Mercy: Second Chance Military Romance (32 page)

I leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. She wiggled closer, holding my body tightly as she moaned in contentment again.

“Don’t tell anyone, but Tabby has me scared.”

“What now?” she asked, sitting up.

“Nothing, but that’s why I stayed in here to wake you up.”

“Oh…” she said then stretched her arms.

The blanket pulled down, exposing her bare breasts. While everything in me wanted to roll over and start sucking on a nipple, I pulled the covers back and swung my legs over the side of the bed. She put her hand on my back as I sat on the edge of the mattress.

“What’s wrong? Where you going? You have time to go again this morning?”

Her hand rubbing me felt wonderful, but I had to get to early practice.

“No, I need to get going.”

“I love you,” she said, surprising me.

“I…I’ll see you later.”

I stood up, not turning to face her as I looked around for my pants.

“Wow,” she said.

“What?” I asked, spinning around and spotting my pants at the foot of the bed.

“Nothing.”

“Don’t be that way.”

“Be what way? You’re the one who loves football more than you do me.”

I sighed and retrieved my pants.

“That’s not true, and you know it.”

One foot then the other, I put them on.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Despite her words, I was sure it did matter to her if I wasn’t ready to say those three words. They meant something to me, and I didn’t like tossing them around.

“Do you really want to force me to say it?” I asked, sitting on the edge of the bed and twisting to look at her.

She had pulled the covers up, hiding her naked body from me.

“No,” she said. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

“Sure…”

Women!

Not wanting to get into another argument with her, I put my shirt on and left her room. Tabby wasn’t around, so I walked out of the apartment before she returned.

* * *

Later that morning, as I walked on the field in my uniform, I saw Tabby talking to Coach.
What the hell?
I thought, walking over toward them. She noticed me and patted him on the arm before heading in my direction.

The closer she got, the more I wanted her out of my life. She would not drive a wedge between Haley and me no matter what she did. A sick smile on her face, she passed by me without saying a word. I thought about confronting her, but I kept walking.

When I reached Coach, the look on his face let me know he was not happy, but that was normal for him. Had she said something to him? Only one way to find out.

“Hey, Coach. Who was that?”

“Don’t you worry about it,” he said, eyeing me closely. “Get to work!”

I put my helmet out and jogged out to the field for some practice with the running backs on our team. With each pass I threw, whether it was a completion or not, I kept thinking about Tabby, wondering what the hell she was up to.

Coach would not put up with any nonsense. Was a relationship with Haley worth my entire football career? There were no laws or regulations against players dating, but Coach frowned on it, especially when he personally helped players like myself.

After twenty minutes, we switched to a quick scrimmage game. Curtis and I still hadn’t talked to each other. Luckily, we were on the same team that day. I needed to talk to him and work things out, even if it meant dumping Haley.

Would I be able to do that to her? Or myself? The fucking was nice, but I also loved hanging out with her. Throughout the rest of practice, my thoughts on the matter went back and forth, confusing the hell out of me.

* * *

After morning practice, Curtis walked up to me, shoulder pads still on.

“What’s up?”

“Not much,” I said. “Have to get to class. Why?”

“Brian and Teddy wanted me to remind you about the big battle today.”

“Shit. I forgot all about it.”

“They figured you would. Haley’s got you forgetting a lot these days.”

I frowned while looking at him. Showing emotions in the locker room was not a good idea most of the time, so I patted him roughly on the arm.

“We’re good, bro. I’ll see you at the house later before I leave.”

“Right on,” he said then wandered away.

In the showers, I thought about my ceremony to become a knight in the Society for Creative Anachronism. Brian and Teddy had turned me on to the SCA.
Maybe Haley will get a kick out of it
, I thought as I walked to my locker with a towel wrapped around my waist.

Before getting dressed, I sent her a text, inviting her that afternoon. She agreed, saying she needed a break from all the usual. “Too much sex?” I wrote then added a smiley face. “Never,” she wrote back. I grinned, wondering what she would think about my hobby.

Once again, my thoughts about her had changed. Instead of her being something holding me back, a woman that would stop me from achieving my dreams, I saw her as someone who would make it easier to reach them, not to mention more pleasurable.

TWENTY

James

I parked the Camaro on the side of the street and walked up to Haley’s front door. Hoping Tabby wasn’t around, I knocked.

Haley opened it and stepped out right away like she had been waiting for me. I hadn’t told her much about the event.

“Am I dressed okay?” she asked, spreading her arms out.

She looked cute in tight jeans and a long-sleeved shirt.

“You look good as usual.”

“Such the charmer.”

“You know me, the hopeless romantic jock.”

Her laugh filled the air.

“Let’s get going, we’re late already.”

“What is this that were doing?”

“It’s in the park. I’m being knighted today.”

I opened the car door for her. After she got in, I walked around to the other side.

“Knighted?” she asked after I got behind the steering wheel.

“Yeah,” I glanced over. “You don’t think I’d make a good knight?”

“Well, yeah, you would, but…a knight? Don’t they only do that in the UK?”

I smiled.

