Chapter 57
***Cass***
Itugged at the bottom of my dress and blew a piece of hair out of my mouth.
It kept sticking to the lipgloss Aunt Jolene had covered my lips in and I was ready to cut off my lips or my hair, either one.
Cheering was nearly impossible because every time I clapped my hands I felt like my boobs were going to pop out.
It was infuriating and I felt dumber than ever before.
What made it worse was the knowledge that I’d asked for it.
I’d gone to Aunt Jolene after spending the day of the game trying to do my hair and makeup only to end up looking like a KISS reject.
She’d done her magic and I’d left the house looking like every other woman at the game.
I had curls, mascara, and a dress that would’ve made the people who said I looked like a boy feel like idiots.
The material performed some kind of magic trick and gave me more curves than I really had.
I looked good. I just felt like throwing a tantrum.
My feet hurt in her heels and all I wanted to do was take them off and throw them into the stands.
I felt like I couldn’t enjoy the game and it was a good one.
The guys were on fire. The entire team was on fire.
Cash had already thrown four beautiful touchdown passes and we were ahead by over twenty points.
I should’ve been cheering my ass off the way I wanted to.
I’d been convinced I couldn’t feel worse but Sam Ford made his way to the seat next to me after halftime. He was missing his girlfriend and the way he looked at my tits made me want to throat punch him.
“I almost didn’t recognize you. You clean up nice enough to almost make up for your personality.”
I bared my teeth at him, not giving a shit that there were cameras everywhere. “Something that you could never do with a personality like yours.”
He grinned back at me. “I understand why my boys can’t keep their dicks clear of you. I really, really do. I used to like a woman with that kind of fight, too. Then I realized just how exhausting it is when I could just fuck women who do what I want them to without all the bullshit.”
“You’re disgusting.”
“And you’re a whore. If you plan on sticking around, we might as well get used to each other.” He leaned back in his seat and sighed. “You in love with my boys?”
“You believe in love?”
“Not really. But I know you young girls like to believe in all that flowery shit.” Sam pointed to the field and leaned closer. “Smile like you like me, honey, we’re on camera.”
“I’d rather pluck my eyes out. Let them think I’m just being a bitch.” I leaned away from him and crossed my arms. “Don’t you have a young girl with daddy issues to ruin?”
He laughed like I’d just said the funniest thing but when he leaned into my space and gripped my arm, his grip was bruising.
“My boys are going to fall in line and follow in my footsteps, girl. If you plan on sticking around, you’d better learn to put on a pretty face and smile when I say to smile.
I run this place. I’ll make your life hell. ”
I snorted. “Been there, got the bumper sticker, and fell for the time share, asshole. Don’t threaten me and think I’ll let you bully me around.”
He patted my bare thigh and winked. “I can’t help but like you. I hope you do stick around. Watching you learn to jump when I say jump will be thrilling.”
“You should move away from me before everyone watching gets to see me jab your eyeballs so far back in your head that you’ll see all the repressed shit that makes you so insufferable.”
Sam’s next words were drowned out by the people around us gasping and then the words no one ever wants to hear from the announcers. “There’s a fight on the field!”
I shoved Sam’s hand away and stood up to see better.
It was hard to make out who was who with both teams rushing onto the field to either get their teammates away from the fray or to join them.
I gripped the railing with shaking hands until I saw what I hadn’t wanted to see.
Cash. He was in the middle of the fight, helmet off, throwing punches with a few of the other teams’ players.
I shoved my way past Sam and to the end of the row, knowing that Cash was going to be ejected from the game if he’d started the fight.
I kept one eye on the field and nearly lost my mind when one of the opposing team players connected a punch to Cash’s jaw.
It was like he didn’t feel it, though, when he went at them even harder.
Refs were everywhere, coaches and medical staff alike had players by the pads, yanking them away.
It took West and Hayes grabbing Cash to get him off the field.
I reached the tunnel just as I heard what I’d been afraid was coming.
Cash was ejected from the game. He would face additional penalties when the smoke cleared, I knew.
I hurried to the locker room with my stomach filling with lead.
I knew that Cash was going to come in hot and just wanted to be there to comfort him if he needed it.
Things blew up before he reached the locker room, though.
I heard Sam’s shouting and clenched my hands into fists.
I was going to end up murdering the asshole if I had to spend more time with him.
Whatever chance I had of cooling Cash off flew out the window thanks to Sam.
I stayed in the locker room, waiting for Cash but Sam was shouting loud enough that I might as well have been standing next to him.
“What the fuck were you thinking?! You want to fuck up your position in the draft? How fucking stupid are you?” Sam sounded like he was foaming at the mouth.
“I didn’t work on you for years for you to be anything other than the number one draft pick, you little shit!
You will not embarrass me! Goddammit, Cash!
Everything you do should be about the draft! ”
“Back the fuck up.” Cash’s voice had a dangerous edge and I wondered if I needed to step in.
“The fucking draft, Cash! You fucking animal. You look like poor white trash out there, throwing punches like that. You’re an embarrassment to the Ford name and if you don’t go first in the draft, you might as well change your last name!”
“I’m not going to be in the draft at all, asshole!
Let me make this clear to you right fucking now, Dad, I’m done after this season.
Finished. Fucking over it! So you don’t need to worry about my position in the draft.
” Cash let out a pained laugh. “If I never touch another football in my life, it’ll be a good life. ”
I didn’t hear whatever Sam said next but it wouldn’t have mattered if he’d been screaming in my ear.
I was too shocked by Cash’s words. I knew by the tone of his voice that he was serious.
I’d never considered that maybe they didn’t all love football.
Guilt peppered my skin when I realized I’d never asked Cash about football, not past how he played or to comment on the game. How long had he felt that way?
I was still standing there looking shocked when Cash slammed the door open and stomped into the locker room. He spotted me immediately and threw his helmet across the room. My body reacted immediately to the heat rolling off of him. “Cash.”
“If you don’t want it rough you should go, Cassidy.” He yanked his pads off and prowled towards me, already knowing that I wasn’t going anywhere.