Rags 2 Pitches: A Secret Baby Sports Romance (7 page)

Chapter 21

Nicola

The stadium wasn’t that full, which made me surprised that we needed tickets to enter. I didn’t even know where to sit until this girl called over to me, “Are you Nicola?”

I was shocked, because I had only been there a day and so far Ryan hadn’t really mentioned anyone apart from Tony, who was on his team, and Tom, his flatmate.

“Yes,” I smiled trying to look as if I had a personality because so far being up here with Ryan, I thought that if he didn’t dump me as soon as he put me back on the train to Euston, I would be kind of surprised.

“I’m Claire, Tony’s sister. I came down this weekend to watch him. Tony’s…”

Before she even finished, I said, “I know, he’s a reserve like Ryan.”

She nodded as if she was happy that I knew something about Tony. She was pretty, the typical blond hair and blue eyes, yet there was something comforting about her.

“The boys made sure that we got seats together. So that we could get to know each other.”

Really? Ryan never said anything, then again
I’d never really given him the chance to say anything. I had been too busy being an emotional wreck.

“Anyway, we’re kind of early. I came with Tony, they’re going to warm up and everything before they play.”

That made sense; I’d wondered why it was so quiet.

“Do you want a coffee or anything? The cafe should be open.”

“Yes please. Why do the matches have to be so early?”

She laughed, “Not used to getting up for eight?”

“I am, but I only got here yesterday and when we were walking down, well it was still dark.”

“Don’t worry, welcome to the life of being a footballer’s girlfriend. It has its good points - and bad ones too.”

She had a point, I suppose I’d never really thought of it like that. Then, I had a flash of my future with Ryan. Getting up early and going to see him at matches kind of made me feel warm inside, knowing that I would have a place in his life.

“True, there’s good and bad in everything.”

I liked Claire from the moment I met her. I didn’t know anyone in Manchester, but then I thought about the fact that I was going to have a baby; maybe medical school might have to go out of the window. As she talked about Manchester being a great city, I started to think that maybe, just maybe, if I did get the grades, having a baby and moving up here would make perfect sense. It was something that I had never really considered, but something I would have to, if we decided to keep the baby.

***

Ryan was right about the players. The Palace players were great, but the speed and organisation of his new team was through the roof. No wonder Ryan had wanted to move up here. He had a different life, and he could concentrate on being the player that he wanted to be, without the distractions of his mum and her fucked up world back home.

“Come on Man-Club!” I cheered.

Claire laughed, “They’re both Man-Club teams.”

She had a point and I felt like an idiot, but she pointed, “Look. I think that they’re calling Ryan. Their top striker just bashed into another guy. It looked like he was going for the ball and tried to tackle him or something. Either way, both of them were on the ground and everyone was shouting on the pitch, mainly at the other guy.”

“That’s Rick, right?”

I remembered Ryan saying about him being a dirty player.

“Yeah, no one on the team likes him. He’s a bit of an idiot, just because his dad’s rich.”

Ah, now that made sense; he was one of those wealthy guys that thought he was above everyone else.

“Hmm. Well, it looks like he fucked up and Ryan’s being called in.”

“Shit!”

“I know, he’s one of the new guys so no one thought he would play. Especially today. Even Tom his flat- mate didn’t have to come in today and he started before Ryan.”

I nodded, “I know he said that he was just going to be on the bench unless he got lucky.”

She agreed, “Well, it looks like he did.”

I shouted out, “Come on Ryan!”

Claire laughed, and I didn’t care because I’d got more than I’d bargained for by coming this weekend. I’d thought that I was coming just to support him. I’d never pictured him on the pitch playing, and I felt guilty for the late night that we’d had and me making him do all the work. I’d just been getting so tired lately.

But seeing him run up and down the pitch all of a sudden I had a surplus of energy and, when my man scored that one goal that the reserves needed, I couldn’t help but feel so damn proud.

That was my man on the pitch.

Not only was he going to have a baby, but he was going to turn from rags to riches as I heard the crowd roar and Claire shouted out, “This could be the start of a beautiful career for him now.”

It was and I knew that he was going to make it. It was always just a question of time.

Chapter 22

Ryan

“I felt like a fucking prince earlier scoring those two goals.”

The wave of energy passed through me and onto the pitch, just like it had done when I knew that there was a scout in the crowd and that his eyes were on me.

“It’s like I go from being no one, nothing, to this fucking Prince, and it makes me feel good every single fucking time.”

She laughed as she watched me walk in front of her, trying to explain how the reserve team, apparently for the first time, had beaten the fucking under-18s. Everyone had been surprised and it kind of showed them that there was talent in the club.

“The fucking coach said that if I kept playing like that, then Rooney may not be the exception to the rule.”

Nicola was confused, “What does that mean?”

“I know it makes no sense, if I’m eighteen, so okay, I would be the second one.”

She laughed, and the excitement was too much for me.

I’d fucking played.

Then, I’d fucking scored.

And I was on a fucking high.
Nothing could bring me down.

“And I’ve got tons of energy baby. You just see when I get you back in that flat. You’re going to feel it all over your body.”

