Frayed: A Small Town Sports Romance (Willow Springs Series Book 1)

by Laura Pavlov

  “You really love Stone, huh?” he asked, cocking his head to the side, and smiling like he already knew the answer.

  “So much it actually hurts.”

  “I think that’s why I acted like a little bitch. I saw it from the beginning.”

  “Saw what?” I asked.

  “That it was different. What you had with him. What you and I had was convenient. More of a friendship. And I was jealous that you had something with him that we never shared.”

  That might be the first honest admission I’d ever heard from him.

  I nodded. “Maybe you have that with Karina. At the very least you two share a child, and you need to get it together. You’re going to be a father, Alec. That’s big. That’s worth fighting for, right?”

  “Right. Tell me what to do. You’re the best person I know. I’m asking you to tell me what to do.”

  “I think you start with an honest talk with your parents. And then you talk to Karina and you figure out how to move forward. And I think you might want to consider a program to support you to find other ways to cope with things. Alcohol is not the answer, Alec. Look where it’s gotten you.”

  “Shit. How’d I get here?”

  I shrugged. “Don’t spend so much time whining about how you got here. Put your energy into changing course. You need to focus on your recovery and your future. There are tons of programs, and I’ll help you find one. Heck, I’ll even attend a meeting with you if that’s what you need. But you’ve got to want to take this first step.”

  “I do. I’m sorry I fucked things up for us.”

  “You didn’t. We weren’t meant to be together. Not that way. We were both just playing roles that were assigned to us for a long time. But we have no one to blame moving forward. It’s time to make choices for ourselves from here on out.”

  “Damn, Addy, how’d you ever get to be this smart?” He winked and continued, “And you know I’ll support whatever you choose to do with college. I should never have pressed you to go where I was going. I think I was just afraid you know—to lose everything. You were my solid after I’d learned my parents were calling it quits. We’ve been friends, family, since we were kids and losing you was like the last straw.”

  Alec’s opening up to me was shocking, but I could really see now what was going on in his life, not that he’d handled it well.

  “Alec, we’ll always be friends—good friends—but dating doesn’t solidify friendship. Truthfulness and sharing does.”

  He winced and said, “I know. I just wasn’t thinking straight. God, what I’ve put you through. I’m sorry.”

  “We’ll survive.” I smiled, because I really thought we’d get through this now.

  “So, what school are you going to?” Alec asked. “I’m guessing you aren’t going to State with me?”

  “I’m not. But you’ve got a baby mama to think about, right? And I’ll be there cheering you on just like I always have.”

  “Of course, you will.”

  There was a knock at the door, and a tall man stood there with a wide grin on his face. “Hey, Alec, are you ready for me to torture you? I’m Joey, your physical therapist. Today is the first day of your road back.”

  “Let’s do this,” Alec said.

  “Who is this?” Joey asked, as he moved behind Alec’s wheelchair. “Is this your girlfriend?”

  “Nope. She’s so much more. I guess we can call her my conscience. My guardian angel. And my best friend.” His eyes were wet with emotion and I fought back the lump in my throat.

  “Wow. I like a girl who wears a lot of hats. Are you coming with us?”

  I nodded. “Yep. Let’s kick his ass today.”

  Joey laughed. “I like this girl.”

  “Yeah. She’s the best,” Alec said, smiling up at me.

  I cheered Alec on through a couple hours of grueling physical therapy. I truly believed for the first time in a long time, that he was going to be okay and find his way.

  I hurried home and opened my laptop before texting the girls.

  Me ~ I’m sorry I’ve been MIA. So much to tell you. But I need to find Jett. He hasn’t responded to my texts and I need to talk to him.

  Coco ~ Girl! I missed you. He has a fight tonight. They reopened. Wren agreed to let him have a few fights before he leaves for school. Let’s all meet at Addy’s in ten minutes, and we can go to the warehouse together. Good to have you back, bitch.

