False Start: A Football Romance Read online

  Ha. Let it, hell. I practically begged for it.

  Cal pulls his pants back up, buttoning them as I gather myself and then, turning away from me, he opens the bathroom door.

  “The towels are in the cabinet. Do you need any help?” His comment is like a slap in the face to me. Cold reality washes back over me, and with it . . . shame.

  “No, Cal. I think I can bathe myself. Thank you,” I reply coldly, and his head snaps toward me questioningly. For a moment, I wonder if I misread the situation and his comment.

  “Just trying to help,” he says, and I can see his guard come back up. I feel horrible, and now, totally different hormones are affecting me. Slipping into the warm bubble bath, I try to hold it together until he shuts the bathroom door, and then I let the tears fall.

  Chapter Ten

  Callum

  “You gonna tell me what the hell is going on?” Griffin asks from the kitchen bar when I walk in. I should have been expecting this. Nothing I do escapes his notice.

  “What are you talking about?” I ask, playing stupid. I don’t know how much he knows, and I’m not about to give away something if he doesn’t already know it. I still feel like I’m walking around on eggshells half the time, waiting for the man to tell me he’s gay.

  “Cut the shit, man. I’m talking about the pregnant chick you brought home from the hospital. The one in the bedroom down the hall? Ring any bells?” He snaps his fingers, and if we were discussing anything else right now, I’d smile. He reminds me of Beyoncé right now, singing her Put a Ring On It title with the way he is sashaying his hips and snapping his fingers. But now isn’t the time to smile. Now isn’t the time for any of that, because my girl . . . or rather, my ex-girl . . . is in the room down the hall, and I have absolutely no clue how I plan to convince her to stay.

  She has to stay.

  She’s pregnant with my child.

  My daughter.

  I should have known to tell Brian to send someone with the ability to keep his trap shut to pick me up, but I wasn’t thinking in that moment. All I wanted was to get Amelia out of the hospital and home where she belongs. Leave it to Lonnie, the asshole who picked us up, to run back and tell Griffin, his cousin, everything he saw and heard.

  I had my reservations about hiring Lonnie when Griffin brought it up, but sometimes, Brian isn’t available, and I needed a second driver. Not that I don’t drive myself, because that would be stupid with a capital S, but sometimes, it’s nice to lie back and relax on the way home from a bar, or a game, or the hospital when the thought of being more than five feet away from the woman carrying your child is crippling.

  “So who is she? Are you finally back on the steed, man? I mean, I know it’s been a while, but surely you could have picked someone a little less . . . round?” He’s only joking, but that is one thing I will not put up with from him or anyone else. Do not disrespect my woman. I give two shits that she isn’t here and can’t hear what he’s saying. I can, and by talking shit about her, he’s also disrespecting me.

  “Shut the fuck up, Griff. Now.”

  “Ouch. Did I touch a nerve? Well, tell me. Who’s the Hershey’s Kiss?” White hot rage consumes me. I don’t even think of the consequences. Grabbing him by the throat, I shove him backward against the refrigerator, cutting off all air supply to his lungs. His eyes go wide, terrified of my reaction, and for a second, I feel bad.

  Just a second.

  Then it passes.

  “That Hershey Kiss, as you call her, is Amelia. And right now, she just so happens to be pregnant with my child, so if you even think of muttering one more fucking ignorant word about her, I’ll rip your fucking throat out. Understand?”

  He nods his head up and down the best he can, and after another second or two, I release him to catch his breath.

  “Fuck, man. Why didn’t you just say so?”

  “I just did.”

  Reaching into the refrigerator, I grab two Bud Light Platinums and pass one to Griffin before popping the top on mine and swallowing a heavy sip.

  “So . . . wow, man. How did you find out?”

  “We ran into each other at the pavilion while I was there meeting your interior decorator, who by chance, just happened to be the mother of my child.”

  “No shit.”

  I don’t bother replying. It’s not the first time I’ve thought about the chance meeting and fate’s hand in my life. If I hadn’t run into Amelia today, who knows how long I would have gone before I knew I had a daughter out there? A month? A year? A lifetime? I wonder if I would have ever found out.

