Reflection (Game On Trilogy #2) (8 page)

Now that I am here, I am nervous as fuck. My stomach is turning and I think I am going to throw up. I turn around and run back outside wanting to catch Chuck, but he is nowhere to be found. Shit.

I can do this. I can do this.
I repeat over and over again. I am bent over with my hands resting on my knees.
Breathe Chelsea. Breathe.
I manage to get myself righted for a few minutes until it hits me again. I haven’t had a panic attack in years and here I am all alone, outside of a bar, dry heaving.

“Hey honey. Are you okay?” I look up to see a young girl looking at me with concern in her eyes. “Can I get you anything?” She asks.

“A cup of water, please.” I offer her a lopsided smile so that she knows I am somewhat okay.

“Sure. I’ll be right back.” She goes back into the bar and the loud music penetrates my ears. But, I think it’s karaoke. The voice sounds a little like Derek’s. It soothes me just little. I love the sound of his sexy voice. Especially, when he whispers filthy things in my ear.

I can do this. The thought of Derek and his sinful hands oddly calms me down. Just then the cute brunette returns with a glass of water. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Can I help . . .”

“Chelsea and no, no thank you. I just need a moment. I’ll be good. I appreciate your help though.” I accept the glass from her outstretched arm. I take a few sips and offer the girl a friendly smile. “Thanks again.”

“Sure.” She simply says and returns to go back inside the bar.

I look up to the dark sky and make one last wish to my family. “I know, baby, that you would want me to be happy, but deep down I’m scared. I miss you. I miss you both so much and I wish you were here with me. Well, maybe not here in Atlanta, but you know what I mean.” I swipe away the few tears that have made their way down my cheeks.

It’s time I gather my bearings and make this happen. I smooth out my clothes with the palm of my hands before reaching for the iron door handle of the bar.

I glance around the room and see a few of the players gathered around the table I previously saw Shane and Alli at. I also see Rob at the mic singing one of my new favorite songs, Do I Wanna Know by Arctic Monkeys. I never would have guessed he had a voice to sing a song like that. I think I like it.

I still don’t see Derek though. I decide to take a seat in the opposite corner and watch for a few minutes before making my final approach that could possibly change the rest of my life.

Rob finishes his song and all of a sudden, everyone is chanting for some girl named Jenny to go up.

A few of the players move away from the front of the table where the group is at and suddenly I am hit with the view of some chick straddling Derek on a chair. She’s whispering something in his ear.

Are you kidding me? Tears threaten to break free, but before I jump to conclusions I decide to wait to see what happens. I close my eyes in hopes that this is all a dream. Why would Alli tell me it’s okay that I come here if Derek is with some chick?

I can feel my heartbeat and it’s ready to pound right the fuck out of my chest. Releasing a deep breath, I open my eyes only to witness something that I hoped I would never see. The fucking bimbo has her tongue in Derek’s ear.

I instantly run out the door and pray to God that Chuck appears in the parking lot with his limousine. No such luck. I can feel a panic attack begin to rise again and I have no idea what I should do. My phone rings and the display says Alli is calling me. Without thinking it through, I throw my phone at the building and watch as it shatters the display and falls to the ground. Taking the heel of my shoe I crush it even more. I don’t want to talk to her . . . ever.

Derek

When we first arrive at the bar I think my eyes are deceiving me. That chick from the hot tub, Kelly, I think her name is, is here. The urge to leave immediately is first and foremost, but as my twin sisters, Summer and Sonny, stroll up and throw their arms around her, it all of a sudden begins to make sense.

“I can’t believe you thought she was coming on to you.” Summer throws her head back, laughing hysterically.

“She fucking licked my ear. What was I supposed to think? Besides, I thought her name was Kelly?”

“Sonny was behind it, not me.” Summer confesses.

I look over to see Sonny sipping on some sort of cocktail, batting her long lashes at me. “Oh really?”

“Come on. It was funny. You have to admit it.” She says.

“Hey, lover boy.” The feel of hands rest on my shoulders and the whisper of tub girl nearly knock me off my barstool. “My name is Kelly. They just always call me Jenny when I start drinking.” She lowers herself until she is sitting on my lap. She wraps her arms around me and whispers in my ear. “They put me up to it, but I’ll assure you, it didn’t take much convincing.” Then she sticks her tongue in my ear once again before hopping off my lap. All three girls laugh hysterically.

