Three beautiful college soccer players from USC, Brielle, Skylar, and Octavia were eating breakfast and putting on makeup in their room in the renowned luxury beach front Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego while on spring break.
All of a sudden, Skylar ran to her luggage and started rifling through her things. “Shoot.”
Brielle looked over at Skylar. “What’s going on?”
Skylar tossed some of her swimwear out of her suitcase. “I’m having a major emergency here and I forgot to bring tampons. Do either of you have one?”
Brielle let out a laugh as she said, “Yeah, I do.” She went over to her purse, pulled one out and gave it to Skylar. “Here you go.”
Skylar took the tampon and ran into the bathroom. A minute later, she reappeared saying, “The playground is closed.”
Brielle and Octavia laughed then Brielle said, “Skylar, when was your playground even open last?
Skylar flashed a mischievous smile. “A few weeks ago . . . with your ex.”
Brielle feigned being upset. “Oh no, you didn’t.”
Skylar nodded with a smile of delight. “Oh, yes I did. What are you going to do about it?”
Skylar brushed her off with a wave of a hand. “Nothing, ‘cause I know it’s not true. Plus, I have my eye on someone else these days.”
Octavia chimed in. “A few years ago, I was having a great night with this guy and at the end of the night he walked me to my car. He wanted to sit in the car with me, which I found odd but whatever. Then he pulled me onto his lap to make out. The following day he called and told me that since we stayed up so late the night before, and he had class early the next day, he wore the same jeans from our date to Psych that morning. What he didn’t realize, and to my absolute horror, I had started my period while sitting on him in the car. He didn’t notice until his friends pointed out the stain on his pants. Welcome to my horror story of a life.”
Brielle and Skylar laughed, then Skylar said, “That’s worse than what happened on my trip to Hawaii with my family when I was 15. We woke up early to take a boat out to a diving spot off the coast. My parents and I all forgot how seasick I get, but that was something we were quickly reminded of. After a dreadful hour of blowing chunks in front of hunky Hawaiian sailors and terrified tourists, I fell asleep on a bench on the deck. I awoke in a pool of my own period blood. It stained the white deck of the boat, and somehow a good amount of it got on my dad. While I was crying in the bathroom, the hunky Hawaiian boys took a hose to my devastating visit from mother nature.”
Brielle laughed and pointed. “Now that’s embarrassing.”
Octavia shook her head. “I would’ve been mortified.”
Skylar took a bite of a cinnamon roll then said, “It was horrible. I couldn’t even look the hot Hawaiian sailors in the eye when we docked at port. I got off that ship so fast.”
Skylar looked over at Brielle. “You know what, thinking about this makes me nervous I might need another one later today. I’d be mortified if I bled out in front of Adrian. Could I have another one?”
Brielle nodded as Octavia let out a quick laugh then said, “When I was in seventh grade, I had just started having my period and a new girl walking next to me asked me for a tampon on our way to gym class. I gave her one and she took a few steps toward the bathroom, then came back and asked for another explaining that she was going to run out. I was confused but I handed over the goods. Everyone in gym was whispering when she walked in, and I could see she was clearly confused as to why. Later, she found out I told everyone she needed two tampons to PUT IN AT ONCE.”
Skylar laughed so hard she spit some of her water back in her cup.
Octavia sighed. “She hated my guts after that and never spoke to me again even though it was an honest mistake that I’d made with my seventh-grade mind. If she’d only known what I did the first time I had my period. No one really explained what to do. The first time I used a tampon I didn’t even think that you had to put it up you. I, like, just lie it down. Like on the underwear. Like a little tampon hotdog.”
Brielle laughed while throwing up her hands. “Where was your mom? She should’ve explained it to you.”
Skylar added. “Or you could’ve read the instructions.”
Octavia grinned. “Unfortunately, neither of those things occurred to me.”
Brielle stood up and looked out the window at the ocean then turned back around and said, “You know what I wonder about pretty much every day? How is it, that in this modern age of technological wonders, is our strategy with sports bra design still to just lock the girls up in smash jail?”
Octavia agreed. “Oh, I know right. Every single game there are times when I’m running for the ball and the girls are just smashed against my chest. How can no one figure out a better design?”
