Nic's Devotion: An Endless Series: Book One (38 page)

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     “Ninja man, that was another awesome game. You got a
secret you’re not telling the rest of us mortals about, because that’s just not
fair. You need to share.” Christian, one of our attackmen, yelled as we filed
into the locker room after the game with Syracuse. We’d won thirteen to seven.

     “Yeah Nic, share with the rest of us what is making you
do so well; it’s only fair.” Landon added walking up next to me with a grin.
His face was red with exertion and triumph, and dripping with sweat.

     “Landon, be thankful you’re a good friend or you’d be
wearing my fist right now.” I said with a toothy smile just as sweaty and high
on victory. I knew Landon was referring to Carrie and the only reason my fist
wasn’t meeting his face was because I knew he was ribbing me.

     Landon looked behind him shaking his head. “Sorry
Chris, he’s not sharing. I guess the rest of us will have to get by with old
fashion hard work.”

     “Asshole.” I mumbled with a grin opening my locker.

     Noah walked up laughing. “You’d think swimming with
sharks yesterday would have traumatized you putting you in a shell shocked
state today.”

     “No shit, Nic; did you really go swimming with sharks
yesterday?” Blake, a goalie asked. He was just as tall as me and almost as big
as Seth. Only a sophomore, Blake was damn good and shared the goal work equally
with Dan our senior goalie. He probably should have been doing most of the goal
work today since Dan had let some get by him that he shouldn’t have. 

     “His girlfriend took him, probably hoping he’d get
eaten so she wouldn’t have to deal with his ass anymore.” Noah joked.

     “That black haired chick, she’s hot man.” Blake said
with a friendly smile, and that’s why I didn’t bust him in the chops for
showing any sort of interest in Carrie.

     “She’s amazing, that’s what she is.”  I said not
feeling at all uncomfortable about revealing my feelings in front of a bunch of
guys.

     I wasn’t only high from the game. I’d been high all
morning since waking up next to Carrie. I’d wanted to go another round with her
this morning with my wakeup wood but knew she’d be too uncomfortable with
everyone in the house. I’d settled for showering together with her red faced
the entire time. She still wasn’t comfortable with her nudity around me and my
erection bobbing around brushing against her the entire time probably hadn’t
helped.

     She’d at first seemed intimidated by it, making a wide
berth around it, but after a while I’d seen looks of interest. Her eyes had
gone wide as I’d washed myself, but then I hadn’t been all that unaffected when
she done the same to herself. Even though I was comfortable with my nudity I’d
never taken a shower with anyone before since all my other associations had
been of the ‘get in quick, get out quicker’ kind. Watching her soap herself up
had been a lesson of enjoyment and torture. My unappeased lust just might have
gone on to help me today.

     Maybe there was something to that upsurge of
testosterone theory.

     A smack to my head brought me out of my musing. “Stop
daydreaming boy. You going to scare the laddies with what you got growing
there.” Landon joked.

     “Quit checking out my junk, you know you’re just
jealous.” I flipped him off while bending over to untie my shoes at the same
time hiding my swelling dick. It wasn’t a good idea to be thinking about Carrie
showering while in a locker room full of dudes.

     Seth walked up and silently began getting undressed.
He’d been extra quiet today even for him, though he’d been just as good on the
field. “Everything going okay with you, Seth?” I asked slipping off one shoe.

     “Fine.” He grunted not looking at me. In fact, thinking
back, he’d been avoiding my gaze markedly today.

     “You sure, because you don’t seem fine.” I commented
getting my other shoe off.

     “Yeah, Seth, you’re even more unusually quiet than
normal. Pretty soon all were going to get out of you is ‘grunts’ and ‘uhgs’.”
Noah laughed at his own joke.

     “I’m fine; just have some things on my mind. Leave it
alone.” He said sitting down to take off his shoes. 

     I watched him with a frown. Seth was a pretty quiet
guy, and sometimes the moodiest, but it was usually a laid back moody. His
irritable tone said he definitely had something on his mind. “If you need to
talk I’m here, man.” I said casually peeling off my moist socks.

     His elbows landed on his knees and he bent over and
jammed both hands in his hair and rubbed hard. “Thanks, I’ll be fine though.”
He glanced at me briefly with a strained smile before going back to his shoes.

