Shattered (Shattered #1) (15 page)

I was currently sitting on the bottom bleacher waiting for Nick to come
back out of the field house. We’d won the game tonight, 42-7. From what I’d
heard from other fans in the stands, it was the highest scoring game this
season. Nick had been doing so well, and I secretly wondered how long he would
stick around. I mean, most high school coaches have dreams of making it to the
big leagues one day. Nick was so much better than this small town. I don’t know
what I would do if he decided to leave. I could never go with him. My dad needs
me now more than ever. With mom gone, there’s no one here to help him out.

Before I could let my mind travel down that road anymore, Nick came
waltzing around the corner grinning with none other than Becca trailing behind
him. What was she doing? As she saw me sitting on the bleachers, she leaned
into Nick, and wrapped her arm around his waist. He glared at her, and tried to
push her away, but she just grinned up at him as she said something. I don’t
know what it could have been, but he laughed, and it was like he’d forgotten
that she was touching him. She looked over at me, and smirked as they reached the
spot where I was sitting.

“I’ll see you at practice Nicky,” she cooed as she waved, and walked in
the other direction.

Nick nodded, and reached out to help me up, “Ready?”

I glared at Becca’s back, and then turned back toward Nick, “You let her
call you Nicky?”

Nick blanched as he realized what she’d done. She’d used my pet name for
him. He never let anyone call him Nicky, but me.

“Not on purpose Baby. It doesn’t mean anything,” he sighed as if he were
sensing a fight beginning to brew.

“It might not mean anything to you, but it sure as hell means something
to me,” I scowled.

Nick frowned as he watched me cross my arms over my chest, “I don’t like
her. I never have, and I never will. She’s trouble Nick. She wants you. She’s
always wanted you, even back in high school. She’s always tried to get between
us.”

“Just because she wants me, doesn’t mean I want her,” he whispered as he
moved closer to me. He put the gym bag that he was carrying down on the ground,
and pulled me into his arms. “Nothing is going to come between us. I promise,”
he offered a soft smile, and leaned in the brush a kiss across my lips.
“Now…can we get out of here?”

I giggled, “Yeah. Avery’s picking up Logan. She said she’d meet us at
home.”

With that we turned, and headed in the direction of Nick’s truck. He had
promised to bring me by in the morning to get my car, and I was secretly glad.
I’d spent the entire day away from him and was really looking forward to having
him with me the rest of the night. When you’ve spent five years apart, even a
ten-minute drive makes a difference.

Chapter 15

Leah

When we pulled up in front of the house, both Cam and Logan’s trucks
were parked out front. I snickered as I thought about the fact that every guy I
knew drove a pickup truck. I think it must be a requirement for living here.

“What’s so funny?” Nick cut the engine.

“Nothing,” I giggled. “Let’s get drunk. It’s been way too long…”

Nick tossed his head back and laughed, “I missed this.”

“What?” I turned toward him.

“This…this version of you…the carefree one. I haven’t seen it in a
while. It’s nice having you back.”

I scowled as I looked over at him, “I’ve had a rough couple of months
Nick.”

“I know…I’m sorry. That didn’t come out right.” He opened his door, and
rounded the front end as he came over to my side. “Let’s go in. It’s been a
long day. I wanna relax, and take you up on that promise of ‘more to come’,” he
grinned as he held my door open.

“You might have to earn it now after what Becca was doing.” I looked up
at him, and decided that I needed to know, “Did you sleep with her?”

Nick sighed as he took a few steps back, “Leah…”

“Did you?” I could feel my excitement for the evening slowly evaporating
as I watched him battle with himself over how to answer me. “Nick?”

“It wasn’t like that…we never dated,” he stepped forward, and tried to
grab my arm.

“So you did…you fucked her, and you didn’t see the need to tell me,” I
spat at him.

Nick’s head swung back as if I’d slapped him, “Jesus Leah, we weren’t
together. You had left. It was one time. It didn’t mean anything.” He advanced
toward me with his fists clenched at his sides, “Will you listen to yourself?
You’re being a jealous bitch!”