Skylar took a bite of a donut then said, “Maybe we need to take some inspiration from the male version of what keeps the boys in place. I ran my first half marathon several years ago. One of my sisters went to San Francisco with me and the night before as I was getting my gear ready, I realized I forgot my sports bra. We searched the stores near the hotel but couldn’t find any sports bras. We did find some jock straps and laughed at how we could make that work. So, I decided I was going to have to wear what I had—my black WonderBra. The next morning, I cinched up the straps and called it good. Surprisingly, it didn’t bother me, no chafing and I ran what is still my half marathon PR.”
Brielle sat down on a bed. “Now that’s innovative.”
Octavia took a drink of her orange juice. “Yeah, maybe I should try that. The guys always get the good stuff. But, Skylar, why is it that you’re always forgetting your things?”
Skylar shrugged. “Maybe I have someone important on my mind.”
Brielle went over to the kitchen area and poured some syrup on a pancake. “I don’t carry a wallet and I often put money inside my bra. At night when I undress, I pretend my girls are paying me a ransom to be set free.”
The other two laughed then Octavia said, “I was having a really bad day at the beginning of last week, when I came home and took off my bra, I forgot what I was mad about.”
Skylar laughed. “Happens to me all the time.”
Octavia set down her glass of orange juice. “That was a first for me. I still can’t even remember what I was so upset about.”
Brielle mused. “Push me aside, but I will come back. Hide me, but I will always emerge.
I AM POWER.
I AM RESILIENCE.
I AM—A BRA STRAP.”
Skylar and Octavia busted up laughing.
Octavia nodded while saying, “That’s the ultimate truth. No matter what I do, it always comes back.”
Brielle took a bite of a pancake then said, “Speaking of always coming back, it seems like the increased police presence at our school isn’t going away any time soon.”
Skylar dabbed on some foundation while looking in a mirror. “Yeah, tragic what happened to Professor Keats.”
Octavia brushed her hair as she said, “I can’t believe they found him murdered in his office.”
Brielle took a drink of milk. “I can. We all saw those pictures floating around online of Summer sleeping with Professor Keats.”
Skylar looked up from the mirror. “I thought for sure they were Photoshopped or AI fakes, but then a week later, the video emerged. It was undeniable.”
Octavia put on lipstick. “There’s no denying she killed him to try to cover up their relationship.”
Brielle glanced out at the ocean. “I just don’t understand how she could cheat on Adrian like that. He is the perfect guy. He’s the star of the basketball team, he’s unbelievably handsome, and he’s about to be drafted into the NBA. He’s going to make millions. Who would give that up?”
Octavia looked up. “They’re saying he’s going to be drafted early in the second round. Maybe by the Magic or the Spurs.”
Brielle nodded. “Exactly. So, why would you cheat on Adrian with Professor Keats of all people? I mean, I know Professor Keats is a bodybuilder, and a lot of women are into guys like that, but a bodybuilder over a future NBA player, especially a guy like Adrian? It just doesn’t make any sense.”
Skylar dabbed on some eyeliner. “Sometimes, girls just don’t think. I always wondered if she was mentally ill. After doing that, I don’t even blame her for ending her own life.”
Octavia grimaced. “Adrian’s been through a lot over the past few months. I’m actually surprised he asked all of us to come out here on spring break with him.”
A smile crossed Brielle’s face. “I still remember when we were all in high school at Mater Dei together and we would sit and eat lunch together just the five of us. Even though he was a senior and we were lowly juniors, he would always flirt with all of us. I was always star struck around him because he was going off to play basketball at USC. Who knew all four of us would be playing on the USC soccer team the following year?”
Octavia nodded. “It was hard to figure out which of us he really liked. I always thought he looked at Summer different than the rest of us, but maybe that was just in my head.”
Skylar stood up and shook her hips. “Please, what man wouldn’t want this? Of course he wanted me. He still does.”
Brielle looked at Skylar. “If he wanted you, then why did he end up dating Summer?”
Skylar dismissed Skylar’s comment with a wave of the hand. “We all know men often don’t make the best decisions. Sometimes they fall for the fools’ gold.”
Octavia turned around and sat on the bed. “And he fell hard. Rumors were, he was getting ready to propose to Summer before everything with Professor Keats came out.”
Skylar shook her hips again with a smile. “Well, the good news is that I’ve been given another chance. I’m not going to let him get away this time.”
Octavia got up and walked past Skylar. “Well, Skylar, the good news for me is that your playground is closed. Less competition to get Adrian.”
Brielle put a hand to her head. “I can’t believe this.”