     “You two are being way too morose; we won, whoop it
up.” Landon yelled and hooted causing the entire team to follow. The locker
room echoed with loud cheers. I joined in and saw a grin finally split Seth’s
face. It was a good day.

     “Nic, Nic Stanford!”

     I looked around wondering who was calling my name. All
the guys around me were cheering, but I definitely heard someone yell my name.
I shrugged; someone must have been cheering my name or something. I pulled off
my shirt.

     “Hey Nic,” I looked over at Noah who was frowning at
his phone. “Amanda’s texting telling me that Carrie might be in trouble.”

     I stood up my heart skipping a beat. “What! What kind
of trouble?”

     Noah looked up. “That’s all I got, man. Well, that and
she’s down the north hall.”

     Bare footed and wearing only shorts I headed for the
door. I heard some shuffling behind me and knew I was going to have some
company, but my only focus was Carrie.

Chapter Thirty-three

CARRIE

     “Mom, what are you doing here?” I stared at my mom in
absolute shock. She’d appeared out of the crowd as I waited for Nic outside the
locker room with Amanda. Her brown hair was done up in a twist knot, her makeup
perfectly done, and she was wearing black dress slacks topped with a white silk
top with an expensive black long coat over it. She looked really good, but why
was she all dressed up, and why was she here? 

     “Carrie, I need to speak with you. Can you step away
from the crowd with me?” She asked…nicely; my mom didn’t ask me things nicely.
Her face was set in hard lines but I didn’t see any blatant hostility.

     My heart gave a skip of hope. Was she having a change
of heart? Did she want to rebuild our relationship?

     “Okay,” I answered hesitantly. I turned to Amanda.
“Amanda, I need to go talk to my mom real quick. If Nic comes out just tell him
I’m down the hall.”

     Amanda looked over my shoulder. “Alright.” Her eyes held
concern as they came back to me and I wondered what she knew about my situation
or if I was just giving off a vibe.

     I followed my mom down the hall but she continued even
when we were well away from the crowd. We were nearing the side exit doors when
I spotted another woman standing by them. She looked familiar but I couldn’t
place her. She was dressed similar to my mom though. When we reached her I
looked at the two of them in confusion.

     My mom turned to me. The bland expression she’d worn
minutes earlier had vanished replaced with her customary surly look. “Do you
remember your Aunt Laura? She has something she would like to speak with you
about.” My chest constricted in disappointment at having read her wrong;
thinking
she
had come to talk to
me
.

     I switched my gaze to the other woman.
Aunt Laura?
No
wonder she looked familiar. I hadn’t seen her in years but I remembered her
now. She had the same brown hair and gray eyes as my mother. She stared at me
and there seemed to be an indecisive manner about her.

     “You’ve grown into a beautiful woman Carrie. How are
you?” She asked.

     “I’m good.” I answered feeling weird about this whole situation.
Why were they here?

     “I’m afraid I have to speak to you about something
unpleasant. Did you know that your picture was in the paper earlier this week?”
Aunt Laura’s voice was censorious.

     My stomach clenched at the idea of my picture in the
paper. Why had it been there? I had a feeling I was going to find out. “No,” I
answered.   

     “It was of you and two young men, lacrosse players. It
states your name in the picture. This wouldn’t be bad if you didn’t have…the
past that you do. I’m assuming that you are seeing one of these two men.
Nicholas Stanford, I think.” Aunt Laura’s eyes narrowed on me.

     “How do you know that I’m seeing him?” My heart was
beating double time at her attitude and all these questions. Why had she come
here and why did she care about any of this?

      “He had his arm around you in the picture.” She
answered shortly. “Is he aware of your past?”

     “Yes, he’s aware of everything.” I answered somewhat
defiantly. Even though I hated hearing about my past I knew Nic didn’t care and
accepted me.

     Aunt Laura raised her brow and there might have been
disappointment in her eyes. “Really, and he has no problem with the negative
publicity he’s bound to incur if your past become public fodder again?”

