DYLAN

I had the ball with me but all my teammates were surrounded by our opponents. This was the last game of the season and even though I hated to admit it, this team had some skilled players.

With a few seconds left on the clock and no one to pass to, I decided I would aim the ball for the net and just hope for the best. The moment I launched the ball into the air everyone's eyes followed it in anticipation.

It felt like everything around me had slowed down. All sounds blocked away as I silently prayed for the ball to go into the net which would signify our win.

The ball rolled around the steal rimming that held the net. Everyone was at the edge of their seats in anticipation. I even caught a few people biting at their nails due to all the nervousness.

My prayers were finally answered when the ball fell into the net and bounced onto the ground. Everyone remained quiet out of shock for just a moment before there was an uproar of screaming and chanting that could be heard.

"Fuck!" I breathed in relief, looking up to the heavens. I quickly did the sign of the cross before placing my hands on my knees to catch my breath and calm down.

Suddenly I was being lifted into the air by not only my teammates but also the supporters that were just a second ago seated in the bleachers.

We won the championship and with graduation a few days from now everything seemed to be going just as I planned for once and I was nothing but grateful for that. Finally, life decided to cut me some slack.

After a while of being carried in the air, I was finally placed onto my feet. A few of my teammates were busy chatting up girls while the others were in a deep discussion with the coach.

I made my way to the locker room and my teammates followed suit not too long after. Their voices bounced off the walls of the locker room causing it to echo loudly. They were still chanting and screaming in a celebratory mood.

I had a quick shower to wash away all the sweat from my body and then sat in my towel on the bench in front of my locker. Everyone in here was still either in their sweaty kits or had towels wrapped around their waists due to just stepping out of the shower, except Mike!

Mike, the captain of the team, tended to walk around the locker room as naked as a newborn baby and he felt no shame whatsoever. Being on the team for a few years meant that I had gotten accustomed to it but you could practically see how uncomfortable the fresh meat of the team felt.

I chuckled to myself as Mike stood in front of JJ whose eyes were currently trained onto the grey floor, deep in thought. The entire locker room fell into silence as Mike had a mischievous smile playing on his face. Mike cleared his throat which caught JJ's attention causing him to pick up his head and stare right into Mike's dangling junk.

I couldn't help the laughter that bubbled out of me when I saw JJ's eyes widen to the extent where it looked as if it would pop out of his head and roll across the cemented floor.

"What the actual fuck man! Get your shit away from me!" JJ yelled as he scrambled to his feet so he had a view of Mike's face instead.

Mike placed a hand on JJ's shoulder and grinned an ear-to-ear grin, "Don't feel bad. Not everyone is as gifted as I am," Mike said proudly.

JJ scoffed at Mike's lack of modesty, "Whatever man, at least you will be gone soon and I won't have to look at you naked anymore."

"Mike, Get some clothes on!" Coach's voice interrupted, "Good game and a great season. What more could I ask for. Mike, you will stay behind and take care of everyone's jockstraps."

"What? No coach! Make one of the fresh meat do it," Mike immediately protested.

Coach shook his head, "No. You and Reed will take care of it today. Think of it as my graduation gift from me to you."

Mike grumbled, "One heck of a gift coach!"

"Keep complaining and I will make you do it by yourself and stay away from Jones would you."

Mike and I shared a knowing look before saying in unison, "Yes coach!"

Coach turned on his heel and headed off into his office. I quickly got dressed into my usual all-black attire and checked my phone to see if there were any messages or calls but there was nothing.

I had given my number to Lacy a little over a day ago and she hadn't even texted me yet. I had no way of getting in touch with her because I had given her my number but hadn't taken hers in return. If she messaged or phoned, I would have invited her to the game in hopes of her attending.

For some reason, I had a nagging feeling in me that needed to know how she was. I couldn't help checking my phone every five minutes even though I knew I had no new messages. When a new message did pop up, my heart raced in my chest only to get let down time and time again.

I assumed she was just busy but the thought at the back of my mind gave me doubts. What if she didn't think of me the way I thought of her? What if I wasn't on her mind continuously the way she was on mine?

She made me want to trust her. She made me want to keep her around. She was intoxicating. A forbidden fruit because no one had the privilege to touch her. Not even me!

