Touchdown (17 page)

Chapter 17

Zoey changed the channel on the TV. Every station was still talking about the Patriots winning the wildcard game this afternoon. She was getting tired hearing about it.

It wasn’t Troy Myers who led the team to win. It was all thanks to Kirk Dobson. But the anchor kept mentioning about Troy as if the Patriots was a team of only one man.

She lowered the volume of the TV and tried to listen around her. The house was very quiet now. It seemed everyone else were already sleeping.

She was in Troy’s parents’ house. Whenever Troy was on the road, she’d always come here to be with Bessie. But this time, she had another purpose.

She liked Troy’s parents. They were nice to her. She knew that it was because of Bessie that his mother had abandoned her alcohol addiction and was starting to set her life straight again. In fact, it was for that reason that she had endured to remain here for a few more days so as not to ruin their new year celebration.

She could not wait anymore. Troy had been trying to contact her ever since that day she had learned he was divorcing her, but she never answered his calls. Now that his game was over, he’d surely get the first flight back to New York to see her.

It wasn’t because he missed her or anything, but to convince her to sign the divorce papers and the custody agreement.

She turned off the television and tiptoed upstairs to Bessie’s room. She gently shook the little girl. When Bessie woke up and rubbed her eyes, Zoey pulled the suitcase she hid inside the closet.

“Where are we going?” Bessie asked, yawning.

“Shh,” Zoey hissed, her finger under her nose to tell the girl to keep quiet. She took a coat and wrapped it around Bessie.

“Are we leaving?” Bessie whispered.

“Yes, we’re leaving,” Zoey replied, pulling a folded letter from underneath the pillow and left it on the table. That was for Troy.

“Why?”

“Don’t ask.” Zoey carried Bessie with one arm while she lifted the suitcase with her other hand.

She cringed at the pain on her leg still due to her old injury, but she endured it and quietly descended the stairs, hoping that her in-laws wouldn’t wake up.

Finally, she made it out of the door. Without wasting a second, she tossed the suitcase in the back seat and buckled Bessie up in the passenger’s seat. Quickly, she drove away. It didn’t matter anymore if her in-laws woke up.

Free at last. Let Troy go through the divorce proceeding alone. She wouldn’t give a damn anymore, as long as her baby was hers.

*****

“Hi Troy.”

Troy turned to the girl who came to sit beside him. He immediately recognized her as one of the women he used to do kinky stuff with in bed. It was almost midnight. Most of his team mates had gone to sleep, but he preferred to stay in the bar with the rest and celebrate their victory.

“Hey,” he smiled and kissed her cheek. “Esmeralda, right?”

She smiled, flattered. “Glad you still remember.”

“Of course.” He motioned the bartender to give the woman a drink. “Who will forget a beautiful girl with a beautiful name?”

“That’s actually a nickname. My real name’s Joanne.”

“I see,” he nodded. “I prefer Esmeralda.”

She laughed and picked up the martini that the bar tender laid on the counter before her. “I kind of like the way you say my name when you’re coming.”

He froze when he felt her hand stroking his crotch. After three weeks on the road, meaning abstinence from sex, the damn dick rose in response.

She smiled seductively, knowing full well how she just managed to arouse him. “I’ve got a room upstairs.”

He met her come-to-bed-and-fuck-me-hard gaze. His cock may be willing, but the rest of him didn’t feel the same way. “I’d love to go with you, darling, but… you know very well that I’m married.”

She chuckled and stroked him harder. “Does it look like I care? Besides, everyone knows that marriage is a sham.”

“It’s not a sham at all.”

“Maybe figuratively?”

“No, the marriage is real.” Gently, he held her hand and pulled it off his crotch. “Sorry. It’s my wife’s property.”

She stared at him in disbelief, with eyes wide open. Suddenly, she bristled up and threw the contents of her glass in his face.

He froze in shock. When he recuperated, he saw her quickly walking away.

“Oh, fuck,” he uttered. If she weren’t a woman, he’d beat the hell out of her.