  “So are y’all like back together or what?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Not yet? But you want to be?”

  “She’s the mother of my child. She’s the only woman I’ve ever loved. Yeah, I want to be. I just need to convince her that she wants it too.”

  “Damn, dude. How the hell do you plan on doing that?”

  “I have no fucking clue.”

  Someone knocks at the door, and assuming it's Lonnie with Carson, I answer it without checking first. Sometimes I never learn. Rhonda slithers her way past me like the snake she is, cooing about how much she’s missed me. Griffin, being the coward that he is, tucks tail and runs as soon as he hears her voice.

  Bastard.

  He should be the one dealing with her. It’s his leftover mess, but for some God given reason, she has set her sights on me now.

  It would be funny if it weren't so pathetic.

  “What do you want, Rhonda? Now is not a good time,” I say, exasperated. She doesn't take the hint, instead choosing to wrap her bony arms around my neck and attempt to pull me to her. Normally, I can deal with her with some level of cordiality, but having her touch me the same way in the same place Amelia touched me moments ago really bothers me.

  I can still smell her all over me, for fuck’s sake.

  “Aw, come on, baby, let me help you,” she says, running her clammy hands along my arms and then wrapping them back behind my neck.

  Chapter Eleven

  Amelia

  I can hear bits and pieces of a conversation between what sounds like two men through the bathroom door, leading me to believe that whoever is talking is standing in the room Cal gave me. It's muffled, but it's clear that his roommate has some kind of problem with someone being here, and since I’m the only bitch I saw when I walked in, I have to assume his problem is with me.

  Oh well. I don’t want to be here any more than he wants me here, but I’m stuck like Chuck for now, so I just roll my eyes and enjoy the sweet smell of the bubbles engulfing me. After a few more minutes, the voices disappear and I’m able to fully relax until a knock on the door startles me, and I almost knock myself out on the edge of the tub.

  "Yes?"

  "Are you okay in there?"

  "I'm fine. I'm almost done.”

  “Okay.”

  I pull the plug from the tub and just sit there as the bubbles slowly reveal my belly. Damn, it seems like it doubled in size since yesterday. It takes me a moment to stand up because let's face it, I'm not the most graceful of women. I catch my balance and reach to turn on the shower. What the hell is this? I think to myself, trying to figure out which knob to turn.

  I shake my head and reach for the middle knob, turning it slowly, cursing under my breath when the ice cold water hits me. After several more profanities, I get the temperature adjusted and rinse the remaining soap off, wondering what the hell I'm doing here. Drying off quickly, I wrap the towel around as much of my feminine parts as possible and enter the adjoining bedroom.

  I don’t have any clothes with me here, so I rummage through the drawers until I find a pair of old sweats and a large enough t-shirt to wear. I have to say the bath really did wonders as far as making me feel more relaxed and at home, but now, I’m ready to see my Car-Car and get settled in for the evening.

  Wandering back through the maze of a house, I try to find the entryway, and I think I have finally figured
it out when I hear a feminine voice around the final corner and my curiosity begins to get the best me. I stand motionless, wondering who she could be, contemplating if I should bust out like the Kool-Aid man or be inconspicuous.

  Inconspicuousness wins as I slowly creep around the corner and peek out. A tall, slender woman has herself wrapped around Cal like a bitch in heat. I roll my eyes, fighting the urge to claw her fucking eyes out, but honestly, I don’t have the right. He isn't my man, and judging from the picture in front of me, he is hers.

  Which means I fucked her boyfriend.

  Stepping into the room, I hold my head high and do my best to not let him know that it bothers me for even a minute.

  Cal spots me and steps back as she turns her head to see what the commotion is all about. "Amelia," he says, and the woman raises her eyebrows at me.

  "Cal, I didn't know you had . . . company," she says, placing her hands on her hips.

  "Ladies, ladies, no need to be like that," his roommate says, coming around the corner with a huge grin.

  “Griffin,” Cal says in the tone I always hated.

