Reserved for Her (Crescent City Kings Football #2)
1. Prologue
Prologue
BECCA
THIRTEEN YEARS AGO
“There is no way you believe that. You are insane.”
“Becca. I know for an absolute fact that… I am insane,” Thomas replied. All I could do was laugh. The boy was a mess, but a beautiful one. A mess that I wanted to be around all the time and completely caught up in. I’d had a crush on Thomas Hughes for years, until one day he cornered me in his kitchen and kissed the ever-living daylights out of me.
He always knew what he wanted and how to get it. That’s why, when he told people he didn’t know what his plans were after college, I knew it was a complete lie .
“Thomas, you can’t join the Peace Corps. You need to go to college and play football! Why would you waste your talent?” I plopped down beside him on his bed, hearing a faint conversation next door in his sister’s room. I knew there wasn’t a lot of time to talk with him before we went to the party, but I wanted to know what he was going to do and where it would leave us.
“Football is fun, but I want to change the world. I just don’t think I would get the fulfillment I want from playing college football. It’s not for me. Now Conrad… it’s definitely for him. He will go on to play in the pros. Mark my words.”
I sighed and Thomas wrapped his arm around my shoulder, kissing my head. “As for you and I–I don’t know what will happen, but let’s just enjoy what we have right now.”
He gripped my chin, pulling my eyes to align with his own. “Okay, Becks?”
I closed my eyes briefly before returning a smile. “Okay.”
Standing, I leaned over to mess up his hair and kiss him softly on the lips. “I’m gonna go check on Lenna. We’ll be ready soon.”
Storming into Lenna’s room, I saw a very distressed and red Lenna Hughes. "What's that look for, Little Lenny?" I asked with a smirk.
She shrugged and avoided eye contact, which was a clear indication that she was lying with a capital L. "Lenna Rae Hughes, what are you lying about?"
Shaking her head, she swore that she wasn’t—that was, until her bathroom door opened, and I was delightfully surprised to see Thomas’s best friend, Conrad Stone. I knew the look on his face; the one that said, “I just kissed Lenna and now you know.”
I winked at Conrad. "Don't worry, I won't tell Thomas."
I’m almost ninety-nine percent sure he cursed me under his breath before returning through the adjoining bathroom to Thomas’s room.
Lenna and I were absolute best friends. She was my rock. My steady. The level-headed one whereas I was always a little flighty and unsure. Eventually, she confessed to kissing Conrad and it made me happy. Genuinely happy, because anyone who watched the two of them knew they were meant to be. Tonight sealed it for them, especially since our guys won the state football championship.
I followed Lenna to Thomas’s door, ready to head out to the after-party. Once we made it outside, I asked if I could sit in the front with Thomas and of course Lenna obliged. Why wouldn’t she? She would be able to sit next to the love of her life and I got to sit by mine.
We buckled in and set off for the party. Thomas started the dad joke game to see which one of us would break and laugh. I always lost because he was so damn good at keeping a straight face. I’d already lost two rounds, and it was finally my turn.
“Okay smarty pants. You’re gonna lose this round,” I said to him, and I watched the cunning smirk rise in the corner of his mouth with his eyes on the road.
That’s when everything changed. I lost him that night. I lost myself. The chance of having a future with him was all I’d ever wanted, and one person changed the trajectory of my life with their selfish decision to drive drunk. I should be thankful that I lived, and maybe one day I’d appreciate that I did.
I’d never find anyone like him. I never want to.