Chapter 13
ETHAN
I knew Jake was playing me, yet that logic didn’t do anything to curb my temper when he whispered his taunts.
“Geez, she’s so hot, isn’t she?” he said, his leery stare soaking into Alicia. “I want her, but she’s a hard nut to crack. A woman like her—fuck, I’d never fumble that.”
I should have been drained and tired from training, but my body was highly strung, ready to jump in for round two.
“She’s not yours. She will never be yours,” I said.
We were getting closer to Alicia, and all I wanted was to disengage with the dickhead and have a couple of private minutes with my girl. But that was shattered when Jake opened his mouth, spitting the most damning words.
“I’m taking her on a date tonight. How much do you think I have to spend before she puts out? Hell, I don’t even care. I bet she’s wild in bed. I can’t wait to fuck that attitude right out of her.”
I was balancing on the precipice, close to snapping into a psychotic rage. I knew I had to scale back and take a breather before I destroyed him.
I thought Jake would have caught the hint from my tense shoulders to my twitching fingers. But he didn’t know how close he was to death.
However, Jake proved he had nil self-preservation by confirming dinner with Alicia. What little resolve I had completely evaporated when he winked, causing a cascade effect.
Red filtered into my vision as my muscles moved on autopilot. I tackled him to the ground and managed to land a few jabs to his ribs, but I barely had two seconds before we were ripped apart.
I pulled against solid arms as Jake remained on the ground, blood dripping from his nose, howling like a little bitch. I didn’t even hit his face, the moron.
People ran rampant as I heard our names being called from all sides.
But that’s not what held my attention. That’s not the reason I wanted to jump back in and hit Jake square in the fucking jaw to add a black bruise alongside that pretty red.
Alicia kneeled beside him, grabbing his chin, turning his head from left to right, assessing the damage.
I couldn’t watch, refusing to witness her care for him.
“ Fuck this ,” I said before I pushed through the crowd.
Before I could flee, I heard Coach’s enraged roar, “HARRIS, MY OFFICE. NOW!”
Yeah, yeah.
I drowned my chaotic thoughts beneath the showerhead, the water cleansing the tense muscles that were stretched to the point of snapping.
Everyone had left the stadium, leaving me to wallow in my own misery. Not that I blamed them.
Coach suspended me for two weeks in response to causing conflict amongst the team. Now, Jake, that mediocre running back was going to get a chance on my field. And what made that sting even worse? I was the one who fucking put him there.
I cut the shower, wrapped a towel around my waist and turned for the change room when I caught her silhouette in the bathroom doorway.
Alicia stood ramrod straight, arms crossed tight as she tapped her heeled foot against the tiles.
My dick twitched just at the sight of her. Maybe that wasn’t the time to announce she was fucking sexy when she was mad. Oh, I miss her.
“What is wrong with you?!”
“There’s a whole list, love.” Gonna have to be more specific.
“Why are you starting shit with your teammates? You’re already playing like shit, and now this?”
Alicia started pacing, her heated rants mixing with the condensation of the bathroom. She was so caught up in her ramblings that she didn’t notice me stalking forward.
“You need to get help or something, Ethan. Get your head checked before you lose everything.”
“I already have.”
She yelped at my sudden proximity, and that’s when I made my power move and dropped the towel.
Alicia’s eyes gaped wide as she catalogued every single inch of my body, hooking on my rock-hard dick. I also didn’t miss the way her tongue peeked out to wet her bottom lip.
I groaned. She is going to kill me.
“Wh—what are you doing?” she stammered.
“Taking advantage of my assets.”
I stepped closer, but she held up a hand and closed her eyes. I stopped dead, not wanting to override her request, even though I knew I could.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to objectify you.”
I leant forward until my lips were an inch away from hers. “That’s disappointing since that’s all I want. Objectify me, love . Use me . I was made for you.”
Her presence was driving me crazy. She was so close, so near , I couldn’t think straight.
“I—I can’t do this,” she whispered, her words rushed and laced with pain.
My heart fell right out of my ass as she abruptly turned her back on me. But before she could race out the door, I caught her hand. I didn’t mean to touch her, but I didn’t want Alicia to leave like that, upset at my advances.
She was trembling, her fingers shaking in mine.
My neck lowered in shame, my nose sinking into the back of her hair, inadvertently soaking in her signature fragrance that I fucking dreamt about.
“I fucked up bad with you, huh?” I murmured into the loose strands. “But trust me, I’m paying for it now. Since I lost you, I’ve had to work through some heavy self-reflection, and let’s just say I don’t like the person I’ve become. I took you for granted, Ali, but I can’t live without you .”
My lips decided to skim down her neck. I wanted my words to seal into her flesh, to sink into the very marrow of her bones.
“Destroying us has been the single worst mistake I have ever made. Fuck football. Fuck the sponsors. Fuck the deals. None of it matters if I don’t have you.”
Alicia gasped as goosebumps peppered her skin. But she remained still and silent.
“I know all these realisations are coming too late, but I’m not opposed to begging… Don’t go to dinner with him, Ali. Stay with me, please .”
Alicia cleared her throat. “It’s not how it sounds. It’s a business meeting, not dinner .”
“I’m serious, love. I don’t trust him with you. This isn’t the asshole pro league player talking. This is me, the real Ethan.”
“I don’t know anymore. Before, I would have taken your word seriously. But you cut me down and out so fast. I’m still recovering. Who even is the real you?”
“ This is the real me. I lost my way, but I’m willing to do anything to get back to us.”
“Us? There is no us . When are you going to accept that?”
“Never. I’ll never accept that.”
Fortifying her resolve, Alicia inhaled a deep breath, then walked out, leaving me naked, exposed and alone.