The first day I walked into homeroom, my eyes landed on hers. She was the ultimate pinup girl, with blond hair, a nice rack, a mouth that was made to suck cock, and a juicy ass. It took two days to find out who she was.
Head cheerleader, Sandie, dating the other quarterback on the team. I laughed at the irony.
Every single time she tried to corner me, I walked away from her leering looks and pretended I didn't see her. She kept waiting for me after practice, and I kept leaving out the back door just to avoid her.
I wasn't second string to anyone. Until she cornered me in the locker room one day when I left the field to go grab something I had forgotten.
That was the first time she gave me head, and I didn't give a shit if people found out. I wasn't wrong about those lips.
From then, we started sneaking around. She always said she was forced to date Jason. Their parents were country club friends. She had no choice. It was just for show.
So during the day she would hold his hand, but at night, she would come over and fuck me.
It was a good thing my mother worked nights. It went on for two years, and every single time I would tell her we were done, she would come over that night and profess her love for me. I hate to admit it, but she got under my skin. I loved her, too.
Until that one day, she came over with tears streaming down her face.
"I'm pregnant." Those two words changed my life. It changed hers.
"It's okay. I can get a job, and we can finally be together." It didn't even dawn on me that we always, always wore condoms.
I didn't even pick up the fact she was fidgeting with her hands. "It's Jason's, Mick."
I jumped away from her, starting to pace around my small, two-bedroom apartment. "What do you mean, it's Jason's? You said you were never with him!"
"It was one time, that night we got into that stupid fight because of Jenny. I thought you were going to date her. I went home. He was there. One thing led to another." She looked up at me. The beautiful face of the girl I thought I would wake up to every morning, the beautiful face of the girl I thought would have my kids, the beautiful face of the girl who made me feel like I was worth something. The beautiful face of a liar.
"Please, Mick, don't hate me," she whispered.
I had never hated anyone more than I hated her in that moment. Sitting on my mother's ratty, flowered couch where we first made love, I vowed, right then and there, to never ever give my heart away again. To anyone.
I went on to training camp, did my own thing. I thought of her from time to time. One night while out at a bar, I saw her. Our eyes met across the room. She walked right up to me, and we started talking. It was like no time had passed. We caught up on life, and soon she was touching me any chance she got.
Now, here we are seven years later, and I'm still just her fucking toy.
I'm the man who wants to believe her empty promises. I'm the man who wants the girl to finally pick him, and I'm the man who wants to believe that love conquers all. What the fuck is wrong with me?
Chapter Three
Mick
I spend the good part of the morning in the gym near the precinct. Nothing makes me feel better than beating the shit out of a punching bag. Eminem blasts in my headphones, while the sweat pours off me, my muscles nearly seizing up every time my jab strikes the bag.
By the time I shower, get dressed, and head into work, my mood has changed from frustrated to semi-irritated. I start thinking of the caseload that we just got so my mind isn't on Sandie.
I jog up the steps to my office, and I'm greeted by my partner, Jackson. His broody mood is bouncing off the walls. I sit down at my desk, which is right in front of his.
"Good morning, sunshine!" I lean back into my chair, waiting for his eyes to come to mine. When he doesn't say anything but just grunts, I know it's going to be a great day.
"I thought Kendall came over last night? Yet here you are ready to blow up?"
He glances at me. We've been partners since the beginning. We entered the academy at the same time, both of us with chips on our shoulders, both hoping to change the world. I'm trying to get scum off the street, and he's making sure every runaway is found.
"Shut the fuck up, Mick, not today." He looks down at the file in front of him. Another runaway kid who seemingly disappeared into thin air. I hate everything about this case.
He lifts his gaze, pinning it on me. He doesn't need to say anything. I already know what he's thinking.
"I met my neighbor this morning," he tells me while I squeeze my stress ball in my hand. "She had bruises on her arm, a couple faded ones on her face." He closes the file in front him, tossing it on my desk.
I open the folder to see the picture of the latest runaway.
"So now what?" I ask him, but I know the answer even before he tries to answer.
"She's running from something. I don't know what or who, but there was real fear in her eyes. There was the kind of pain that breaks a person," he tells me while he starts typing into the database.
"You can't save everyone, Jackson, you know this. It's like you're constantly chasing that same ghost." I lean forward, putting my arms on the desk.
"I don't want to save her." He shakes his head to clear his thoughts. "I just want her to know she's safe."
"What the fuck are you doing?" I ask when I see him start typing in Nan's name.
"I need to know what her story is, Mick." Right before he can pull up anything, I call his name.
"It's her story to tell, Jackson. Not yours to find out. If she is the way you say she is, there's no way in hell she's going to be cool with you looking into her before she's had a chance to tell you."
He shrugs at me, not ready to admit I'm fucking right.
"Yeah, I know you aren't going to stop searching till you find out those answers. You want to keep her safe." I pause, cocking my head to the side. "Who is going to keep you from yourself, Jackson?"
"I have no idea, but something is pulling me to her, something I can't even explain. I've got to get home. I promised to mow her lawn."
"Which lawn we talking about?" I duck when he throws a balled up piece of paper at me. "How are you going to explain Kendall?"
"There is nothing to explain. We're friends, just friends, from now on." He grabs his keys off his desk, not interested in finishing this conversation.
"I hope you know what you're doing, for both your sakes," I tell him right before he walks out of the room.
I stare at the case file in front of me. A young girl who just up and vanished with a guy no one knows about. I don't know what it is but something in my gut tells me this case isn't what it appears to be. My instincts tell me we won't be closing it any time soon.
I read over the notes a few times, trying to find some kind of clue.
Having done all I can do for today, I get up to leave. I make my way out the door and head home to my empty house, my empty fridge, and my empty fucking life.
The next day Jackson and I decide to hit the streets to find out if anyone knows anything. We may be looking for a needle in a haystack right now, but we need something, anything, to go on.
"No one is fucking talking, Mick. Plus, all the people we want to talk to are probably still sleeping it off," Jackson says right before he puts his water bottle to his lips.
"We should come back down tonight, catch them in action. You up for it tonight? Or are you still nursing your sour mood?"
"Kendall and I have run its course. It's over. Been a long time coming." He places his hands on his hips, waiting for my snarky comments.
"It's about time you set her-and yourself-free. I've been waiting for this. There was nothing anyone could have said to make her turn around and walk away from you. It was always going to have to be you who pulled the plug. She's a good girl. She'll be just fine." I turn to walk to the car. "What was the last straw?"
"I can't really pinpoint one thing," he tells me while getting into the car. "I got home, she was on my couch watching television, and it just felt wrong. Then my neighbor dropped off cookies, and my head wasn't there. She sensed it, we had a conversation, and now we're just friends, without benefits."
I pull out into the street, making my way back to the precinct.
"Your neighbor brought you cookies? That threw you off?" I turn around in my seat, taking off my sunglasses to look at him, thinking he has lost his mind over cookies.
"Leave it be."
I relent, knowing he'll talk when he's ready.
"What time do you want to head out tonight?"
"I think around ten should be good."
We make it to the precinct, and he nods his head. "I'll pick you up tonight. I'll get an unmarked car."
"Sounds good. I'll be at home if you need anything." I open the door, leaning into the car. "Hey. Bring me a cookie tonight." And just like that, I close the door before he can reach over and smack my head, belly laughing the whole way to my car.
Chapter Four
Mick
I finally get the last of the groceries put away when the doorbell rings followed by a knock and the door pushing open.
"Baby?" I hear Sandie's soft voice calling.
I open the beer in my hand and take a long pull. I don't have to answer. I know she'll find me.