Chasing Football Dreams (Diner Girl #2)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Duncan

4 years ago,

My sister hasn’t come out of her room since she got back from the hospital. She lets no one in her room except for Mom. She never looks at me when I catch a glimpse of her.

It was difficult to look at her and not feel responsible for her injuries. She's gone through a life changing experience that has taken away her ability to hear which could have been avoided.

I was told she was blaming herself, but I felt like she was blaming me. Monique has gone through this level of manipulation to get to me and putting my sister's life at risk. She was lucky Ivy didn't die or I would have personally made sure she was put in cuffs.

Monique was supposed to be a one-time thing. A one-night mistake I couldn't erase.

My days and nights turned me into a psychopath when I stalked Zoey at the Diner, hoping seeing her will help me heal. But when I sensed her judgement and discomfort when she served our table made me feel like I blew my chances.

Not only did my sister suffer the consequences of Monique but so was I. The girl of my dreams saw me as a dumbstruck and stimulated guy because she believes I am dating the girl who put my baby sister's life in danger.

“Duncan, where are you going?” My mother called after me as I rushed down the staircase and out the front door.

Tears blinded me as I walked down the sidewalk. I took my car and drove out of town to the place no one could find me. The secret place where I could get away from the noise of everyone’s business and lies. I walked up to the lake, ignoring the cold infiltrating my senses, and sat down on the bench. Kicking myself for how I didn't shut the door in Monique's face when she came overlooking for my sister.

My lowest point was letting her take advantage me. Me stupidly believing it's a onetime thing, not realizing her obsession will spark.

“You know lying to your mother is costing me,”

I didn’t react to my father’s voice.

“Ivy hates me,” I said with guilt suffocating me.

My father sat down next to me. “Why would she hate you?"

I shook my head. “I should have handled the situation different. All I did was rushing in like a hot-headed bull and not listening to Ivy's reasoning,”

“Son, you didn't do anything wrong. You did what any sibling who do for their sibling,”

“Do you know she’s been avoiding Xander?”

“She doesn’t blame you,”

“Well, she should,”

My father let out a sigh and got to his feet. “Do you remember that time you stood here with me and told me that your dream is to build yourself a house right here?” He asked.

I raised my head, looking in the direction he was looking in. I sat for nights with him, showing my sketches. Not that they were any good but he perfected the layout of my designs being an architect himself for years.

“What if you start working on those dreams of yours and win every game? I will pay you an advance for every game you win and when you lose you come and help me out at the sites. Jerry’s baby just got born and he took leave, so I am a man down,”

“I will help you out win or lose,” I assured him.

My father nodded. “I know you are a man of pride because I raised you but blaming yourself for someone’s mistake is not going to put a crack in your pride, son,”

“Ivy could have died,” The tears fell and I couldn’t stop them. The world pulled me to my knees as I crumbled in front of my father at the thought of Ivy dying and it being my fault.

“It's not your fault,” He reassured me, resting his hand on my shoulder, kneeling in front of me.

I raised my gaze and noticed my father wiping tears out of his eyes. He has always been strong and tough. We never saw him cry. Watching him wipe away tears made me feel worse about myself. I promised from today to step up on my game and not let anything get me down again.

Present day

I rolled over onto my side, expecting Zoey’s body curled up next to me but her side of the bed was just a cold and empty spot. My eyes blinked open and I raised my head to see if I could see her.

“Zoey?” I called out.

I shot up from bed and rushed out, down the staircase looking for her and going out of my mind—knowing a creep was on the streets stalking her. “Zoey?” I called again, grabbing my phone and dialing her when I heard the ringing from the bedroom.

“Dammit, Zoey,” I cursed, ready to jog upstairs when I halted. I saw the outline of her close to the lake where I put up a tire ring for her. Ever since I learned about her everyday activities at the orphanage, I decided to bring a piece of her past to make her feel more comfortable.

I leaned up against the threshold watching her go for a pass and hearing her huffs knowing perfectly well that she had overworked her arm.

“I am going to buy you a bell and hang it around your neck,” I said, crossing my arms in front of me.

She turned at my voice and I saw her sheepish smile she tried to hide from me. “I couldn’t sleep. Every time I close my eyes, subconsciously I dream about that night and try to unravel his face,”

“And then what?” I pushed off the threshold and made my way down to her.

She stomped her foot on the ground like a toddler and dropped her head with a sigh. “Then I can move forward. Every day I have to live in fear of him jumping out of some bush and shoving me into the boot of his car or worse hurting you or Eliza or someone I care about. I won’t be able to live with myself if something has to happen to you or anybody but most importantly you,”

Her voice sounded strained but what alerted me by far was that she looked worn out. I wasn’t used to Zoey looking this close to giving up.

I engulfed her in a hug and lifted her, letting her legs wrap around my torso. She dropped her head on my shoulder as if she let me carry her full weight—not her physical weight but the weight on her shoulders that was dragging her down. She was finally letting me in and let me take care of her.

I carried her back into the house and up to our bedroom. I lowered her onto the bed, cradling her in my arms when I laid down beside her.

“What can I do to help you?” I asked, dragging my fingers through her hair and placing kisses on her head.

“A distraction. Something that would stop my mind from overthinking,” She muttered against my chest.

I pushed my hand down her back until it rested on the roundness of her butt. I gave it a soft tap before squeezing it. Her moan in my neck encouraged me to continue my exploration. I slipped my hand under her shorts and found her lips when her head fell back. She laid her hand on my chest, traveling down to my shorts until they reached their destination.

I moaned into her mouth when my hips jerked forward when she gave a soft stroke. Her hand slipped under my shorts giving me a pleasure that had me completely at her mercy. I laid back when she pushed me onto my back and straddled my waist.

I didn’t hold back when I grabbed her tank top and pushed it over her head—not missing a beat to cup her breasts in my hands. I loved the sounds she made when I rolled her nipples between my thumbs or how she wiggled against me to ride the pleasure.

I halted when I saw tears in her eyes when she sat up and I thought I did something wrong. I sat up, cradling her face in my hands.

“I can’t lose you…I just can’t,” She stammered, the tears flowing down her cheeks.

“You won’t lose me, Zoey,” I assured her.

“But what if he finds us, and hurts you to get to me? Duncan, I can’t…”

I kissed her to silence the words that she wanted to speak. I didn’t want her to even begin to think of such nonsense. “We will figure it out. Nothing is going to happen to me or you. I never break a promise,”

I looked into her eyes and spoke the next words with determination. “I am not going to let anyone take you away from me,”