IN THE FIRST quarter, we don't look like the team who beat the Super Bowl champions three weeks ago. Aiden can't get a break and his offensive line is practically falling down on the job. Aiden is sacked on his second possession of the game. I'm angry and fed up with the line's BS. Aiden can't carry the team alone.All I'm able to do is glare from the sideline and watch Pittsburgh put points on the board. Terrible towels twirl through the air and cheers go up when they score again, making it seventeen zero. Aiden jogs out slowly after the kickoff and I know something is injured, maybe his knee. The second quarter begins and we finally have the ball in enemy territory.Aiden goes back to pass and a Pittsburgh player manages to grab the back of Aiden's jersey. Aiden spins and breaks the hold but he has no one open to pass the ball. He breaks right, spins left, and takes off for the end zone. He's taken down by two players on the one yard line. He stays down after the tackle and I'm abo
THE ONLY REASON I'm standing upright is adrenaline. Everything will hurt when it drops, but right now I'm riding the winning high that hasn't stopped since the final game whistle blew. The mood on our midnight flight out of Pittsburgh is much different than our arrival.Winning cures all evil.We're on a private chartered plane. I've decided if the entire team knows Jordan and I are a couple there's no reason to hide it any longer. I grab her hand and pull her to the back with me."What are you doing?" she hisses."Having you sit by me. Come on." I sit down and move over, tugging her down beside me. I don't stop there and once she's seated, I pull her into my arms and kiss her sweet pouty lips."Aiden," she whispers into my mouth."They don't care," he says and deepens the kiss."Hey, lovebirds," Lane hollers so everyone hears. "Apparently your romantic spin on the sideline is a trending topic on social media. Twitter and Facebook are going crazy."Aiden laughs. "Next thing you
HAPPILY EVER AFTER depends on many factors in the lives of professional football players. A winning season is one of those factors. I wish I could report the Pronghorns won the Super Bowl but I can't. We did make it to the first round of the playoffs, where we lost to Killian's team. The Scorpions took out their revenge on the season-opening loss to us. They stomped us. It wasn't a nice way to end the season but after the mental defeat wore off, we accepted our winning record for the year determined to make the following year even better. When you're winning, the fans love you and for the first time we took our team to the playoffs, so we rode high on public support.Coaches, players, and fans took my relationship with Aiden like champs. Poor Lane, no matter how many times we denied it, he remained the jilted other man. He didn't mind and he told me it did wonders for him with the ladies.I moved in with Aiden and we navigated the waters of living together. Between public appearances
I'LL STAY IN Aiden's apartment for the foreseeable future. It's sad that I really don't want to. He talks about a long distance relationship like it won't change anything. I know it will. His life and dreams will intertwine with the Scorpions in no time. They'll become his everything. Football is no place for love. I'm learning that the hard way.Dreams.I think of them a lot during the two days we have before Aiden's move is set in stone. We make love, talk, I cry, and Aiden holds me. I'm doing everything I can to be strong and make this easier on him. It's anything but easy.He loves me. More than anyone, I understand what it means to have your dreams within your grasp. I left my father behind for my dreams. Aiden will leave me.I drive him to the airport on Monday morning."This will work out," he tells me before walking away.I drive back to the apartment holding back tears. I cleared everything from my schedule so I could rest in bed for the day and cry my eyes out with no o
PART THREEThe dirty, cracked vinyl on the bus seat rubbed uncomfortably against the back of my bare thighs. My short shorts offered little protection for my ass, but the irritation kept my mind off the next two hours.I refused to dwell on what made me desperate enough to continue on my premeditated unlawful activity, because I'd spent the past three days talking myself into it.The city bus finally made its last stop of the night, the squeaky brakes adding to my tension. I walked down the steps without looking at the driver. I was sure he'd seen it all and my plans to commit a felony wouldn't cause him to blink an eye but I still didn't want him seeing my face. I pulled my dark hoodie lower over my face, bunched the ends of my sleeves in my fists, and began the second leg of my journey. The early spring night was chilly, but my legs warmed up quickly as I walked.Several miles later, the uneven sidewalks gave way to wide paths and the small, sporadic bushes changed to large swoop
I didn't like his tone, but had little time to contemplate what it meant because a phone started ringing somewhere in his house. He pulled me up by my hair and forced me out of the room, down a hall, and into his kitchen.He picked up the phone and his facial expressions showed he somehow managed to flip an internal mental switch. His voice sounded calm and reasonable, but I could see the artery in his neck pulsing and knew I was still in trouble."Everything's fine. Yes, lights out."What the hell was lights out?I could tell when he slammed his mental switch in the other direction because the phone hit the cradle with a crash as he jerked me farther into the room. Stupidly, I reached toward a large butcher-block knife set picturing the largest one in my hand and sliding effortlessly between his ribs. He roughly jerked me away. Truthfully, I doubt I could have stabbed him, but this was all about the bluster. He opened a drawer and reached inside with one hand, keeping his other at
"No, officers, I was hoping not to have a police report because the media loves this type of thing. I understand you've come to my home, but I don't want a big deal made out of it. I'll speak to my alarm company so there's no misunderstanding in the future."The words echoed through the house and with each one, my heart pounded harder. Maybe if I could tip the chair, it would make enough noise to alert the cops. Jail was preferable to what I imagined was going to happen.I didn't hear the front door shut because I finally managed to tip over. Unable to break my fall, I hit my cheek against the tile. Pain rattled my teeth and raced through my already aching head."What the hell have you done now?" His voice held complete disgust.I barely managed to open my eyes.He grabbed the chair, and me, pulling me back upright, tilting my world, though it could be my head injuries causing the spinning motion."You must be the dumbest female I've ever met."He tore the tape from my skin, unc
I breathed in slowly through my stuffy nose, thinking about the people I would hurt if I said anything. "If I tell you, innocent people will pay for my stupidity."He moved away and turned another chair around so he straddled it, the bulge in his jeans still evident. The fact that he looked entirely too good sitting that way made me feel warm all over. There was something seriously wrong with me. No guy had ever affected me this way. If you added the situation into the mix, it was pure insanity to notice what he looked like. But hell was he hot.He interfered with my dreamy thoughts. "You should have considered the consequences before you broke into my house."The words brought me back to reality and shame replaced the desire to run my fingers across his perfect abs. I couldn't control my stuttered response. "I did consider them just-just not this one." I looked away but quickly turned back. "I'd rather go to jail."His intense glare almost burned through me. "I told you that's not