CHAPTER 1

He sprinted down the court, his sneakers squeaking on the polished floor. With a swift dribble, he dodged a defender and leapt into the air. The crowd held its breath as he released the ball, arcing it toward the hoop. Swish! The net rippled, and the basket baller pumped his fist in triumph, his teammates cheering as he scored the game-winning three-pointer. The girls were screaming his name. Most of them wished to be near him. His name was on a placard ‘Austin’ written in bold. They cheered, but his eyes locked gazes with the only one that held his heart. She blew him a kiss, and he blew one back.

After the game, he was in the boys' locker room changing, and his teammates passed greetings here and there. Telling him he did great on the court. His friend Benjamin was patting him on the back as they shared lockers. His face held a smirk as he signaled him to turn. Angela entered the room, all eyes on her as she took salacious strides to him. She was tall but one inch shorter than her boyfriend. She had light skin and straight ginger hair. Benjamin whistled as Austin was taking in his girlfriend's appearance. She wore that skinny black dress that showed a good amount of cleavage for him. He was popular, handsome, smart, to crown it all he had the most attractive girl in college as his girlfriend. 

He was really blessed, and he thanked the heavens. They were talking and making out when the football team entered, and one particular person's gaze was on Austin and Angela. The football team had just won their own game, and they were cheering a particular person's name, their captain. Austin's eyes landed on him. He felt his dopamine levels drop, and the pleasure he was in a moment ago was replaced with anger. Him and the football captain never saw eye to eye. He didn't dislike him at first, but their back story was a complicated one. He was a little bit taller, more light skinned with wavy blonde hair compared to Austin's dark curly brown hair.

The football captain came face to face with the couple.

Austin's blue eyes pierced the Hazel eyes that stood in front of him. 

“Manage to shoot some hoops hmm” the taller of the two men spoke up, laughing and rubbing his palms while looking at his team behind him.

“Did you bribe everyone into letting you score some goals?” Austin vehemently spat back, holding his girlfriend's hand tightly 

“Common Austin, you know I am just a natural with a talent, the best as for you, I wonder. Is it talent or just dumb luck? He rolled his blond hair to the back while smiling broadly. 

He itched to punch those perfect teeth and wipe that smile. The football captain had ways of getting onto his last nerves. Just when he felt his palms clench and move to strike, Benjamin held him and calmed him down.

The football captain laughed, and after glancing at Angela, he moved, and along with him, the football team laughed and followed their captain to their own section of the locker room.

Austin unlocked his Range Rover and slid in beside Angela. The tall blonde was forgotten, and Angela replaced his thoughts. They loved each other and had been together for one year. Their anniversary was next week Sunday, which would mark their relationship as 2 years. 

He started asking her where she would like to go on their anniversary and what she would want.

She shut him up with a kiss, and he took in her dilated pupils and pursed lips. He wanted to talk, but they could do that later. She relaxed against the seat, parting her thighs, nudging them further apart again. His hand snaked under her dress between them, and she held her breath, gripping the edge of the seat as he dragged the knuckle of his index finger up her folds. She wasn't wearing pants. 

He groaned approval, sounding pleased with himself at the mess he made of her

"Always so perfect for me, Angi. I've barely touched you, and you're drenched love, "

She chewed on her lip, shifting her hips forward to urge him to keep going, and he smirked.

"Demanding little thing, aren't you?"

She moaned in relief when he finally traced his fingers up her heat, resting them at the spot that was throbbing as the pads of his fingers started to trace slow circles around it.

She screamed, panting moaning as Austin's fingers moved into the spot that was aching. faster and faster, and eventually, she climaxed.

They didn't end up talking about their plans, but Angela was pleased, and that mattered to Austin.

Sunday afternoon, he received a delivery of a nice basketball Jersey with his name on it and a note from Angela. She was perfect, he thought. That was the reason he fell in love with her. She was beautiful, smart, and caring. His safe place. He trusted her, and she had shown him she loved her. He pictured himself spending the rest of his life with her. He took the jersey and hung it among the various clothing she bought for him. He didn't want her spending on him, but she always did. He remembered the time his mum was ill, and this girl stayed by his side, taking care of his mother and paying her bills. Of course, they had argued over it, but Angela defended herself with the girl friend card, and Austin couldn't help but let it go. Instead, it showed him how much she loved him and, by extension, his family. His mother was undecided about his girlfriend, but she appreciated Angela, and they got along at surface level. 

