First Love

by Tiya Rayne

  My phone rings.

  The sound shatters our moment like broken glass. The barn comes back into view. Reality crashes back on us. Luke pulls his hands out of my leggings and backs away from me so quick you would think someone had just walked in on us. I stare at him as my phone continues to ring. I watch his emotions play across his face. The lust and desire is still there, but I also see guilt climb across his features pinching his brow. Finally snapping out of my head I answer the phone.

  “Hello?” My voice sounds sultry. If I really did have a man and he was on the other line, he would definitely know what I was doing.

  “Mama, are you coming home soon?” My daughter’s voice greets me on the other end of the phone.

  “Uh, Yeah, Baby. I’m leaving in a few.”

  I watch as Luke’s head lifts and his eyes snap up to me as I speak on the phone. I see the lust starting to fade and anger take its place.

  “Ok, Grandma wanted me to ask you. Love you, mama!”

  I hesitate before I say the next words. Not because I don’t love my child, but I know what this will look like to Luke. He has no idea I’m on the phone with our daughter.

  “I love you, too.” I say the words and die a little as Luke turns away from me.

  I end Peyton’s phone call. Once again the barn is silent. This time it isn’t to keep reality out.

  “I should…..”

  “I’ll take you home.” Luke walks out of the barn leaving me staring at his retreating back.

  Damnit! Not only have I ruined the friendship that Luke and I was trying to have, but now I have to go home so damn horny I can barely sit still. This is going to be the longest family dinner in the history of family dinners.

  Chapter Twelve

  S tupid, Luke. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! I scold myself for the hundredth time since she answered that phone. What the hell was I thinking? Well, I know what I was thinking. Damn Zora and her sexy body. And Gods, her pussy was perfect. So damn hot it nearly seared my fingers off and wetter than a day spent in the rain. Man, what I wouldn’t give for just a taste.

  I shake my head, erasing that thought from my mind. I can’t let another moment like that occur. We got carried away. Showing her the house, the house that the moment I saw it, made me think of her. I’d seen a ton of houses by the time my realtor showed me that one. The moment I stepped out of the car, I knew that was the one. I took one look at that house and all I saw was the future I had always dreamed of with Zora. I saw our animals on that farm. I saw our kids playing in that yard. At the time, I felt so guilty about my visions of Zora when I saw the house that I told my realtor to keep looking. Then I took her there and saw how perfect she fit. Having the house won’t give me Zora back, but it does allow me to keep my dream. It will be my little place away from the world. A place where I will always have the dreams that I spent most of my life dreaming about. I’ll have a life with Melissa and one day she and I will have kids, but the farmhouse will always be my little fantasy world.

  I clink the weights down and back onto the weight bench. After dropping Zora back off at her car, I knew that I would not get any rest. My dick was so hard I could plank on it. A cold shower would do nothing for this erection, and jerking off wouldn’t help either. I decided to come to the gym to work out some of my frustrations. I usually use the team facilities during the season and sometimes during off season, but I always kept a gym membership for when I travel or when I want to work out without the team. Tonight was the perfect night to use that membership.

  “Well if it isn’t Luke Trent.”

  The voice sends a rod up my back that has me stiffening. I will never forget that voice.

  During Zora and my time together, I had a lot of enemies, but none I despised more than Tyrik Smith. Just mentioning his name takes me back to my senior year. To that awful night.

  Truthfully, I never liked Tyrik. Mostly because he was dating the girl I wanted, but I also never thought he was good enough for her. He was an asshole and a cheater. If I actually thought Zora really was in love with the prick I would have said something to her. But I knew Zora enough to know that she wasn’t that into this guy. Call it intuition or whatever, but I just knew whenever they were together, they didn’t read as a happy couple. That’s why I didn’t understand at first why he seemed so butt hurt when Zora and I started going out. I had to confront him a few times about some of the shit he pulled on Zora and I still believe she didn’t tell me everything. Our first big fight was after he sent those pictures out of Zora supposedly naked. I knew he was lying about sleeping with her, but I didn’t even want him insinuating he had been with my girl. That first fight was bad, but nothing was as bad as the night I found them in the woods. I was on the way to meet Zora in our spot when I got that phone call. Zora was frantic, said her friend Clarissa had called her crying about how bad she needed her help. I tried to tell Zora that Clarissa wasn’t a true friend. Something about that girl never sat right with me, and after Zora and I got together she was even shadier. However, Zora was adamant about meeting Clarissa at the park. It was night time and I didn’t think it was a safe place, but Zora said she would be alright. Plus, she promised Clarissa that she would come alone. I was headed back home when I got this feeling. I don’t know what it was, but something in my head wouldn’t let me go home. I made a U-turn in the middle of the street and headed to the park. I spotted Zora and Clarissa’s car the moment I pulled up but, I didn’t see them anywhere. My stomach started to turn and every horrible scenario floated through my head. It had only been a few months since Buck Mitchell’s attack. I got out of my truck and walked the well-worn path into the park. I still didn’t see either of them. That’s when I noticed Zora’s shoe on the ground near the woods. It was a black shoe she called a ballerina flat. I took off into the woods. I heard the sound of laughter and voices, I followed it. What I walked up on nearly made me go insane. Two girls, including her friend Clarissa stood and watched as two boys held down Zora’s arms. Another girl covered Zora’s mouth. It was Tyrik Smith that made me see red. He was between Zora’s legs trying to get her pants down. Zora cried and fought against their hold making it harder for Tyrik to slide down her pants. It took only a second for that scene to register with me. I charged towards the closes person, which happened to be one of the guys holding down her arms. I kicked him in the face sending his body to the ground. I snatched the female by her hair and yanked her away from Zora. My fist went into the face of the other guy. I then set my sights on Tyrik. He was on his feet by the time I got to him, fumbling to pull his pants up. He swung at me first, catching me in the jaw, but I was so angry I hardly felt the impact of his hit. I think I blacked out after that. I just remember when I came to, I was on top of him, my fist railing into his face. Tyrik was no longer moving. Hands tried to pull me off of him, but I wouldn’t stop. It took Zora’s voice in my ear to reign me in. She kept repeating, “He isn’t worth it. Please stop, Luke.” It was her that made me stand up and step away. I turned back to the frightened faces around me. I glared at every single one of them.

