6. Sex Coma

I wakeup to an unfamiliar sound, butt-ass naked, and sit up. Rubbing my eyes, I look around, see a light coming from the bathroom, and grab my phone.

When my screen shows half a dozen missed messages and the time shows it's almost midnight, I toss it on the bed as I get up and run to the bathroom, wondering if something happened to my sexy little unicorn, only to find she's not in there.

Starting to freak out, worried about her eye issue, I rush to my phone and open the app to send her a message and find one from her.

GoodTimesOnly: Sorry to jet on you, but one of the girls had a crisis and needed me. Feel free to stay in the room, but I'm not sure I'll make it back. Check out is automatic, so you don't need to do anything. Thank you for an amazing night. *unicorn emoji* *eggplant emoji* *peach emoji* *raindrop's emoji* *two fingered peace sign emoji*

Unsure if I'm pissed or impressed that this self-proclaimed, semi-retired player just got played by a unicorn posing as a good girl … Nope, she was definitely posing as a unicorn.

SportsManSam: Hey, hit me back when you get this. I'd like to see you again. *heart eyes emoji*

I get a message back immediately.

This user no longer wishes to communicate. Better luck next time.

Okay, seriously, it must be a mistake.

My mind starts doing some crazy shit, like telling me I'm going to be butt-ass naked on social media, passed out with a unicorn in bed.

Not today, lucky nips, not today.

SportsManSam: Hey, hit me back when you get this. You left a credit card on the console next to your flowers. Don't worry; I'm not going to hunt you down. We had an agreement. One night. Just wanted you to know it's here. Hit me up, and I'll mail it to you.

"Take that, GTO." I laugh to myself, knowing damn well anyone would want the card back. I hit send.

The reply:

*eye roll emoji* *Warning Emoji* Take the hint and move on or risk being banned from the number one dating app in the US. *stop sign emoji*

"You have got to be fucking kidding me." I flop back on the bed and groan.

My phone chimes, and I lift it up, hoping to see a message from her.

Nope.

AJ

You wanna let us know you're alive?

I scroll back and see a picture of him, my sister, Bennett, and Rudy G at O'Donnell's with the message: Busted.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

I send a message back

Me

Needed a few hours alone. Be back at CeCe's soon. Chill.

AJ gives it a thumbs-up.

I sit back up and hit the light switch on the nightstand table, but it doesn't turn on. I reach across and try the other. It doesn't, either.

I hit the flashlight app on my phone and look to see if it's unplugged. It's not.

I then check to see if the bulb's blown and quickly realize it's unscrewed.

"What the hell?"

I get up and try the one on the desk. Also unscrewed, and yeah, so is the other lamp on the other nightstand.

"You're a fucking idiot." I seethe as I screw all of them back in then go take a much-needed piss, as I again remind myself, "I'm so fucked. So completely fucked."

When I walk around the room that is no longer dark, I see red. I step closer to the bed for further inspection.

Blood.

"Fuck, she's hurt. She left because you battered her pussy, you fucking idiot."

The whole driveback to the city, I'm pissed at myself for leaving when she could be hurt and come back. I could at least apologize. In a blink, I even consider it since she blocked my ass. And I'm pissed right now, as I turn down our road, because I know damn well AJ and Blaze are going to ask a million questions, and all I wanna do is shower and go to bed.

When I pull into the driveway and see there are no lights on, I thank whatever spiritual being who ducked out on me today and didn't give me some sort of gut feeling that I was making a shit choice.

Who the hell am I kidding? This dry spell needed to be broken. The need to be in something hot and wet would have overruled that feeling. I'd have had to have gotten a flat tire, or the stomach bug, or explosive diarrhea to stop me from meeting her. Let's hope she felt the same and got freaked out by the thought of me seeing her face without the mask. Maybe she shaved off an eyebrow … or she's fucking married. That would fuck with my head.

If she is married, I don't want to know. Cheating is a unforgivable. More unforgivable? The lies told to conceal the act or betrayal.

No, fuck that. I shake my head to rid myself of the memory of what damn near ruined my fucking career. If I can block that out, I certainly can block out the memories of a red-bottom-wearing unicorn with pierced nips.

