Dirty Player_A Football Romance Read online

  I looked around the room. I wasn’t the only one sitting there. Two other men were sitting opposite me. They looked like they knew each other, and I wasn’t sure which one of them was scarier. The one was a big guy. He looked like he spent all his time lifting weights. His muscles bulged out of his t-shirt, and veins popped up everywhere. He sat there with a grimace on his face, and every now and again he would look at the other guy sitting next to him. I had no idea what the exchange meant, but they seemed to have some sort of silent language between them that only they understood. I didn’t like how uncomfortable they made me. The other guy was much scrawnier. He looked like he hadn’t seen real food in months. He tapped his foot constantly though as if he was high on sugar, and unable to control his nerves. He looked jittery, and his body did not stop twitching and jerking. I wondered if he was having some sort of drug withdrawal. I wasn’t sure which guy was worse. The big guy had strength, but the thin guy looked like he was about to lose control. I didn’t like the fact that they were together. Every now and again they would look at me, and I would quickly look down at my feet. I didn’t want to show them that I was scared, but I also didn’t want to look them in the eye. The longer we stayed in the cell, the bigger the chance of them trying to start a fight with me.

  I urged the guard to come back with good news. Every time he walked past, I looked up and hoped that he was coming to see me. Time seemed to go slowly. There was no clock or watch nearby, so I had no idea how long I had been sitting there. It felt like I had been there all day, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it had only been a few hours. I felt a gnawing in my stomach, and I realized I hadn’t eaten since that morning. And even then I had barely eaten much at all. The muffins at the motel were delicious, but they weren’t exactly filling. I needed proper food. I thought of calling for the guard, but I didn’t want to make a scene. The guard would probably laugh at me anyway and tell me that I wasn’t in a hotel. And who knew what the two guys in the room would do if they heard me asking for food.

  I wondered what they were in for, and whether they had been working together when they got caught. I wondered, also, how long it would take for me to ask them. I still didn’t think it was a good idea to talk to them, but right now I wasn’t sure how much longer I could stand the silence. The only thing I could hear was the sound of my heart beating along with the sound of the skinny guy's foot tapping on the floor. And with every tap, I felt more nervous and more anxious than before.

  I heard footsteps coming my way, and the minute I heard the voices, I breathed a sigh of relief. It was my father and Axel. I sat up straighter and waited for them to come my way.

  “All right,” the guard said as he reached for his key to open the door. “Dominic Aarons, you can come this way.”

  I didn’t look at the men even though I knew they were looking at me. I hoped I would never have to see them again. They probably didn’t take too kindly to the fact that I was leaving that room before them. If I did come back, I just hoped they would be gone. Axel patted me on the back. It felt so good to see a familiar face again.

  “You okay?” he said.

  I nodded and smiled at him. “I’m fine. Thanks for coming. What’s going on?”

  “Get your stuff. There’ll be time for talking afterward,” the guard said to me.

  I hated that the guard was treating me like a criminal even though I had done nothing wrong. I knew he was only doing his job, but I still didn’t like the way it made me feel. I didn’t say anything back, though. I didn’t want him to send me back in because of my bad behavior. I would have to prove to him that I had done nothing wrong. I went to get my things and then walked back out to meet my father and Axel.

  “Phew, that guard is scary,” Axel said. “And those guys in the cell. Were they okay to you?”

  I shook my head. “They didn’t say a word to me, but they kept staring at me the whole time. How long have I been in there?”

  “I think about four hours,” he said.

  “Felt like forever. Time slowed down in there. Dad, what’s going on?” I asked my father. “How did you get me out?”

  “Well, I’ve spoken to my lawyer. He’s on his way. There was no point keeping you in there. You’re not really out yet, but I also don’t think you’re going back in. We’re going to one of the interrogation rooms now just to wait for him to arrive.”

  “What does the lawyer have to say? Did he think I have a chance?”

  “Well, he thinks that they have no reason to have you there. As well-influenced as Lionel is, there is simply no way he can prove that you did something wrong. I know that Lionel is going to try and have his way, but at the end of the day, you and Candice are both adults, and you can do what you want to. And, as Candice is obviously sticking up for you, there seems to be no grounds to have you in jail. It’s obvious that you didn’t take her against her will.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief. “Well, that’s good to know. It’s good to know that for once I will be proven right. I still cannot believe that he had the nerve to say that I abducted her. That’s really taking it kind of far, don’t you think?”

  “Yeah, but I’m not surprised at all.”

  “I guess you’re right. I should’ve seen it coming. Do you think there is still a chance that something will happen though? I mean, like you said, he’s got influence, this guy.”

  My father looked at me. “I don’t know, Dominic. I wish I could say I don’t believe he will do anything, but I’m not sure. He’s a powerful man, and he has a lot of connections. Personally, I don’t think you’ll go to jail at all, but it might still affect you in some other ways.”

  I nodded. I knew exactly what he was talking about. “The NFL,” I said.

