Tatum POV
Thunder’s touch on my arm makes me want to puke. My entire body freezes, remembering the way he pressed himself against me and how he tried to fuck me. I close my eyes momentarily as he runs a finger down my cheek.
“So pretty, such a shame you’re with that guy,” he whispers against my ear. His breath rubbed the naked skin of my neck, making my entire body shiver in discontent. “You’re too much for him. Maybe he will learn to share,” he says before he pulls away and I blink several times before I move away from the door and he opens it, stepping inside. Immediately, I hold on tight to my things and walk as fast as my legs allow me to the opposite side of the stadium towards my small office.
Once inside, I lock the door, resting my back against the wooden door with the small glass window on the top. I drop my things on the floor as the tears start to roll down my cheeks and my knees lose their strength and I fall
Fred POV I hate the way she looks right now. I hate I can’t just hug her, I can’t just keep her near me. I hate she has gone through this because Thunder managed to get out of prison. I hate that justice is not being served when it has to be. “Mr. Ashford,” I hear my name being called behind me. I turn around as Thatcher is grinding his teeth because of the way Tatum is looking at me. I turn around and as I am about to reply, I feel a hand on my shoulder, and Julien is standing next to me. “Don’t say a word,” he says as he crosses his arms next to me. “Mr. Ashford, my name is Andrew Bartholomew, I am the new detective responsible for your case and I was wondering if you would be able to talk to us,” he says and I look at Julien, who shakes his head. “Hi, I am Julien Gilmore, Mr. Ashford’s lawyer, my client is at work and as you know, there are thousands of people waiting for him, we can meet you after the game,” Julien says as Andrew the new detective looks at me unimpressed. “Su
Tatum POVThe game was terrible; I have never seen Fred play this badly. I flinched a few times when he was distracted and shoved against the glass. I could tell his head wasn’t in the game and the coach, instead of getting him out, kept him in there so he could get shoved around.Thatcher wasn’t his best either, but it’s a new team and they haven’t had time to practice together. His transfer was weird for everyone. No one ever transfers during the season, usually is only before the new season starts, so I am kind of curious to know what the hell happened and how he got the transfer so easily.Grabbing my things, I walk out of my office to go to the police station. Julien asked me to go with them. He thinks that’s a publicity stunt from the police to show the public they are doing something while they are not really investigating anything they should.Walking down the corridor, I feel my heart beating fast. Even though I know Thunder is not here, I keep thinking he will come out of on
Tatum POVJulien pulled the Ashfords aside while I stand with Thatcher and the team that made me look like a gold-digging whore when we split up. Thatcher touches my arm and I snatch it away from him straight away while his eyes soften and he looks me in the eye.“Are you going to tell me everything that happened?” He asks and I take a deep breath as I look back over my shoulder to see Julien with his back turned to me and Fred watching my every move. His eyes pierce through me as if he is trying to look into my soul. I feel a chill down my spine as Thatcher clears his throat and I focus on him again.I wrap my arms protectively around my body and look at the man that years ago promised to protect me and instead of doing so; he tortured me, and still does. Do I trust him enough to tell him every detail of what happened with Thunder? “Is it true what I read?” He asks and with that, I snap my head up looking at him.“Depends on
Fred POV“It was a waste of my fucking time,” I let out as I bring the cold beer to my lips and Richard nods as Dylan and Jude look at me. My brothers are my best friends. They have always stuck around helping me, even when I didn’t want their help. As the younger of four, I grew up in their shadow, always wanting to be like them.Jude was always quiet, but he was always the strongest one, Dylan was like the clown of the group, his function in life was to make people laugh and make them feel uncomfortable with his remarks, Richard is extremely serious and as the older one he always saw himself as the protector of the bunch.I was always the rebel, trying to break away from them and trying to leave my own mark on the world, and I ended up playing hockey because none of them did, none of them was into sports, besides watching them, so I thought that was my path and I was fucking right. I am good at what I do and everyone that likes hockey knows m
Tatum POVIt feels weird to be living in someone else’s house, especially when everything feels cold. Nothing here is mine, and there’s nothing here that I would have bought to decorate the house. I feel like this deal Julien made me take is the best thing for Fred and me. Or so I hope, I wish his solution would’ve been to get me and Fred together, but then, that would’ve made him closer to me, a woman with a messy past, and an ex-husband who is trying to keep her life in check.I have my own bedroom and even though it looks like it was decorated for a queen; it feels cold and not home at all, my bedroom has blankets and books, candles, photos, and paintings hanging on the walls, messy clothes all around, while here… everything is white, big, comfortable but it looks like it’s supposed to be in a magazine cover. It feels like it’s wrong to lie on a bed like this. It feels like I shouldn’t get anything messy or dirty.