  Gigi ~ Thank god. Yes, I’m down to go. I missed my girl.

  Maura ~ I’m in. Love you, Addy. See you soon.

  Ivy ~ It’s about damn time. We haven’t put one thing in the book since you went radio silent. Magic Willow meeting tomorrow. But tonight, we have a fight to attend.

  Ivy ~ That’s going in the book by the way.

  I laughed before staring at my laptop and hitting accept.

  Me ~ See you soon. Love you.

  I jogged downstairs and found Clem and Dad sitting in front of the TV. Mama walked in holding a laundry basket and set it on the ground.

  “I made my decision about school. I’m going to attend TU. It’s an amazing opportunity for me, and I hope you’ll support me. As far as my personal life goes, I will support Alec as much as I can, because I really do want him to be okay. But I love Jett, and nothing is going to change that.”

  “Yes.” Clem fist-bumped the sky. “You make me proud, Sissy.” She hurried to her feet and hugged me tight.

  My dad stood and walked toward me. “Proud of you, Ladybug.”

  “Thanks, Daddy.” He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head.

  When he pulled away, I looked up to meet my mother’s gaze. Her eyes were wet with emotion, and she cocked her head to the side. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes.” Her words broke on a sob, and I hurried toward her, but she put her hand up to stop me. “Let me say this.”

  I nodded.

  “I’m proud of you, Adelaide Charlotte. I’m so sorry. I’m going to do better if you’ll give me a chance,” she said, tears streaming down her pretty face.

  “Of course, I will. I love you, Mama.”

  I hugged her, and we both cried as we stood there in the living room.

  The doorbell rang and I pulled away. “Okay. The girls are here. I haven’t spent any time with them, and we need to catch up. I won’t be home late.”

  Dad chuckled. “Tell Jett we said hello too.” He raised a brow as if he knew where I was going. He wasn’t wrong.

  “I will. Love you,” I said as I made my way to the front door.

  I filled the girls in on all that had happened with Alec, and the conversation between Mama and Lila. They understood my need to support Alec, even though they were all struggling to forgive him at the moment. I hadn’t forgiven him for getting behind the wheel drunk or for putting his hands on me. But I would support him and give him a chance to do better. Because I wanted that for him.

  I’d seen the remorse in his eyes when we spoke. And maybe for the first time ever, Alec was taking accountability for his actions. I understood that his parents’ divorce and learning that he was going to be a father had been a lot to process, and though there was no excuse for what he’d done, I could empathize with what he was going through. “Oh. And in other news. I’ll be attending TU with you, Gigi. I hit accept just a few minutes ago. You didn’t find a new roommate over the past week, did you?” My chest filled with something I couldn’t explain.

  Joy.

  Hope.

  Excitement.

  “Hells to the no. It’s you and me, girl.” Gigi leaned over and hugged me.

  “There is so much to put in the book today,” Ivy shouted.

  “Proud of you, girl,” Coco said. “And we’ll only be a road trip away from one another.”

  “Oh my gosh. We all know where we’re going now. And we’ll be close
enough that we can see one another on the weekends.” Maura unbuckled her seat belt when we pulled up to the warehouse.

  “Yep. Here’s to the next adventure,” I said, putting my hand forward, as Coco and Ivy both turned around from the front seat and all five of us put our hands in. “Magic Willows for life.”

  “Magic Willows for life,” they all said at the same time.

  “Now let’s go find your hot boy. He’s been so tortured and sad lately. Shaw said he barely speaks to anyone and he keeps hanging out at that damn chocolate shop with crazy Lenny.” Coco opened her door and stepped outside.

  The warm breeze swirled around us, and I paused to hug each of my friends. “Thank you for always having my back. I love you.”

  “Love you,” they each said one at a time.

  “Let’s do this,” Ivy said, leading the charge toward the door.