“Here’s a towel,” the bartender said.

Troy took the towel and wiped his face. “What did she do that for?”

Smiling, the bartender leaned on the counter. “That’s what you get when you say no to a woman, dude.”

“Shit, that’s an injustice. We don’t do that when they say no to us.”

The bartender laughed. “Want another drink?”

“Sure.”

“What the hell, Troy!” Kirk, who came from out of nowhere, was suddenly standing beside him. “I can’t believe you just turned down a woman of that quality?”

Troy shrugged. “I’ve tried to be nice, and look what I got,” he replied, pointing at his face.

Kirk laughed and sat on the stool Esmeralda just vacated. “Every man gets that once in a while, especially if you say no to a hot chick like that one.”

“Hot bitch, perhaps,” Troy replied and picked up his new glass of brandy. He poured it down his throat.

“You don’t mind if I asked her instead?”

“Go ahead. She’s all yours.”

“Hmm, maybe not tonight. She’s probably not in a good mood.”

“She just wants sex. It’s not like she’d care whoever gives it to her, as long as he’s got a big dick.”

Kirk stifled a laugh. “Dude, women only want sex with someone they like.”

“Fuck that.”

“Well, that’s according to psychology. The same with some men who only get a hard on with a woman they like… and you’re one of them.”

Troy glared at his friend. “I did get a hard on. It’s just that I’m married, and right now I’m in the hot seat once again. I have to keep my ass intact all the time.”

“Married, huh,” Kirk grinned. “I didn’t expect that kind of devotion you have for your wife ever since you got married. Now, I’m inclined to believe that all those rumors circulating about your marriage aren’t true.”

“Of course, they’re not. My marriage is legit.”

“And done out of love?”

“W-what?!” Troy exclaimed, and then he didn’t know what else to say.

Kirk grinned again and stood up. “Got you,” he said and left.

Troy was left speechless. What the fuck was that prick talking about? He? In love?

Ridiculous. If he were, he wouldn’t have asked Jeremy to prepare the divorce papers. Unfortunately, though, according to his lawyer, Zoey refused to sign the agreements.

But he’d been thinking about his actions lately, and he realized he could have overdone it. He should have spoken with her personally about it and not let Jeremy serve her the papers while she was unprepared.

He picked up his phone from his pocket. He knew she was angry at him. He’d been trying to call her for days, but she kept ignoring him. He’d try again, and tomorrow, he’d take the first flight back to Springfield so they could sort things out.

He frowned when he saw several missed calls from his mother. Something must be wrong. For the last five years, his mother had rarely called him.

Before he could return the call, his phone rang again. “Mom?” he replied.

“Thank God, you finally answered,” his mother said. She sounded exasperated. “Where the hell are you?”

“I’m in a bar,” he replied. “I probably did not hear your call. It’s kind of noisy in here.”

“Well, for your information, your wife has run away. She took the little girl with her.”

Stunned, he could not say a word.

“You heard what I said?”

He suddenly gasped, as if he had forgotten to breathe. “You sure? Did she not just go home to Springfield?”

“She has a letter here for you, dumbass. She’s left you. Now, you’d better get her back and that little angel or I swear I’d—”

“Mom, don’t say it,” he interrupted before she could say the words he’d been dreading to hear. He knew what she’d do. She’d go back to being a mad alcoholic, just as she had been ever since his brother died and before Bessie came along. “I’ll fix this, okay? I’ll get them both back.”

He heard his mother sigh from the other line. “Alright. Bring them both back.”

Right after his mother hanged up, he dialed Zoey’s number. It was out of reach.

“Fuck!” He stood up and grabbed his coat. He had to go back to New York right now and fix this mess.

Chapter 18

Fuck you. My baby’s mine. You can shove your twenty million dollars up your ass. Mason Wayne is still the number one player and he will smash your dick in the championship game for me. New York Jets Forever!