     Nausea stirred in my stomach. Nic said it wouldn’t
bother him and I believed him, but it still worried me that it could hurt him.
I tried not to let it show though. Aunt Laura was working up to something, or
hiding something, and I wanted to know what it was.

     “No, he doesn’t care. In fact, he said that it would
probably only enhance it.” I said to see what she would do.

     My mom turned on me with a livid expression. “It won’t
enhance it. It will ruin him just like it ruined me. You’re a bad apple that
taints everything you’re around.” She spit out.

     I took a step back at her vitriol my stomach rolling. I
breathed deeply, clenching and unclenching my hands.

     Aunt Laura stepped closer wearing an exasperated
expression. “Mary, please, let me talk.”

     My mom glared at me but submitted to the request…though
it looked grudgingly. Aunt Laura smiled, going for warm but not quite achieving
it. “Carrie, I don’t think
you
want to go through all the publicity, do
you? Having everything brought up again, everyone finding out what happened.”

     Nausea bit sharply at my insides.

     “Carrie!”

     I turned at my name to see Amanda walking toward me
with a concerned look. “Is everything okay?” She asked.

     My mom stepped forward. “Why wouldn’t it be alright?
I’m her mother and this is her aunt. Now could you please give us some privacy,
this is a family matter.”

     I gave Amanda a strained smile. “I’m okay, Amanda.” I
did not want her overhearing any of this conversation

     Amanda frowned but nodded. Turning she walked back down
the hallway throwing glances over her shoulder. I turned back to my aunt. “What
are you really trying to say to me?” I asked pointedly.

     Aunt Laura’s expression hardened. “You have to realize
that your past does not only affect you and your boyfriend. It affects everyone
connected to you; family and friends. That little friend walking away will also
be feeling the backlash.”

     “But you’re not really concerned about her. You’re
worried about yourself, aren’t you?” I asked.  

     She shook her head and looked at me with condemnation.
“Well of course I’m worried about myself, but it’s not just me. There is also
my husband and my two children I worry about. As I said, Carrie, there are many
people who will be affected.”

     I’d almost forgotten about my two cousins, and that
they were close to my age. That’s what happens when you haven’t associated with
someone in five years.

     Aunt Laura moved in closer. “Do you realize that after
what happened people asked me if Samantha had been in the company of your
father and if maybe he’d done something to her? Just by association my daughter
was looked upon differently. People wondered if she’d been touched or worse.
Thankfully it blew over because we distanced ourselves. Now, I don’t blame you
for what happened, your father is completely at fault, but unfortunately
association with you brings a taint that falls on the rest of us. You were fine
living your life as before, but now you are in a relationship with someone who
is newsworthy which in effect makes you newsworthy, and that’s going to bring
the fallout on anyone connected to you; your young man, his family, that young
lady, my family.”

     I swallowed down the bile that was trying to work its
way up my throat at this whole discussion. I practiced my breathing exercises
trying to dispel it.

     If reporter’s ended up getting a hold of my story again
would it really be that bad for everyone? It made me sick thinking about my
cousin, Samantha, having that kind of gossip being spread about her. She was a
year younger than me. We hadn’t hung around each all that often, maybe four
times a year, but when we had we’d gotten along well. I rubbed at my forehead
unable to think clearly as my stomach continued to rebel.

     “Laura, my husband did not do anything wrong.” My mom
screeched sending my headache skyrocketing.

     Aunt Laura rolled her eyes. “Mary, wakeup. He was found
naked in her bed and she was covered in scratches and bruises. Your husband
attacked your daughter.”

     “Carrie!”

     My head was starting to swim along with the contents of
my stomach.

     “What in hell, you’re as white as a sheet.”

      I looked up to see Nic staring down at me anxiously.
He pulled me into his arms and rounded on my aunt and my mother. “Who the hell are
you?”

     I stood there limply in Nic’s embrace taking note that
my aunt looked a little discomfited at Nic’s appearance. “I’m Carrie’s Aunt Laura.
Her mother and I were just talking to Carrie.”

     Nic rounded on my mother. “I know you don’t give a shit
about her so why are you here?” He then looked at my aunt. “And you haven’t
shown an interest in her for years. What the fuck have you been saying to her?”