  When we stepped inside, I saw Jett in the cage. The fight had already started. And as always, there was a force that connected us. His head turned and his gaze locked with mine, ignoring the hundred some people that were scattered between us. He was all I could see.

  The loud cheers knocked me from my dazed stupor, as Jett got taken down to the mat.

  “Jesus,” Wren shouted as he moved beside me. “I’ve got her, you jackass. Focus on your fight.”

  A few people around us laughed, and Shaw and Jax waved us over.

  “Good god, girl. You’re going to get that boy killed.” Wren laughed as he walked with us.

  “Thanks for looking out for him,” I said, looking up and smiling before training my eyes back on my boyfriend.

  “Always. Looks like we both have his back.”

  I nodded and moved between Shaw and Jax as my best friends stood right there beside me.

  Just as it should be.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Jett

  I won the fight by the skin of my teeth because seeing Adelaide there had me all kinds of distracted. I just wanted to be done with it, so I could talk to her. I’d missed the hell out of her.

  When I stepped outside to find our friends all huddled in the parking lot, I asked her if she wanted to go for a ride. Everyone laughed. Hadn’t seen the girl in days, and all I wanted was to have her on the back of my bike and talk to her.

  She nodded, and we said our goodbyes to everyone.

  I buckled her helmet, her gaze locking with mine. Hadn’t asked her a thing yet. No words needed to be spoken.

  She was mine.

  Always had been.

  Always would be.

  I jumped on my bike and her hands came around my waist, tucking beneath my T-shirt just like they always did.

  When we pulled up to the lake, I took her hand and our fingers interlaced as we walked toward the hammock.

  “Sorry about distracting you at the fight,” she said, and it was the first time I’d actually heard her voice in days. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

  “I never mind being distracted by you, Ace.”

  She leaned her head on my chest. “I’m sorry I was MIA. I listened to what you said the last time we spoke, about me needing to figure out what I wanted.”

  “Yeah? Did you figure it out?”

  “Yep.” She fiddled with the rope bracelet on my wrist that matched hers.

  “So, what do you want?”

  “Well, obviously I want you,” she said, turning to face me and meeting my gaze.

  “Obviously.” I chuckled. “I mean, we have the matching bracelets and all.”

  “Right. It would be silly to have to get rid of the twine.”

  “Definitely,” I said, moving closer and grazing her lips with mine.

  “What else did you decide? You going to stay here with Taulson?” I pulled back to look at her, because I needed to know.

  “Nope. I’m going to be attending Texas University this fall. Hey, isn’t that where you’re going?”

  I smiled. I was so fucking happy. “Yep. Looks like we’ll be at the same school.”

  “I’m going to be there for Alec from a distance. It’s obvious that he has a problem with alcohol. I researched a few programs for him, and I think he’s going to do it and try to turn things around. Karina’s pregnant. He’s got something to work for.”

  I didn’t hide my surprise. “Wow. That’s—a lot. He’s lucky to have you in his corner. But it’s not your job to fix him, you know that, right?”

  “I don’t want to fix him. But he needs a friend, and I can be that for him right now.”

  “Such a good person, Adelaide Edington. I knew it the day you gave me half of your PB&J.”

  “Oh yeah? What did you know?”

  “I knew that if I ever had a chance to make you mine, I’d take it,” I said, rubbing my nose against hers.

  She laughed, and her breath tickled my cheek. “You did not. You were eight. You just wanted the sandwich.”

  I chuckled, and I nipped at her bottom lip. “Fine. I wanted the sandwich. But now, now I know that if I ever had the chance to make you mine, I’d take it.”

  “I’m all yours, Jett Stone.”

  “Thank god. I don’t think I could function without you, Ace. I’ve missed you so fucking much.”

  “Me too. Especially after that night we had right over there,” she said, wriggling her brows.

  I laughed. “Oh yeah? You liked that, did you?”

  “I really did.” She nodded, and her smile caused my goddamn stomach to flutter. I’d just fought a badass fighter and won, and here I was fighting off butterflies because the prettiest damn girl in the world loved me.

