Willow nodded, still wiping at her face. Matt pulled me into his arms for a hug.
I clung to him and refused to let go.
“I’m so damn proud of you,” he whispered against my hair. “So proud.”
“Why do I feel like you’re going to follow that up with a ‘but’?”
“Parker . . .” He didn’t pull away, just kept saying words against my neck, inhaling my hair like it made him both happy and sad. “I want this for you so bad. Seeing you sitting there, getting your dream handed to you—there’s nothing like it. You still have so many good years of soccer ahead of you, of travel, of being a part of one of the best clubs in the world. I don’t want us to be a hindrance. I don’t want you to regret your soccer career in any way, and I don’t want you to resent me either. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I know you’re young and it’s okay if you wake up tomorrow morning and decide that living on your own, controlling your own destiny after having your past control so much of your present, is what you need right now—it’s okay. I won’t like it, but I’ll be okay.”
I smiled against his chest. “Are you basically giving me a free pass right now? Like ‘Oh, it’s okay that you’re going to break my heart and I’m going to break yours but it’s cool because you’re young and we have a few good years of sex’?”
“No,” he grumbled. “Yes. Maybe?”
“You love me.” I tightened my grip around his neck. You could have bounced a quarter off the muscles that tightened in his body. “It’s okay, I know you do. Real love sacrifices or stupidly thinks that the only way to know if it’s real is if you give it away, run away, fly, bird, fly . . . But, what if I want to be captured?”
“What bird wants to be captured?”
“One who has a fabulous boyfriend.” I sighed and pulled away, looking into his beautiful eyes. “One who really likes the cage. One who gets to sleep naked and eat tacos off her boyfriend’s six-pack—”
“We’ve never done that.”
“Yet,” I pointed out. “But I did just get signed to a professional team, so I’m thinking taco Tuesday on your six-pack is in our future.”
“Only if I get to eat your taco—”
“GUYS!” Willow yelled from the other room. “Stop talking so loud, it’s embarrassing, and frankly, I think the plant heard you. It just died.”
I rolled my eyes and pressed a kiss to Matt’s mouth. “I’m yours if you’ll have me.”
“I’ll have my decision after taco Tuesday.” He grinned against my lips and then deepened the kiss, his head angling as he gripped my ass.
And then another sigh from Matt.
“Stop that! You’re ruining my happy!” I swatted him on the shoulder.
“I’m old.” He hung his head.
“Wait, you’ve been spending weeks trying to convince us you’re not old.”
“To you, I’m old.” He winced like it came out wrong. “I just, I guess this is my way of saying I want to protect you.”
“Great.” I parted his lips with my tongue and lingered there, tasting him, reveling in his perfect kiss, the faint smell of his skin. “Protect me by staying at my side and in my arms, not by leaving me.”
He exhaled, dragging his mouth against mine, drugging me with his taste as he held me tight against him. “I can do that.”
“So about those tacos . . .”
Chapter Thirty-Two
MATT
“At least let me drive you to practice.” I crossed my arms while Parker ran around me and grabbed a banana then tried to pry open her shaker cup using one hand.
Sighing, I took it from her, filled it with ice and water, then grabbed two scoops of protein and dumped it in. “You get your extra water bottle?”
“Yeah, and the hydration supplements you ordered for me last week.” She flashed me a wink, I tried not to gape but she was beautiful, mine. Clean skin, huge smile. Strong legs. Mine.
“Awesome. The extra pair of cleats is already in your bag, and I packed information about a few sponsorships for you to look over. Willow, in all her agent knowledge, said to give you time to adjust, but I pulled the boyfriend card and said I was excited to see who was interested. Then she wouldn’t shut up about it. Remember, you can always say no.” I turned to see Parker grinning at me from ear to ear. She was wearing a Seattle practice jersey, short black shorts, and knee-high socks. I wanted to strip her naked and beg her to stay home.
My home.
Our home.
We still hadn’t discussed what would happen after the summer was over.
Would she move out and find her own place with Willow like they planned? Or would I just beg her to stay like I planned?
The prospect of not having her in the house felt like a kick in the gut. But Parker deserved this moment. It was her first practice, and I’d like to think that as her boyfriend I did even better than as her coach in getting her completely stretched out, sore in all the right places, and ready to go.
“Why are you smiling at me like that?” she asked, a little breathless like she could read my mind and all the dirty thoughts floating around in there.
I tossed her the protein shake and crossed my arms. So damn pretty.
Parker laughed. “You’re cute when you’re worried. You know that your vein’s popped out again, right?”
I instantly touched the vein and then flipped her off. “Cute.”
“Hey.” She spread her arms wide. “You fell for it.”
I tackle-hugged her and then swung her around, dangling the key fob to one of my five cars in front of her. “Don’t tell Willow I let you take the Benz.”
“I swear.” She winked and reached for the fob.
I jerked it away. “No speeding.”
“Are you my boyfriend or my dad?”
I pulled her against me so she could feel what she did to me, the heat of arousal even just standing next to her was almost painful. “I think you know the answer to that question.”
She cupped me, and then bit down on my neck.