I reached up, and before I even knew what I was doing, I slapped him
hard across the face. He grabbed his right cheek, and cupped it with his hand
as his eyes hardened.

“I can’t believe you just said that!” he growled as I turned and marched
toward the house. “Go home Nick! I don’t want to see you right now.”

“We’re not done here,” he ran after me, and grabbed my upper arm halting
me. “I know that you had boyfriends while you were in Atlanta. I get that, and
I’ve accepted it. You have to accept that I had girlfriends while you were
gone. It was five years!” he leaned right into my face as he shouted at me.

“Let me go!” I screamed at him as I wretched my arm out of his grip.
“Don’t touch me! Go find Becca, she’s obviously who you want.”

“Ughhhh!” he growled exasperatedly. “I don’t want Becca. If I did, I
would have left the game with her.”

“I don’t believe you!” I stomped up the steps, and swung the front door
open. When I stepped inside, Cam, Avery, and Logan were laughing. One by one
they turned to watch the show that Nick and I were putting on.

“Leah?” Avery looked at my face as her laugh died on her lips. She
glanced at Nick, and then back at me, “Are you ok?”

I shook my head as I ran down the hall, and into my bedroom. I could
hear Nick thundering behind me, but I raced to slam the door and lock him out.

“Go home Nick. I don’t want to talk to you!” I screamed as I tried to
force the door shut.

Nick pushed against it until he over powered me, “I’m not leaving until
we talk about this.” He stepped into the room, and closed the door behind him,
before locking it.

A few moments later, the door knob jiggled, “Leah? Are you ok?”

“I’m fine Avery,” I called.

“Cam left, and Logan offered to take me to his place. Are you going to
be ok here by yourself?”

“Yeah…I’ll see you in the morning,” I tried to hold my voice steady. I
knew Nick wouldn’t hurt me physically, and we had apparently sent our guests
running in the other direction. I moved to the other side of the room before
turning to Nick, “So talk!”

He huffed, and scrubbed his hands down his face, “Becca was a one-time
thing Leah. I never wanted her.
 
I was at
Dave’s one night. It was right after you left. I was hurt, and drunk, and I
wanted a warm body to help me forget.”

I blanched at his admission, “But Becca? Really Nick? Why her?”

“She was willing. I told her that it was never going to be anything that
I was in love with you. She didn’t care. We went back to my place, had sex, and
then I kicked her out. I honestly haven’t seen her much until last month when
she showed up as the advisor for the trainers.”

“She’s doing that to get close to you,” I shook my head as the anger I’d
been feeling began slowly to melt into hurt. “She still wants you,” a tear
began to trickle down my cheek as I fought to control my emotions. “Nick, you
have to understand that I can’t stand her. She’s always tried to get between
us, and you’re too nice to her. Promise me that you won’t give her any ideas.
That you won’t let he get to close to you.”

Nick stepped closer to me and cupped my cheek, “I promise.” He leaned
in, and brushed his lips across mine in a soft kiss.

Before the kiss could go any deeper, I pulled back, and glanced up at
him, “How many others?”

“Damn it Leah! Why does that matter?” he stepped back.

Anger surged to the forefront, “It matters a lot to me.”

“I didn’t really keep track, sorry!” he rolled his eyes and began
pacing. The sarcastic bite to his words was not lost on me.

“I wanna know,” I crossed my arms over my chest, and tapped my foot
angrily. “I can tell you how many it was for me…one! I went out with one guy.
One…and we were in a committed relationship,” I was crying, and screaming at
him at this point. Emotions rolling through me faster than I could keep up.

Nick sighed, and shook his head, “I don’t know. Are you happy now? I
don’t fucking know! I drank…a lot. There were mornings that I’d wake up, and
not remember how I got where I was.” He stalked toward me and grabbed me by the
shoulders as he leaned in right next to my face, “You wanna know what I do
know?”

