everyone that I fucked her. Then when I come down, she sits in my lap. That photo was taken in the ten seconds it took me to push her off of me. She’s behind all of this, I know she is.”
“We’ll figure it out then. I promise.”
“Coleson, let’s go,” Coach shouts. Sidestepping around Elena, I duck into the locker room.
The guys are all buzzing about the photo. Devon sits next to me.
“Man, I didn’t know she was going to do that. I swear. I didn’t realize she was that obsessed with you or I would have never let her in the house.”
“Dude, she snuck into my room, into my shower, without me knowing. I threw her out as soon as I noticed she was there. I have never wanted her, she just doesn’t get it.”
“Hey man, don’t worry. I’ll explain it to Coach for you. Okay?”