Fred POV
Being 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 POVThree years ago“Grace, please, I need you to put your shoes on. We’re going to be late,” I shout from the kitchen. I can hear Grace laughing in the living room while I finish getting all the dishes in the dishwasher. I hate leaving the house a mess before I go out, and I know that if things are not clean Thatcher will be upset.“Grace, I will not say it again,” I shout once more and that’s when I hear a loud bang that makes my heart beat so fast I think I might have a heart attack. I drop everything in the sink and I run out of the kitchen to find Thatcher with his hand closed in a fist and a hole in the wall. Grace’s eyes are wide and the tears are pooling in her eyes. Unfortunately, she knows not to cry.I run to Grace and pull her into my arms, lifting her from the couch as she rests her head against my shoulder as Thatcher looks at me with our daughter in my arms. My breathing is erratic and my heart rate is so fast, I think my watch will start beeping any minute now.“
Fred POV“What are you thinking?” I hear a girl’s voice behind me and for a split second, I close my eyes, pretending to be asleep. “I can make you forget whatever it is you’re thinking,” she says, and I feel a chill down my spine.“No thanks,” I say as I sit up on the bed, placing my feet on the floor. I stretch my arms up and stand up. I realize I am naked but I was never a prude and walking naked in my own house has always been a guilty pleasure for me. I find my boxers on the floor and I quickly pick it up, pulling it up my legs and covering my junk.“Maybe you should get dressed and leave,” I say as I look back over my shoulder to the blonde girl lying on my bed. Her eyes widen as she looks at me and she pulls the sheet away from her body, revealing a milk color skin to her naked body.“Or maybe you should come back to bed,” she says and I shake my head as I put on a t-shirt I found on the back of the chair.“I think you need to go,” I say and she pouts as she crawls on the bed,
Tatum POV“My eyes are up here, Mr. Ashford. I won’t tolerate anyone looking at me in a asexual way, I am here to clean up your mess, to make you look like a gentleman, and to make the fans fall back in love with you and the game, Don’t make me regret accepting this job,” I say as I scan the room and I can see all eyes on me, but there’s one set of blue eyes that keep scanning me more than the others. Frederick Ashford, the reformed playboy, is accused of rape.I read his entire file and I believe in his innocence. The team has been dealing with the lawyers and with the press, but they are doing everything wrong. They are treating him like a criminal, instead of showing him his support. I am going to change that. I am going to make him a hero for the team. The fans will all protect him and chant his name. I will associate his name with charities and causes that will make him look innocent. The innocent man that he is.“Yes ma’am,” all the players say at the same time and I can’t help
Fred POV“How do you feel about being in the spotlight again?” Moore asks, and I shrug.“I don’t know man, it feels weird to have all eyes on me, but I think this will be good for me,” I say and he nods as he places one hand on my shoulder. We’re sitting in the changing rooms after practice and I couldn’t be happier. Tatum works fast, and she made the bosses put me back in the game.“How’s your brother feeling about the flash wedding?” Moore asks and I chuckle as I bend my back, hanging my head low.“He’s the one that is making it happen. It’s like she put a spell on him,” I say and Moore nods.“Well, he’s been in love with the girl forever, hasn’t he? That’s what I read in some magazine that Letty left in the bathroom,” he says and I laugh out loud.“Yeah, in the bathroom, Letty, I think you have been buying all that stuff and now you’re blaming it on her,” I say, and he smacks me on the back of the head lightly.“What can I say? It’s my guilty pleasure okay,” he says and I nod as I
Fred POV “How are you feeling?” I ask Jude as he stands in front of the mirror, adjusting his bowtie for the thousandth time. “I am okay, I am just a little on edge, I don’t know, I feel like something is gonna go wrong,” he says and I rest one hand on his shoulder as he turns around to face me. I fiddle with his bowtie and then he looks back in the mirror. “Nothing is gonna go wrong, everything that had to happen in a bad way already happened, you two were away for ten years, she almost married a guy that is disgusting, she is pregnant with your baby and she loves you more than life, God knows how and why,” I say and Jude looks at me and I smile. “Mom wouldn’t let anything bad happen, so relax,” I say and he takes a deep breath. Dylan walks through the door holding a tray with four tumblers. “Richard is coming,” he says and I nod as he places the tray on the coffee table and Jude looks at the drinks. “I’m here,” Richard says, and we all take our glasses. “To our brother, the ma
Tatum POVI open my eyes to find Grace looking at me. I jump immediately and she giggles, jumping onto my bed and I rest one hand over my extremely fast-beating heart.“What the hell Grace?” I let out and she kept giggling. “How long have you been staring at me while I sleep?” I ask and she shrugs without a care in the world. I swear this girl someday is going to kill me.“I don’t know, but did you know that your right nostril opens more when you’re sleeping than the left?” She asks and I frown, moving my hand straight to my nose and covering it. Thatcher broke my nose once, and since then I struggle to breathe through my nose because I never really went to the hospital to have it checked. It would raise too many questions and at the time I couldn’t answer them.“Okay, have you had breakfast?” I ask as I sit on the bed and Grace nods.“Yeah, I had some cereal, Mom, can we go out today?” She asks and I frown, looking at her.“It’s Christmas Eve. Where do you want to go?” I ask, and she
Tatum POVFrederick drives with care and he keeps looking through the mirror to have a look at Grace who is over the moon for being in such an expensive car. “How do you know my mommy?” Grace asks suddenly breaking the silence that was in the car.“We work together,” Frederick says as he glances at me and then smiles as he looks at Grace through the mirror.“You play hockey?” She asks, and I look back over my shoulder.“Grace, stop asking questions please, that’s not polite,” I say and Frederick laughs, shaking his head.“It’s okay, you can ask as many questions as you want. I am an open book,” he says, looking at me for a split second and then at Grace through the mirror again.“Yes, I am a hockey player, well I am the best hockey player ever,” he says and Grace scrunches her nose as I look at her over my shoulder and I know what she is about to do.“My daddy is the best hockey player in the world,” she says, and then Frederick’s eyes land on me and I offer him a small smile.“Oh rea
Fred POVI decide to follow Tatum to the kitchen. Any opportunity to be alone with her I will take. The girl is stunning, and I don’t think she knows how beautiful she is. Her phone is ringing off the hook, and she is just staring at it as soon as she reaches the kitchen.“Are you going to take that?” I ask and she jumps, not expecting me behind her. Her phone falls to the floor, and she curses under her breath before she picks it up and brings it to her ear.“Thatcher,” she says, and I stare directly into her eyes. I can see so many emotions flashing in them. She is terrified and anxious. She moves her eyes when he shouts and I can hear him loud and clear.“What the fuck is going on, Tatum? Why are you entering that rapist’s car with my daughter?” I guess he is right. No woman in her right mind would allow their kids to be near a rapist. The thing is, I didn’t do it, and she knows it. I am no threat to anyone, but then again, the guy doesn’t know. But I guess if I was in his shoes I
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