Fighting Control (Bay State Series Book 3) (15 page)

Is this how it’s going to be? He couldn’t possibly want this.

Rumors

Julian

“Good morning coach,” I say as I pass his office on the way into the locker room. We start camp soon so he wanted to have a couple of strategy meetings now because he and his wife will be on a cruise at the end of the week.

I nod and even high five some of my teammates on the way to my locker. Most are familiar but like every year, we have some new faces, either from the draft or trades. No one gives them any shit though; we’ve all been there before.

This is day two of meetings and I haven’t seen Tanya since she left my house on Sunday. I’m so fucking happy that she finally came to her senses. If our relationship doesn’t work out I don’t want it to be because of an outside source. The only thing that should make or break what we have is us.

Coach makes his way into the locker room and makes eye contact with each and every one of us, taking attendance in his mind before getting started. “Alright guys, this is the last time I’ll see any of you until camp. I’m going to keep it short and sweet today. Offensive line, I want you to go over what we talked about. Watch the tapes; learn Timmy’s style. Once we get to camp I want you to know that the defense is going to come at him hard and it’s your job to protect.” Our starter is out for a few games in the beginning of the season so we need to work extra hard in practice to get in sync with our backup. He’s a great teammate and athlete. I have no doubt we’ll be in good hands with him. “Also I want everyone to pay close attention to the passing plays; Timmy’s style is a little different and can run some routes better than others. Alright, I’m going to leave you all to it. If I don’t get packed soon the misses is going to have my balls.” 

We all laugh at his attempt of a joke. It’s no secret that she already has his balls in a sling.

“Hey Julian, wait up. Will I see you at the gym in the morning?” Trevor asks when I start to walk away from my locker after gathering my things.

I’m hoping that Tanya will spend the night at my place tonight and if she does I really don’t want to leave the bedroom until she has to go to work. “I don’t think so bud. If I have things my way I’ll be getting exercise of another variety.”

He gives be a fist bump and slaps me on the shoulder a few times. “Fuck yeah man, now that’s what I’m talking about.” He walks away laughing and I hope that the rest of the team stays in that good of a mood with the upcoming season looming and the ultimate challenge of change in our routine.

I try calling Tanya a few times on my ride home but she doesn’t answer. I chalk it up to her being busy at work and shoot her a text as soon as I pull into my garage.

{ Hey beautiful. Hoping we can get together tonight. Miss you. Xoxo }

Hours pass as I mindlessly sit in my living room trying to find something to watch to take my mind off of my silent cell phone. I finally get a text around dinner time.

{ Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. Can I have a rain check?  Wicked tired today. Miss you too! Xoxo }

Well damn, there goes my plans for tonight and into the morning. Looks like I’ll be seeing Trevor in the morning after all.

                                *****

My alarm clock never went off this morning so I have a late start getting to the gym. It’s eerily quiet as I walk through the immense workout space. It’s not until I round the corner into the locker room that I hear any signs of life and let me tell you; the sight in front of me is not something I would have expected to see.

Sonjia is bent over one of the benches while Trevor fucks her from behind and the noises coming from them are not something I’m going to be able to erase from my memory, not to mention my sight. What the fuck? Another image pops in my head and I instantly remember why that chick at the cookout looked so familiar. She’s Trevor’s fiancé. I slowly retreat from my spot in the locker room. Really it’s none of my business but if it was happening to me; I sure as hell would want to know about it. 

I’m already in my work out clothes so I pop in my ear buds and start my playlist. I set the treadmill to a steady pace and start jogging. About five songs into my workout I feel a tap on my shoulder. I slow the machine down and pull the buds out of my ears.

I knew who was standing next to me before I turned to acknowledge him. “What’s up?” I ask, feigning ignorance.

“Not much; just got out of the shower. Thought you weren’t coming in today,” he says while drying his hair with a small towel.  I can’t help as the small smirk that doesn’t go un noticed tips the corner of my mouth up. He looks regretful as he clears his throat. “How long have you been here?” He asks with shame clearly evident in his features.