  My father sighed. “Yep. Look, Dominic, I hate to say this to you, but I told you not to mess around with this girl. You knew what Lionel was like before going into this. He thinks he can do whatever he wants to, and to be fair, I think that sometimes he can. It’s just not worth getting into all this mess for a girl. You do realize that everything you worked hard for might all have been for nothing now? I really didn’t want you getting involved. I knew that coming back here was going to be a bad idea, but I had no idea you were going to meet up with her again. You were eleven! I cannot believe the two of you are back together.”

  “Are you serious? You don’t want me to be with Candice because you’re afraid of her father? That’s ridiculous. This should be about Candice and me. Nobody else needs to get involved.”

  My father launched into another tale about how one day I would look back on this and realize I should never have gotten involved in that family. I knew that there was nothing more than I could say. My father clearly hated Lionel, and just didn’t want to get involved with them again. I supposed I couldn’t blame him, but I still wished he was sticking up for me rather than letting Lionel win all over again. I didn’t say anything back, I just nodded. A part of me felt bad for my father. I didn’t regret what I had done, but I did feel bad that he was going through this all over again. It couldn’t be easy for him.

  “So, what do we do now?” I said.

  “We wait for the lawyer. He’s on his way.”

  I nodded. Once again, my fate was in someone else’s hands. I figured I should be used to this by now. I sat back and closed my eyes. All I wanted was to be back in that motel room, eating chocolate chip muffins, drinking deliciously strong coffee, and looking at Candice. I wanted to go back to a time when nobody else existed but ourselves. I wondered what she was doing now. Was she also wishing that she were back in that motel with me? Or was she wishing that she had never climbed on that motorcycle?

  Axel walked into the room carrying coffee and sandwiches.

  “I figured you’d be hungry,” he said and placed it down on the table in front of me.

  I looked gratefully at him. “Thank you. I’m starving. I’ve been thinking about food for the last four hours.”

  “I can’t guarantee that it’s any good. It�
�s all they had, unfortunately.”

  I took a bite of the sandwich and then another and then another. “I’m starving. Anything tastes like a gourmet meal right about now. Thanks, Axel.” I actually wished he had brought more sandwiches. I could have eaten another two and still not felt full.

  “Pleasure. Oh, my phone is ringing. I’ll be right back,” he said and left the room.

  I was left sitting with my father. Axel had bought coffee for both of us, so we just sat there, sipping from the polystyrene cups and not saying a word to one another. My father had always been so proud of me, but I had no idea what he was thinking now. He was sitting with his son in jail, waiting for his lawyer to bail me out. It was, I was sure, the worst moment in his life. But every now and again I caught him looking at me, and the look that crossed his face was one of guilt. At least, that was what it looked like to me. Was a part of him upset that he hadn’t stood up for me? Did he feel guilty that he had allowed Lionel to walk all over him for the second time? I wasn’t sure, but I hoped so. I wanted him to know that it was possible to stand up for yourself, and to stand your ground, no matter what.

  I knew then that I was not going to let anyone stand in the way of me being Candice. If she still wanted to be with me, then I would be waiting. Candice and I didn’t have to fall into the same traps that our parents had fallen into. We were stronger than that. And Candice was definitely worth fighting for.

  Chapter Thirty

  Candice

  I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t stop pacing. I was going out of my mind. My father hadn’t locked me in the room again now that he knew that I could just come out, but I refused to talk to him. I was angry and shocked by what had happened. I’d called the police and they assured me that the right thing would be done. I only hoped that they believed me. I was still hoping that my mother would help him see the light, but so far it didn’t look like she hadn’t gotten through to him. My stomach growled, but I ignored it. It didn’t feel right eating when all of this was going on. My mother had given me a sandwich, but it lay uneaten on my chest of drawers. I walked up to it now and took a bite. Then, despite my resolve, I shoved the whole thing down my throat. I had been even hungrier than I had imagined. The moment I took the last bite, I felt guilty. It wasn’t right that I was at home, eating a sandwich, while Dominic was in jail.

  I had given a lot of thought to everything. I had nothing else to do but think anyway. As I paced, I thought about Dominic. I thought back to my friendship with him when we were eleven. I remembered how much fun used to have with him around, how good it felt to be around. It was the start of love even though neither of us knew it back then. I remembered how it had felt when he had been taken from me. I remember that gut-wrenching loneliness I had felt when I had gone to bed that night. My father had tried to introduce me to other kids my age after that, but it didn’t feel the same. They weren’t Dominic. They weren’t my Nicky. And now, seeing him again after all these years, it just reinforced what I had always known – the two of us were meant to be together. I thought about what Axel had said to me, and my father, and my mother, and all their warnings mixed together until I didn’t know who had said what. It didn’t matter anymore. I was not going to give up on us. I was meant to be with Dominic and nothing would get in the way of that.

  I called Axel.

  “I know you’re angry at me,” I said. “But I just want you to know that I am in love with Dominic. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. Yeah, I should’ve known that my father was going to make trouble. But, to be honest, Axel, it’s impossible for me to stay away from him. I love him. And I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure that we are together. If he still wants to be with me when all of this is over, then I’m going to be with him. I choose him over my father.”