“Whatever. Just you wait. Paybacks are a bitch.” I rub the palm of my hands together as if I am plotting my revenge.

Summer and Sonny explain that Kelly is their good friend. Well, they had their fun. It’s my turn to get them back.

“Besides, there is only one woman for me, anyway.” I declare.

“Oh yeah? Where is she then?” Fuckin’ Sonny.

“Well, I’m still trying to convince her.” I admit. I look at the beer I am holding and start picking at the paper wrapped around it.

“She’ll come around.” I tilt my head up to see Alli wrap her arms around my neck. She then whispers in my ear, “Trust me.”

I offer her a slight smile. She knows how gone I am over her best friend.

Alli has been doing nothing but looking at her watch for the past half hour. Maybe she’s worried that Shane and I will cause trouble.

I look up at Alli and ask, “What’s going on with you?”

“Are you hitting on my wife?” Shane mutters from across the table.

“She isn’t your wife yet. She’s still fair game.” I joke.

Alli swats my arm. “Don’t tell him that.”

“He knows I’m joking. I couldn’t be happier for the both of you.”

Alli lifts her head and looks at her fiancé. “Don’t you worry, honey. I’ve got plans for you later tonight.”

That seems to perk Shane up. “Later? Hell, let’s head back now.”

Alli looks back down at her watch. “Not yet.”

“Who the heck are you waiting for?”

“You’ll see.”

“Me?” I ask.

“Uh huh.”

“Alli,” I warn.

“Forget what I said. Go sing karaoke or something.”

I scrunch my eyebrows together. “No, now tell me what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t talk to my wife like that.” Goddamn Shane.

Alli chuckles at his comment, but ignores him.

I continue to stare at Alli. “Honey, I’m sorry, but please tell me what you have up your sleeve.”

She reaches for her phone and checks her text messages. “Hmm, I’d thought she’d be here by now.”

“Who?” Who the hell is she talking about?

“No one. Just let me . . .” She trails off as she calls someone. “Hmm, that’s weird.” She stares at her phone with concern.

“What’s going on? Who are you trying to call and why did you say,
you’ll see
?” She better not be trying to fix me up with some random stranger when she knows full well that Chelsea is the only one for me.

“Well, I wasn’t supposed to say anything, but I’m worried.”

“Spill. What have you done?”

“Hold on. Let me just . . .”

“Alli, what’s going on?” Shane chimes in.

“Ok, well, I am not supposed to say anything, but Chelsea is going to surprise you.”

“Chelsea? My Chelsea?” I jump off my chair and look around the room in search of her.

“Yeah, she said she has something important to tell you and it can’t wait until you get back.”

“Are you fucking kidding me? Because if you are, this isn’t funny.” Chelsea must have realized her feelings for me and she couldn’t wait any longer to tell me. Otherwise, why else would she fly across the country to tell me she didn’t want me. I am on fucking cloud nine now. I can’t believe this is happening. Finally.

“No, I’m not kidding you.” She laughs.

“Well, where she is?”

“I don’t know. She was supposed to be here like twenty minutes ago.”

“Really?”

“Well, call her.”

“I tried, but it went straight to voicemail.”

“Maybe she’s just running late.”

“No, she texted me and said she was just pulling up.  That was twenty minutes ago.”

“Twenty minutes ago? What the fuck?” Then it dawns on me. “What if she saw Kelly on my lap and got the wrong impression? What if she saw that? What if she took off and changed her mind? Where the fuck is she?” I am in full panic mode.

“But, there’s nothing going on between you and Kelly.”

“I know that and you know that, but if you were to walk in and see some chick sitting on Shane’s lap wouldn’t you be pissed?”

“Um, yeah, I guess I would. Crap, this is all my fault.” Alli holds her hand to her chest.

“It’s not your fault.” I grab my phone and make a run for the door. “Let me try to call her.” I holler over my shoulder as I exit the bar.

Christ! Please tell me this isn’t happening. She has to know that I would never do anything behind her back.
Fuck!
I’m searching the whole parking lot but I see no sign of her. I try calling her phone but it just goes to voicemail. Let me go see if she’s called Alli back.

I turn around and make my way back to the bar but notice something shining on the ground beside the door. It’s a smashed cell phone. If it weren’t for the jewel phone case that catches my eye, I’d pay no attention to it.

It’s Chelsea’s.

God damn it! My fist goes flying into the wall, the jagged stucco cutting deep into my flesh.