Troy cussed and crumpled the letter. He threw it away and looked around the room. He might find something that could give him a clue as to where Zoey had gone.

“There’s nothing there,” his mother, who was standing by the door, said. “I already searched.”

He ignored her and looked through the closets and cabinets. His mother was right. Zoey did not leave any of her belongings. All he saw were some of Bessie’s clothes and toys.

“I told you I already searched the room!” Paula yelled, and then he heard something break at his feet. He glanced down and found a broken glass on the floor, that same glass that his mother was holding when he arrived, filled with whatever kind of alcohol she got a hold of.

He took a deep breath to hold his temper down. Paula could be violent whenever she was drunk, but if he’d argue with her, it would only make things worse.

“Fine,” he said and closed the closet. “Now, what do you want me to do?”

“Get them back here,” she demanded. “Your wife’s pregnant. Do you know that?”

“I know.”

“Then find her. You have a right over that baby. She can’t have it all to herself.”

“I will find her.”

“And that little angel. I’ve been taking care of that girl for months. She can’t just come here and take that girl away without my permission.”

“I hear you.” He walked out of the room.

Paula followed him as he descended the stairs. “Hire a private investigator. She couldn’t have gone very far.”

“I already contacted one.”

“One is not enough. Hire more.”

He stopped and turned to look at his disgruntled mother. “Mom, please stop bugging me. I’ll take care of this.”

“I won’t stop bugging you until you find them.”

He turned away, but she kept following him, telling him to get them back over and over again. He was tired and stressed out. At anytime he might blow up. He might as well leave.

As he was about to open the door, he saw his father hurriedly coming to him from the back door.

“You’re facing the Jets again for the championship?” Stanly asked.

“That’s not yet certain, Dad,” he said and opened the door. “We both have to win our next games before that happens.”

“There’s a prediction it is likely to happen.”

“Will you stop talking about that stupid game for now!” Paula scolded her husband. “We’re discussing important matters here.”

“Well, this is important to me. I just wagered fifty grand for the Jets.”

That was it. Troy couldn’t let this pass by again. Slowly, he turned around to look at his father who was still arguing with Paula.

“Are you going to ask me to lose against the Jets again?” he asked.

“Exactly,” Stanly replied callously.

Troy clenched his knuckles. “I will not, Dad. Even if you wager this house again. I won’t lose on purpose just for you.”

“Fine. I’ll wager everything that I have against your team if I have to, regardless of your opponent. Ungrateful son of a bitch.”

“Ungrateful? You think I’m ungrateful?”

“Aren’t you? You live a luxurious life in your mansion while you let your parents rot in this damn, old shanty. You don’t even want us to stay in your house.”

“We can’t stay together, or we’ll all get insane.”

“Why don’t you just admit that you don’t care about us anymore, because you’re now a wealthy and famous star? You’re embarrassed of us.”

“It’s not you I’m embarrassed of. I’m embarrassed with what you’re doing.”

“That’s the same. You’re embarrassed of us. Now, you just admitted it.”

“That’s enough.” Paula pushed Stanly aside. “I don’t care if you treat us like garbage, Troy. Just get that little girl back. She’s my only happiness.”

Troy looked away, holding back the tears welling in his eyes. Garbage? Had he ever treated them as garbage? Just because he had once declined their suggestion to stay with him in his house?

“You know why my wife left me?” he asked, his voice now calm and low. “Because I couldn’t love her. Because she knows I only wanted the baby in her womb, and after that, I’m kicking her out of my life.”

Her parents gawked at him.

“See that?” Stanly said a moment later. “I knew it. You are an asshole. You’ve done it to your parents, now you’ve done the same to your wife.”

“To my wife, yes. I was an ass. But not to you.”

“You think so, then why are you doing this to us?”

“I’m not doing anything wrong to you, Dad. I’m doing everything I can to take care of you, but you intentionally and stubbornly mess up with everything to make it difficult for all of us.”

“All we wanted was to stay with you so we can be together as a family.”