She tempted me, drew me in, made me want to take her sweet innocence away from her. She looked at me with the same amount of lust and desire as I did her but something was stopping her and I wouldn't force her no matter how much I wanted her.

Mike slamming his locker shut pulled me from my thoughts. I snapped my head so fast in the direction he stood that I almost gave myself whiplash. He began chuckling, shaking his head and crossing his arms in amusement.

"Just because JJ isn't here don't think you can fuck with me!" I warned in a serious tone. I felt irritation taking over me from the mere fact that he interrupted my thoughts of her.

He held his hands up in mock surrender, "Calm down, man. I have places to go and girls to fuck royally so can we get this shit done and leave?"

I nodded and followed Mike. We worked in silence for a while before he began to play music on his phone to fill the silence. We bobbed our head to the beat until Mike burst out into song, singing along with the music blaring from his phone.

"Would you mind if I still love you? Would you mind if things don't last? " He sang in a high-pitched voice, "Would you mind if I hold onto, you so that I won't crash," he gripped my shirt in his fists and shook me as he sang Crash by Usher.

Taken completely off guard, I shoved him away, glaring at him as he continued singing like a mad man. It wasn't that he couldn't sing, because he really could but this was abnormal for me to see.

"I'm not thinking about nobody else but you, you're the only one who takes me there..."

At that point, I grew tired of his singing and switched off the music that emanated from his phone.

He pulled his face, pouted his lips, and crossed his arms, "What did you do that for?"

I ignored him and continued with what I was doing before he interrupted me with his little act. All I wanted was to go home and collapse on my bed. I didn't even feel the need to go out with the guys and celebrate our win, mainly because I didn't want what happened the last time I went out with them to happen again. I wouldn't be able to face anyone if I called another girl her name ever again. Most importantly I wouldn't be able to face her.

"Reed, are you going to be attending the graduation?" Mike asked, breaking our silence.

I shook my head, "I'll just have them mail it to me."

"Don't fuck around bro. This would be fun. You have to come because there's going to be a party afterward!"

"I'd rather skip the graduation and go straight to the party," I laughed.