Fuck them and fuck the unicorn, too. I still have my first true love—baseball—and a whole new family—the Jags.

When I walkinto the house, I'm greeted with the pup whimpering.

"They left you in the dark?" I huff as I flip on the light. "Sweet Jesus."

Lying in a pile of shredded toilet paper, paws covering her eyes as if she is ashamed of her actions, is CeCe and Rome's pup.

I walk over, squat down, and pet her head. "Bad choice, but it's the guys who should be ashamed of themselves for not putting you in your crate."

Her tail thumps on the pile, sending little pieces of the paper floating in the air like confetti.

I pull my phone out of my pocket, take a short video clip, then stand. "You need to go potty?"

No longer ashamed, she stands up and rushes to the door, leaving a trail of shredded paper behind her.

"All right, let's hook you up and take you out."

Outside, motion lights turn on as we walk around the perimeter of the property, her leading the charge. We pass by the RV that the Hart ladies stay in while here, ever since the fire. Still feels like a dick move sleeping in the house and them out here, but we've offered, and they seem to love it. I can't imagine my mother or sister would ever sleep in a camper, even one as nice as theirs.

After she's peed, we head back inside the house. Although I should leave the mess for AJ and Blaze, I just can't bring myself to do that. Ellie won't go near it, and it's where her food and water dish are located.

Once that's done and I have my prepped chicken, broccoli and rice heating in the microwave, I clean out her dishes and refill the water bowl, knowing this goes against the rules.

"A girl's gotta stay hydrated, right?" I ask, squatting down.

She paces back and forth, head hung down, peering at me with the saddest puppy dog eyes I've ever seen.

"Come over here. It's all good now."

Her ears perk up at good, but she doesn't come.

"Seriously, you, too?" I groan and scrub my hand over my face before I cave. "Come on, good girl. It's okay."

Her tail starts wagging.

"That's right, good girl; come here."

She barrels over to me, happy as can be, and laps at her fresh water.

Once she's had enough to drink and I've broken another puppy training rule by hand-feeding her a bit of chicken and broccoli, she lies down and starts to fall asleep.

I slide off the stool and walk over to grab her leash. "One more time?"

Outside, Ellie does her business, and I bag it up then give her a scratch behind her ears. "Good girl."

Never cringed after calling a dog good girl, but now the unicorn has ruined it for me, I think as I walk to the back porch.

"Nah, fuck that." I squat down and give her more attention. "You're a good girl. Yes, you are. The best good girl, aren't you?"

"Get a room," AJ calls to me from somewhere.

"Probably blew his hotel budget today when he blew us off for ass," Bennett slurs.

I stand up as they round the corner of the house and come into view.

"You drunk, Bennett?" I ask.

"Your sister ordered shots." AJ chuckles.

"Doctor's orders." Blaze fucking Bennett grins.

I shake my head, a little bit shocked. "s shit, you do have teeth."

"Been smiling all night." AJ shakes his head as he walks past me and inside.

"Your sister is?—"

"Nope, don't go there," I cut him off.

He huffs, "If I put moves on her, she'd be on my arm."

"Giving you a pass and gonna pretend you didn't just say that to me." I head up the stairs.

"Fuck that, I'm a good man. I know how to treat women."

Inside, I unhook Ellie. "Holy shit, man, just?—"

"No, fuck you, Nour. Don't judge me because my old man's a piece of shit, womanizing bastard"—he steps to me—"and I won't judge you because you've never once spoken of even having a sister. That's shitty."

"Okay, let's not do this shit." AJ walks over and gets between us.

AJ's move is unnecessary. I'm not fighting a drunk, not ever again.

I step back and head toward the stairs while Bennett continues running his mouth and AJ continues to attempt to diffuse the bomb that was never sparked to begin with.

In the bedroom, I grab a few things then head back down the stairs to take the room CeCe's sister, Chloe; her husband, Danny; and niece, Aggie, stay in when they're here.

"What are you doing?" AJ asks as he and Bennett start up.

I'm pissed off enough to tell him it's none of his business, but he's not done shit.

"Gonna crash downstairs."

"Because you're pissed at me?" Blaze accuses.

