“Can you pick up some dessert?” she asks and I chuckle.
“Dessert for lunch slash dinner. Sold.” I point to her. “What time do you want me to show up?”
“You can come now.”
“You can’t come now,” Jaxon reneges. “I’m putting this guy down for a nap and then I’m taking my woman to bed.”
“Sorry, you’ll have to excuse me, my ears are bleeding.” I grimace. “I’ll be by later and I’ll only come in after you tell me that you both showered.”
They both laugh. “I mean, we could shower and kill two birds with one stone.” Jaxon winks at Ariella.
“And now I have no eardrums,” I retort. “Bye, Jagger, your parents are disgusting.” I hang up the phone and look out at the ocean. Seeing the water crash onto the shore, the roaring makes it so relaxing, and my mind is brought back again to Zane. It’s like all fucking roads lead back to him, and I’m pissed about it. Last night I avoided going to the bar after the game because I was afraid to come face-to-face with him. Which made me even angrier because I wanted to see him. “I need to forget about him,” I tell myself. “He clearly has forgotten about me.”
I finish my coffee, trying not to think about the fact that our night must have not meant anything to him, while I’m over here thinking about him at least once a day, usually in the morning when I wake up or at night before bed. If that one night wasn’t enough for me to fixate on, him pushing me against the wall at the restaurant was another memory that is now seared into my brain. Everything with him is on a different level. The way he touches me, the way he kisses, the way I just want more of him is something I’ve never felt before.
My first boyfriend was during my senior year in high school. We dated for a year before I gave him my virginity. I thought he would be the one. I mean, doesn’t everyone think the person she gives her virginity to is going to be the one? He was, in fact, not the one. I found out the motherfucker was cheating on me with five different girls from different schools. He had even gone as far as going into my phone sometimes and blocking the girls, just in case they messaged me. I thought about pouring sugar in his gas tank but instead, I did better. I dated his best friend and roommate and even walked into the kitchen one Sunday morning wearing his shirt. It was delightful. At least for me.
After him I had a string of boyfriends, but no one stuck. It was like there was always that one thing missing, but I couldn’t exactly put my finger on it. I wanted someone who made me laugh at the same time he drove me crazy. I wanted someone who I could make lose control and pin me to a brick wall to kiss the ever-loving shit out of me. That is what I wanted, and I guess I found it, but now I need to find someone who would do that with me and not think it was a bad idea.
I spend the day cleaning up the house and putting away my laundry before I get dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a T-shirt, then heading out to the bakery Lexi showed me that has the best cinnamon buns I’ve ever tasted in my life. I get a box of six and then head over to Jaxon and Ariella’s. I pull up in the driveway and walk up the steps to the front door, ringing the doorbell before walking in. “Honey, I’m home!” I call out and then hear small feet hitting the floor. I put the box on a hall table and squat down when Jagger comes into view. “There he is, the love of my life.” I hold out my arms and he runs into them as I sweep him up and turn him around. “The most handsome boy ever.” I blow kisses in his neck, and he laughs. “How is my favorite nephew?” I ask him and he just grunts out a couple of nonsense words. “Are you happy your Auntie TT came to visit you?”
“TT,” he says and I swear, I about jump up and down.
I gasp. “What did you say?” I ask him. “Did you say TT?” I look over at Ariella and then at Jaxon, who rolls his eyes.
“Great,” he grumbles. “Now she’s going to be all ‘I’m his favorite.’”
“Well, I’m not saying I’m his favorite, but who is your favorite?” I ask again.
“TT,” he says.
“He’s the smartest boy in the whole wide world,” I tell them. “This kid is Einstein.”
“Five months ago you didn’t think so,” Jaxon reminds me as I walk into the house and he squirms out of my arms, “and now he’s a genius.”
“I said what I said.” I shrug. “What are we eating? I’m starving.”
“We got tacos,” Jaxon answers and I clap my hands.
“Chips and guacamole.” I walk over to the counter, seeing the appetizer and reaching for a chip. “Yes, please.” I dunk the chip in the guacamole before tossing it in my mouth. I make a plate of tacos before walking over to the table and we have dinner.
“I’m not looking forward to this road trip,” Jaxon says, leaning back in his chair. “It’s going to be brutal.” He closes his eyes. “All I know is we better win at least one out of the two, or else Zane is going to lose it.” The minute he says his name, it’s like my body is brought to life. “He’s a great fucking coach, but we’re starting to see a divide in the team.”
“How so?” I ask and, for the first time in my life, I’m interested.
“Some players don’t like his coaching style, so it’s going to be interesting to see how it plays out.” I don’t ask him any more questions because he’ll probably be wondering why I suddenly care, but I’m immediately curious and want to know if Zane’s alright. When it’s time to head home, I kiss Jaxon goodbye before hugging Jagger, right before he goes upstairs to bed.
I go home and undress as I get ready for the week ahead of me. I put on my face mask, grab my phone, and pull up Zane’s number. I know I shouldn’t call him, and I know I should leave it, but I can’t. Something in me is pulling me to him. The phone rings three times before he answers it, and by that time I’m wondering if he’s with someone. “Hello.” His voice fills my ears, and I don’t say anything as I close my eyes. “Hello.”
“Hey,” I say, swallowing the big lump in my throat, “whatcha doing?”
“Watching television,” he replies as I climb into my bed and sit in the middle. “You?”
“Nothing, I was here in my bed, and I was thinking about you,” I confess, and I can feel the tension through the phone when he says just my name.
“Victoria.” His voice is tight as he groans out my name, and I bite my lower lip, laughing.
“Yes, Zane,” I say and I wish he was here with me. “I was thinking.”