  Weak.

  And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

  “You know, we could do that again any time you want. And it doesn’t even have to be in a tent.”

  “Oh really? You can make that kind of magic when we aren’t in a tent?” she teased, and I tipped her back on the hammock. My hand slipped beneath her shirt, needing to feel her soft skin.

  “Baby, it doesn’t matter where we are. When I’m with you, it’s all magic. Which reminds me. I got you a graduation gift.” I pushed back and yanked my T-shirt over my head and reached for my phone to turn the flashlight on my arm.

  Right below Ma and Grams birthdates, I’d inked my girl’s birthdate in Roman numerals.

  Her finger ran over the ink and a tear ran down her cheek. “You put my birthday on your arm? Why?”

  “Turns out the day you were born is the best day of my life, Ace. I wanted to tattoo the date of the first time we had sex, but I thought that might embarrass you.”

  Her mouth opened in laughter. “It’s tattooed on my heart forever.”

  “Yeah? My girl is so poetic with her words. I love you,” I said, tipping her back down again.

  “I love you more.”

  “Not possible,” I said, covering her mouth with mine.

  Because the way I loved this girl was something I couldn’t even put into words. And I knew I’d found my forever.

  It didn’t matter where we were.

  She had my heart.

  And I had hers.

  Always and forever.

  EPILOGUE

  I stood at the podium and stared out at all the faces of the students I’d attended school with since kindergarten. The families that had supported us and been there every step of the way. My hands shook as I settled the paper against the wood surface and my gaze locked with beautiful dark eyes that always grounded me. My nerves dissipated.

  Jett.

  I cleared my throat and adjusted the microphone, so it was sitting just beneath my chin.

  “Good morning parents, friends, teachers, administrators, and graduates. As I look out at all of you now, I realize that I know every single student in our graduating class. I’ve spoken to each of
you, laughed with you, and shared memories with you at one time or another over the past four years and beyond, as most of us have been together since kindergarten.” I paused to look out at the audience, smiling as I scanned the room to find my sister Clem beaming up at me like I hung the moon. I fought back the emotion stirring within.

  “Most of us have known one another our entire lives. Some people might find it odd to attend a school so small that you know everyone in your senior class. I don’t. I’m grateful that I’ve been fortunate enough to experience this journey with people who feel more like family to me than strangers. To call East Texas High School and Willow Springs my home. The heart of Texas rings true. I believe we are the lucky ones.” My gaze found Mama, as tears streamed down her pretty face and I took a minute to swallow the lump in my throat.

  “Some people think of graduation as an ending or a finality, but I believe this is just the beginning. And we don’t have to have everything all figured out. We don’t have to know exactly who we are or what we’re going to do with our lives after today. We just have to believe that whatever we set our minds to, whatever we dare to dream—that we have the capability to achieve it.” I reached for my water bottle and took a sip to calm my racing heart as I screwed the lid back into place. The auditorium was quieter than I’d ever heard it before.

  “When I was pondering my own future and apprehensive about which path to take, the words of Nelson Mandela helped me to find an inner strength that I’d been afraid to unleash for so long. He said, ‘There is no passion to be found in playing small, in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.’” My eyes found my father, and his smile was so wide that my chest squeezed with pride.

  “I’ve learned that we don’t have to live life perfectly. It’s okay to unravel a bit. My greatest journey happened when I allowed myself to fray. And to grow. And to find my own way.” I run my fingers over the rope bracelet on my wrist. “So, go out there and live your life to the fullest. Whether you choose to attend college, enlist in the military, go to trade school, become a homemaker, or backpack through Europe in need of finding yourself.” I paused as the audience laughed. “Do it with pride. Do it with purpose. And most importantly, do it because you want to do it.” Cheers erupted in the crowded auditorium, and it was difficult to see the words written in front of me through my teary eyes.