Calmly, I reply, "Bennett, I got nothing but love for you."

"You ditched us tonight." Blaze glares over his shoulder at me as he heads to his room.

"I took some time alone."

"I get that, but you lied. You fucking lied to us."

He's not wrong, I did. "Sorry, man."

Inside the room, I pull out my phone, feeling some sort of way, and send Amira a text.

Me:

You get home okay?

Amira:

Of course. Sorry I blew your spot. Next time, give me a heads-up so I can cover for you.

Me:

Nah, they assumed, and I let them. Bad on me. Sleep well.

Amira:

Any chance a girl can get a ticket to the game tomorrow?

Me:

You got a ticket to any game you wanna come to, but don't feel like you have to.

Amira:

I missed a lot while away at school. I'll buy a season pass, if that's okay with you.

Me:

No need. You've got them already. CeCe can give you the VIP entrance info.

Amira:

Thank you.

Me:

Glad to have you here. Just worried you'll regret it.

Amira:

You worry about winning games. I'm a grown woman.

Me:

Goodnight, Mira.

Amira:

Goodnight, no-no.

Smiling,I set my phone down and go open the door to the only good girl I need to worry about tonight.

"They leave you all alone again?"

She sits.

I nod toward the bed. "Come on in and chill. Gotta be up by seven, so we don't fuck up my groove."

After a quick shower, I slide into bed and pat the mattress. "Gonna have to wash them, anyway."

I dragass out of bed, hit the bathroom, piss, brush my teeth, and then throw on some sweatpants and a tee-shirt. When I walk out of the ensuite bathroom, I can't help but laugh at seeing Ellie, just a nose sticking out from the covers in the spot I was sleeping.

"Come on, you; let's go potty."

Outside, we walk around until she finds her perfect spot, but then something distracts her, and she starts barking and jets, causing me to lose my grip on the leash.

"Hey, get back here!" I call as I start running in fucking slides to catch up with her.

When I round the barn, I see she's at the RV, looking up at the window, barking. Thank God she didn't run the other way, toward the road. Even so, I need her to stay there and not run again. I can't lose Rome and CeCe's pup.

"That's a good girl. Stay right there for me."

When I get close, she runs again.

"Fuck, come on, Elle. We're buds. Hell, I didn't even get pissed when you all but buried your cold-ass nose in my armpit at three a.m.."

When I round the RV again, there's a chick in a tee-shirt that's not long enough to cover her extremely bruised ass when she's bent over like that, petting Ellie.

She stands up and looks over her shoulder, sunglasses covering her eyes. "Got her."

"Shit, thanks." I look at the RV. "I didn't know the Hart ladies were back already."

"Just me," she says, looking down at Ellie. "I came back with Cora. Rome and CeCe are on their way back. We did the house thing, so our mom's staying back for a week, or forever."

"She must have been over the moon."

"Yeah."

"Wow, that excited, huh?" I joke.

Her lip curls up slightly.

"Not a morning person; got it." I hold out my hand for the leash. "Thanks for the save."

"Morning has fuck not to do with it. You never speak, ever. Actually, you're kind of a dick."

Ever had the wind knocked out of you and never felt the punch? Yeah, me, neither. But before I have a chance to respond, she's throwing open the RV door.

"Be more careful with her, for God's sake."

"Yeah? Well, you be more careful, too."

She whips her head around and scoffs, "Me? I didn't?—"

I walk the fuck away, calling back, "The giant bruise on your left ass cheek says otherwise."

Inside, I'm blocking out all the shit that's happened in less than twenty-four hours. I cannot be in this fucking headspace. I can't let my emotions get the best of me, or I'll fuck up.

I can't fuck up.

I look down at Ellie. "We're sticking to our game day routine, cool?"

Her tail wags.

"Perfect."

The bacon is finishing up, the omelets are covered and staying warm, and the toast has just popped out of the toaster. "I'll feed you first, then me and the boys."

"You made us breakfast?" Blaze asks, walking into the kitchen.

"We don't deviate from the plan, especially when it's been working."

"I wanted to say?—"

"Nope. We're good. It's game day."

"You heard the man." AJ smacks his hands together and walks into the kitchen. "Time to fucking chow."