Page 2

Chapter two

Kade

"I can't believe you're getting married!" I shout to my best friend and teammate, Shane, over the loud music that fills the club.

"I know, it's exciting!" he says, handing me a shot with a giant shit eating grin on his face.

Before responding, I grab it and swallow it down quickly.

Because no, I don't think it's exciting.

I have to be careful though. Shane has been looking forward to finding his soulmate his whole life, and he needs my support, even if the idea of marriage makes me want to jump off a building.

Slamming the glass down on the bar, the alcohol burns as it slides down my throat, sending a shiver down my spine. Giving him a small smile, I say, "Mmm...that was good. Aren't you afraid of being with the same person night after night?"

It doesn't take a world class therapist to diagnose me with a phobia of commitment, and I can blame my good ole parents for that one. Growing up, I never saw a healthy relationship mirrored for me which is the opposite for Shane.

His parents are still together, and his dad would do anything for his mom.

No wonder he’s always yearned for a relationship like that.

My parents, on the other hand, cheated on each other throughout their marriage.

They finally called it quits when I was twelve, which honestly was twelve years too long, if you're asking my opinion. When they divorced, the fighting didn’t stop.

No, it got worse, because they fought over everything.

Including me. Especially me. I would be put into terrible situations where I would often be forced to choose between them.

Sometimes I would use it to my benefit, but I mostly wanted them to leave me alone.

Which is why I vowed to myself that I would never marry, or enter any other long-term relationship, because all it does is bring heartache for everyone involved.

The day I was drafted to the Las Vegas Vipers and started making my own money, was the day I started putting up walls between me and my parents.

Now I only see them once a year on their respective dates and I like it that way.

Shane shakes his head. "No. I'm excited for it—never having to come home to an apartment all alone, always having someone who will have my back no matter what. That sounds like a dream."

"Or having the same dull sex every night.

Never tasting a new pussy. Having her nag on and on about how busy you are with football," I counter. Honestly, I could go on and on about how marriage is a death sentence, but I know my audience and I quell my thoughts. Instead, I raise my hand and focus on getting the bartender’s attention.

Not just any bartender either, the hot elusive one. She's like an urban legend around here. Many have tried to get with her, but she's never taken the bait. Tonight is going to be different.

I watch the short blonde, tight jeans hugging her ass perfectly, a black cropped halter top showing off a sliver of her stomach.

When she turns away, I see a fairy tattooed on her lower back and lick my lips.

Before the end of the night, I'm going to have that girl riding me as if I was a stallion, because I need to forget a curvy woman who haunts my dreams.

"What can I get you?" she asks me as she leans over the bar, pushing her breasts together.

I can't help but drop my gaze down to those two round globes that my hands are itching to grab.

Knowing I can't look for too long if I want her later, I make sure to bring my gaze back to her face. Women like to feel as if they aren’t objects for sex.

"Can I get a scotch on the rocks?" I ask as I look over at Shane, waiting for him to order.

"I'll have two beers," he answers.

"Got it," she says, turning away. Two minutes later, she's dropping them off. We both grab our drinks and I give her a wink, but don't linger. Nothing is more off-putting than a needy man.

Heading to the table that we reserved for this thing, we both drop down in the booth and join a few of our other teammates. Shane hands our other best friend, Blake, a beer. He takes a sip. "Thanks, man. When does Janae and her friends get here?"

That question grabs my attention, swinging my head over toward Shane. "I thought this was a bachelor party. You know, men only." I say, raising one of my brows at him.

"I told you that Janae and I were having a joint bachelor/bachelorette party," he explains.

I roll my eyes but ask, "When did you say that?"

"From the beginning, but I reminded you of it earlier this week after practice," he replies when Blake chimes in, "Are you surprised? Those two are never far from each other."

"I guess not," I say, shrugging my shoulders. But that's when Blake says something that really surprises me.

"You just pushed it out of your mind because you knew Sam would be here,” he teases with a smirk.

Shaking my head, I respond, "No. I don't even think about Sam."

Shane and Blake look at each other, and something passes between them that I can't quite put my finger on before they burst out laughing. I just stare at them. How could they even think I still have feelings for Sam? Besides, she is the one who ghosted me, not the other way around.

"I don't care what Sam does," I mutter, sipping on my scotch.

"Whatever. I think you’re protesting a little too much, there. You and Sam were hot and heavy one minute, then one day it stopped. Cold turkey. What are we supposed to think?" Shane says, giving me a knowing glance.

"Sam is the one who stopped talking with me," I tell them, giving a pointed look before taking a sip of my scotch.

"Whatever, man. If it's not a big deal, then it won't matter if you are around her," Blake says matter-of-factly.

Like he's summoned the fantastic duo from the sky, Janae and Sam walk into the club with a few of their other friends.

Heading straight for our table. It takes everything in me to actively ignore them.

I make sure to look around the room, not allowing my gaze to fall on her.

In fact, looking for an escape sounds like a great plan, but unfortunately, I'm not lucky enough.

Because before I can even blink, the girl who haunts me is standing right in front of our table.

"Hey guys," Janae says as she slides into the booth next to Shane, never taking her eyes off of him with a look that I can only assume is love. But all I feel is nauseated.

Not being able to look at them any longer, I glance away. Which is a complete mistake because at that moment my gaze clashes with Sam's beautiful brown eyes. But before I can get lost in them, I watch as hers fill with disgust before she turns away from me. Fuck, she looks as if she hates me.

A pang hits my chest with the thought, but I take the moment of her looking away as a chance to take her in myself.

My tongue skates across my lips because Sam is still the most gorgeous woman I've ever seen.

The moment I met her at The Felicity, a casino she works at, I knew that she would be underneath me at some point.

Sam looks as if she is the goddess of femininity herself, standing with her arms crossed, pushing her beautiful full breasts up.

She's dressed in a teal dress that stops right above her knee, showing off her pale thick thighs, ones that have been wrapped around my head more than once.

When she turns to pretend that she's looking for someone in the room, still trying to avoid me, her long strawberry blonde hair hangs down her back, curled to perfection.

When we were hanging out, Sam always looked her best. She wouldn't even leave her apartment without feeling that she was put together.

It's not like she had to be painted in make up or anything.

It was always natural. Even now when she is dressed to the nines, her makeup shows off her beauty rather than masking it.

I enjoyed my time with her. She always knew how to make me laugh and she was big on living in the moment. She wasn't needy either. She allowed me to be me. In fact, we were the ones who introduced Janae and Shane. Now we are standing as best man and maid of honor at their wedding.

The problem with Sam is not the way she looks, or even how she acts.

No. The problem with her is she's marriage material and I don't want marriage.

All marriage does is lead you to heartbreak and that's a distraction.

I can't let that happen. Football has to be my focus.

Football is my one and only. That's why I had to let her go.

I needed to make sure that things ended between us.

The only thing I regret is how I did it, because I wasn't man enough to face her. I'm a coward.

And this time isn't any different because the moment I see her walk into the club, the need to escape is heavy. Leaning into the feeling, I get up and head for the dance floor, hoping to get lost between bodies and music instead of memories of something I can't have.