The Crush (18 page)

“Okay I think we have everything we need here Ms. Wakefield which I’m sure is enough to put Mr. Campbell away for a long time. We might have a few more questions for you later on but we’ll be in contact with your lawyer if that’s necessary. Do you have any questions for us?”

I looked back at Grier who was trying to keep himself together for my sake but I had to know.“Did he….did he rape me?”

I saw Grier take a quick intake of breath and hold it in, waiting for the answer of the officer. I don’t know what I would do if that had happened. I had come so far since the last time and I didn’t want my world to crumble again.

“No ma’m. A rape kit was administered when you arrived and there was no sign of it.”

Grier blew out his breath, visibly relieved by the officer’s statements and shook both of their hands before they left.“How you feelin’ girl?”

I looked down at my body that didn’t look damaged at all but after I shifted up my hospital gown to reveal my bare stomach I remembered how the tip of the knife had pierced my skin and I saw the stark white bandages covering the evidence that ran from the front of my stomach and wrapped around to my back. My head also had a small bandage over it and I felt a huge goose egg from when he slammed it into the table.

“I think I’ll be alright. I’m just glad that Lexie was there to stop him, I can’t believe she was actually the one to save me. I hope he gets locked up for a long long time.”

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you Wynn. I got the call right when I got home and I think I broke every traffic law to get to you. I can’t believe he did this after all that time. Sounds like he was planning it for awhile.”

I nodded my head at him and flopped back onto the pillow with a wince. My head was killing me.

“You want me to go bother the nurse again?” He stood up and turned to leave the room but I grabbed his hand to stop him.“Please don’t go. I’ll be alright till she gets here, just don’t leave me alone.”

“Wynn I will never leave you alone again. Your probably gonna have to kick my ass out because I’ll be on your nerves so bad girl. Just don’t make too many plans when you get to campus ‘cause you’re going to every one of my practices with me and I’m sitting in all of your classes.”

I laughed at the serious look he had on his face and I knew he was planning on doing just that.

“Sounds good to me. I love you Grier Daniels.”

He leaned down, placing warm kisses all across my face and then moved down, speaking against my neck and sending shivers through my body.

“I.Love.You.Too. Wynn.Wakefield.” He pulled back to look me deep in the eyes before caressing my cheek with his calloused hand.

“If I had to choose between breathing or loving you, I would say I love you with my last breath.”

Two years later

Grier

“I love you too Cheyenne Grace, I’ll see you soon.”

 I hung up my phone and tucked it back into my pocket before leaning back against the headrest in the waiting area at the airport. Vance had passed out as soon as we made it through checking our baggage and security. I wish I could be doing the same thing but I had too many things running through my mind and I hadn’t slept a wink in the past two days.

Now boarding flight 435 enroute to New York City, we will begin with zone six. Please have your tickets ready and available.

“Come on buddy,” I kicked Vance in the shin and he shot straight up out of his seat. “Time to go.”

“What the fuck Grier? Try and be a little bit gentler next time. These legs are my money makers, Hallie will beat the shit out of you if you do any damage. And the plane ain’t goin’ anywhere without us so just simmer down boy.”

He bent down to pick up his  crimson Alabama duffle bag that matched the one already slung over my shoulder and we made our way to the line, handing our tickets to the flight attendant who gave both of us a complete stare down, licking her lips and fluttering her eyelashes at us like we were pieces of meat.

Vance still got a kick out of it and I’m sure he would only get worse after our trip to New York even though anyone who was close to him knew he only had eyes for Hallie. I still had to shake my head every time I saw them together, Vance never seemed the type to settle down with a girl, especially his high school sweetheart.

My phone rang again as we found our seats and I pulled it out to check the caller id. The thing had been ringing off the hook the past couple of days and I had to start screening my calls after while, I had no idea how all of these people were getting my number.

“Hey mama, what’s goin’ on?”