I run back into the bar and come face to face with Shane holding Alli in a tight embrace. Alli turns to me and says, “Please tell me you found Chelsea.”

“No, and you won’t be able to call her either.”

“What? Why? What happened?”

I hold up Chelsea’s destroyed phone. “I found it smashed outside.”

Alli gasps, “Oh my God! What happened to your hand?”

“My fist collided with the fucking wall outside. I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.” By the look of the swelling, I’m pretty sure I broke a knuckle or two.

Summer makes her way back to the table. “Hey, what’s that?”

“What do you think it is?” I don’t mean to be a dick to my sister, but I’m in no mood.

“It looks like the phone that I saw some chick with outside earlier.” She says.

“What? You saw Chelsea?”

“I think that’s what she said her name was. She looked to be having a panic attack or something.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Why would I tell you? I didn’t know you knew her.”

“Fuck, Summer!”

“Don’t talk to me like that, ass wipe.” My sister can definitely hold her own.

“Fuck, I’m sorry,” I toss the broken phone on the table then run my hands through my hair. “Ok, so you said you saw her. What was she doing? Did she say something?”

“She just asked for a glass of water. So I got her one.”

“Shit. I gotta find her.” I grab my phone off the table and make my way back into the parking lot. “Fuck, I don’t have a car.”

“We’re coming, too.” Both Shane and Alli are on my heels.

“How did she get here?” I ask no one in particular.

“She told me Bob had a limousine service pick her up from the airport. Maybe he took her somewhere.”

“Call Bob. Get the name and number of who he used.”

Shane slaps my back. “I’m on it.”

“Thanks, buddy.”

“You can thank me once we find her.”

Baby, where are you? Please come back to me. I would never hurt you. You have to know that.

“What’s going on out here?” Cal comes storming out the bar door. “You guys better not be starting trouble.”

“Chelsea’s gone.”

“I didn’t think she was here.”

“She was.”

Cal strolls up to me and lifts my hand. “Are you fucking kidding me? What the hell happened to your hand? You can’t play like that.” He better not even start with me.

“I don’t give a shit about the game right now. I need to find Chelsea.”

Cal moves to stand in front of me. “What did you just say? You best get yourself to the hospital and get that thing taken care of, tonight.”

“I ain’t fuckin’ playing ball until she’s found and I certainly am not going to no fucking hospital.”

Shane gladly interrupts our conversation. “The limo driver is on his way back.”

“Thanks, man.”

Cal doesn’t seem to be willing to back down. “So, let me see if I’ve got this straight . . .”

Cal doesn’t get a chance to finish his comment as I swing my swollen fist into his cheek.

“You mother fucker! What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Come on, man!” Shane pulls me back so that I don’t break coaches nose. “Cal, just leave him alone for a minute.” Shane turns to me and says, “Dude, calm down. We’ll find her.”

“Fuck, dude! This ain’t good. I think she finally came to her senses about me and here she comes to surprise me only to find another fucking woman on my lap.”

“I know man and once we find her you can explain to her what exactly she saw.”

“I’m so sorry, Derek.” Alli crashes into my chest, hugging me tight.

I kiss the top of her head. “It’s not your fault, honey.”

Thankfully, a black limo pulls up and out jumps a big dude. “Hey, I’m Chuck. I was just called to come back here. What’s going on? Where’s the pretty little lady I dropped off?”

I stride up to the older gentleman and ask, “Chuck, did you take her anywhere else?”

“No man. I waited until she got inside the joint before I even left. What’s going on?”

“She’s missing.” I explain.

“Well, she told me she was here to surprise some dude she fell for. Maybe she left with him.”

If it weren’t for Alli’s arms still wrapped around me, I would fall right to my knees. This can’t be happening. I close my eyes, and for once, I pray to God to find my beautiful angel. She has to be ok.

“Shit, I take it you are the fella she was talking about.”

I nod in response because the thought of Chelsea loving someone else breaks my heart. There is no doubt in my mind that I am the one she has fallen for.

“Do you have idea where she would have gone from here?” Alli asks Chuck.

“Well, my guess would be back to the airport or maybe the hotel where she had me drop her luggage off before coming here.”

“The hotel. Maybe she took a taxi back to the hotel.”

“Hop in.  I’m pretty sure I can fit all of you in here.” Chuck points to his long vehicle and we waste no time in getting in. I’ll call my sisters from the limo.