“Family, huh? You never treated me like a family. All you did was blame me for the death of your favorite son.”

“I never—” Stanly suddenly stopped and looked at his wife.

“I did,” Paula admitted. “I blamed you… and sometimes I still do.”

A heavy boulder crushed Troy’s heart. “That’s why I wanted a baby, so I could name him after Ashton.”

Paula sucked in a sharp breath. “You think that will replace your brother?”

“No. I had hoped it will ease the pain of your loss.”

“You really are an ass, son. Now, I don’t wonder why your wife left you. You deserve it.”

“Yes,” Troy nodded. “Like father, like son. I’m wondering why mom hasn’t left you yet.”

Stanly’s face turned beet red. “You son of a bitch!” He dived at Troy, throwing them both down the porch.

Troy landed on his back on the hard ground, the impact paralyzing him. As he remained immobile, his father threw punches on his face. He heard his mother screaming, and then he saw her push Stanly off him.

“Troy?” Paula held his shoulders and stared at his face. He met her gaze. He saw fear in her eyes, something that he had never expected her to feel toward him.

“He’s not breathing,” Paula screamed at her husband. “Call an ambulance, damn it!”

His body jerked and his airways opened. Finally, he was able to breathe. “No need,” he gasped.

“Oh, thank goodness!” his mother exclaimed, blinking her teary eyes dry. “Are you okay?”

He struggled to get up, cringing at the pain in his back. “I’m fine,” he said and rose to his feet. It took a while before he regained his balance.

“The ambulance’s on its way,” he heard his father say. “You alright?”

Slowly, he turned to look at Stanly. “Tell them to go back.”

“They have to check on you,” Paula said.

“I’m leaving,” Troy returned and started to walk toward his car.

“Where are you going?” his mother asked.

“Far away from here.”

“You don’t want to see us again, don’t you?” Stanly asked.

Troy pulled the car door open. “I honestly hope I won’t have to see you again.”

“Fine. Forget you’ve ever had parents. I’ll go watch the championship game wearing my Jets jersey, and I hope you’ll lose.”

Troy glanced at his father. “I don’t care what you do and I don’t care how much you wager. My team will win the championship.”

“And send your parents to the gutter?”

“That’s where you want to go, then go. I don’t give a damn anymore.”

“So, there you’ve said it. You don’t give a damn.”

“Right,” Troy nodded and entered his car. As he drove away, he heard the sound of the approaching ambulance.

He ignored it and stepped on the gas, unsure of where to go. Any place would be better than in that house. He wondered why he kept going back there anyway, even if his every visit only shattered him over and over again.

He had endured them for years, but this time, they’ve gone too far. He couldn’t handle them anymore. He’d just keep sending them their monthly allowance and pay their bills. More than that, he didn’t want to have anything to do with his parents anymore.

A few minutes later, he found himself sitting beside his brother’s grave. He had no idea how he’d ended up here. It felt like someone led him here. Maybe Ashton did.

“So what do you want to tell me, bro?” he asked while staring at the headstone. “If you were me, what would you do?”

He wished he’d get some answers, but of course, his dead brother could no longer speak.

“Mom was right,” he said after a long silence. “It should have been me down there. You could have handled them better. Or probably, they did not turn out the way they are right now if you did not die.”

He realized he was on the brink of crying. No matter how he tried to convince himself that he had made something out of his life, he knew too well it never made him happy. He had money, too much money that he could buy anything he could ever want, but it wasn’t what he needed either.

He felt like his life had been nothing else but an empty box.

“Zoey?” he whispered involuntarily, much to his amazement.

In the midst of all these questioning, why did she suddenly pop up in his mind? She was just a blabbering, foul-mouthed woman. Just like his father, she had been rubbing it on his face that she was a Jets fan, and would always be even if they’d be competing against his team.

He could not stand them anymore. He deserved someone who could at least show him some support.

So, the hell with her. He’ll find her, but he only wanted the baby. He had no more need of her.