“Not much, have you boarded yet?”

“Yup, me and Vance just got to our seats. Have you guys checked into your hotel yet?”

“We did just a little bit ago. Your daddy got as a room with a view, this city is amazing! Hopefully you have a bit of extra time to do some exploring. How are you feeling?

“I’m not gonna lie I’m a bit of a mess. I can’t remember the last time I slept.”

“You’ll be fine son, you have a lot going on. I’m so proud of you. We’ll see you when you get here. I love you, tell Vance I love him too.”

“Bye mama.”

I turned my phone off as the pilots voice came over the speaker to tell us that we would be taking off shortly.

“Was that your mama again?”

“How’d you know man? Her and my dad are all checked in already.”

Vance nodded at me and leaned his seat back, taking the complimentary pillow from the flight attendant and curled up against the window. I guess he was trying to get his sleep in while he still could.

My mom and dad had found their way back to each other about a year after dad had been sober. He had to do a lot of groveling and getting his shit together before mama even gave him a chance. And he did. He got his life straightened out and opened a small construction company in town, he had always been good with that type of stuff even when he could barely stand from being so drunk.

“Excuse me,” a middle aged guy across the aisle said leaning across to get my attention. “Are you Grier Daniels?”

“Yes sir I am.” He held out a hand to shake mine and I leaned out into the aisle to meet his grip.

“Well I’ll be. I am a huge fan, I’ve been watching every single one of your games. I bet you’re headed to the draft aren’t you? I’m guessing you are a nervous wreck.”

“Yup, I’m not gonna lie sir. I can’t remember the last time I slept and my stomach is in knots. I can’t wait till it’s over and done with. The anticipation is killin’ me.”

“Well I’m sure wherever you end up you’ll be a star, just don’t forget about your home state. Do you mind giving me an autograph?”

He shuffled through his small carry-on bag and found a pen and a piece of wrinkled up paper for me to sign. I would have to be getting used to this.

The past two years had been a crazy whirlwind at Alabama. The starting quarterback had been injured in the first game we played against Michigan and after swapping back and forth between me and one other quarterback, Coach finally settled on me. Already being well known in highschool as the ‘Bama Brothers with Vance being my best wide receiver, he instantly got playing time too and basically the rest is history.

We both decided to enter the draft after our second year and if predictions were right we would both be going in the first couple of rounds. If luck was still on our side we would end up going to the same team but I’m sure one team would scoop up the other before the second round came back around.

“Hey you want the ole John Hancock from me too?” Vance asked, popping up from his seat and leaning across me to the man who had just tucked my signature away carefully into his bag.

“Why, Vance Nelson too? The media was right, you two are always together. I figured it was just some kind of hoax to stir up coverage for the team. Certainly son, these are going to be worth a lot of money someday especially if I have both autographs from the ‘Bama Brothers.”

“You are so right sir, you’ll make a fortune off these. They’ll be a hot commodity before you know it, I can guarantee that.” Vance winked at the guy and I stopped myself from rolling my eyes at him. The guy had the biggest ego around.

“Well thanks boys and good luck to you both.”

The rest of the flight went by quietly, almost too quiet, letting my head run through all of the different scenarios of tomorrows outcome. I guess I would just have to keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best.

                                                                **********************************

So I wasn’t picked first like all the sports channels were predicting. But Vance was, just what I needed, him to rub in my face how much better he was than me but I didn’t mind he could have the limelight. I was already sweating bullets in the black suit that mama had insisted I wore but I absolutely refused to wear a tie and had already undone a couple of the buttons on my white dress shirt.

We were all gathered around a table in the Radio Music City Hall and the crowd that was gathered had came to a quiet hush when the commissioner of football strolled to the podium to announce the first pick of the draft.

“And with the first pick of the NFL draft the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Wide Receiver Vance Nelson of Alabama.”