She laughed, “Even all the cheering on the pitch, then the guys in the locker room, and you’ve still got energy for me?”

I opened the door and carried her on to the bed, “And you’re about to find out how much. Right now!”

I rested her head on the pillow. She looked so damn hot like that, completely helpless at my mercy. I didn’t hesitate to strip her naked.

I was eyeing her beautiful body, even though the room was in darkness, the grey sky outside brought in light from the open curtains.

I stroked my hand across her top and I could see her nipples, hard like little pebbles wanting to be touched, licked and fucking sucked as I had done a thousand times.

I used both my hands as I kneeled on top of her and watched her lacy bra spring up as her breasts filled them perfectly.

I knew that we had been apart for a few weeks, but her breasts had become fuller and I wondered for a moment if it had something to do with her being so tired.

I shook my head trying to get those thoughts out of it as I was on a mission to make her mine as I had done through the night.

She whimpered as I unclasped her bra.

She purred as I unbuckled her jeans and stripped her down.

I smelled her panties and they were wet with anticipation.

“You cold?”

She whispered, “A bit.”

I replied, “Let me heat you up.” I stood at the foot of the bed and started to strip off my shorts and hoody.

I crossed her wrists as I slowly hovered above her and pinned them at the top letting her know that anything she wanted to do wasn’t an option.

I was going to take her from not only from the front but from behind.

I turned her over like she was a rag doll and she flopped her head down. I saw her ass right in front of me and it just was so damn round and juicy, fucking good enough to eat.

I crossed her wrists and pinned them back behind her with one hand. I fucked her harder. Not using any mercy and she screamed in pain.

“Shit, you okay?”

It was a stupid question, because the noise she was making made it clear that she was in pain.

“Just gently at first and then…”

“Sorry babes,” I stroked her back and took my time, this time gently easing into her. I used my arms as leverage to drive her against me.

The volume of her cries reduced as it became less painful and her pussy started to get even wetter and I slid in and out of her. She loved being powerless and I craved being in control.

I just lost control and forced myself into her. I wanted to claim more of her each and every time.

Her muscles tightened and her sounds choked as an orgasm ripped through her. I loved the fact that she came around my cock and it didn’t make me want to stop.

It just made me want to fuck her even more.

I felt every fucking contraction vibrate from her to me.

I felt a tension build up inside me as my hips lost control.

I knew what was coming next, but I warned her, “Nicola, I’m going to come.”

I panted as my pleasure reached its peak and I pulled myself free.

She flopped on to the bed and moved beside me.

“You really had more energy.”

I laughed as I moved her hair from her face and said, “You have no idea.”

She was the opposite. I’d expected her to be tired but instead she said, “Can we order take-out? I don’t feel like going out to eat.”

I agreed, I didn’t want to let go of her and, as she tugged the silk sheet from under me she said, “Great, I think I saw some pamphlets in the kitchen.”

We weren’t domesticated at all, my flatmate and I.

“Yep, right on the board in the kitchen!” I shouted out as she raced to the kitchen. It was clear that she wanted food, she was going to need it. There was going to be a lot more of what happened, later on as I thought about her being with me in the bath.

***

She had the sheet wrapped around her when the delivery man came with the pizza. I wished that we had ordered two. She had practically eaten one by herself.

“You were hungry.”

She laughed, “Starving!”

“How romantic,” she smiled as she moved next to me on the sofa. We could have been posh and sat at the table, which was in the corner of the open-plan living room, but I felt like having her in my arms. Even though all she wanted was more pizza.

“We should venture out again, otherwise we’ll be hibernating as if we’re vampires or something.”

“Number one - vampires don’t hibernate.”

That’s why I loved her, her being so smart. She always has something to say when I am completely thinking about the wrong thing.

“Number two - it’s only six, even though it looks like midnight.”

True, that’s why I hate living here sometimes. It just gets dark so quickly.

“I bet in London there’s still daylight?”

She didn’t get a chance to tell me, because the next thing I knew my phone was vibrating and I was racing to the bedroom to pick it. I wished from that moment that I had let it ring. I wasn’t sure why I never heard the phone ringing before, and there were five missed calls when I picked it up, and that was when I knew it was bad news.

Chapter 23

Nicola

The rest of the weekend was on a damper after he’d picked up the phone. I thought, ‘For fuck’s sake, can we be left in peace for once.’ I knew it was selfish, but I really needed to tell him about the baby and discuss our options, but that had been taken away the moment he got the call.

I headed into the bathroom and had a shower; all of a sudden it was clear as he put on his clothes that there was nothing sexy or happy going to happen now. Only sadness, and I couldn’t deal with that when I was stark naked.

As I got out, he had made the bed and whispered, “Do you want to go for a walk?”

I was surprised at his question. He’d gone completely nuts, when he found out that his siblings had been taken into care. Now, hearing his voice so vulnerable and quiet made me see a different side to him. There was nothing that Ryan could do to surprise me, or so I had thought until now.

“Sure. Let me just get my coat.”

He nodded and then we walked out of the building and into the lift in silence. He pressed the button to go down and I held his hand. A faint smile appeared on his face and I said, “It’s going to be okay.”

