Page 2 of Naughty & Nice

Our schedules were often like night and day. Ashley frequently traveled on modeling shoots which made spending time with her around my shifts at the firehouse difficult. Add in my graduate studies, and it was a tough schedule to maneuver. But when we were both home we made up for lost time. While I’d seen less and less of her at the end of our relationship, it only made me want to try harder to find time for her.

I’d saved and finally had enough money to pick out an engagement ring worthy of my beauty queen. The rock was practically burning a hole in my pocket, just waiting for the moment I could present it on bended knee.

Until…

CHAPTER2

Trevor

“What the fuck, Ashley?”

“Trevor. What are you doing here?”

“Last I checked, I live here,” I shouted as the burly naked jock before me hastily reached for his pants. He looked like a linebacker. The thought had barely left me before I noticed his shirt. The big W insignia confirmed he was most likely on the Washington football team. While visiting the training camp in Richmond had long been on my bucket list, I now wanted to kick that fucking pail down the road.

“I thought you’d be at work.”

“Obviously. How long has this been going on?” All thoughts of grabbing my assignment for my IT class were gone.

“I was going to tell-”

“Trev, we’ve got a call,” Jamie yelled through the door. I turned to notice he’d paused briefly to verify what he was seeing.

“When I get here in the morning, I want your stuff gone,” I spat.

That painful memory is charred into my brain. The betrayal was made worse when Jamie later confirmed her lover was NFL player Martin North. He was 250 pounds of raw muscle. Nosey neighbors confided later that he’d been visiting my home for months. I wondered why she wouldn’t have broken it off with me instead of sneaking around with a baller worth millions. Until Jamie’s continued investigation revealed, the player was just that. A married celebrity who was having an affair with my girl.

Since then, he’s left his wife and children, and he and Ashley have been on the local tabloid circuit. I couldn’t turn on the television or open a local magazine without seeing the two of them. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Ashley’s face was plastered on every billboard in town. If she wasn’t modeling jewelry for anyone traveling the interstate to see, she was painted on restaurant murals and large airport advertisements. She was fucking everywhere.

I’m aware I was partially to blame. I dove in headfirst. But there was never a moment I didn’t thinkbothof us were all in. She’d wax poetic about our future, traveling together, and eventually having kids. But I guess it’s hard to compete with a larger-than-life superstar with a bank account to match.

I hadn’t had many serious relationships prior to Ashley. My plate had been full, beginning my career with the fire department and looking out for my mother.

My dad had fought a hard battle with melanoma. They discovered it too late to offer much hope of recovery. Cancer instantly decimated our flawless life. We’d gone from a tight family focused on Sunday dinners and the arrival of Noah’s kids to heartbroken in the blink of an eye.

My mother was tough as nails, but I knew it was a façade. Noah’s wife, Becca, would try to bring the boys over to distract her grief-ridden thoughts, but I imagined the lonely, depressing time between visits was suffocating. Unable to bear the thought of her hurting alone, I decided to move back home, convincing Mom I wanted to save money with plans to pursue my graduate degree. Hell, there’s no faster way to kill your sex life than living with your parents. But I slept better at night, knowing it was the right thing to do. I’ll always treasure that time with her.

Caring for my mother as we mourned my father, we grew even closer. We’d always had a tight relationship, but you don’t truly appreciate your parents until life throws you a curveball. I’d been blessed with a happy, loving, cohesive family and knew I’d never settle for anything less if I chose to marry. Moving to Sycamore Mountain would be hard on both of us.

In hindsight, it’s clear I was merely mesmerized by Ashley’s beauty. Visits with my nephews hadn’t brought out her maternal side. However, like me, I figured she was at a different stage of life. She was focused on her modeling career. I’m not making this mistake twice. Getting caught up with some superficial bitch who’d leave the moment someone with a better reputation or bank account came along.

Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t realize what good time I’d been making. My eyes land on the bright green highway sign. ‘Welcome to Sycamore Mountain.’ Exiting the interstate, I quickly determine this is a one-horse town. As I approach the light at the end of the off-ramp, there’s a lone gas station, and I spot a fast-food restaurant across from a bait and tackle shop. Luckily, according to the GPS, the realtor’s office is only about ten minutes away.

Miles of desolate farmland interspersed with clusters of evergreen trees engulf the windows of my vehicle. Occasional picturesque hay bales are dotted amongst the tall grass. It’s enchanting. Unspoiled by the strip malls and housing developments of Hanover. There’s not a billboard in sight. This thought briefly brings a relieved smile to my face until it dawns on me that I probably stand a better chance of meeting a bear in this town than a beautiful woman.

I might’ve had a better chance of getting laid living with Mom than here.

As I continue down the road, I stand corrected. There’s at least one female under sixty here. I spot a woman out for a walk with her baby along the grassy edge of the highway. Looking about, it seems an odd place to meander. She’s wearing yoga pants and a hoodie, and I’m a little surprised at my fixation on her. I’m not usually into MILF’s. I’m in no way ready to settle down with a girl with a kid. But she’s got a fucking phenomenal ass. It’d be a crime not to look.

As I grow closer, my eyes are drawn to the face of the child looking back at me. That’s either the ugliest kid on the planet or…

Is that a chicken?

CHAPTER3

Addison

“Addy,grab those cakes for me. I’m covered in icing,” Alden shouts from behind the counter.

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