Landon's Obsession: An Endless Series: Book 3 (Series 3) (52 page)

     Nadia snorted. “Good one.” She and Gabby shared a grin.
It heartened me knowing Landon’s friends were bonding with mine.

     “Have you ever seen a lacrosse game?” Amanda asked
Juan.

     “Nope. I’m more of a football fan.” He answered.

      She smirked. “Then you are about to be converted
because football is a…wussy game compared to lacrosse.” Juan didn’t look
convinced, but Amanda’s smirk only grew. “You’ll see. These guys are warriors.”

     The next hour convinced
me
of Amanda’s words.
I’d watched a quick few minutes of a lacrosse game on television but it hadn’t
prepared me for watching an actual game. The guys on the field were constantly
running and throwing the ball. Landon was a midfielder so he ran the entire
field, from one goal net to the other. It explained why he was in such
excellent, mouth-watering shape.

     Nola loved her daddy, but it wasn’t enough to keep her
interested in the game. She became extremely bored about five minutes in so I pulled
out my Galaxy tablet and brought up some cartoons for her and Andrea to watch.
This allowed me to watch the game pretty much uninterrupted.

     I knew Landon had to be good to be on the universities
team but his name came up numerous times on the mega screen and loudspeaker. He
assisted in many of the goals for his team, and he even scored two himself. I
liked playing and watching sports, but watching Landon play was kind of an
orgasmic experience, and the many glances he threw my way throughout the game
only added to my tension.

     God, I was horny.

     A boom sounded announcing the end of the game. The
stands went wild because UVA had won the scrimmage, and the guys on the field swarmed
together slapping and hugging each other in exuberance. All of us in our group
jumped, cheered, and hugged as well, and as we did I noticed that Luka and
Samantha seemed to know each other well because they were smiling and hugging
with familiarity. It had me wondering abstractedly if they were seeing one another.
However, when they separated Samantha and Cole turned toward each other and seemed
to freeze, and the look that passed between them was charged with a tension
that was unmistakable. After a moment Cole turned away, avoiding the hug, and
the distress on Samantha’s face was obvious. There had to be at least a six
year age gap between the two so I had to give it to the guy for avoiding
temptation. She was beautiful, but young. It was interesting though.

     “Okay,” Juan whooped, slapping high-fives with Lon. “I
am definitely converted, because that was a dam…darn good game.”

     Landon suddenly burst from the group and ran towards
us, jumping up once again on the wall. His smile was wholly unadulterated this
time telling me he’d lost his bad attitude. Mine appeared to have disappeared
as well because I swung my arms around him in joyful congratulations. He was
sweaty and hot but I didn’t care; I gripped his shoulders and hung on tight.

     “That was an awesome game, Landon.” I noted out of the
corner of my eye that Seth, Nic, and Noah were also getting victory hugs. Over
Landon’s shoulder I watched Evan shaking his head as though aggrieved by what
he was seeing, but he also appeared to be searching for someone in the crowd.
They must have not been here because he frowned in displeasure.

     Landon pulled back halfway with an enormous smile. “I
can see now why Nic’s game improved even more when Carrie started coming to his
games, because I felt on fire today knowing you were watching me.”

     That he was putting so much importance on me being here,
with him, watching him, was heady. I couldn’t hold back my smile of delight.
“You played so well. I never knew you were that good.” The only player out
there that might have better than him was his roommate, Nic.

     Eyes bright he laughed. “Never played that well before.
I felt like I was high on testosterone and speed.”

     “Daddy! You done playing?” Nola set down the tablet and
ran forward.

     Landon swung his legs over the railing and caught her
up in his arms. “All done. Are you hungry, baby girl? Want to go get something
to eat?”

     “Yes, please. Chicken nuggets and French fries.” She
cried eagerly.

     Landon chuckled and looked to me. “That’s probably the
most excitement she’s shown today, huh?”

     I grinned. “She was way excited at seeing your picture
on the big screen.”