Fred POV“I know you all did your best, and I hope you all have a good rest now, we will be back for the next season with some new players, and a new hope for the Stanley Cup,” the coach says after our last game of the season. Thatcher is standing next to him with his eyes glued on me.We haven’t really talked to each other and, to be fair, he’s been a good captain for the team. Everyone respects him and he is doing the best he can. But I still don’t like the guy. Tatum avoids me like the plague. She only talks to me whenever is extremely necessary and even when I confronted her, she didn’t say much.“Tatum, please, why are you doing this?” I ask her as she looks directly into my eyes. Her arms crossed in front of her chest while she puts more distance between us as she takes one step away from me.“Fred, please, I told you before, I did what I had to do, and this is the best for me and for Grace. Plea
Tatum POVMy heart aches to see Fred here. It’s been months since I have been pretending to be together with Thatcher and it doesn’t become easier. I think in all honesty that it becomes harder. Although he’s keeping his word, he hasn’t touched me. He’s treating me like a queen inside and out of the house. I still think someday he will explode and I am going to end up dead.Watching Fred with his brother and his sister-in-law warms my heart. He looks a little better, not as sad as he was. I know I broke his heart, but I really think this is for the best. His trial is a couple of days away and if this is helping him, I am sticking to it.Obviously, Julien came up with this for my own safety, but I never told him the way Thatcher really treated me, when he found out through Fred he wanted me to get out immediately, he said he would come up with another strategy, but the damage was done. My heart was broken and so was Fred’s. Gra
Tatum POVI look at my watch as I bite my lower lip. Even though the team finished their season, I haven’t stopped working, I only get one week's break as I arranged for someone to cover for me, other than that, I have to keep track of the player's social media posts, and the team’s as well as all the player's social appearances. I work directly with their management team while they are on break. It’s exhausting as I am down to a skeleton team.I look at the key card resting on my desk while I rub my forehead, predicting a headache to make an appearance today. I still haven’t decided if I will meet Fred or not, the way he left me in that bathroom… Bothered and in desperate need of feeling him again keeps playing in my head.The last time I was touched was months ago, the day I decided to play the happy wife with Thatcher. I haven’t had sex with him, even though he asked for it, but I denied him. I kept telling him it was not part of the deal because we were not a real couple. That’s w
Fred POVBeing home with Tatum and Grace is the best feeling in the world. The last couple of months after Tatum went to Mara have been absolutely insane. You see, when you think things happen for a reason; you think always good things, now I think of bad things as well. I never thought I would say the words I am about to say, but I admire Thatcher Hill. The man was a hero and no one will ever know. He died to save his family.After Tatum asked me to distract the police officers during that day, Thatcher came to me and told me the most insane plan. He was so nervous that I actually felt bad for the guy. He told me about Mara’s plan to kill Tatum and how he pretended to be on her side. How he pretended to be in love with Mara so he could find out what she was doing. He figured out a while ago that Mara was losing her shit. So he started playing a part with her. I have to say; the guy was a genius, and I feel bad that Grace lost her father because a woman was obses
Tatum POV“Sit,” Mara says, pointing at the armchair next to me. I look at the chair and then at my daughter, who is so scared. I wish I could just run to her and give her a hug, but Mara is not okay, and she has a gun. I don’t want her to use that. I have nothing to defend myself and I am not stupid enough to do it without a gun.“You see Tatum, you always got everything that I wanted, you always got everyone’s attention while we were growing up, and then in college, all the boys wanted you, and I always thought I was invisible,” she says and I shake my head.“What are you talking about? I was bullied when we were kids. They all made fun of me, and you were always defending me. You know everyone hated me,” I say, and she laughs out loud as she goes back to brushing Grace’s hair.“No. They loved you, and the only way they had to get your attention was by doing that, and I kept them away. You alwa
Tatum POV “I am not letting you leave this apartment on your own,” Fred says, and I cross my arms as I stare directly into his eyes. “Get out of my way Fred, I am being serious, this is about my daughter, and if you don’t understand I have to go alone that’s not my problem, you don’t have kids, you don’t understand, I would do anything for my kid, now move out of my way,” I say and Fred shakes his head. I can see the fear in his eyes, but I honestly don’t care right now. “Grace needs me. If you don’t move right now, I will end our relationship. I can’t be with someone who doesn’t understand my need to save my daughter,” I say, and now he is angry. I can see is in his posture as his entire body stiffens. “Are you for real right now? I just want to go with you. That woman is crazy and I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you,” Fred says, and I take one step toward him. “Are you going to forgive yourself if anything happens to Grace because you are being stubborn and