“My roommates, Brian and Teddy, are in the Society for Creative Anachronism…”

“The what the what?”

“Society for Creative Anachronism, or SCA. They dress up in armor and fight with wooden swords, have festivals and what-not.”

She tilted her head to the side as she studied me.

“And you hang out with them?”

I laughed.

“Yeah, I went as a joke at first, but wearing that armor and fighting is actually a good workout. I’ve met some interesting people at their events and gatherings before. I’m glad you made it.”

“I would not miss you wearing armor for a million dollars in gold.”

“That’s the spirit.”

I fired up the car then put it into gear.

“Have you been doing this long?” she asked.

“Nah. I just started this semester. It’s been fun, though. Teddy said I’m the fastest guy to become a knight.”

She put her hand on my thigh and squeezed.

“I can’t wait to see you, but I have to work tonight, so I won’t be able to stay.”

“Oh?”

“No, but I can walk to work from the park.”

“I can drive you.”

“It’s not far. I’ll be fine.”

When we reached the park, I opened the trunk. Haley helped me get into my metal and leather armor, laughing the whole time.

“Does anyone else know you do this?”

“I don’t hide it, but I don’t think Coach or anyone knows. Curtis does.”

She nodded, still smiling.

“You look even hotter if that’s possible.”

“It does get hot in here.”

I raised my arms and flexed my muscles.

When her giggles died down, we walked over to the others who had gathered. The local SCA chapter had requested permission to camp overnight. Tents and booths stretched out a few hundred feet, making a pathway in between them.

Teddy ran up. His curly red hair and beginning of a beard made him look like Braveheart or some other Scottish warlord of old. The long, red robe he wore made him look more like a wizard out of The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings.

“We’ve got trouble,” he said then turned and nodded to Haley. “Hey.”

“Hey,” she said.

“Haley, this is Teddy, one of my roommates.”

“Nice to meet you,” he said, not even looking at her. “You need to come help.”

“What is it?” I asked, a bit irritated that everyone always came to me for leadership.

“The frat-boys are claiming they have the right to play Ultimate Frisbee on the field, and that we’re blocking them from playing. They’re threatening to fuck with us all night and ruin the experience for us.”

I twisted my body at the waist, still getting accustomed to the armor.

“Where are they now?”

Teddy pointed to the far end of the makeshift, single-row tent-city.

“Over there. I left Brian to talk to them.”

“He never talks,” I said, confused.

“Exactly. I saw your car pull up, and I left him there to confuse them.”

“Alright, bro. Let’s go.”

“Wait, your helmet,” Haley said.

She handed it to me. With it under my arm, I clink-clanked my way toward the frat-fucks. As we approached, I noticed Derek, the dick that had given Haley trouble on the night I met her.

“Uh oh,” she said, grabbing my steel covered arm.

“It’s fine,” I said, stopping in front of them.

Brian looked terrified and about to run as three frat brothers assaulted him with questions and insults. Derek stood a few feet away, laughing and coaxing them on.

“Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?” I asked.

He turned, saw my armor, and began laughing.

“You’re one of these nerds? Get out of here.”

“No, you get out of here. We have the park reserved overnight,” Teddy said.

“Fuck your reservation,” Derek snarled.

“Look, you’re going to leave the easy way or the hard way,” I said, staring him down. “Which do you want it to be?”

“Are you threatening me football boy?”

“No, I’m stating a fact.”

“You don’t have a problem with all the emo and goth freaks on the other side of the park?”

He pointed across the field to a line of trees in the distance.

“They’re not here bothering us,” I said simply, stepping forward.

“You look stupid in your armor.”

He turned to his frat brothers looking for them to back him up. They didn’t say anything.

“You’re just jealous because you’re not fit enough to wear armor and do battle.”

“Yeah,” Teddy added while pointing at Derek.

“I’d whip your ass in a fake sword fight.”

“Let’s do it then.”

“No, James,” Haley said quietly. “You don’t want to get hurt over something stupid.”

“You better listen to your bitch,” Derek said bravely.

Fuck that noise!

“Get some armor on, and we’ll see who’s a bitch.” I turned to Teddy. “Do you have an extra suit for this frat-fuck?”

“Yeah, I think.”

“Good. Go get it.”

I turned to face Derek.

“Last chance to go away.”

“You wish,” he said.

“I’ll take it easy on you.”

“You do that.”

By that time, word had spread among the other frat brothers waiting to get their game of Ultimate Frisbee started as well as all the other SCA members. A crowd of a couple dozen people or more formed in middle of the grass field.

“Are you sure this is a smart idea?” Haley asked as I stretched my muscles behind one of the tents.

“I know it’s not a good one, but it will be fun.”

“What if you get hurt?”

“The armor will protect me.”

“Yeah, but there’s still a chance. Is it worth risking your football career for this?”

“It’s too late to back down now,” I said. “Can I get a kiss before I go out on the field of battle, princess?”

She rolled her eyes but stood on her toes and kissed me on the lips. I put on my helmet, loving that it was heavier than my normal football helmet.

A cheer went up from all the other SCA members and a few of the goth kids who had wandered over as I appeared from behind the tent.