     He laughed and pulled me into his side. I wrapped my
arms around him automatically, my body trying to mold itself to his through his
equipment. This felt so right, so perfect; all three of us holding onto to each
other.

     “Landon!?”

     Numerous people were yelling his name in excitement but
for some reason one caught my attention more than the others. Twisting in his
arms I searched the crowd and stiffened in panic.

     Landon’s dad was here! Five feet from us. Staring at
the three of us with a mix of confusion, amazement, and shock. All I could
think was; he’s not supposed to be here. Landon said he wasn’t going to be
here. Had Landon lied to me? Had he gotten tired of waiting for me to include
his parent’s and made his own plans?

     Fear, anger, betrayal…they all swamped me. I wasn’t
ready for this. I wasn’t ready to tell his parent’s about Nola.

     Tearing myself from Landon’s arms I reached for Nola
and nearly yanked her from his arms. I made certain I didn’t hurt her in the
process though. He stared down at me in confusion and I realized he hadn’t
noticed his father yet because too many other people had been yelling his name
and slapping him in congratulations.

     My throat was tight but I was able to grit out. “You
said your parent’s wouldn’t be here, Landon. You lied to me. I told you I
needed time before telling them but you went behind my back anyway. Why would
you do that?”

     I gripped Nola tight to me as my chest constricted.
Emotions bombarded me; pain and anger at his disloyalty, dread at what his
parent’s might do or say, terror that Kris might pop up.

     I needed to get out of here.  

Chapter Thirteen

LANDON

     I stared down at Maya in confusion. She’d all of a
sudden yanked Nola from my arms and was glaring at me with a combination of
emotions; anger, pain, terror. The last two had protectiveness surging through
me.

     “You said your parent’s wouldn’t be here, Landon. You
lied to me. I told you I needed time before telling them but you went behind my
back anyway. Why would you do that?”

     Her words tightened a vise around my heart and bottomed
out my stomach. My parent’s were here? Shit! I looked around reflexively and
instantly spotted my dad standing several feet from us, wearing a dumbfounded
expression.

     Fuck! I’d never told my parent’s I had a scrimmage
today, and I’d assured Maya that they wouldn’t show. No wonder she was freaking
out.      

     She was backing away from me and I reached out and
gripped her arm. I hated that she thought I would go behind her back, deceive
her in such a way, but from the terror I saw on her face she was past thinking
coherently. Was that just because of my parents, or did she think Kris was
close by as well?

     “Maya, sweetheart, I swear I didn’t know they would be
here. I never told them I had a scrimmage.” I was near desperate that she
believe me. The thought that she might not, that she might think I lied to her,
killed me.

     She was still pulling away but I think it was with less
vigor, but there was no less panic on her face. “I can’t stay here, Landon. I
don’t want to talk to them for the first time with Nola around.”

     Over Maya’s head I could see the group was beginning to
take note that something was going on with Maya and me. They advanced in
concern, but the only one I focused on was that Juan guy as he moved behind
Maya in a protective move that had my teeth clenching in aggravation.

     “Landon?” My dad’s voice was closer.

     “Daddy, are we going to get chicken nuggets?” Nola
demanded.

     Even with the loud crowd around us I still heard my dad
gasp in shock.   

     Through all this my main focal point was Maya, and the rising
fear that she was trying to run from me. “Please, Maya, you have to believe me,
I didn’t plan this. I had no idea they would be here.”

     Her chest heaved in agitation, and I could see she was
avoiding all eye contact with me and my father. “Okay, okay, Landon.” She
tugged free. “But I still can’t stay here.” Turning she made to walk away, but
her assertion didn’t comfort me. It sounded like she was just saying them so
she could get away as quickly as she could and this caused a surge of panic to
rush through me.

     “Maya!” Grabbing her coat I halted her and lined myself
up with her back. Leaning down I whispered in her ear. “You and Nola are the most
important people in my life. More than even my parent’s. I would not jeopardize
what I’m trying to build with you for them.”

