Fred POVI open my eyes and blink several times before I decide to move. I look around and I don’t recognize the room I am in. Shit. I cover my eyes with my arm as the light is bothering me and the headache is excruciating. As I allow my body to relax again, I feel the bed move and open my eyes on high alert. What the fuck? I remove my arm from my eyes and look around to find Caroline asleep next to me. Shit, shit.I immediately stiffen and stand up from the bed in one movement. I look around and down at my legs that are only covered by my boxer shorts. I rub my eyes with my hands, taking a deep breath as I look around once more and realize we’re in a hotel room. The decoration screams hotel, the pale wooden furniture, and the spent and used carpet on the floor. The white covers on the bed and a very naked Caroline.Shit, shit, shit. What the fuck have I done? I move fast in the room, grabbing my pants from the floor and I notice all the clothes scat
Tatum POV“How are you feeling?” The doctor asks as he looks at me with concern plastered all over his face. I look at him frowning and then I remember the kiss from last night, the way Thatcher was touching me, how he held me, the way he was trying to claim my mouth. I am resting on my bed while Thatcher watches the doctor interacting with me. This is the first time he actually got a doctor to check on me at home. I try to remember what happened last night, but everything is blurred. My head hurts and I am having a hard time keeping my eyes open.“My head hurts, and my neck,” I let out as I rub my hand in the back of my neck lifting a little from the bed but immediately realize it’s a bad idea, and the doctor nods as he writes on his pad. His eyes move to me once more and I can tell he is worried about something.“Can you tell me how you hit your head?” He asks and I frown, looking at him and then at Thatcher who stands
Fred POVI have been calling Tatum nonstop and her phone keeps going straight to voice mail. I don’t know what else to do. I am so desperate that I consider just going to that fucking asshole’s house, but I would make everything a lot harder for Tatum. Julien warned me this was going to happen. I know I am supposed to stay away from her so the press doesn’t create stories about us.The press keeps writing shit about me and Caroline and it’s been days since we were seen together. I have been meaning to call her. I kept track of what they were saying about her relationship and apparently, the guy broke up their engagement. Caroline must be destroyed, but she did this. It wasn’t just me. It was the two of us, together.The press keeps trying to find her, but they have no clue where to look for her; she hasn’t been seen in public since she was spotted leaving the hotel with me. I am glad she is hidden away. She is licking her wounds and making herself better. That’s what I should be doing
Fred POV“Shit, Fred, you need to get somewhere, go to Richard’s, or Mom’s,” Jude says and I frown, raising my head to see the light has turned green. I drive again and I have a terrible feeling in my gut.“Okay, what the fuck is going on?” I ask, and Jude takes a deep breath on the other side.“Look, are you closer to Mom’s or Richard’s house?” Jude asks and I look around to notice I am a couple of blocks away from Richard’s penthouse.“Richard’s, two blocks,” I say, and Jude hums on the other side.“Go there, I’ll let him know, and once you get there, don’t speak to anyone, go up straight away, and don’t check your phone,” Jude says and I can’t help but feel my heart tight.“Is it Tatum?” I ask and the line is silent, “Jude, is it fucking Tatum? Is she okay?” I ask.“It’s not her, just do as I asked please,” Jude says, and I agree. We end the call and a few minutes later, I am stopping my car in one of the several spaces Richard owns in the building. I can’t help but look at my phon
Tatum POVI finally could come home after staying in the hospital for several days. I had a serious concussion that needed hospital treatment. Thatcher has been very patient, and he has been spending more time with Grace, taking and picking her up from school, taking her home to sleep, and giving her every meal and breakfast. He bought her some game system I know nothing about and he took it to the hospital where they spent hours playing. It’s nice to watch them actually bonding, creating the father-and-daughter relationship I always wanted Grace to have.He is making an effort and even though it doesn’t erase everything he’s ever done to me; it helps the fact that Grace is a lot more comfortable with him. Even Mara seems to be accepting him a little more. She still hates him, she still keeps her distance, and makes me feel guilty when I tell her Grace will spend time with her father. But at the end of the day, he is here, and there’s progress between them and I am actually believing
Fred POV“What are you doing here, Ashford? Haven’t you done enough?” Pedro asks as soon as I walk into the church and he sees me. He walked towards me with such focus that I almost felt like turning around and walking away. I know he hates me, and I know he blames me, but I have to be here. I need to pay my respects to Caroline’s parents.I lost someone that was important in my life, but they lost their reason for living. They lost their only child, the girl that they were proud to call daughter. I take a deep breath as I keep my hands in my jacket pockets while my mom holds on to my arm and squeezes it slightly.“I don’t want to cause any trouble, I just want…” I say, but he stops me as he scoffs.“You don’t want to cause any trouble? A little late, don’t you think?” He says, and I look down at my shoes. I know he is grieving, but there’s no reason to speak to me like that. I didn’t give her the drugs and I sure as hell didn’t make her take them.“I’ll leave,” I let out under my bre
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
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,
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