Skylar turned to look at Brielle. “What?”
Brielle put down her fork. “You both want Adrian?”
Octavia looked at Brielle. “Yeah so?”
Brielle began to pace around the kitchen. “So do I. And normally I would say girl code or sisters before misters, but let’s be honest. When are any of us going to get a chance to date a guy like Adrian for the rest of our lives? He’s literally one in a million. The fact that he invited only us three to spring break with him must mean he’s considering us for a possible relationship. I love you both, I truly do, but there’s nothing I want more in the world than to marry Adrian. It would be an incredible life. So, this is one guy I am fighting for.”
Octavia turned to Skylar. “I take it you’re going to fight for him too.”
Skylar answered. “Absolutely. I can’t let Adrian slip through my fingers again.”
Octavia tapped a finger to her chin. “Well, I’m not going to give him up either. So . . . it looks like we’re going to have a friendly competition.”
Skylar turned away as she whispered to herself, “Not that friendly.”
Just then there was a knock on the door.
Brielle jumped up and excitedly said, “It must be Adrian.” She walked to the door and opened it.
Adrian greeted Brielle with a hug then walked into the room and looked around at the clothes and food spread all over the place. “What a mess.”
Octavia sheepishly grinned. “Well, for once, we don’t have to clean up our own mess.”
Adrian gave Skylar and Octavia hugs then said, “Alright ladies, you ready to have some fun?”
The girls cheered as they followed Adrian out of the room.
As they walked toward the car, Adrian called out, “First stop: jet skis.”
Adrian, Brielle, Skylar, and Octavia pulled into a parking spot near the beach at Mission Bay. After renting two jet skis, they found a spot on the sand, laid down their towels, and took off their outer clothing, revealing their swimsuits.
Adrian went to one of the jet skis, turned the key in the ignition and started it up. He turned around, looking at the women. “Who wants to ride with me?”
Octavia sprinted down to him as she said, “I do.”
Then she hopped on the back of the jet ski and Adrian took off, speeding through the water. They were soon joined by Skylar and Brielle who were on the other jet ski.
They drove around in the water for hours, talking and laughing, and having a great time, each woman getting her chance to ride with Adrian.
Once they were done, they returned the jet skis, then Adrian went to the car and grabbed the lunch he’d prepared. He returned to the group and they ate sandwiches and cold cuts while sipping on soda.
After a little while, Adrian looked at Brielle and said, “Hey, do you want to come talk with me?”
Brielle tried to force back a smile, but was unsuccessful. “Um, yeah,” she said excitedly.
Adrian stood up then started walking down the beach away from Skylar and Octavia. Brielle soon caught up and Adrian took hold of her hand in the sight of the other two women.
Skylar and Octavia looked away with a tinge of jealousy.
As they walked, Adrian said to Brielle, “So, tell me something funny that happened during your soccer season.”
Brielle thought for a moment then said, “In our game against UCLA, one of our defenders, Casey, took down their best forward several times. She was pulling her hair and pushing her, and just playing very rough. After the game, as we walked past the crowd, several of the guys in attendance asked her if she was single.”
Adrian laughed. “Some guys like it rough.”
Brielle winked. “Some girls too.”
Adrian gave a playful laugh. “Oh, so you’re one of those, huh?”
Brielle flashed a flirtatious smile as she slowly said, “Maybe.”
“Noted.”
Brielle ran a hand through her blonde hair. “What about you? Tell me something funny that happened during your season.”
Adrian laughed to himself for a moment then said, “When we were playing against Arizona State, Isaiah got knocked out. It happened right before half and he was just waking up as we went into the locker room. He didn’t remember who he was, so our coach told him he’s Steph Curry and sent him back in for the second half. Isaiah scored thirty-two points in the second half and lifted us to a one-point win. I couldn’t believe it worked.”
Brielle laughed. “That’s hilarious.”
Adrian smirked. “Unfortunately, Isaiah remembered who he was after that and never played like Steph Curry again.”
Brielle chuckled for a second, then Adrian shifted his focus from Brielle to the water.
After a few moments, Adrian said, “I want to tell you a secret. Something no one else knows, except for a few people.”
Brielle was caught off guard. “Um, sure.”
Adrian put a hand on her shoulder. “But you need to promise me you won’t tell anyone.”
Brielle crossed her heart. “I swear.”
Adrian took a few deep breaths then said, “I have a little brother—or had a little brother.”
