Page 18 of One Last Time

My body freezes when I see what they’re gawking at. A fucking billboard. One that contains a practically naked image of Payton. My breath leaves me in a whoosh, my pulse races as I stand here and look at the image of the woman that I love.

She looks better than I remember. Fuck, she’s gorgeous. Gone is the girl-next door look that she had, the one that I found pretty and sexy. Now, now, my girl has blossomed into every man’s wet dream. She’s the epitome of sexiness. She looks confident and the kicker, she looks happy. Here I am, fucking miserable without her, and she’s on billboards with a bright fucking smile.

I feel as though my world has tilted on its axis. Never in a million years did I expect to see this. My shy, quiet, beautiful girl has turned into a fucking sexy goddess, and now the entire world gets to stare at her body every day. I fucking hate it. She’s mine.

The picture shows off every curve of her body, and I’m unable to pull my eyes away. Seeing her standing in just some sexy underwear is like a punch to the gut. I’ve fucking missed her. It’s been over three years since I last saw her, and yet the love I had for her hasn’t diminished, if anything, it’s stronger than ever. I guess what they say is true. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

“Bro…” Caston says harshly. “Please tell me that’s not who I think it is?” He shakes his head, his face pinched tightly as though he’s in pain.

He may never have seen Payton in person, but he’s seen a lot of pictures of her. Hell, I’ve always spoken about my girl. There’s not a teammate of mine that doesn’t know about her. They may not know the entire story, but they do know she’s mine. When my ass gets drunk, my lips get loose, and Payton’s never far from my mind.

“Yes,” I snap, pissed that everyone’s staring at her.

“I need to bleach my damn eyes,” he murmurs, and if it were anyone else, I’d fucking laugh, but this is Payton, my Payton, and she’s on display for everyone to view and no doubt jerk off to.

“Damn, she’s hot.” I hear my teammate Kevin say, and I grit my teeth. “Fuck, but those pouty lips of hers, what they’d look like wrapped around my cock.”

I take a couple of steps toward him, needing to punch the asshole for speaking that way about her. Payton isn’t a whore.

“Don’t. He’s not worth it,” Caston tells me, his hands on my chest pushing me back.

“He’s right…” I hear from behind me, and I sigh. Jack Cassly, the quarterback of the team and everyone’s hero. He’s one of the best men I’ve ever met, besides the one that has his hands on my chest. He’s helped all us newbies since we’ve joined the team. “He’s not worth the stick you’d get for punching him.”

I glance at him, his blonde hair and blue eyes have all the women practically melting whenever they’re around him. He’s Seattle Silverbacks’s hotshot, the one all the women come to see. He’s the best, and he’s proven it season after season.

“It’ll make me feel better,” I tell him as my body starts to lose some of its tension.

He chuckles, “That may be so, but you’ve just made the starting line-up. Don’t do something to lose that spot.”

I nod, I know he’s right, but it fucking sucks that I have to listen to that jackass talk about my girl.

“She yours?” he asks, and I nod. “The one you talk about? That’s Payton?”

“Yeah, she’s changed a lot since I last saw her.”

He glances at the billboard behind me and back to me, there’s no emotion in his eyes, and I know he’s not checking her out. The dude’s happily married and has been for years. He and Tanya have a couple of kids as well. He’s not checking out my girl, he’s just curious.

“Have you found her yet?” he asks me as the other boys start to get into their cars, at least they’re not looking at Payton any longer.

“No, he hasn’t. I’ve told him to, but the ass won’t. Too chickenshit,” Caston informs him, and I want to punch him.

Jack smirks, “Yeah, only a woman will do that to a man. Look, Silas. You love this girl?” I nod, “You want her back?”

“Fuck yes,” I respond instantly.

“Then do something about it. She’s no longer hidden, she’s in the fucking open,” he tells me, his hand pointing at the billboard behind me. “You want to find her, then do it. Otherwise, it’s time to move on.”

I glare at him. “If this was you and Tanya, what would you do to someone who told you to move on?”

He shakes his head, “I’d have taken their advice to find her. It’s that simple. You love her. Then go and get her.”

He’s right. It’s time to find her, this way I can end this limbo that I’m in.

CHAPTER 11

Payton

I’ve thrown up three times already, and my stomach rolls once again. God, how do I have anything in my system to get rid of?

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