  “If any of you ever come near Zora again, I will kill you. No one touches her.” My last words were shouted making the females jump. I wrapped my arm around Zora’s shoulder and scooped her up in my arms. I looked down at her busted lip and red rimmed eyes. I wanted to ask her if I was too late, but I was too scared of her reply. She must have read the question in my eyes, because she shook her head. I exhaled in relief and carried her to my truck cradling her like a bride. I stuck her in and promised we would come back for her car. I was still shaking I was so angry. I refused to let her out of my sight. That night Zora and I stayed out all night. It was the first time we spent the night together. We had nowhere to go, so I grabbed my pop’s old hunting tent and we camped outside at the old fairground that night. I don’t think either of us actually slept.

  Hearing Tyrik’s voice now makes me just as angry as that day in the woods.

  “Are you really talking to me right now
?” I stand from the weight bench I was on, using my towel to blot at my sweat. I turn to face Tyrik. He looks mostly the same. Only slightly bulkier than he was in high school. He’s wearing a Nike DryFit shirt, with Nike windbreakers and Nike tennis shoes. Completely overly dressed and too color coordinated for a gym. I pass by him as I sit down at the chest press to work on my pecs. I’ve said all I wanted to say to this asshole, he doesn’t get the memo, because he follows me to my machine.

  “Come on, Luke. We still got bad blood over that bitch?”

  Even if I hadn’t just seen Zora, I didn’t care how long we were apart, no one got to disrespect her in front of me.

  “What the fuck did you just say?” The sound of the heavy weights dropping back down accentuate my anger.

  Tyrik holds his hands out in front of him.

  “I didn’t mean no offense. I’m just saying, you and I are both over Zora. We have both moved on. Besides, my wife said she saw her just the other day and she says Zora looks bad.”

  My eyebrow quirks up, either his wife is lying, or he is. Zora looks far from bad.

  “My girl says she’s fat, about 100 pounds overweight. She almost didn’t recognize her.” Tyrik laughs. “I knew she wasn’t going to keep that shape forever. Something told me she was going to get fat. That’s why I make my wife stay on a strict diet. I can’t have no fat bitch.” He laughs to his self. “Oh, and get this, she’s not married, but got a ton of kids.”

  I only shake my head at the idiot. I don’t take anything he says to heart. He was so misinformed it wasn’t even funny. Zora’s new body was smoking hot. A smile caresses my face as I think of how soft that new body was and how it molded against mine. And how her ass cheeks cradled my cock when it was pushed up against her. And that pussy…..fuck! I’m doing it again. I was supposed to be here to forget about Zora.

  “Look, I don’t want to talk about Zora.”

  “Of course.” Tyrik takes a seat on the chest press right beside me. “I mean, you got that fine ass model. What do you care about some old pussy?”

  I’m going to fucking kill this dude.

  “You have two seconds to walk away from me.”

  “Ok, look my bad, man. I was just hoping we could, you know, put all that old shit behind us. I mean you and I are the only people from this town to go off and do something with our life. You in the NFL and me in the NBA. We should be united. We have a bond. We should help each other out.”

  So that’s what this is about? I didn’t really keep up with Tyrik’s career. The few things I do know about him is only because athletes tend to talk about each other. A few players on my team have mentioned him. Usually they talk about him as a joke. He couldn’t cut it in the NBA and was only mediocre overseas due to drug use. The injury to his knee forced him into an early retirement. I recently heard he was trying to get signed again, but from my understanding no one but him thought it would happen.

  “I know you know a lot of people out there in San Diego, I was thinking you could put in a word for me. Maybe talk to some of your boys over there and get me a meeting.”