“Long enough. You know; I met some chick last weekend that looked vaguely familiar and the more I thought about it the more I realized where I had seen her before.” His face falls and I continue, “Dude, it was Latasha; you know your fiancé? What were you thinking?”

“Shit,” he says as if that’s going to explain his decision.

“Yeah, shit. So what the fuck? You know Sonjia will fuck anyone with a dick. Why chance your relationship on that?”

“It just happened. That chick’s been all over me for months.”

“Yeah and everyone else that steps foot in this gym. Did you at least use protection? Please tell me you did.”

“Yes,” is all he says to my question.

“Look, I’m not telling you how to live your life but imagine for just one second that the shoe was on the other foot.”

He’s quiet for several minutes with his eyes cast down at the floor before his head snaps up and words I wasn’t expecting to hear come out of his mouth, “Not to change the subject but congratulations. It’s all over the news man.” What the fuck is he talking about?

“What are you congratulating me for? What’s all over the news?”

“Stop fucking with me. How could you not know? Oh shit, I hope you didn’t want to keep it a secret.”

“Keep what a fucking secret? Stop talking in fucking riddles and tell me what’s all over the news.” He’s starting to piss me off. It’s almost like he’s trying to bait me into forgetting what I had witnessed in the locker room.

“You really didn’t know? You’re gonna be a dad.”

“Excuse me? What the fuck did you just say?”

“It’s all over the news man. That chick you’re banging is knocked up.” Why would she not come to me with this information? Wait a minute this is the media we’re talking about. They would spin anything for a buck.

“First of all; she is not just the chick that I’m banging and I doubt there’s any truth to it. She would have told me.” Wouldn’t she? I get a sick feeling in my gut that there’s a chance that it’s not mine and she won’t answer my texts or see me because people have already started to link us together and her pregnancy got leaked. But she couldn't be pregnant, not by me.

“Hey man; I’m just telling you what I’ve seen and heard,” he says and I step from the treadmill.

“Listen I have to go. Think about what I said okay.” He gives me a quick nod and I snatch my bag off the floor and storm out of the gym.

I know I shouldn’t jump to conclusions but either one or both of us are being fucked over and I plan on getting answers.

Everything is a blur as I drive to Tanya’s work. I know I shouldn’t just barge in there but fuck it; I’m on a mission. My body is on auto pilot while my mind is in overdrive thinking about the many possible scenarios in which this whole ordeal will play out.

I walk into her building with my head held high and I don’t miss the stares that are aimed in my direction or the whispering behind cupped hands. Great everyone knows about Tanya being pregnant but me. With all the channel surfing I was doing last night, I can’t believe I hadn’t seen not even one inkling of news about it.

I take the elevator to the correct floor for WBCN and make my way to the receptionist’s desk amidst more gawking and mumbles from the various employees and visitors surrounding me.

“How can I help you?” The too perky red head behind the desk asks while trying to keep a straight face. Is there some fucking joke I don’t know about? You would think that if one knew that someone was going to be a father they’d be happy for them. Which makes the pit of doubt in my stomach tighten. Do they know Tanya was seeing someone else? She does work with these people.

“Yes, hi, I’m here to see Tanya Mitchell please,” I say with as stoic of an expression as I can possibly stand right now. On the inside I feel like a burning man, ready to engulf into flames any second.

“Hold on please; let me call her department. You can have a seat right over there while you wait.” She points to the row of chairs behind me and I take a seat.

The receptionist is on the phone for quite some time. She seems to be in a disagreement with someone on the other end. When she hangs up she clears her throat to get my attention which was already hers. “Someone will be with shortly.”

I simply nod in reply. What does she mean someone? I’m not here to see someone; I’m here to see Tanya.

