Chapter 23
Losing Everything
Bentley
Two months later …
There has been so much going on as I get prepared for the combine and the draft and get ready to graduate. When I’m not focused on training or my classes, I’m with Zah, trying to keep her spirits up.
My baby has been so depressed. The trainers have just started to work on restoring motion and strength to her knee. I think it’s been weighing heavily on everyone’s mind how long her injury will take to heal and allow her to return to the field, especially Zah’s.
I’m doing my best to be present for her and remain focused on all the things I need to take care of. I know she’s not leaning on me as much as she needs to because she doesn’t want to be a bother.
That could have been me. I could be the one down with a torn ACL. There would be no draft and I’d be working on figuring out what the hell I plan to do with my life.
That’s something I’ve thought about a lot. I’m trying to see this all through her eyes and feelings. To go from being on top to this, I feel so bad for her.
“Just a minute,” I call out as my doorbell rings.
I just stepped out of the shower. I want to head over to see Zah and make sure she eats dinner. She’s been studying and keeping to herself a lot. Sometimes, not even taking time to eat.
Wrapped in a towel, I jog to the front door and look out. Seeing it’s Zah on her crutches, I quickly open the door. She has her hood up over her head and something is off about her posture that has nothing to do with the crutches.
“Baby?”
She looks up and that’s when I can see the tears rushing down her face. I quickly move to lift her off her feet, catching her crutches to toss them into the apartment out of my way. She wraps her arms around my neck and buries her face into my shoulder as she sobs.
“Zah, baby, what’s going on?”
“I’m losing my scholarship. Coach told me today after my session.”
“Ah shit. I’m so sorry, Zahirah. We’re going to figure this out, baby. I promise.”
“There’s nothing to figure out. My parents only allowed me to come here because of the scholarship. Now they’ll surely want me to come home.” She sniffles.
“Can you finish out the semester at least?”
“Coach said she’s working on that, but it’s not guaranteed.”
I take a seat on the couch and place her on my lap. Pushing her hood back, I look into her face. My heart is breaking.
“If they won’t cover the rest of the semester, I will. You don’t have to go home in the middle of all the hard work you’ve already put in.”
“I can’t ask you to do that. This is all so messed up. I … I don’t know how to feel. It’s like I’m losing everything I worked so hard for. Why is this happening?”
“I don’t know, baby, but I’m here for whatever you need. You don’t have to ask me. I’m going to take care of you. Besides, I’m sure if you tell your mom and dad what’s going on, they’re not going to allow your education to be interrupted,” I say.
“Thanks, Bent. I just needed someone to talk to. It feels like the sky is falling and I don’t know how to stop it.
“I mean, you always know something like this can happen, but when it does, it’s like you’re blindsided while watching the train run you over. None of the races, none of the wins make a difference. You can’t perform, so you don’t matter anymore.”
“You matter, baby. You matter to me, and you matter to everyone back home. Track doesn’t define anything about you.
“If they don’t want to support the best runner on their team, fuck them. You still have tons of options. You’re so smart and talented.”
“I’ve always dreamed of going to the Olympics. I never thought of what I would do if I couldn’t be a professional athlete. All I know is running.”
“Remember in high school when you were on the media team? You were great at that. I know you had my attention every morning.”
“Oh, please, you were a horny jock. I probably had all the teams’ attention,” she says with the first real smile I’ve seen in weeks.
“This is true, but it’s not a bad idea. What about the summer you helped my mom out at the real estate office? You and Erica seemed to like that.”
“I did. I really had a blast that summer, but I don’t know if I could actually sell a house. That takes skill.”
“I think Mom would love to show you the ropes.”
“She’s not even in the business anymore.”
“That’s what you think. She’s still doing private sales here and there. She got back out there when Dad needed some help with the finances for a bit.”
“I guess I have a lot of thinking to do. I mean, I won’t know for sure for another ten or so months if I’ll never compete again, but I don’t want to sit around and wait. I want to have options. This is teaching me to keep options,” she says.
“Speaking of options, have you eaten? What do you have a taste for? Let me feed you.”
“No, I haven’t eaten, but I’m not hungry for food right now. I miss you, Bent,” she purrs as she runs her hands over my bare chest.
It’s been two months since we’ve had sex. She hasn’t really been in the mood, and for a while, she was in too much pain to think about sex. I’m hard instantly.
“Are you sure?”
She bites her lip and nods her head. Not willing to turn her down, I capture her lips and kiss her deeply. I stand with her in my arms, ready to carry her to my bedroom.
My towel falls to the floor, forgotten as I step over it and make my way to the bed, where I can take her with care for her knee. She moans in my mouth as I place her down on my mattress.
Zahirah
“I love you,” Bentley groans into my mouth as he devours me.
“I love you too,” I moan as he goes to pull away and reaches for the hem of my hoodie as I settle on the bed.