Brielle stopped walking and faced Adrian. “What?! I’ve known you since high school. I’ve been to your house and met your parents. What happened?”
Adrian looked out at the water then back at Brielle. “My little brother died during childbirth.”
Brielle grabbed Adrian’s hand. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Adrian.”
Adrian shrugged. “Yeah, it’s not something my mom likes to talk about, so we never bring it up. But now with Summer’s passing, it’s just made me think about my brother a lot and also about Summer. Even though I was super upset at her when I found out she was cheating on me, I didn’t think I’d never see her again.”
Brielle hugged Adrian, then put her head on his shoulder.
Adrian continued, “It’s just that, sometimes you think you know someone so well, and then life throws you a massive curveball. I’m supposed to go to the NBA in a few months, but all I can think about is how I could’ve done things differently and kept her alive.”
Brielle whispered, “She made her own decisions—bad decisions. That’s not your fault.”
Adrian kissed Brielle’s forehead.
After a few moments of silence, Adrian said, “Tell me one of your secrets.”
Brielle took her head off of Adrian’s shoulder then scrunched her mouth to the side. “I don’t really have any secrets.”
Adrian responded. “Everyone has secrets.”
Brielle thought hard for a moment, then a sly smile crossed her face. “When I was a kid, somehow a woman got added to my mom’s group chat who didn’t have a kid on the team. So, she decided to troll the other moms. The group chat started with ‘Coach Matt wants to meet all the parents after practice.’ While the rest of the moms said ‘OK,’ this woman wrote, ‘My kid is the best on the team . . . just sayin’.’”
Adrian put a hand to his mouth. “No.”
Brielle nodded. “My mom was so upset. So were all the other moms. But that was only the beginning. Next, she wrote, ‘Participation trophies are for little players.’ Then it was, ‘By the way, the snacks suck lately.’”
Adrian busted up laughing as Brielle continued, “All the moms were furious and even the dads were starting to get upset. But the trolling kept coming. She wrote, ‘Anyone can have talent, but is everyone invited to David Beckham’s house for Christmas? I don’t think so.’”
“How did no one realize she was making this stuff up?”
“Because they thought she was one of the moms in the group chat.”
“That makes sense.”
Brielle smirked as she said, “Then she wrote, ‘Cristiano Ronaldo literally told me that my child reminded him of himself when he was younger . . . the proof is in the pudding (and btw pudding cups are not acceptable snacks).’ At this point, everyone was fuming mad and all the moms were calling each other scheming how they were going to get this woman’s kid kicked off the team.”
Adrian let out a laugh as Brielle said, “The next morning, the woman revealed she didn’t have any kids and that she somehow got added to the wrong chat. Then she finished it off with this, ‘Pudding cups really aren’t that bad, but if my imaginary daughter is carrying the team on her back, she deserves more than vanilla tapioca.’”
Adrian doubled over. “That woman was slaying. That’s absolutely hilarious.”
“Then she immediately blocked all the moms. Once they calmed down, they all had a good laugh about it and told us.”
Adrian nodded. “That was really funny, but that wasn’t what I meant.”
Adrian leaned in close, and whispered in Brielle’s ear, “Tell me a real secret.”
Brielle’s hands started shaking. She looked out at the water, then back at Adrian as she took several deep breaths.
Adrian gave Brielle a hug. “I know it’s hard to share a secret. But I won’t judge you, I promise. I’m here for you.”
Adrian let go of Brielle and she nodded then said, “Something happened between me and Professor Keats. I didn’t tell anyone because I didn’t want anyone to think I had something to do with his murder. If I tell you, you have to promise you will never tell a soul.”
“Absolutely.”
Brielle let her gaze rise past Adrian and looked at nothing in particular for a few moments. Then she locked eyes with him. “Professor Keats was my Econ professor and early on in the season, he called me to his office. When I arrived, he told me that if I slept with him, I would have all the playing time I wanted.”
Adrian scrunched his eyebrows. “What?”
Brielle stood there for a moment, not moving, then she said, “I was stunned. I couldn’t believe he would say that. I was already a starter, so I refused. Our first game I scored two goals, then my coach wouldn’t put me in after that. Professor Keats called me to his office several more times and told me that if I wanted more playing time, all I had to do was sleep with him. I continued to refuse and I played a total of twenty minutes for the rest of the season.”
