I Bit Him

Viola

With every step, my heart felt like it would burst. I thought about how Andy had declared his love for me, said I was the one for him, when for the past three months he was cheating on me with my best friend. How could they be so cruel?

As I drove, I didn’t know what to do. My tears just wouldn’t stop. The traffic was a blur as it whizzed past me. I didn’t know how long I had been driving, but I had left the city and headed toward the countryside. I just wanted to get as far away as possible from Andy, from the world, and from myself.

Being an orphan, I had been through several foster homes. I was intelligent and had made my way through school and college with hard work and grit. That was why, at twenty-four, I was one of the most brilliant physical therapists in the sports world. The Manchester Knights had recruited me during an on-campus interview. Now, at twenty-five, I felt like the biggest idiot on earth, being played by the star forward of the Knights.

It was evening, and I was so tired that I wanted to stop. When I spotted a sign for a bar near the next exit, I took the exit, followed the road around a bend, and stopped in front of a pub called “Wolves Den”. This was perfect. Alcohol was going to be my best friend right now.

I killed the engine and grabbed my purse. Just as I was about to open the door, my phone buzzed. It was Horace Wilson, our team owner. He was the guy who signed our paychecks. If I needed this sorted, I had to talk to him about leaving the team. He would understand and help me. I just couldn’t live another day near Andy and Sandra. 

I took a deep breath in. 

I picked up the call. “Horace, Andy and I—”

He immediately said, “I came to know about it. I suggest you take it in your stride.”

“But—” 

He barked, “But I don’t care about the personal drama in your life, Viola. What I care about is that you don’t create problems in the team!”

I was shocked. “I can’t stay in the same team, Horace!”

“Stop acting like a child!” he fumed. “Here’s what’s gonna happen. I don’t want scandals. I want Andy to keep scoring goals for us. Your physiotherapy works best on him and my team. You will not quit and stay with the team until your contract ends. Get it? If you don’t, Viola, I will make sure you never get work in this industry. I will bury your reputation!” 

Horace was siding with his star forward. Not me. My hopes and heart shattered silently into a million pieces. This was a nightmare.

I killed the call, stashed my phone in my purse, and got out, slamming the car door in anger before heading inside.

Wolves Den was nestled in thick woods. Dim lights twinkled outside, illuminating the sign out front. Through the glass walls, I could see a few patrons seated inside. The place smelled of whiskey, cigars, and leather.

As soon as I entered, the conversation died down, and I felt every eye turn toward me. At first, I hesitated. But why should I be afraid? It wasn’t like there were real wolves in the pub.

Despite my face being swollen from crying, I lifted my chin and walked straight to the bar. After saying a brief hello to the bartender and showing my ID, I ordered a shot of vodka. Within thirty minutes, I had downed four shots and was babbling to him.

The man looked surly, but he was smiling at me as he cleaned the glasses.

I pointed at him. “Do you know that fucking Andy Franklin has the audacity to cheat on me with my best friend? They fooled me, and I, like an idiot starved for love, got caught in their web of lies. Fucking spiders!” I continued to blabber. 

“Maybe you should ease down,” the bartender suggested when I ordered another shot. 

“No!” I shot at him. “Gimme more! Mark my words - I’ll make each one of them regret what they did to me!”

“How will you make them regret it?” A deep, smooth voice reached me from beside me.

I whipped my head to the right. A tall man with broad shoulders and a face so beautiful it hurt was watching me intently with his gray eyes. He was easily a head taller than me. Some of his dark hair had fallen over his forehead, which I wanted to brush back.

I narrowed my eyes, trying to focus on him. He looked oddly… familiar.

“How will you make them regret it?” he asked again. “Because if you try to leave Andy’s team, Horace Wilson will ruin your career, and Sandra will win.”

I got angry immediately. “I’ll leave them!” I said, trying to slap the counter and missing it. “He wants to use me for Andy, but I refuse, my Lord,” I said in a slurry voice, waving my index finger in front of my eyes.

Why were there two index fingers now? And why was the man in front of me moving?

I hopped off my barstool to steady him, but the world tilted so fast that I felt myself falling sideways. Before I could hit the floor, strong hands reached out, and he scooped me into his arms.

I grinned. Poking his chest I said, “Oohhh, you’re strong.” 

“Put it on my tab, Finn,” he said to the… bartender, I think, and started walking toward the exit.

“Hey, mister,” I said, still grinning. “Where are you taking me?”

He grabbed my purse and carried me outside. The air was cool. I didn’t know why I felt so good in his arms that I snuggled closer to steal his warmth.

“Do you find me attractive?” I asked him. “I thought Andy found me attractive.”

His chest rumbled, but he didn’t reply.

How dare he also reject me?

Offended, I cupped his face and repeated my question. He rolled his eyes and still didn’t answer. In my drunken state, I became so obsessed with getting him to say he found me attractive that I started kissing him fervently. On his jaw, his neck, his cheeks, and everywhere I could reach, except his lips.

“What are you doing?” he asked, trying to pull his face away.

“Kissing you!” I blurted against his neck. I sucked on his skin.

“Stop it!” he said loudly, but before he could move away, I bit him there. Hard.

The man froze in his tracks, his arms closing more firmly around me as he looked at me in complete disbelief. I looked back at him with a broad smile.

“Am I attractive?” I asked again.

“Yes,” he hissed like it was an effort to acknowledge it or maybe to get me off his back. Then he clenched his jaw and strode toward his car. He settled me inside without a word as I kept giggling.

When he sat down in the driver’s seat, I said, “You know what?”

“What?” Suddenly, I retched. 

“Don’t you dare throw up!” he growled. 

And I vomited. All over his car.