I nodded as the tears fell free.

“Every time I was with somebody, every time I was buried deep in a
woman, the only face I saw was yours. None of the others mattered. You were the
only one I wanted. You were the only one I felt, and you were the only one I
saw. You Leah…you were it for me, and then you left.”

He stood there glaring waiting for me to say something to him. My eyes
darted back and forth as I watched his chest heave with the deep breaths that
he was now panting out. His admission right there in front of us, splayed out.
I didn’t really know what to say, so I did the only thing I knew would get
through to him. I pushed on his shoulders for leverage as I jumped into his
arms, wrapped my legs around his waist, and crushed my mouth to his.

Nick rotated, and we slammed into the wall. My back hit it with a thud
as he pressed into me. We tore at each other’s clothes as our kisses spiraled
out of control. “No one could ever take your place, Leah. No one,” he gasped as
he ripped my shirt over my head. His hands danced over my ribs as they crept up
my back in search of the clasp on my bra. When it popped loose, he ripped it
off my arms, and tossed it behind him. “God you’re beautiful.” Before my mind
could catch up with what was happening, Nick leaned forward, and sucked a
nipple into his mouth.

“Ahhh Nick!” I shrieked. I shoved my hands into his soft silky strands
and gave a gentle tug. Nick groaned as he bit down lightly causing a shiver to
run up my back. I bucked my hips against him as I begged for him to take me.
“Please Nick…”

He turned us toward the bed as he stalked across the room. In one fluid
movement, he dropped down onto the soft mattress, and ground his hips against
mine. The friction from our jeans sent a delicious sensation rolling through
me.

His lips began trailing across my collarbone, skimming up my neck, and
stopping to nip my earlobe. “Nick…” I continued to beg as I skimmed my hands
down his chest and abs to work the button of his jeans.

“I know baby…I know,” he growled as he stepped back to tug my jeans off.
“I’m gonna show you…show you you’re the only one. Once he freed my legs from my
jeans, he flatten himself against me, and ground his hips into mine once again.
I could feel the throbbing bulge of his erection through the front of his
jeans, and a surge of pure pleasure worked its way right to my core. “Now
Nick…” I continued to try to work his jeans free.

Nick finally stood, and removed them after my failing attempt to do so,
before shucking off his boxers too. As he stood there in all his naked glory,
my eyes glazed over, and I bit my bottom lip to stifle a moan. “Like what you
see?” he teased as he slid himself against me. I could feel the velvety
softness of his cock press against my thigh.

“Mmmmm,” I moaned as I arched into him. I was beyond the point of
wanting something slow and sensual. “Nick?”

“Yeah Baby?” he leaned in next to my ear, and rolled his hips again.

“Stop teasing me,” I begged.

“I need to get a condom,” he whispered as he started to move away.

I shook my head, wrapped my legs around his waist locking my feet behind
him, and tugged him closer, “I’m on the pill.”

“Are you sure this is ok?” his brow furrowed as I tugged his face down
to mine.

“Just fuck me already,” I mumbled against his mouth before plunging my
tongue in.

In one swift movement, Nick sunk himself as deep as he could go. His
eyes rolled back, and every muscle in his body went ridged. I ran my hands down
his back, scraping my nails along the way, as I arched off the bed.

Nick held me still for a moment as he took several deep breaths. “Give
me a minute. I’ve never gone bareback before,” he panted as his eyes squeezed
shut, and his jaw ticked while he fought for control.

“Nick…move!” I demanded as I rocked my hips into him again. It was like
a stick of dynamite had been lit. Nick began to thrust into me in an unrelenting
pace. Sweat began to bead across his forehead, and his breath came out in quick
gasps. We rocked together like a well-oiled machine. Nick was on a mission. It
was as if I’d unleashed a beast.

“Oh fuck you feel good,” he panted. “So tight…I can’t…I can’t hold on,”
he growled as his rhythm became broken and disjointed. “Shit Leah…I’m gonna
come.”