He nodded, but it was far from the truth.

Everything had gone wrong back at home since he’d left and it kind of made me feel like I had to say something to make him feel better, but I knew that it wouldn’t make a difference.

“Maybe we could go down the Town Center and get something to eat,” he whispered as he held my hand so tightly.

I nodded, “So, you are still hungry?”

He laughed, “You ate most of it, but I don’t mind.”

He had a point, I was so hungry. We’d hardly eaten the day before, which normally wouldn’t have made a difference, but lately I would go through waves of feeling so hungry all the time. It kind of hit home that I may not appear pregnant, but I was starting to grow on the inside. I had read enough books on the subject to know that I was going to get to the stage where there’s no turning back, because I would be too far gone.

“There’s this Chinese restaurant that I wanted us to go to, it’s called The Rice Bowl. It’s nothing fancy, but the food is excellent,” he said as we started to walk.

He always made a point of saying things like that and at times it got on my nerves. “McDonald’s isn’t fancy but we always ate there.”

He pointed a finger and gently touched my nose, “But Starbucks is!”

He was right and this little banter kind of made him forget for a split second about his problems back home.

“So, we get the bus there and a taxi back alright?”

“Only on one condition.”

He knew that I was going to say it.

“If I pay for the taxi and you pay for the meal,” I stretched out my hand to make a deal. This was going to cut into the money that I’d needed for an abortion if I did need one and didn’t want to go down the NHS route. The only way I could get a free abortion was for my GP to refer me and he had been my family doctor for years. I was too embarrassed to go to him, so I decided on a private clinic. Maybe I would have to go down that route after all.

“Deal.”

He shook my hand and smiled and for that brief moment, I knew that was probably the only smile that I was going to get from him all weekend.

***

The Rice Bowl was busy and Ryan explained that if there were a whole load of Chinese people eating in the restaurant, it meant that the food was good. We did a quick head count as we laughed at our findings, then argued about the number that we had counted as he mistook a Korean guy for a Chinese guy.

It was so busy, part of it was filled with students and there were groups of friends and probably family in this family-run restaurant. It was one of the oldest restaurants in Manchester, which I found to be impressive. In the recession a lot of businesses had to close down, even restaurants that I’d been to as a kid with my parents.

It had an authentic feel to it with the wooden doors that had different Chinese symbols on them. The red puffed cushions on top of the wooden chairs were matched with the wooden tables. The smell of the chow mein and jumbo prawns from the table next to us made me feel like ordering the whole menu.

“It smells soo gooodd…”

“Wow, you really have an appetite. Okay, we’d better order separate portions. I don’t want you eating all of my food again.”

I laughed, “I thought we were meant to be together forever?”

It was a trick to see his reaction to my statement.

He smiled, “It doesn’t mean that I want to starve whenever we’re together.”

“You know it’s going to be okay?”

My reassurances didn’t work. “Babes, I know you want me to feel better. But I just need to deal with it and you need to get those A levels and be a bad ass doctor. Okay?”

“Ryan, once you get your contract, then your brothers and sister can live with you. Sure, they’re in foster care for now. But maybe they’re better off.”

I could see that he was thinking about it. His aunt had stupidly emotionally blackmailed his mum and dumped his sister at her place. Unfortunately, the boyfriend that his mum had said that she had got rid of, was still around. She had lied.

She’d done it so that Ryan would give her the money, and she had been seeing him behind everyone's back.

“If the neighbours had never called the police tonight, then my little sister would have been raped today. I just feel so damn guilty.”

I held his hand across the table. It was hard to have a private conversation, I kind of felt bad knowing that he’d wanted us to go out because I was around. I knew that was the only reason he’d wanted us out.

“My Mum’s such a fucking bitch. How could she let her be in danger like that?”

I wished I knew the answer to that question.

“Since my Mum’s left, she hasn’t really called me.”

He shook his head confused, and the waitress came and I basically ordered as much as possible.

“What do you mean?” He didn’t hesitate to continue the conversation when she left.

“She called twice to see if I was with Dad and that’s about it. So it’s not like she’s called to see how I’m doing or talk to me. It was funny; as my aunt put me on the train she said that she wouldn’t want to lie to my parents and I thought, which one? It’s not like either of them are interested any more.”

“That’s not fair, Nicola. He does take you to school each day.”

I shook my head, “Not anymore.”

I wanted him to know that my world wasn’t perfect and, even though his was really shit, mine wasn't that much further from it. But I couldn’t compare. My mum had never put me in danger. Even when she was intoxicated and knew that she couldn’t drive, she wouldn’t get behind the wheel and take me anywhere. His mum would if it had benefited her. She’d done all this to get money. His little sister had nearly got raped and his brothers were in foster care. The thing that he’d fought so hard not to happen had happened anyway.

I loved Ryan so much and couldn’t tell him the truth, that we were having a baby, because seeing him in so much pain, made it such an easy decision. I would need to call the GP and make an appointment. He had been through enough and so had I. He had only been gone just over a couple of weeks and I was around eight weeks’ pregnant. That was still within the legal limits to have an abortion so I had to book it, no matter what, as soon as I got home.