Page 26 of False Start
Bryant: Good morning, beautiful.
Bryant: I’m sending over Ben’s cousin, Charity, with a pass that will enable you to access virtually any area of the stadium.
Bryant: Can you meet her at the gate at 10?
Zhanna: Wow! I’m going to watch from the sidelines tonight! It’s been such a long time. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Bryant: Baby, Charity is waiting at the gate for you. Let me know when you have the pass in your hands.
I look at the time and see it’s five past ten. I jump from the bed, rush out of the cabin, and practically jump in my Jeep to head for the gate. It takes me a few minutes to reach it at the front of the property where a girl waits inside a blue Honda.
I unlock the gate as Charity exits her vehicle on five-inch heels. She walks smoothly across the gravel in somewhat of a miracle because of the heels, and also because of the tight pants and shirt she’s wearing. I’m not sure how she’s breathing considering they’re painted on. Her long, platinum blond hair is perfectly curled in loose waves down her back, and her makeup looks professionally done. She’s a knockout.
With long, beautiful nails, she hands me an envelope. Before I can thank her for making the trip, she turns on her heel and marches back to her car.
“Thank you!” I say after her. She might be rude, but I don’t have to be.
Strange.
I turn and head back to the gate to close and lock it when Charity finally says something. “What do you have?”
I pivot and face her. “Sorry?”
“What do you have that I don’t? I’ve been chasing after Bryant since freshman year. He told me he didn’t date, but he’s giving you a pass and hooking you up with an opportunity with the team. A man doesn’t do that unless he’s got serious feelings for a chick. He’s been screwing me for two years, and he’s never done anything more than give me an orgasm.”
Pure envy and a ridiculous possession fill me. The urge to close the distance between us and knock her off her rocker almost overtakes me. Oh my God. What’s wrong with me?
She grins at me when she sees she’s gotten to me. “You didn’t know about me?”
I recall my conversation with Bryant from a few weeks ago. “You’re the woman he was seeing before football.”
She laughs non humorously. “No, sweetheart, I sucked him off this morning in his truck outside the stadium.” She drops the bombshell and sways her ass back to her little car.
I’m so angry and blindsided. My fists are clenched, and my blood pressure skyrockets. I jog across the country road to her before she can open her door. “You forgot something.” I hand her the pass when she turns around. “Please tell Hudson he can go fuck himself. And for future reference, chicks before dicks. Learn how to fix a woman’s crown instead of trying to tear her down.”
On the way to my Jeep, I pull my phone from my jacket pocket and look at the texts Bryant has sent since I left to open the gate.
Bryant: I keep thinking about how amazing it was to spend time with you last night. I feel shit for you, Coach.
I don’t read anymore bullshit. I delete the feed and block his number. Just when I decide he’s a great guy worth giving a shot to, he turns out to be an asshole. Granted, we aren’t together, he’s said he wants to be. And he shouldn’t lead a woman on if he still wants to sleep around. It’s common fucking courtesy.
“Ugh!” I shout in frustration.
— 10 —
Then
I PACK UP THE cabin and make sure the fire is out before I lock it. My chest aches as I think about Bryant and who I thought he was. It hurts. God. This hurts so much worse than it should after just weeks of knowing him. After I climb into my Jeep, I crank up a sad country song and instead of crying, I sing my heart out. Fuck Bryant Hudson and the horse he rode in on. I don’t need a man in my already busy life. And he doesn’t have time to have a relationship with football on his plate, even if he wanted one.
My phone rings and Zina’s name flashes on the screen. “Hello?”
I can tell she’s been crying as soon as she speaks. “Where are you?”
“I’m headed back to the apartment. I’ll be there in ten minutes. What’s wrong?”
“Grandma Rose is sick, like bad sick. She has pneumonia in both lungs. She didn’t start feeling ill until two days ago. Mom said we might want to come home, so that means she’s bad sick. Right?”
Shit. She’s right. If Mom called us home, then Grandma Rose is really sick. “I’ll be home in five.”