  For the first time I stop and look at Tyrik. Is this dude serious? Despite the fact that he is a shit player and on drugs, he has a bad reputation as a hot head and troublemaker. He also burned every bridge he had during his short stint in the NBA. Even if I looked past all that stuff, I could never forgive him for what he did to Zora. Even now, all I see is him between her legs fighting to get her pants down. I see the tears in her eyes as she frantically fought against his friends hold. The look in her eyes when that picture of her circulated around school and the two days she hobbled around with that sprained ankle that she swore he wasn’t the cause of. Zora may not be mine anymore, but I would always protect her. So I don’t feel even a little bad when I say these next words.

  “I want you to listen to me, Tyrik. I’ve given you more than enough time to get the fuck out of my presence. We are not now or ever will be buddies. The closest thing to bonding we will ever come to, is the day I didn’t kill your ass in those woods.” His eyes widen at my words. “I don’t give a shit about your dead basketball career. If you hadn’t already ruined your relationship with every agent, coach and player, I would make it my life’s quest to make sure I told everyone I knew to never work with you. You are a rapist that should be in jail for the shit that you pulled. I hate myself every day for not reporting your slimy ass, but I doubt anything would have come of it. So I’m telling you right now, get out of my face, stay away from me, and never mention Zora’s name again.” I stare at him for a second longer to drive my point across. He stares back at me as if he wants to say something, like he wants to swing off on me. However, I can tell he still remembers that last ass whopping. Tyrik stands to his feet and walks off without another word.

  Finally I can get back to my workout.

  ************

  Luke: I want to see you again.

  Me: Do you think that’s a good idea?

  Luke: Probably not. But it doesn’t change the fact that I want to see you.

  Luke: You’re taking too long to reply. That means you’re over thinking things.

  Me: I don’t want you to do something you will regret later. You have more to lose than me.

  Me: Now who’s taking too long to reply? ��

  Luke: You let me worry about my regrets. I just want to spend time with a friend. Besides, in a few weeks you’ll be back home and all his again.

  I stare down at Luke’s last text. The butterflies dancing in my stomach and the smile plastered on my face has been there since I got his, “Good Morning!” Text this morning. Who am I kidding, it’s been on my face since Luke dropped me off at my car last night. Although the ride back to the car was filled with so much sexual tension, it didn’t take the smile off my face. It wasn’t just about what happened in the barn, it was Luke. Spending time with him was always a sure way to put me in a good mood. I love that he is still the same Luke. Which is why I know that being around him isn’t a good idea. No matter what he says.

  “Hey Mommy!” My daughter beams as she strolls into the kitchen.

  She’s been out shopping with my mom since early this morning. It’s almost lunch time now and they are just getting back.

  I place a kiss on my daughter’s forehead when she skips up to me with her hands full of shopping bags.

  “Hey baby, you hungry? I can fix you a sandwich.”

  “No, Grandma Vanessa took me out to eat. We had Sushi and got our toes done.” She holds up her sandaled feet for me to see the sparkly pink polish on her toes.

  Just then my mom comes into the kitchen carrying bags. She places them on the counter alongside the one’s Peyton had.

  “Wow, Mama. You guys sure bought yourselves a lot of stuff.”

  “Oh girl, this is all Peyton’s stuff. And why didn’t you tell me my grandbaby can speak fluent Spanish and Korean? Those women at the nail salon were shocked when she asked them a question in their native tongue.”

  “My Tía and Tío taught me Spanish. I only know a little Korean.” Peyton replies shyly.

  I shake my head, eyes still focused on the number of bags on the table.

  “Our neighbor is from South Korea,” I reply, but my focus is still on the bags. “Mama, what’s all this?” I point to the bags.

  “Nothing, just a few necessities. Peyton take your bags up to your room.” My mom directs.

  I stop Peyton before she grabs the first bag.

  Inside one bag are a ton of books. Another bag is filled with enough clothes to cover the entire summer, and the price tag—what the hell?

  “You spent $100 on a pair of jeans?” I pull the jeans out of the bag and stare down at them. For $100 they better wash themselves.

  “They were on sale.” My mom adds as if that was supposed to make it better.

  “Are you serious? Mama this is too much.”

  “I guess now isn’t the best time to tell you that, Grandma Vanessa also bought me a new iPhone?
”

  I look down at my daughter. I try to ignore the hopeful look on her face as she waves the shiny new phone in front of me. I’m so mad I could go up in flames. I don’t know if I’m angrier that my mother bought my daughter such a huge gift without talking to me about it, or because they were able to get her something I never would have.

  “Peyton, go outside and play. Grandma Vanessa and I need to talk.” I tell my daughter without taking my eyes off my mother.

  “Mommy, don’t be mad at Grandma Vanessa, I really wanted the phone.”

  “Peyton Go!” I demand of my daughter.

  She sighs, but turns and heads out of the kitchen. I don’t speak until I hear the back door close.

  “It didn’t even dawn on you to ask me before you bought her that phone?”