It was Wednesday evening, and Monday and Tuesday had gone by beautifully. He had his practices with the team. His coach loved him. He had done all the class readings. His grades were good, and he had started making plans for their anniversary. There were strange texts he had received concerning Angela, but he knew how many girls wanted him, but he loved the ginger haired woman, and he wouldn't be dissuaded by their attempts to break them up. 

He was talking to Benjamin about plans on his way to the canteen when his nemesis had bumped into him, and both of their phones fell.

“I guess you are blind”

“You're the one that needs to get your eyes checked, Austin.” He smiled with those perfect teeth. His Hazel eyes, looking at the blue eyes mischievously. 

He was furious, he tried to stay away from the blonde hair guy but it was like the football captain loved to pester him with troubles. He deliberately avoided the taller man the last couple of days, though he thought the man wasn't at school well, and his effort was wasted today. He was to meet Angela soon. She had said she was busy for the last two days and he had missed her so much. 

So he bumped his shoulder into him,picked his phone, and walked away annoyed.

Thursday was here, and he was home. His sister asked for his help on an assignment. She was in middle school, 6th grade, and 11 years of age. They were both working on maths, and though he didn't want to study at the moment, his sister's adorable face trapped him at the spot, and now he was teaching her what to do. He was in his second year studying engineering, and to be fair, he did need maths, so it helped him to.

His mother called “Lydia, come fold your clothes and arrange your room now!”

Her face turned into a scowl, and then she laughed quietly to Austin before running up the stairs.

Friday morning, Angela was at his doorstep, picked him up, and they had breakfast together. They both had afternoon classes. 

So they were at a restaurant. His girlfriend's treat. They laughed and exchanged kisses, and she told him how much she loved him. She excused herself once and more than twice to go to the restroom. That had happened after she received messages. When she came back, she told him all was fine and it was her dad. She looked exasperated, and Austin thought she was frustrated for a different reason because of how much she bit her lips and how her thighs rubbed together. He didn't think too much about it. 

Austin spent the evening finishing up his plans and doing assignments

It was Saturday, and Austin was forced to go to the football game happening between his college and another. He didn't want to go mainly because of the football captain, but Angi insisted that her friends would be there and she wanted to support the team. Austin wanted to tell her that her friends occasionally came to his own basketball games but never missed a football game. Yet he didn't want to fight, and that is how he found himself sitting on the benches as his girlfriend screamed and jumped along with her friends.

The game concluded, and he could see the blonde hair guy staring at him or the people next to him he couldn't be sure. He could see the football team cheer as they had won. The girls were talking about the blonde guy and how hot he was. Angi said she needed to go to pick up stuff for her dad, and her friends followed her out.

He opened his phone and saw the same number with the same text, telling him his girlfriend was cheating. He paid it no mind and went to get his books from his locker but hated that he might bump into the football captain. He went regardless and found Benjamin instead. They spoke about the football party on Saturday, and Austin said he may not attend. He didn't want to have more room space with the annoying blonde.

Saturday afternoon, he was with Angi in her condo. He was shirtless replacing a bulb that had died when he was done. Angi smiled at him. He took a shower, and he prepared to study with her when she came out from the bathroom with only a towel.

“We should study”

“We should have sex”

And once again, he didn't have the willpower to deny her. He slammed her to the wall and took off the towel forcefully.

He palmed her breast with one hand and rolled her nipple between his fingers as he sucked the other into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it and she threw her head back against the wall already squirming from the throbbing between her legs.

“ Touch me,” Angela asked. “If you don’t touch me right now, I—”

Austin kissed her, still running his hands down her skin, lighting a trail of fire as he went, until his hand took his member and plunged into her hole.

Angela's whole body arched back as Austin's thrusted, a litany of praises pouring from her mouth as she begged him “please and more and hurry and faster—”

As Austin's hips stuttered against hers, Angela's legs wrapped tightly around his waist, her hands pressed against the wall for support. The series of thrusts that followed left them both breathless. As they climaxed. Austin pulled out, releasing outside her. He fell on the bed with his girlfriend's name on his lips still on the high, and Angela leaning against the wall whispered through the air, a single name escaping her lips.

The name, however, wasn't Austin.