I growled and pushed her against the counter, capturing her mouth with mine and pressing the fob against her palm. “If you don’t leave now, I’m going to be the one driving, and it won’t be a car.”
“Ah, good one.” She slapped my ass and made her way around me, grabbing all her gear. “I’ll call you when practice is done, okay?”
“Okay . . . and, Parker?” I hated ruining her day, but it needed to be addressed.
“Yeah?” She was halfway to the door.
“Johnny called. He said he’s going to have everything set up at the house so you’re more comfortable during the interview, alright?” I knew she hadn’t forgotten about pressing charges, about telling her story. We’d both decided to let her have practice and one good day before all hell broke loose in the soccer world, and I was glad she agreed to talking about it along with Darius.
“I know.” Her smile was strong. “I’m ready, Matt.”
“You’re so brave.” I walked up to her and kissed her forehead. “Now, off you go . . .”
She laughed. “Don’t follow me in the minivan, it’s weird.”
“You little shit.” I shoved her toward the door. “Go be an ass to your new coach.”
She disappeared then poked her head back out the door. “I want you to bring your whistle to bed.”
“Go!” I laughed and shut the door and then made my way to my office, where Willow was currently camped in the corner like a college student surviving off air and caffeine. I had to hand it to her, she was working her ass off for Parker and already had two endorsements plus five sponsorships lined up.
One thing she inherited from me?
My ability to talk my way into and out of everything.
She charmed the shit out of everyone.
Jagger included.
I growled.
“Could you do that elsewhere? I’m busy over here.” She typed away at her computer and then jumped to her feet, nearly knocking her coffee off the
chair next to her. “Matt?”
“What?” I opened my laptop and put in my Bluetooth headset. “I have a conference call in ten.”
“Erik stepped down as assistant coach for LA.” She turned her computer to mine. “You think it has anything to do with Parker?”
Uneasiness washed over me. We were a few states away. It could be nothing. Then again, I thought back to the vandalism. But nothing had happened since then, and the police had arrested a few kids two days ago for vandalism. We suspected it was connected to the crime on my car, but we still had suspicions about who vandalized my front door. Who knew? Maybe I was just being stupid paranoid.
“Does it say why?” My eyes greedily searched the small print.
“Nope.” She sighed. “But I can do a little research or even call down to the station.”
“Yeah.” I leaned forward. “Actually, could you give the coach, Billy, a call? At least introduce yourself then charm him to death and ask for more information?”
“On it.” She flashed me a grin. “See? What would you do without me?”
“What, indeed,” I grumbled, and then smiled when she wasn’t looking. My annoying sister has saved me in more ways than one.
Damn it. I was going to have to give her a bonus, wasn’t I?
Chapter Thirty-Three
PARKER
I was suddenly relieved Matt put me through hell because I was officially one of the only girls left standing at the end of day one.
“Good job, Parker.” One of the new girls who’d just made the team, Eileen, gave me a high five and then winced. “My everything hurts.”
“Hah, yeah, well, had I not gotten my ass kicked these last two weeks I’d be in the same boat, but as it is I think I have a tub of ice calling my name.”
“Yeah.” A shadow crossed her face.
“Whoa.” I stopped her. “Are you okay?”
“Hmm?” She forced a smile. “No, yeah, totally, I just, sorry, my mind isn’t really on soccer right now, I actually transferred from another team.”
“How did I not know that?”
“They still made me try out to make sure I meshed well with the team, you know how they are. They want good character, teamwork, it’s not a single-person sport.”
I whistled. “No, it’s not. No room for divas here.”
Her smile was soft, sad but soft. “Yeah, well, you were really great. I’m going to go home.”
I frowned. “You aren’t going to hit the showers?”
Her pale face was back again. “No, I, um, actually have an appointment, so I’ll just try not to scare them away with the sweat.”
“Alright.” I smiled warmly. “See ya!”
I followed the rest of the girls into the locker room, smiled and chatted with a few, and realized that even though they were my teammates, the only person I really wanted to talk to was Matt.
Maybe Eileen had the right idea?
I grabbed my gear, put on my black Nike jacket, and waved good-bye. Cell in hand, key fob zipped in my bag, I sprinted out on sore legs to the Benz.
The fact that I was even driving a car that cost more than my college tuition made my head spin.
But Matt made it feel normal.
Like it was just a car.
It was just life.
And he didn’t live it as if the world owed him anything. He worked his ass off, which just made me love him even more.
I stopped running.
Love.
I’d been saying it in my head for weeks, which sounded stupid, but I just, I didn’t want him to think that I was saying it to him because I was infatuated or I didn’t know my own mind.
As much as we joked about it, I was well aware that I was only twenty-two turning twenty-three in a few short months.
I knew our age difference.
But part of me felt like I’d been forced to grow up on my own, with a dad who didn’t care, and no family to speak of.
I sighed and went to open the back door, shoved my duffel in, and then grabbed my phone to text Matt.
Once I got in the car I began to type out a message: Headed ho
“You look good.” Erik’s voice came from behind me.