     She paused, head bowed, and after a second of silence
she partially turned to glance at me. Her eyes deep pools of conflict. “I
believe you…but Landon, I still can’t stay.”

     I rubbed her shoulder soothingly. “I understand. I want
nothing more than to go with you but I should probably explain to my dad what
he just walked up on. Are you going straight back home?” She nodded. “I won’t
be far behind.” Kissing the side of her neck I was rewarded with a small shiver
that went a little way in soothing me. Giving Nola a buzz on the cheek I told
her I’d see her at home in a little while.

     With one last hesitant look from bruised eyes Maya
strode up the stadium steps with Gabby, Lon, and
Juan
following her. I
noted that Juan had gathered up her bag and was carrying it for her. Even
though he was helping her it wasn’t something that endured him to me. In fact,
it made me want to chase after him and tackle him for the bag, while making
sure to get few thumps in for good measure.

     “Landon?” Dad’s voice called me back to what I needed
to do.

     Before turning Nic, Seth, and Noah gave me supportive
nods before moving away so I could handle my affairs in private. Appreciating
their tack I faced my dad whose expression was still slack jawed.

     “Dad. This is a surprise.”

     He choked, staring up the steps after Maya and Nola.
“That would make two of us.”

     I looked beyond him. “Is mother here as well?”

     He shook his head and I breathed a small sigh of
relief. At least I only had to deal with one of them at a time. Small favors.

     “What made you come today?” I asked playing for some
time.

     He blinked as though trying to process my question. My
father was a quick witted man, but I could see that he was doing some
scrambling to catch up at the moment. “You’ve been really distant lately, and
angry whenever we talk. I was hoping we could spend some time together today to
reconnect again.”

     The expectation and bewilderment in his voice compressed
my chest. I’d been so mad at what Kris had done, and the fact that my parents
were standing by him, that I’d been taking all my anger out on them since I
couldn’t take it out on Kris. It wasn’t fair to them because I knew as parent’s
it was ingrained in them to believe in their son, but I couldn’t sit back and
let them tear into Maya either.

     Someone slapped me on the back in congratulations
making me aware that this wasn’t the best place for the discussion we needed to
have. “Dad, lets move this conversation somewhere else.”

     Moving through the crowd I directed him into a
comparatively unused hallway. I turned to face him and we stared at each other
awkwardly for a moment.

     “What the hell is going on, Landon?” He asked, breaking
the uneasy silence. “Did I hear what I thought I heard or am I going senile?”

     I nearly chuckled at that, but this was too serious.
“You heard correctly. Maya got pregnant four years ago with Nola,
my daughter
.”
Was that too forceful?

     He seemed to stagger faintly in astonishment. “You’ve
verified…”

     I broke in with a hard voice. “Nola’s mine.”

     Brows furrowing he gawked at me. “Why didn’t she come
forward back then?”

     I snorted at his question. “Dad, I’ve explained to you
what Kris and I did to her. She didn’t want to have anything to do with us…me.”

     “But she does now?”

     I sighed. “We’ve discussed things and she’s forgiven
me…thank god.”

     “But she still asserts that Kris raped her?” He
frowned.

     My lips thinned. “He did, and speaking of Kris; has
there been any word?”

     His brows hiked in incredibility. “Seriously…you’re
just going to switch topics on me like that?”

     “I haven’t heard anything in a while and I need to know
what’s going on.” I stated.

     He didn’t look happy about it, but… “The guy I have
looking for him has said he’s optimistic at finding him soon.”

     My brows shot up and my muscles tensed in anticipation.
“Really?” He nodded, and I could feel a ruthless twist curl my lips. Soon…I
would be able to get my hands on that fucking cock sucker in just days.

     “Landon, that smile, if you could call it that,
concerns me greatly.”

     Anger, always near the surface when Kris’s name was
mentioned, rushed forth. “Dad, this is not a smile. This is retribution.”