A puzzled expression crossed Adrian’s face. “Wow.”
“I always had it in the back of my mind that Professor Keats had somehow done something to prevent me from playing, but I didn’t know what, until I stayed very late after practice one day about halfway through the season working on some things. Once I finished up, I caught Professor Keats and my head coach, Coach Christina, doing the deed in our locker room. I assumed they thought all the players were long gone. They both looked up at me as I walked in. I immediately darted out.”
“So, that’s how he was controlling your playing time.”
A tear rolled down Brielle’s cheek. “I was trying to figure out what to do, but then the next day, Coach Christina pulled me aside and said that if I ever told anyone, she would remove me from the team. I’d worked so hard my whole life to make the team, that I decided to keep it to myself. I mean, yeah, he was married, but they were two consenting adults, so I figured that was their decision. And then, once he was murdered, I knew I couldn’t possibly tell a soul or else people would think I murdered him because he took away my playing time. But I had nothing to do with it. I swear.”
Adrian looked deep into Brielle’s eyes. “Thank you for telling me your secret. I feel so much closer to you now.”
Brielle felt her heart leap.
Adrian slowly leaned in and Brielle reciprocated. Adrian lifted a hand to Brielle’s cheek just as their lips touched. Brielle ran a hand through Adrian’s hair as they stood on the beach, holding each other in their arms, passionately kissing each other.
After a few minutes, Adrian pulled his head back and smiled, then he took Brielle by the hand. They walked back down the beach and met up with Skylar and Octavia.
Adrian wrapped up all of the remaining food and said, “Who wants to play some volleyball?”
All three of the women excitedly said, “Me!” then they packed up their stuff, returned their jet skis, and went to the car.
Adrian, Brielle, Skylar, and Summer parked at Ocean Beach, grabbed a volleyball and some snacks from the trunk, and went to one of the many sand volleyball courts. After warming up for a bit, they broke up into teams and played 2-on-2, rotating partners after every game.
After a couple hours of digging, setting, and spiking, they took a break, sitting on a nearby bench.
Adrian looked at Skylar. “Hey, can we talk for a bit?”
Skylar immediately stood up with an irresistible smile as she said, “Yeah, I’d like that.”
Adrian took Skylar by the hand and turned to walk away.
Brielle threw up her hands in confusion as Octavia turned her head away mumbling, “This isn’t fair.”
Adrian and Skylar walked down the beach for a few minutes, until they found a place where they were alone.
Once they sat down on a bench, Adrian looked at Skylar and said, “What was the funniest date you’ve ever been on?”
Skylar thought for a moment then replied, “We went to the restaurant Providence and ordered some oysters for an appetizer. As it’s arriving at the table, my date pulls out his Nokia phone. Trying to make a lighthearted joke, I said ‘That has got to be the oldest phone I’ve seen in a while.’ I really dug it in, trying to break that friendly wall. Well, turns out it wasn’t a Nokia. It was his insulin pump.”
Adrian put a hand to his mouth. “Oh no. You were insulting a guy with diabetes? That’s low.”
“I was so embarrassed I tried to end the date as quickly as I could, but I absolutely had to get some of that Alaskan King Salmon. Best salmon I’ve ever had. He never asked me on another date, and honestly, I don’t blame him. But it was worth it for that salmon.”
Skylar leaned toward Adrian. “What about you, Adrian? What’s something funny that happened on one of your dates?”
A mischievous smile grew on Adrian’s face. “When I was a junior in high school, I took Gina to Prom. Before the date, she told me she was a vegetarian so we could go somewhere that has vegetarian options. I was cool with that. So, when we showed up to the nice restaurant, she orders steak. To clarify, I said, ‘I thought you’re a vegetarian.’ Her response, I kid you not was, ‘Yes, but this is from the Meat factory, so it’s okay.’ The waitress and I just looked at her dumbfounded. Then the waitress looked at me and said, ‘I don’t think she’s going to work out for us, babe.’ I replied, ‘Probably not.’ Gina got so upset she literally just left the restaurant. So, I ended up eating the steak with the waitress on her break. Even though she was twenty-four, I half-joking invited her to come to Prom with me because she was a lot of fun to talk to. I was super surprised when she said yes. We drove to her house, she put on a nice dress and we had a great time.”
Skylar tucked a lock of her soft red hair behind an ear. “Oh yeah, I heard about you taking a twenty-four year old to Junior Prom. Everyone in the school was star struck about how you pulled that off.”