The crowd erupted with a mixture of cheers and boos, some happy that they got one of the best wide receivers in the game for their team and the others unhappy that they didn’t.

Vance jumped to his feet and let out a big whoop before giving everyone at the table a big hug and grabbing onto Hallies hand who was sitting to the left of me.

Before she was dragged off by an excited Vance she pushed a small bundle into my hands who quickly wrapped her arms around my neck.

“Here Cheyenne you stay with Uncle Grier, mama has to go calm daddy down and make sure he doesn’t make a fool out of himself.”

I looked down at the tiny two year old that was sitting on my lap who was a spitting image of her mama and daddy combined with wavy blonde hair and wide hazel eyes. I placed a kiss on her forehead before she turned around to watch her daddy get a Buccaneers cap placed on his head which barely ended up there the way he was jumping around the stage with a giggling Hallie standing to the side, a hand on her very pregnant stomach. At this rate those two would end up with twenty kids, I guess it was a good thing their daddy just signed a big football contract.

The two of them had run off together our first year on campus after the football season ended and went to Vegas, getting married by Elvis himself. No one was sure whether Miss Cheyenne had been created before or after but the moment I laid eyes on her tiny little baby face I was in love.

After a while the wait was killing me and I felt like I was going to have a panic attack any minute with the anticipation building and building.

Finally my name was called.

“And with the tenth pick of the NFL draft the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select quarter back Grier Daniels of Alabama.”

The crowd went wild over that and I definitely wasn’t expecting to end up on the same team as Vance. It was like a dream come true, hopefully things would continue to go my way.

I stood up to head up to the stage, letting go of the hand that had been clutching mine the whole time even though it was covered in sweat. The hand that had been there the most for me these past two years through this wild ride. She hadn’t made a peep the whole time, I think she was even more nervous than me.

But before I turned to go, I dropped down to one knee and pulled out the black box that had been burning a hole in my pocket since that morning. Mama had helped me to pick out the perfect one and I hoped that she would love it.

I looked back into those brilliant green eyes that were staring down at me glimmering with tears, a shaking hand covering that pretty mouth of hers as she gripped my free hand tightly. All eyes were on us and the huge crowd was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

“Wynn Catherine Wakefield I have loved you since the first day I laid eyes on you. We’ve been through so much together and you’ve always stuck by my side through this crazy journey. Would you do me the honor of being my girl for the rest of our lives?”

She locked eyes with me, her face lighting up with the biggest smile I think I had ever seen on her face and before I could pull the ring out of the box, she launched herself at me knocking backwards and landed on top of me.

She attacked my mouth with hers, pouring at all of the passion she had inside of her. I always thought Wynn was the best kisser around but what she was doing to me right now was just…there were no words for it. She still didn’t handle crowds very well but she wasn’t even batting an eyelash at everyone that was watching us. The crowd erupted and our family gathered around us joining in with the clapping and cheers.

Wynn broke away from my mouth, hovering over me still close enough that I could feel her warm breath on my face.

“So is that a yes girl or are you going to keep me waitin’?

“Yes, yes, yes a million times yes,” she managed to answer back while laughing and crying at the same time.

I stood up and threw her over my shoulder while running to the stage where an amused looking commissioner still stood at the podium waiting for me to arrive.

He placed a matching hat to Vances on my head and I waved it at the crowd that had quieted down and I stepped up to the microphone.

“She said yes,” I shouted out and the crowd exploded once again as I left the stage with Wynn wrapped around my waist, her ankles locked behind my back while she ran her hands through my hair like she couldn’t get enough of me and attacked  me with her mouth. Instead of heading back to our family I turned the other way and headed in the direction of our hotel room. We had our own private celebration to get to.

I think Wynn had said it before comparing life to the ocean and how unsteady it was.  Sometimes it had its highs and lows like those waves that were so familiar to the both of us and you just had to see how far they would carry you and I knew my girl would be right beside me through the whole thing holding my hand tight.