Tatum POV
That game was my worst nightmare and now, here I am, sitting in Thatcher’s room with Grace next to me while she holds her daddy’s hand. Her eyes are threatening to close as she gets tired. Today has been very emotional for everyone, especially for her little heart. Watching her daddy play and then get hit like it wasn’t easy on her. Thatcher has two black eyes and a broken jaw that didn’t need surgery. And let’s add a broken nose to everything else. Obviously, he will be okay, but I can’t wait to get the fuck out of here and go find Fred.
I still don’t know what happened to him and what the damage is. I haven’t been able to find anything in the press. It seems like the team hasn’t done a formal release informing their fans of what is going on, neither with Fred nor Moore. I shake my head, trying to push those thoughts away. I am not the PR anymore and I shouldn’t be worrying about the press release.<
Tatum POVAfter dropping Grace at school, I decided to quit my job at the hotel. I have the uniform inside my bag and with a smile on my face I walk through the double doors at the front and I can tell the receptionist is not happy.“What are you doing? You need to use the back door,” she yells and whispers at me at the same time and I smile as I rest my bag on the reception desk and retrieve the horrible dress washed and ironed. I put it in front of her and she scrunches her nose as if disgusted by the material. I know. I hate it too.“Take that thing from here, the guests will see it,” she says and I smile as I look around the lobby which is completely deserted.“Don’t worry, I won’t take long. I am just here to drop this off and…” I say as I stop grab the white envelope from the bag and hand it to her.“That is my resignation letter, effective immediately,” I say, and her eyes gr
Fred POVIt’s been one week since I last saw Tatum. She has been ignoring my messages and phone calls. Being stuck in a hospital did nothing for me. I tried to get released earlier, but I wasn’t allowed and the Team’s doctor made sure I was okay to play before they released me. As I walk out of the hospital, the flashes almost blind me. I smile and wave, putting on the mask I have every day to make sure people don’t try to interfere in my personal life.I hear people shouting my name and questions, but I decide to block them as I am to the car waiting for me. The doctor walks next to me and once inside the car; I remove my hat and pass my hand through my hair, resting my head back.“How are you feeling?” The doc asks and I shrug. I don’t really know how I am feeling. My ribs are still sore but that is not the worst pain I am feeling right now. The worst one is my heart, which is broken from Tatum’s words.&l
Tatum POVMy heart is beating so fast I think I might have a heart attack. I sit in my chair with my face between my hands. Why is Fred doing this to me? I close my eyes and take a deep breath, trying to steady my beating heart and my breathing. The way he makes me feel is more powerful than I ever thought possible.I shake my head, pushing those thoughts away and trying to focus on the task at hand. I need to release the press statement for Moore that will be released from the hospital soon, but won’t return this season. His injuries are serious and might even make it impossible to play again. Obviously, the team is not happy because he is the captain and without him, things will go downhill.The team is not doing great this season because of all the scandals and everything that happened to the players. Their focus was lost, and they were not even on the top five teams of the country. That’s a first and I have to say I am worried about them. This mi
Tatum POV“Grace please baby,” I say as I kneel in front of y daughter. Today has been a tough day. Mara is staying with Grace while I attend the team’s charity benefit. I have organized everything with the party planner. All the players are attending with their girlfriends and wives, the ones that are single were asked to bring a date that would improve their image. I don’t even want to think about the woman some of them might bring.“But I want to go to the party with you. You look so beautiful. I want to be just like you,” she says and I smile. Mara is standing next to me with a smile plastered on her face.“She does look beautiful, doesn’t she? One of my best works,” she says and I roll my eyes as I peek up at her.“Not helping,” I let out through greeted teeth, and she raises her hands in surrender and walks away, leaving me alone with Grace.“Look, why don’t you dre
Fred POV “This is bullshit. Every time they think they have something on me, they dragged my ass in here and I have to go through everything all over again. Make this stop,” I let out as I look at Julien, who is as annoyed as I am. “I know. This is getting out of hand. It’s like the district attorney is trying to use you as an example for the rich and famous.” He says, and I nod as we walk down the steps from the police station. As usual, the press is eating this up even though I know the team had Tatum making things better for my side. Quickly, I grab my phone and scroll through the news to find the press release she sent. I read everything as soon as the car door closes and I finally have some privacy to be alone with my thoughts. I read the entire thing and smile. I can almost hear her words as I read it. The way she bites her lower lip when she is focused and how she talks to herself without noticing. I can almost see her sitting in her office typing away while her phone pings a
Fred POVMy phone has been ringing nonstop, and I am getting really annoyed. Jude is so drunk at this point that Richard takes him to the guest room and calls Bonnie to let her know he will sleep there. Obviously, she flipped the lid and was on her way here.Diego was already waiting for me downstairs with his daughter. As soon as I enter the car, the girl smiles at me and I offer her my hand. “Hi, I’m Fred,” I say, and she shyly accepts it, shaking it.“I’m Marta,” she says and I smile.“That’s a beautiful name. Your dad tells me you play hockey?” I ask, trying to make the girl feel a little more comfortable. I know how overwhelming it can be to meet your hero. She smiles and nods her head as she fiddles with her hands on her lap.“Yeah, I play right wing,” she says and I smile. “I started as a goalkeeper but the coach thought I was wasted there, so he moved me forward,”
Tatum POVMarta is the sweetest teenager I have ever met, that girl can make everyone smile with how caring and smart she is. I see a little of myself in her; I used to be like that, but unfortunately, some people got a hold of my innocence and kindness and destroyed it. I hope she can fight that off; I hope she can find someone who will treasure the way she is, someone who will lie down roses on the floor for her to walk on, someone who will treat her like a Queen.I can see movement in our direction and when I look it’s him, It’s Fred walking towards us, the way he walks with one hand in his pocket and the other on his side, the way his eyes scan my body makes me want to disappear into a hole and never come out. I look directly into his eyes and I can’t help but remember his eyes locked on mine while he was with his head between my legs. I stiffen as I bite my lower lip, closing my legs tighter together as I can feel the wetness.After some s
Tatum POVEverything seems to move in slow motion. I can’t believe what is happening here. I know Thunder thinks highly of himself and I never thought he would get so upset about this. I honestly thought women would bid on him, but I guess no woman wants to bid on a man who shows off like that, a man who did nothing to stop the women fighting for him and didn’t even acknowledge them. I guess he might learn a lesson with this. Or so I hope.“No, you’re not my captain anymore so you can’t come in here and start barking orders thinking we all have to bow to you, fuck you Moore, you are where you deserve to be,” he says, and before I even compute what was said a fist meets with Thunder’s nose making him take a couple of steps, back trying to keep his balance. His eyes go darker as he looks straight to find Fred without his jacket his sleeves pulled up to his elbows and his fists up in a fighting position.“Come at me,