     I loved it when Nic held me but his twisting and
yelling were only making my head and stomach worse. This day had started out so
great; waking up with Nic, showering with him, spending the morning with him.
How had it gone so downhill?

     My aunt held up her hands looking uneasy. “We didn’t
mean to upset her, we’ll just go.”

     “Mom! What’s going on here?” Nic half turned and I
watched a guy push his way through a crowd of people that stood behind us.

     Oh god, a crowd. It seemed like half the players stood
there watching, as well as all of Nic’s roommates. I saw Seth staring at me
anxiously.

     “I came to see you play but now I have to go.” Aunt
Laura said, sounding a little fretful.

    
Wait…mom!
Aunt Laura’s son, my cousin Blake, was
on the lacrosse team. My cousin went to UVA. Wow, talk about a small world.

     “We are not going anywhere just yet until these people
and you know that my husband did not attack my daughter.” My mom’s shriek
reverberated through the hallway.

      No, no, no, no.

     “Mary! Now is not the time.” Aunt Laura gritted out
desperately.

     “Mary? Is this my Aunt Mary?” My cousin, Blake, the
lacrosse player, asked. He looked back and forth between my mother and his wearing
a confused expression. I felt for him. Dispassionately, I noticed that my
cousin was a good-looking guy with shaggy dark hair and gray eyes.

     “Yes, I’m your aunt. Your mother cut me out of her life
four years ago because of my daughter; my daughter the whore.” My mother spit
out viciously.

     Stiffening, I heard gasps around me and Nic’s arms
tightened. “Carrie is not a whore you bitch. You’re just a bitter woman who
abandoned her daughter because you couldn’t accept the truth, and your sister here
is just as bad.”

     My chest was constricting further making it harder to
breath as the conversation went on around me.

     “What the hell is going on here, and why are you
yelling at my mother?” My cousin asked angrily. He looked at everyone and his
gaze narrowed on me. “Wait…are you my cousin Carrie?”

     My chest was too tight to speak.

     “Yes, this is your cousin, Blake. But now is not the
time to go into all this. We have a crowd of people overhearing our private
family business.” Aunt Laura said in a raised voice as though trying to
chastise the crowd of onlookers. 

     “This is what you were afraid of, right Laura? Everyone
finding out that your niece is a murderer. That she killed her own father.” My
mother shouted loudly. She looked slightly crazed as she looked around at the
crowd.

     God, this couldn’t be happening. I could feel myself
starting to wheeze.

     “This girl lured my husband into her bed at the age of
fourteen and then killed him.”

     My mother’s words rang in the hall and in my head. My
throat closed up entirely. No, I couldn’t do this here, not in front of
everyone. I pushed away from Nic in a panic and tried to get past everyone in
the crowd, my only thought to escape.

Chapter
Thirty-four

NIC

     I pulled my furious gaze from Carrie’s crazy mother as
I felt Carrie struggling in my arms. I let go reflexively not wanting her to
feel trapped. She pushed past me and I went to follow, but Seth suddenly moved
in her path and grabbed her shoulders. His face was alarmed and I knew what he
was going to say before he said it.

     “She’s not breathing again.” 

     I saw Carrie’s hands come up and grip convulsively at
Seth’s shirt. Rushing around him I saw her mouth open desperately trying to
breathe in air. Her eyes exhibited terror causing my heart to explode in panic.
My head knew she would pass out and start breathing like before, but to see her
not breathing and terrified about it killed me.

     I grabbed her out of Seth’s arms and looked her in the
eyes. “Carrie, you’re going to be fine, I’m right here. I’ve got you, okay,
you’re going to be fine.” I continued to reassure her trying to alleviate her
fear; although, I don’t know that anything could ease the feeling of not being
able to breathe. Even though she’d experienced this before each time had to
feel like dying.

     Carrie’s hands latched onto my arms and gripped so
tightly that I fleetingly thought it was sure to draw blood. I could hear
people getting alarmed around me at what they were seeing, but I was entirely
focused on Carrie.  My eyes stayed locked with hers letting her know that I was
here for her. The fear in her eyes was stark, and behind that I could see a
deep well of grief before they closed and she slumped in my arms unconscious. Tears
welled up in my eyes as I finally gave into my own fear and grief.