Page 17 of Chasing Football Dreams

I turned around to face him. “What are you saying?”

“Call it my intuition but after this whole Kelly thing and we not knowing who she spoke to about coming to fix their mistake. I need to know you are safe. I know you don’t like to be held prisoner and forced to live in fear but I can’t let some man roam the streets, stalking you. We don’t know what he is capable of or what his intention is,”

He held up his phone. “I can trace your location on my phone and vice versa. It’s not my intention to keep an eye on you when you go out or work. It’s just for emergencies,”

I got his fear but even though I didn’t speak about it. I felt the same.

“Thank you,” I slid my arms around his waist and dug my face into his chest. “For everything. Getting my favorite book.Bought me the same jacket. Taking care of my needs. I don’t know where to begin to show you how grateful I am,”

I haven’t felt this safe in what almost feels like forever. His love for me was honest and filled with so much care that I had to look twice in the mirror to acknowledge this was not a dream.

I believed that I would forever be seen as an orphan and my life forward would not be blessed with any kindness but how wrong I was. Meeting Duncan over spilt coffee was probably the best way fate could have mingled in. It brought me close to a man who made me see my worth by pushing me to chase my dreams. He was the wind underneath my wings and I only wish I could do as much as what he is doing for me in return one day.

Chapter Eight

My shoulders jerked at the sound of Zoey screaming and thrashing her hands around as if she were trying to fight off someone.

I reached for her, touching her shoulder softly not wanting to scare her, and whispered her name. “Zoey, love,” I kept repeating even though she pulled away from me.

I clenched my jaw when her whimper sounded like a wounded animal when she fully pulled away. I hated this part. I felt powerless when she got nightmares. She whipped the blanket away from her and crawled away from me, giving me her back as she sat on the edge of the bed.

“Zoey,” I softly said, sitting upright and scooting in beside her—our feet dangling off the bed. She avoided looking at me.

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and sighed in relief when she came to me. She dropped her on my shoulder and I felt wetness dripping against my skin. I touched her face, tilting her head back and seeing the tears. This girl barely cried. It hurt me to see her like this. She doesn’t deserve this pain.

I wiped the tears away with my thumbs and kissed her on each cheek before pulling her onto my lap and comforting her.

“I’m sorry,” I barely heard her whisper as her voice was muffled in my shoulder.

I tightened my hold around her. “No, love. There’s no need for that,”

“I hate getting them. They feel so damn real,” I was relieved to hear her voice.

She pulled back, wiping away her tears.

“Is it a recurrent dream?” I asked, letting her go when she pulled completely away.

I turned to face her when she was sitting perked up against the headboard, pulling the blanket up when she realized she was naked. I hid my smile when I saw her blush. She shouldn’t have let me have a taste of her because I was hooked on her.

“Yes,” She answered breaking my thoughts. “I am locked away in a small room. It looks like a girl's room but everything is covered in dust and I feel like I am wrapped in a bubble of despair. My hands and feet are tied. I am crying. I hear heavy footsteps. The door opens and a man walks in, holding something in his hand I beg him not to hurt me but he doesn’t care about my pleads as he covers my mouth with his massive hand,”

A tear escaped from her eyes. “He is strangling me and no matter how I try to fight him off. I am too small to do anything,”

“He wins every time,” She dropped her gaze to her hands resting on her lap.

“No, he doesn’t because you are here. You are alive,” I encouraged her, taking her hands between mine not liking the way she was giving up.

Zoey is everything but a quitter.

“I am afraid to open my eyes. Afraid that you don’t exist,” She touched my face with her shaky hand like she had to makesure I was there. I rested my hand over hers to show her that I was real. This between us was real. It wasn’t a dream.

“How can I help with these dreams, baby?”

Her smile was small but grateful. “You are already helping,” She leaned forward, skimming her hands over my shoulders and twisting them behind my neck. The blanket fell away when she pushed up on her knees in front of me.

I met her lips midway and I got drunk on her taste.

I didn’t want to take advantage of her when she was feeling like this but Zoey’s stubbornness pushed me down onto my back and she was in control. I let her overpower the monsters in her head and gave her control of her decisions.

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