Page 15 of Chasing Football Dreams

I almost gagged. “Nah-ah, not happening,”

Duncan chuckled at my response and dropped a kiss on my neck. “Have you thought that maybe he brings all these girls here to get your attention?”

I never thought like that. “Before you. I never looked at myself with much confidence,”

“You underestimate your beauty, love,” He softly tugged a piece of my hair that escaped from my bun, behind my ear.

“And you underestimate the effect you have on me,”

Chapter Seven

Igave a long, over-enthusiastic exhausted sigh after I finished wiping down all the tables. Duncan left a few minutes after lunch to get something, not wanting to tell me what this secret something was but promised to be back to pick me up since we were going to his place instead of his parents.

I flopped onto a seat and dropped my head back against the window—my eyes hitting the roof as the memories I worked on to suppress, resurfaced. How does a person who was kidnapped come to terms with the truth? How do I conceal the hate for what was done to me—how unfair it was of them to pluck me away from my parents and shove me into an orphanage? A place where I was bullied, fought for a dry piece of bread, and watched rich people walk over me as if they flicked a bug from their sleeve.

I wanted to feel sorry for myself and say it was unfair. God, I pry myself away from falling into the hole filled with dark thoughts.

Suddenly my love for my dream faded and the hope of the people I treated like family and loved beaten me to my knees.

The thought of other kids sitting in my position tore my heart out.

My thoughts dissolved when out of the corner of my eye, I caught the jerk guy who couldn’t be satisfied with one girl, coming up to me. I pushed to my feet not wanting to be cornered by him.

His date left a few minutes ago and I didn’t want to think about what Duncan mentioned. He can’t seriously have a crush on me. That would be insane and plain awkward. And I don’t do well with awkwardness.

“Can I just have the bill?” He asked smiling and standing way too close for my liking.

Oh, Duncan. Where the hell were you? By the time he comes back from wherever he is. I will be having this guy lights out on the floor if he so much makes a move.

I gave a breath of relief when I separated us when I darted behind the counter to print out his bill.

“I haven’t seen you around lately,” He was now leaning with his upper body on the counter, smiling at me and giving me weird vibes that he was trying to flirt.

“Yup, been busy,” I tried to keep it professional and did my best to make it clear I had no intention of becoming one of his girls.

How could he have missed the 6,3 ft, broad-shoulder, and muscular man kissing me?

I handed him his bill and watched him not even take a look if I made a mistake when he held the cash out to me, midair. I was contemplating if I should take the money from his grasp but I didn’t want to have him in here longer than necessary.

I pinched the money when he tightened his hold on the cash. “Are you free, on Friday?”

I almost threw up in my mouth. Fuckknuckles. “No, sorry. I’ve got a game,”

“We can always go somewhere afterward or you can invite me to your game,”

I stared at him with disgust. How can those girls find him attractive? I tried to stay composed when he still didn’t let go of the cash.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,”

I looked at the door when it jiggled and I almost sighed in relief when Xander entered the Diner. “Hey, Zo! Duncan asked me to pick you up. He is stuck somewhere and didn’t want you walking,”

The guy finally let go of his cash and I rang up his bill, handing his change back over which he rejected and muttered that I could keep the change. He held his head low as he walked out and I noticed the way Xander was looking at him as he passed him.

“What did I miss?”

“More like came to my rescue,”

He frowned. “Did he do something?”

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