  "Oh relax, Cal. We can all get along, can't we? Preggers over there looks perfectly calm, and Rhonda, I do say, you are looking spectacular.” He coughs into his hand. “As ever,” he finishes, and I can't help but grin at the dig.

  Rhonda raises her chin at him without taking her eyes off me. "I see you have varied your taste in women," she says to Cal with a smirk.

  "Oh, don't be a bitch, Rhonda," Griffin says, stepping between Rhonda and me.

  "I’d better go," I say, looking toward the only person in the room I don't want to tear to shreds right this moment. "Can you give me a ride home?" I ask, swallowing my pride and finally admitting defeat. I can't believe I let my feelings for Cal get in the way of my common sense.

  He nods, and I turn back to Cal, rolling my eyes when he opens his mouth to object. Fool me once, shame on you, but you won't get the chance to fool me twice. Deep down, I knew he would move on, but I didn't think it would affect me as much.

  Denial.

  I buried myself deep in denial.

  "I’ll be damned, Amie.” His voice darkens several octaves, and the coarseness of it runs straight through my chest to settle in the middle of my thighs. “You’re not going anywhere,” he finishes, and for a second, I stand immobile, struck by his sudden caveman behavior.

  “Seriously, Callum? Who the hell is she?” The tall, exotic girlfriend asks, and reality hits me in the form of high-pitched, shrill condemnation. I don’t wait to hear his reply. I don’t want to hear how he explains me away. Rushing toward the front door, I thank the heavens above I took my shoes off at the door before I make my grand exit, ensuing slammed door and all.

  “Fuck, Amie. Remember what the doctor said.” I hear Cal’s tortured cry from the living room as the door slams closed.

  “Dude, stop. Let her go,” Griffin calls, stopping Cal from following me, and a part of me hates him for that, even though it's what I want and what I need.

  I don’t make it far. How can I, considering I don’t have my car or my phone that I left upstairs in my purse? How could I be so stupid to believe that we might just possibly have a chance? I should have known.

  He moved on. I knew he would.

  The door behind me opens, and I tense instinctively, assuming that it’s Cal wanting to rub in this victory, but instead, I’m greeted by Griffin.

  “Hey you, you all right out here?”

  “Yeah. Just thought I’d take a quick stroll around town. See if I can find me a hole to crawl into on the way. Maybe lie down for a while, let the wild animals bury me once they get done picking my bones clean.”

  “Oh, no need. I’d be happy to kick some dirt over on top of you. I mean, we wouldn’t want the poor animals to spend all night working when they should be hunting, and let's face it, sister . . . it's gonna take a while to cover that bump.”

  I can't help but laugh. The easy banter is exactly what I needed right now to lift my spirits and set me back upright on the emotional roller coaster I’ve been on the last six or so hours since running into Cal.

  “Come on, preggo, let's get you off your feet before that baby decides to make a mad dash for home plate.”

  “I don’t want to go back in there. Not yet.”

  “Who said anything about going back in there? I’m kidnapping you.”

  “Oh well, in that case, lead the way.”

  Twenty minutes later, we pull up at Carl’s Ice Cream Emporium. Griffin cuts the engine, and for a second, we just sit there in peace and quiet before I catch a whiff of funnel cakes and my stomach lets out an unnatural growl.

  “Damn, sister. What are you breeding? Lions? Sabertooth tigers? Shit, let’s feed that beast.” Laughing, I crawl from the passenger's seat and wobble my way to one of the outdoor tables.

  “Whatcha want? One of everything?” Griffin asks, and I slap at his arm playfully.

  “Rocky road on a waffle cone and a funnel cake, please.”

  “Your wish is my command, Madam,” he jokes, darting back out of the way and heading to the window to order, leaving me and my thoughts all alone.

  I play the last hour over and over in my mind, wondering where I went wrong, trying to figure out if Cal ever mentioned having a girlfriend and coming up empty. From the moment his eyes landed on me until the moment I walked out his door, he has been all about me. At no point did he even act like there was someone else.

  “You look lost in your head, Alice.”