I’m taken by surprise when Autumn rounds the corner, a look of pure fury on her face and for a minute I think she’s pissed at me until she pulls me from my seat and wraps me in a warm hug. I might be mistaken but I think can hear a hint of crying in her voice as she speaks. “I’m so sorry Julian. That woman is a royal bitch. I would have knocked her ass out if I didn’t need my job.”

“Whoa, slow down Autumn. Can we go somewhere to talk?” I have a feeling I’m about to get the explanation I’m looking for. She walks down the hallway towards a row of closed doors and I follow her, finally stopping at what I’m guessing is her office.

“Have a seat. I think you’re going to want to sit down for what I have to tell you.” Great, as if my thoughts of what’s going on need to get any more fucked up; she drops that on me.

I sit down in the only chair besides hers in this small space and brace myself for whatever it is that she has to say. “I’m listening. Wait, where’s Tanya?”

“I’ll get to that but first I want your promise that you’ll keep calm while I’m telling you what’s going on. It won’t do either of you any good to make it worse. You’re a celebrity around here and are all too familiar with how the media works; Tanya not so much.”

Oh man, this is going to be bad and I need to sit here and listen to it with an open mind. I have no idea what’s about to come out of her mouth but once the words spill, they shed light on the situation and suddenly it all makes sense. I hate myself just a little for thinking she was cheating on me. That’s the farthest thing from the truth. Unfortunately it’s exactly what Tanya was afraid of and I can’t do a damn thing except ignore it.

                                *****

The screen door swings open, its old rusty hinges whining in protest and I’m faced with the extremely disgruntled father of the girl I love before I can even lift my fist to knock. I can’t say I’m surprised; my car isn’t what you would call quiet. “Mr. Mitchell,” I say as he sweeps his arm inward, gesturing for me to enter.

I take a quick look around as much of the downstairs that I can see for Tanya before asking about her whereabouts. “Is she around?” I ask. No need to mention names; he knows exactly who I’m here to see and it’s not his eldest son who still lives at home. I’m fuming and I’m quite positive he knows it by the expression on my face and heavy breathing.

“She is but I want to talk you first, and please call me Jim.” Instead of staying in the living room he leads me into their spacious kitchen and I take a seat at the long solid mahogany table. Walking to the fridge he asks, “Can I get you something to drink?”

“Some water would be great; thank you.” I answer him and steel myself as he takes his seat across from me an hands me my beverage of choice.

“Let me start by saying that I know this must be hard. But nothing worth having in life is ever easy is it?” That's funny. I said the same thing to Tanya.

“No Jim it’s certainly not. I have plenty of experience with hard work and determination to achieve everything I have.”

“Right. So I think it’s safe to say that you had no idea what was going on in the media. Correct?”

“You would be correct.”

“And it’s also safe to say that you have feelings for my daughter?”

“Yes,” I say simply; wanting him to continue.

“Now, Tanya hasn’t gone into great detail about what’s going on but I do know that she was offered some sort of ultimatum and she shot it down. I know it’s taken a lot for her to change and accept challenges where before she would normally just give up and for whatever reason she feels that you’re worth making that change for so I’m only going to ask you once before I let you take her out of this house that she’s been cooped up in for days. Is she worth it for you? Worth it to deal with slander and rumors and anything else that may tarnish, even if only momentarily, the way you feel about her? The need to protect her and take care of her the way that I need the man that replaces me in my little princess’ life to be there for her?” He finishes with his chin propped in his palm while his fingers tap against his chin. I can see the unshed tears welling up in his eyes and I know that wasn’t easy for him. Hell the last man his daughter thought she loved turned into a psycho who kidnapped and planned on doing God knows what to her.

Shit just got deep real fast and I understand completely what he’s asking. “Sir, I know it seems too soon but I think that I’m in love with your daughter. I can’t think straight when she’s not around and I want to love her, nurture her, support her, protect and take care of her and only her for as long as she’ll have me.”