  There was silence on the other end of the phone. I knew that Axel was surprised by my defiance. I thought he was going to shout at me again. But he didn’t, and I felt relief flood through me just knowing that I finally had someone else on my side. Lately, I had felt as if it was only Dominic and me against the world. Now I had Lily, and Axel too.

  “Good for you, Candice. I’m glad that you called. I’m sorry about all the things I said to you. I felt bad about it the moment I put down my phone. He’s my friend. I’m just sticking up for him. But, for what it’s worth, I think the two of you are perfect together.”

  I smiled. “Thank you, Axel. That means a lot. Listen, how is he holding up? Is he okay? I’m still in the dark here.”

  “He’s okay. You know what he’s like. He’s one of the strongest guys I know. He’s holding up fine, but he’s super pissed off.”

  “Yeah, so am I,” I said.

  “Look, I have to go. But I’ll tell him you called. I’m sure we’ll know what’s happening soon. The lawyer is here.”

  “Thanks, Axel,” I said.

  I still had no idea what was going on, but I felt better now that I had talked to Axel. At least I knew that Dominic was doing okay. He was fine. For now, that was all I could ask for.

  I lay down on the bed, unsure of what to do next. I must’ve been exhausted, because before I knew I had closed my eyes and drifted off. I immediately fell into a dream. In the dream, I was taken back down memory lane. I was sitting in my old kitchen. In the house that we had before this one. The details of the kitchen were vivid, down to the way the floorboards looked, and to the soft whirring sound of the fridge. I was sitting with my father, and I was crying.

  “But why did he have to go?” I said to him, and I knew that I was talking about Dominic. It was the day that he had left. “He never told me he was moving away. He’s my best friend.”

  My father had taken my hands in his. Big hands that I thought were there to protect me. “There, there, my darling girl. These things happen. Sometimes people just come into your life for a little while. But you’re still young. You have your whole life to make new friends. And you’ll see that they will be even better. You don’t need to worry.”

  “But why did they go away?” I asked. I sounded more like I was six instead of the eleven-year-old girl sitting there. There was a sense of desperation in my voice.

  “These things happen,” he said again. “His parents have their own reasons for moving away. Don’t worry; you’ll be fine.”

  There was something strange in his voice. Something I couldn’t quite understand. I frowned at him. “You never liked him, did you? Or his parents? I heard you fighting once. We both did. You didn’t know we were there. But we heard you fighting. Did you send them away? Did you tell them that I couldn’t be friends with him?”

  He shook his head. “No, Candice. They did this all on their own.”

  I had no reason not to believe him. But even then, even as a child, I knew that my father was lying to me. But I didn’t want to accept the truth. It was too hard to admit that your own father would do that to you. I brought it up a few more times after that, but eventually, I let it die.

  I woke up from the dream with a start. I hadn’t thought of that moment in a long time. I lay there, thinking about Dominic, and wondering how different my life would’ve been if he had stayed. I wanted to go back to the motel and to forget about the world. I stared at my phone, wishing that Dominic would call to tell me that everything was going to be okay, but the phone remained silent in my hands. I had never in my life felt more hopeless.

  I found myself about to drift off again when suddenly my mom appeared in the doorway. I sat up and looked at her.

  “Mom. Is everything okay?”

  “Come on, darling; we’re going out. Grab your coat; it’s kind of chilly out there.”

  She walked out before I had the chance to ask her what was going on. I didn’t care, though. I was just glad that I was getting out of that room. I was glad that I finally had something to do. I grabbed my jacket and followed her out.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Dominic

  “I have to go back? Seriously? But why
?” I asked as the police officer came to take me away. As far as I was concerned, I wasn’t going to be put back in. I’d just had a long meeting with the lawyer, and he had said that Candice’s father wouldn’t be able to do anything. I had thought I was just going to walk away.

  “Look, don’t worry about it, Dominic. You’ll be fine. But while I sort out everything on my end, you’re going to have to stay in. It’s just a holding cell while we figure something out.”

  I thought of the two guys that I had been in with before and sighed. That had also been a holding cell. I just hoped they weren’t putting me back in the same place. I thought of arguing but knew there was no point. The lawyer had explained to me how important it was for me to act innocent.

  “But I am innocent,” I had said to him.

  “I know you are. But you still need to act it. These guards are sick to death of fighting the prisoners. Do yourself a favor and just stay on their good side. You’ll be treated a lot better if you do. Just follow orders, and nothing will go wrong.”

  So that was exactly what I was going to do. I thought of his warning as if followed the guard and hoped that everything would be sorted out soon. I didn’t want to spend the night. All I wanted to do was to make sure that Candice was okay. I wanted to kiss her. Then I wanted a long shower and a strong cup of coffee. I couldn’t imagine how awful it must be to stay in jail for years. I was already missing these basic things, and I hadn’t even been in long.