"Just think about it, man. You might regret it later if you don't."

~~~

The apartment was quiet and I liked it that way. Conner was out with the guys from the team and probably wouldn't be coming home tonight. It was only 7 pm so I decided to order pizza because of how tired I was.

I was just about to take the first bite of my extra cheesy pizza when my phone began to buzz continuously. Groaning, I grabbed the phone, swiped the screen, and saw multiple messages from an unknown number.

>Hey???

>It's Lacy!

>Where are you?

>Reply would you!

I grinned at how eager she was to get ahold of me. Something inside me tingled. It was unexplainable but it made me happy. She made me happy.

I saved her number and contemplated whether to reply to her or not. She left me waiting for more than a day so it would only be fair if I left her waiting as well. After all, I did read somewhere that absence makes the heart grow founder.

Locking my phone, I placed it on the hand rest of the couch and brought the pizza to my mouth once more. The tantalizing aroma of the pizza filled my nostrils and made my mouth water. Just as I was about to sink my teeth into the pizza my phone began buzzing all over again.

"Fuck!" I muttered under my breath as I unlocked my phone to find messages flooding in from her.

>Lucifer?

>Answer your damn phone!

>This is important.

>Please reply!

>I don't like begging but I will if I have to!

A lustful smirk tugged at the corner of my lips. An image of her on her knees flooded my mind. Begging me by batting her long eyelashes. She would look so sexy looking up at me through those eyelashes while on her knees.

My phone buzzing once more interrupted my deepest, darkest fantasies.

>Fine! Don't reply! Guess I mean nothing to you...

A smile formed on my face at her attempt to get my attention. It, sure as hell, worked because she meant more to me than she would ever know and I wanted to spend every day of my life proving that to her.

<Emotional blackmail will get you nowhere.

Within seconds I found her typing so I sat with her chat open, glaring at the screen for her reply to emerge.

>It got you to reply smartass.

>Where are you?

<At home. Were you planning to stalk me at the coffee shop again?

I bit down on my bottom lip as I recalled the day Macy and her were at the coffee shop. Her eyes scanned through the crowd for me but I spotted her first from behind and made my way to save her a seat. Walking past her, that day, I caught a bit of their conversation and that was how my number ended up with her.

>Haha! You think you're so funny.

<I think I'm fucking hilarious thank you very much.

>Get ready. Be there in 5.

I stared blankly at the screen, reading that last message over and over again. She was coming here, to my apartment, to see me. She would be here in five minutes.

Jolting up from my comfortable seat on the couch, I scanned the room to check if anything was out of place. The apartment was fairly clean and she had been here before but I found myself wanting to make a good impression.

I couldn't believe she was coming over. After not talking to her for a complete day I felt as if maybe I didn't affect her as much as she affected me. She didn't affect me in a bad way but at the same time, it didn't feel good either.

Learning to trust someone enough to let them into my life was never my strong suit. I wanted to allow her into my head to understand every detail about me but I was scared. There were so many things that could go wrong once I let someone in.

Would she understand me? Would she leave and never want to see me again?

What made matters worse was the fact that I did not have the kind of money she had. I wouldn't be able to give her the luxuries she was probably accustomed to and that fucked me up. I wanted to give her the world but I physically couldn't.

The fact that she was older than me by two years didn't even phase me. It made me want her more. I just turned twenty-one a month ago while she turned twenty-three. She didn't want to tell me her age and that was fine by me. All I had to do was ask Malik.

There was a light knock at the door that caused an unstoppable and irremovable smile to form on my face. I wasted no time, taking long strides toward the door.

I opened the door and was greeted by a smiling Lacy. Her smile felt like a punch in the gut that sucked all the air out of me. I inhaled sharply as her dark eyes met mine. She looked tired. Worry lines were visible on her forehead. I wanted to take all her worries away because she didn't deserve any.

A throat being cleared made her break her anchoring stare on me. That's when I noticed a middle-aged man standing behind her. He, too, looked tired. A stubble was visible on his face. He was as tall as me but had a hefty build.

No one intimidated me but this man somehow did. He had an all too familiar posture. He carried himself in a way I recognized. His hefty build and the way he dressed made it so obvious who he was.

I knelt at the threshold, crossing my arms as I looked back and forth between the man and Lacy, "Who's the cop?" I finally asked, gesturing to the middle-aged man with my eyes.

She looked at me, wide-eyed, mouth gaping, "H...how did you know?"

The man chuckled and shook his head as he extended his hand forward to me, "Had trouble with the law before?"

I shrugged and met his hand with my own shaking it once before pulling away, "Maybe!"

"He is my uncle. Uncle B meet Lu... I mean Dylan," she said, facepalming herself which made a laugh bubble out of me.

"You can call me Mr. Smith or if you're more comfortable with Detective Smith we could go with that too," he had a stern expression as he kept his eyes locked with mine. It almost seemed as if he was warning me about something.

I gave him a single nod signifying I understood before turning my attention back to Lacy. She licked her lips without even knowing how seductive she looked. That action alone heightened all my senses.

I hung my head low and shut my eyes in hopes that all these seductive thoughts would vanish and leave me in peace but it just became worse. I pictured her using those lips in ways she had never even imagined using them.

"Come on! Let's get going before it's too late!" Lacy demanded as she pulled at my arm.

"Where are we going?" I asked the impatient woman standing in front of me.

"It's a surprise!" She declared, rolling her eyes, "Don't you trust me?" She pouted.

I narrowed my eyes at her, "Are you back to emotional blackmail?"

"It runs in my blood, what can I say."

Letting out an exasperated sigh, I left the two waiting at the door whilst I grabbed the apartment keys so I could lock the door behind me.

~~~

I sat in the back seat of the car while Lacy occupied the passenger seat and her uncle drove. He brought us to a not too far apartment complex. We sat outside, in the car, gazing at the building.

The building was not in very good condition. Its painted walls were beginning to crack and peel. It had shabby-looking glass doors for an entrance that looked unsafe. Windows on certain floors of the building appeared to be shattered and the intact ones were filthy. This whole building was far from sanitary which made me cringe.

"What are we doing here?" I finally asked breaking the silence.

Was this Lacy's idea of a surprise because if so, I wasn't exactly loving it!

"You don't know who lives here?" She looked at me confused with furrowed eyebrows.

"No, have you seen this place?" I rhetorically asked her.

She rolled her eyes so far back that for a second all I could see was the white area of her eyes, "Shall we see who lives here then?" She asked, getting out of the car with her uncle following behind her.