I reached for the driver’s door as he grabbed ahold of my jacket. Panic hit me like a wave of nausea as I struck him with my phone then fumbled with the door handle, but his hand remained on the neck of my jacket. The door flung open and I leaped out of the car and out of my jacket, leaving it clutched in his hands.
Pulse pounding, I ran as fast and hard as I could back to the stadium. People! I needed to be around people. He cared too much about appearances; he would never do anything around other people. I pulled open the stadium door with him running close behind.
I rounded a corner and saw the coach’s office. When I tried the door, it was locked.
I kept running. Should I try the girls’ locker room? Could we all fight him off?
He grabbed for my shoulder, but I elbowed him and kept running. I decided to head to the field. There were definitely people there. I ran toward the middle, where there were two members of the coaching staff.
“Stop!” I yelled, holding my hands up and away from him.
“Stop?” He spread his arms wide. “Stop what? This is your fault! All of it! You were supposed to sign with LA, not Seattle!”
I stared at him dumbfounded. “Are you insane? Why would I ever want to be near you after what you did to me!”
He rolled his eyes. “Same old story, I guess. Playing the victim like always,” he scoffed while I fought for my next breath and prayed that someone would save me. He was a monster and I was his victim, and I knew by the look in his eyes he wouldn’t stop. My breath came in short bursts, like I couldn’t suck in enough air to save my life. Anger pulsed like a heartbeat against my skin. I was so angry, so done with him, yet so afraid at the same time. I needed him to talk, to confess, long enough that someone would hear or see that I was in trouble. “Okay, I’ll play along, I hurt you, and you screamed in pleasure, does that sound about right?”
My stomach heaved as I fought to keep down its contents. He twisted everything. He was delusional! “Get help!” I yelled at one of the assistants out of desperation. Bye, Matt, bye, soccer life. It didn’t matter, suddenly the only thing that mattered was getting help and getting him away from innocent people. “Call the police, now!”
The assistant pulled out his cell at about the same time Erik pulled out a gun. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
“Erik, put the gun away,” a strong voice said. It was me, my voice. Was I actually standing in front of a man with a gun and telling him to put it away?
“No, you see, this wasn’t part of the plan, Parker. The plan was us. Together. Your future was us!” He waved the gun around. “You were the only one who said no! Who had the balls to look at me and say no! Do you realize what that does to a man? I could have made you great! I was everything to you! I saw the hero worship in your eyes, and then nothing!”
My eyes widened. “Erik, you were my coach, nothing more. You took advantage of me. Who knows who else you took advantage of!”
“They were never you. There’s something so sweet about rejection, about the chase,” he said in a pitiful voice. “It was always about you, about us, about your shining career and me as your mentor. You never gave me what I needed, I asked again and again, and after once you just shut down, you rejected me, so now I’m going to reject you . . .” His gun slowly moved from the assistant to me. “You fucking left me!”
“Because you raped me!” I screamed. “You’re sick, you need help!”
His eyes turned cold. “Is it wrong to love you? To love your talent? To want to spend my life with someone who loves me just as much? I know how you feel about me. Those smiles you sent my way. The provocative clothing you wore to get my attention. The times you looked at me while you showered. I watched you, you know. I watched you every day after practice, when you would close your eyes and moan my name.”
I choked back the urge to hurl as I remembered all those days I thought I heard someone in the locker room and nobody was there. The lonely nights I practiced on my own and thought my imagination was getting the best of me. All the times I asked my coach, who I trusted, to stay outside and walk me to my car because I was scared.
The very coach who was a predator.
Who raped me when I trusted him most.
Erik’s hand started to shake.
Either he was having second thoughts or I had an opening to try to fight him. Adrenaline pumped through my body as I walked toward him. “Is that why you left the university?”
“I left because some little snitch told the athletic director about the allegations!” Shit, they finally did something? When I was gone? Really?
“It wasn’t me,” I lied. “I would never do that to you.”
“You’re a whore!” he roared. “You don’t deserve me.”
“No.” I shook my head as I felt my future dissolving right in front of me. “I don’t, but if you put the gun down . . .” I’d what? Run away with him? Or just let him shoot me and pray he’s a horrible shot? “Just . . . calm down.”
“You won’t leave with me.” He sounded so young and confused; more so, he sounded sick and immature.
A few people trickled onto the field behind him, including three of my teammates, and then an eternity passed as Erik watched me. And then I saw Matt, only Matt, his face pale. How was he here? How did he even know I was in trouble? I took a step, time stood still. Was this it? Was I going to die in front of the man I loved just to save him? To save the people who now meant the world to me? “Alright. I’ll come with you.”
“Great.”
God help me. My legs felt like lead as I approached him. “Just put the gun down, alright?”
He dropped his arm to the side.
The gun fell to the ground.
And I remembered Coach Darius’s words:
“Kick them twice.”
I put my hand on Erik’s shoulder and then reared back and kicked him in the nuts as hard as I could, three times, before he fell to the ground. I scrambled for the gun, stood, and towered over him with it aimed where I’d kicked. “Move once and I’m shooting it off.”
Kickin’ It Page 20