Fred POV“Fuck, I didn’t want you to find out like this,” I let out through greeted teeth. I bet Thatcher released that information. My management team said they wouldn’t release the information, and they requested the other team to maintain silence about the offer for the contract.“Find out what? That you’re moving to a different country? Or find out that you’re hiding contract offers from me?” Tatum asks me, I can hear the pain in her voice and I know I should’ve told her about what Thatcher is doing, but I was trying to find another way, and then this happened and… Fuck.“I am not going,” I say as I look directly at Thatcher and he shakes his head slightly, watching me. His eyes blazing with anger as Tatum covers her face with her hands. She leans forward and I touch her back, but she moves away from my touch.“You can’t,” she lets out. If I wasn’t paying
Tatum POVI still can’t believe what is happening. Thatcher is going crazy as he walks around the house, pacing, taking deep breaths, and punching walls. He is controlling his anger, even though now would be a good moment to let go and explode, because that’s how I feel and that’s exactly what I want to do. Explode.Everything Thatcher told me about Mara seems so weird to me, I never thought she would be interested in him, she always seemed so annoyed by him, and now it kind of makes sense, if he turned her down for me… No guy turns her down for me. She is amazingly beautiful, bubbly, and the life of the party. I was always bullied and made fun of, shy, and she always took me under her wing.I bet it didn’t feel good for her to be rejected because of her best friend. If I had known, I probably wouldn’t have gotten involved with Thatcher, but then I wouldn’t have Grace. I think Mara would never hurt Grace. She wouldn&rsq
Tatum POVToday has been a day from hell, and I am exhausted. I have been dealing with a girl claiming she is pregnant by one of our guys. He swears he has never seen the girl in his life and this is becoming absolutely stupid. Obviously, DNA test will be done. Why can’t these guys keep it in their pants? Is it that difficult?I am picking up Grace today, Thatcher had a meeting with his management team and I know he can’t tell them he can’t just show up, they are all in negotiations for the new season, who’s staying on the team, who gets transferred. It’s always a very stressful time for everyone involved.I know Fred hasn’t received any transfer offers and I have to say I am happy about that. I don’t know how I would feel if he left New York. I know it’s not impossible, but it would be difficult to maintain a long-distance relationship especially because they travel a lot during the season. Obviously, at some point, he would come to New York and the team would go to wherever he is, b
Fred POVLetting Tatum leave my side is the worst thing I have to do every day. We’re still hiding our relationship from the press and from the public and I am enjoying this time just the two of us, without people knowing, without people making up stories about us.I have to say the most surprising thing that has happened since Tatum and I got together was Thatcher calling me and asking to meet for a chat. And that’s why I am getting ready now. I am going to be face to face with my team captain who hates my guts and loves the woman I love. He thinks he has some stupid claim over her because they have a child together.Even though Tatum says he has been great, not standing in the way and keeping up the appearances she needs, he is not really talking to her. He has been avoiding her like the plague for the last week. I put my watch on before I grab everything else I need before I leave the house.We agreed to meet at the stadium, as it would be the most private place we could be without
Tatum POV“Come, I want you to meet my mother and my brothers officially,” Fred says, and I look at him with horror plastered all over my face. We have been fucking for hours on end inside this room and I bet they know that and he expects me to meet them right after a full-on sex session?“Are you sure now is the best time for us to do this? This room smells of sex, and so do we. We haven’t even showered. I have dry cum down my legs and you expect me to meet your mother?” I say and he chuckles as he lightens up a little. He doesn’t look as sad as he was, but he doesn’t look like his old self as well.I know what happened took a big toll on his life, and I know he will never be the same person he was before. Events like these tend to change a person, and the way it happened is bound to leave a mark on him. Fred will always be associated with Caroline’s suicide. He decided to keep her letter private. He prefers to be seen as the bad guy than to expose her. He is a brave man, a good man,
Tatum POV Julien sent me the address to Fred’s mother’s house. That’s where I am supposed to meet him. The coast is clear there because she is with him and the press won’t be around the house, not when they are not there. His family has been through the scrutiny eye of the press and everyone around them. The amount of scandals they have been going through is unbelievable. Their father is one of the biggest fuck ups in their lives, and I can’t even imagine how they all feel about him, what I read about the man he is a piece of shit and he uses their name and money for many fucked up things. Fred never really talks about him, and when he does, I can hear the hatred in his voice. The man is terrible. The Uber stops at the gate and presses the button, and I lean forward to speak. “How can I help you?’ I hear someone say. “Tea Time,” I say as the code word that Julien told me to say. The gates open and the Uber driver takes me to the front door. The house is gigantic, and I never thought