Slightly annoyed, I grunted under my breath as I got out of the car. The cool breeze of the night welcomed me and pricked at the bare skin on my arms. I wondered how the people in this apartment slept at night with broken windows.

As we entered what looked like the lobby of this fine establishment, I was greeted by a foul stench instead of a doorman. A foul stench that I could only describe as something decomposing. I held my breath as we proceeded to the elevator.

"Holy Macaroons!" I heard Lacy gasp.

I turned my head to see what Lacy's sudden bewilderment was about when the big, bold words, 'OUT OF ORDER', on the elevator doors caught my attention. My irritation only grew but I tried to keep it at bay.

"How many floors do we have to walk up?" Lacy huffed as we just started climbing the never-ending staircase.

"Seven and we aren't even done with the first floor," her uncle informed. I could hear his breathing picking up with each step he took. For a cop, he sure was unhealthy.

We climbed the stairs in silence. All that could be heard was the huffing and puffing coming from both Lacy and her uncle. I, on the other hand, still had my breathing under control but I could hear and feel my heart racing inside my ribcage, begging me to stop.

"You haven't even broken out into a sweat yet!" Lacy complained as she placed her hands onto her knees, bending to catch her breath, "How do these people do this every day. I can't! I'm done!"

Even absolutely tired she still looked sexy. Cute even! I ran down the few steps that were in between us, stopping a step below where she stood. I turned around and simply said, "Get on!"

I couldn't see her facial expression but I was almost certain it resembled one of shock. She didn't take too long to process what I said because in no time I felt her hands on my shoulders and her jumping up on my back, wrapping her legs around my torso.

I did not envision my night going this way. Me giving Lacy a piggyback ride up four flights of stairs. I had to ignore the sensations that coursed through my body just by her touch alone. Fuck she had no idea how much I had missed her!

"For someone who runs every morning you sure are lazy," I whispered just loud enough for her to hear as I climbed up two steps at a time.

"Shut up! My short legs can only take me so far," she countered.

I chuckled and I knew she buried her face into my back out of embarrassment. I loved having her this close to me. No matter the situation, I would use any excuse to be close to her. To touch her.

Eventually, we reached the seventh floor and I sat Lacy down onto her feet. The floor of the dimly lit hallway was covered with an icky carpet that looked like it carried several diseases.

We walked the hall until we stopped at a door where yelling could be heard from behind it. The door was off-white with the number 709 scrawled on it with a black marker.

Lacy offered me a half-hearted smile as her uncle knocked at the door. The yelling from the apartment drowned out his knocking so he banged at the door continuously until someone flung the door open.

The woman who opened the door had a head of wild, blonde curls. Bright red lipstick stained her lips while her eyelids were colored in an array of colors. She was middle-aged and yet she still wore a little shirt that exposed her cleavage and the bottom of her stomach where I could clearly see the shimmer of a belly button piercing. Her short, skimpy denim shorts barely covered her behind. A cigarette was held between her lips and a glass of what looked like scotch in her hand.

Lacy's uncle held out his badge, "Detective Smith. Can I come in?"

"Do you have a warrant?" The woman scowled as she took a draw of her cigarette and blew the smoke on our faces.

Behind the woman, I spotted a scared little girl standing. I felt tears prick my eyes the moment the girl's piercing blue eyes met mine. I recognized her. Her skin might have been paler than usual but I could never forget those sad eyes.

She shook her head and started stepping backward. Her eyes stuck on mine as the realization hit both of us in a massive wave. I pushed the woman who stood in my way aside and ran after the little girl who was now running away from me.

A door slammed in my face. Her bedroom door I assumed. I could hear muffled sobbing come from inside the room. It made my heart ache!

"Rose?" I called to get no reply. "Baby B?"

The door swung open and the little girl stood there, looking up at me with pain all over her face, "Don't call me that!"

Although she grew in height, she was still very short which meant I had to bend on my knees to be at her level, "I'll always call you that," I took her hand in mine and she winced.

My eyes scanned her arms. They were scared black and blue as if she received a recent beating. I got up, leaving Baby B, and strode directly toward my target. The woman looked at me with fear clear in her eyes as I neared her.

She laid her hands on my kid sister! I didn't want to imagine what else she did to her, all I could see was red and all I wanted to do was make her pay!

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