I’m nervous and excited at the same time. It’s been too long since the last time we had sex. I miss him and want to feel him inside me, but I’m nervous about my leg.
However, sitting in his lap while he had nothing but a towel on made me throw all caution to the wind. I want him. I long to feel him making love to me.
“Bent, I want you so much,” I whimper as he peels my sweats down my legs.
“I want you too, baby. Hold tight, I’ve got you.”
Lust fills his eyes as he sees I’m not wearing underwear. I drop my gaze and see he’s lost his towel somewhere along the way. He’s already hard and waiting.
I squirm in place, wanting to push him onto his back and mount him. He reaches into his drawer for a condom and rolls it on as if reading my thoughts. However, he doesn’t move to enter me as I thought he would. Instead, he gently pushes my legs open and flattens onto his belly.
“Oh my God, yes,” I cry out.
He hums into my core as he demolishes my pussy. I mean, he’s eating me like a meal he wants to savor. I rock my hips against his face, needing more.
It doesn’t take long before he has me coming all over his face. I clench the sheets with one hand and his thick hair with the other. He has my left thigh cradled to the side of his face.
I want to try to bend my knee, but I don’t want to do anything that will end this. As I come down from my orgasm, Bentley turns me onto my side and moves behind me. He then hooks my leg over his arm and thrusts into me from behind. I cry out his name and look back at him over my shoulder.
“Fuck, baby,” he groans and captures my lips. He breaks the kiss and looks into my eyes. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, keep going. I’m okay.”
“If I hurt you, let me know. We can try another position.”
“I’m good, babe. Please, I need you.”
“Fuck, say that again.”
“I need you, Bent. Please.”
“I always want to give you what you need. You feel so good. I’ve missed being inside you so much.”
He lifts my leg in the air and begins to fuck me harder. It’s just what I need. I get so lost in us, all my stress and worries melt away.
I’ve thought about finishing the semester and going back home to finish up somewhere else. However, Erica is here. I’d be leaving her alone.
“Zah, baby, I need you here with me. I can feel your thoughts drifting,” Bent groans into my ear.
He pulls out and rolls me onto my back. Pulling my right leg against his waist, he then settles between my legs and slides into me once again. We lock eyes as he rocks in and out.
He licks his lips, then leans in to take mine. I need more of him. I want to do my part.
I begin to rock my hips to meet his thrusts as best I can. He groans and his eyes roll back in his head. He’s so deep and hard.
“Don’t stop, I’m coming. Yes, yes, you feel so good,” I whimper.
“Fuck, Zah, keep moving just like that, baby. I’m going to come so fucking hard. Oh my God, you feel good.”
He begins to hit my spot, and my eyes roll back in my head. I don’t think I’m going to last much longer without coming. I’m shaking and convulsing beneath him, ready to come apart.
“I’m coming. Oh God, I’m coming.”
“Zah,” he grunts as his hot seed spills into the barrier.
He rolls onto his back, breathing heavily. I look up at the ceiling and begin to think of all the things in my life I still have. Together, we can do anything.
“Zah—”
He doesn’t get to finish his words as both our phones go off. I scoff a laugh and go to reach for my hoodie to grab mine. Seeing it’s my mom, I grab the phone and sit up to answer.
Bentley gets up and heads into the bathroom, leaving me to be able to answer the call in private. I had tried to call my mom earlier when I first got the news, but it went to voicemail. I have a smile on my face as I pick up the call and lift the phone to my ear.
“Hey, Mom,” I sing into the phone.
“Zahirah, where are you, baby? Are you sitting down?”
“I’m at Bent’s. Yeah, I’m sitting.”
The smile falls from my face. A strangled sound comes from the bathroom, almost like a mix between a sob and something soul torturing.
My blood runs cold. I turn to look at the bathroom door, but I can’t move. My crutches are still by the door where Bentley threw them.
“Mom, what’s going on?”
“It’s your father and Bill. They were killed in an accident. Baby, you kids all need to come home.”
“No,” I scream. “Daddy, no.”
I try to stand but fall right onto my butt, sobbing. Bentley appears and wraps himself around me as he sobs with me. I hold on to him tightly, as it feels like my entire world has just imploded.
“We’re going to get through this together. I’m so sorry, baby. I’m so sorry.”
“This isn’t real. They can’t be gone. No. This isn’t real. Not my daddy. Why?”
“I don’t know, baby. I don’t want it to be real either. I just talked to him this morning before I left for training.
“We said we would talk again tonight. He was going to come to the combine. This was his dream.
“He was so excited. Now he’s gone. I’m doing all of this on my own now. He’s gone,” he sobs.
I’m so confused and numb. I don’t know how long we sit on the floor naked and sobbing. My world just ended. My daddy is gone, and my second father is gone with him.
This can’t be real.