She cleared her throat, “I think something needs to be said. When I was diagnosed with cancer, I asked something of Marcus. And seeing everything over the past two years, I’m so sorry that I was wrong. I asked him to marry Tonya because I wanted him to be happy. I wanted at least one of you to be happy and taken care of before I took my last breath.”

Van narrowed his eyes at her, then growled, “You didn’t.”

She wiped a tear away, “I’m sorry. But I wanted him to be happy. She’s a good girl, or at the very least I thought she was.”

Aliyah growled, “Well, she definitely isn’t. Damnit. Okay, so what can we do to get rid of her?”

Before anything else could be done, both Crew and Keeley held out their palms. Aliyah chuckled, shook her head, leaned forward, and pulled some bills from her back pocket.

Then she placed a five in each of their palms.

The swear jar carried on still, and now Keeley had her own jar.

And that was how the contract I had with Tonya came out. I had two more years with her before we would both be free.

If only she’d break the contract and let her shit hit the media.

All around the table, growls erupted.

What I wouldn’t know, was that one week, a mere seven days later at our second pre-season home game, everything about my life was going to change, in so many ways.

And then… then a dream came true.

Chapter 4

The Hit

Scarlett

When I first started my rotations at the hospital, I made sure I was always off on nights he played.

Even though I knew he was married, I just couldn’t help myself.

I wanted to watch him play.

He was magnificent out there on the field.

I was on the edge of my seat.

Young had thrown an interception.

Yes, this was only the second game of the preseason, but every game mattered.

There was only one minute and four seconds left in the game.

Our defense was up, they couldn’t let them gain a single yard. We were up by three points.

They couldn’t reach the mark where a field goal would work.

“Come on defense. Bring it fucking home.” I said as my eyes moved over the screen.

Their quarterback hiked the ball, and then our defense moved.

And then I saw it.

And I couldn’t believe it.

What the fuck?