  “Alice?” I ask, taking a bite of the funnel cake.

  “Yeah. Ya know, Alice went down the rabbit hole. I always imagined she was just a tad looney and got lost in her own mind.”

  “Oh. I get it.”

  “Cal texted, by the way. He wanted me to let you know that he has Carson and not to worry.”

  “Oh my God. I forgot all about Carson. What kind of parent am I gonna make if I can't even remember my seven-year-old brother?”

  “A real one. Everyone makes mistakes. Learn from them. Don’t beat yourself up. Just do better next time. I might be mistaken, but I think it's safe to say you have dealt with a lot in the last few hours?”

  “You could say that,” I say, thinking back over everything that has happened today.

  “Well, then you deserve a free pass. If you wanna talk, I’m a vault. Nothing that goes in comes back out.”

  “Thank you.”

  We sit in silence, eating our ice cream, and for the first time today, I’m able to process some of what happened. It's been a roller coaster of emotions today, and I’d really love a friend to talk to, but the friends I used to have all slowly disappeared when Carson got sick and I dropped out of school.

  Something tells me I can trust Griffin. Maybe it’s the secrets he’s hiding himself, or then again, maybe it’s my Jamaican ancestors lending me a helping hand. Either way, I’m going to take him up on his offer.

  “I slept with Callum,” I say into the still night, surprising us both.

  “Well, no shit, sister. I kinda figured that out when I saw the thirty-pound bowling ball you’re carrying around there,” he says, pointing to my bulging stomach, and I laugh.

  “No, not then. I mean obviously, back then. What I meant was I slept with Cal tonight. Well, just a few minutes ago, really. Right before I took a bath.”

  “Well fuck me and call me Patty. Was it good?” He stutters, gasping for air, and then, “I mean, damn, honey. What did you go and do that for?”

  “Amazing,” I say, answering his first question. “Does he know?” I ask, waving my hand in Griffin’s general direction.

  “Know what?” he asks.

  “Um. That you're in love with him,” I reply, causing him to go pale as a ghost.

  “What do you mean? What are you talking about? In love with whom?” he asks, trying and failing to cover his ass.

  “It’s okay. I won't tell him. I mean, I won't tell anyone if you're not out. Just promise you
won't tell him I am too.”

  “Damn, boo. At least you have a chance. Why don't you go get your man?” Griffin asks, confirming my suspicion.

  “I can't. I mean, look at me. I’m like an expired Twinkie, and the woman he loves is a fancy chocolate eclair. I can't compete with that.”

  “No, sister. Don't say that. You’re more like a Ho-Ho acting like a Ding Dong.” This time, he lets me slap him, laughing while I do so.

  “Seriously, though. Snap out of it. That man is crazy in love with you. Always has been. Talk to him. Work this shit out.”

  “How? Should I ask his girlfriend to leave the room or just include her in the conversation?”

  “Girlfriend? Who?” he asks, and then realization dawns. “Rhonda? That tramp? Hell no. That is not Cal’s girlfriend. Technically, she was mine, but now she is obsessed with Cal and won't leave him alone. He hasn't dated anyone since he moved here. Hell, I don't think he has had sex since he left that little hick town, despite my willingness to help him out with that.”

  “Huh? She's not his girlfriend?”

  “Are you deaf? No, sugar. She is nothing to him. Zip. Zero. Zilch. She is less than nothing, if that is possible.”

  “Then what the hell are we doing here? Let’s go. Momma needs her baby daddy.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Callum

  I don't know what the fuck to do. It seems every single decision I’ve made in the last twenty-four hours has been the wrong one.

  I can't believe I fucked her.

  I can’t believe how fucking good she felt in my arms once again.

  Home.

  Where she belongs.

  How the hell am I gonna convince her of that? Thirty seconds after shattering her world and making her legs tremble with each stroke of my finger, she dismisses me as nothing more than a delivery boy.

  Hi, my name is Callum Johnson. Orgasm Deliverer Extraordinaire.

  No need to tip.

  It’s my pleasure. Literally.