“It was sheer luck, honestly.”
Skylar leaned closer to Adrian and put a hand on his leg. “Did you kiss her?”
“Of course. I never told anyone this, but we actually dated for a few months.”
Skylar laughed incredulously. “What?”
“Yep. She was a lot of fun, but she kept pressuring me to sleep with her and I’m not that kind of guy. I’m Christian and I’m waiting for marriage. So, I had to break up with her.”
“Now, that’s not something you hear every day, especially from a guy.”
Adrian took Skylar’s hand in his. “Yeah, well, I’m sure you know by now, I’m not like other guys.”
“That’s true,” Skylar said with a nod then she looked out at the ocean for a moment then back at Adrian. “Wait. So, you’re telling me that you and Summer never . . .”
“Nope.”
“Not one time?”
“Not once. I told her that I wanted to save myself for marriage and she was great with that.”
“So, then you must have been super shocked to see her cheating on you.”
Adrian nodded then said, “Can I tell you a secret?”
“Of course.”
“When I was a freshman in high school, I was dating a beautiful cheerleader who was a senior—”
Skylar let out a laugh. “What is it with you and dating older women?”
“Women love me. What can I say? It also helped that I was the star of the varsity basketball team as a freshman. Anyway, after we’d been dating for three months, I went over to her house to surprise her. I walked around the side gate and she had left the blinds open to her room. There she was, doing the deed with her ex who was a sophomore in college. I took a video of it for a bit, then I was so sick to my stomach I ran out of there. I sent the video to her and told her we were through.”
“I don’t blame you.”
Adrian looked in Skylar’s eyes as he said, “I have a zero-tolerance policy. If a woman cheats on me, we’re done. No second chances. She was crying to me and saying that she was sorry and that it was a mistake.”
“What did you say?”
“I was like, a mistake? How can that be a mistake? Not studying enough for a test is a mistake, not taking a worthwhile risk is a mistake, but taking off your pants and letting a man enter you—that’s no mistake. That was a decision she made. And the moment she made that decision was the moment she decided that our relationship was over. It’s funny because ever since I’ve been in college, she’s sent me a message once or twice a year trying to rekindle our relationship. Clearly, she never realized that the moment she cheated on me was the moment I lost all ability to trust her—forever.”
“Wow. Good for you for standing your ground.”
Adrian let go of Skylar’s hand and looked out at the ocean. “So, seeing the video of Summer cheating on me brought up all those same feelings again . . . I immediately broke up with her.”
“What did she say?”
Adrian shook his head in disgust. “She vehemently denied it. But there’s video proof. There’s no denying that.”
“No doubt.”
“I told her to go away and never talk to me again.” Adrian paused for a moment, then said, “I didn’t think she would take her own life.”
Skylar put a hand on Adrian’s shoulder. “She made terrible choices. I mean, who knew she would murder Professor Keats? She was living with a lot of guilt and was publicly exposed, that kind of thing has consequences.”
Adrian nodded. “Yeah, yeah it does.”
After a few moments of silence, Adrian said, “I want you to tell me one of your secrets.”
Skylar hesitated then replied, “Well, speaking of cheating. A couple years ago, I decided to do a 23andMe to find out where I was from. I never could have been prepared for the results.”
Adrian leaned closer to Skylar. “What did it say?”
“It said the man I always thought was my dad, wasn’t my dad. My mom cheated on him with a big shot movie producer. I was able to get access to the movie producer and I confronted him with the results of the test. He confessed everything. I go and see him from time to time, but my parents don’t know that I know. In fact, I don’t think my dad knows at all.”
Adrian raised his chin. “Whoa.”
“At first it really messed with me. It affected my play on the soccer field because the woman who raised me and that I trusted my whole life was lying to me. Every day she didn’t tell me the truth was a slap in the face. I didn’t understand why she would do that, but recently I’ve grown close to a really special guy, so now I’m starting to understand why she would.”
Adrian flashed a dazzling smile. “Oh, are you now?”
Skylar leaned in toward Adrian. “There’s this one guy I know. I would do anything for him.”
Adrian leaned in and Adrian put a hand under Skylar’s chin, then their lips met. They shared a passionate beautiful kiss.
After a few minutes, Adrian took Skylar by the hand and they stood up and walked down the beach, meeting up with Brielle and Octavia.
Adrian smiled at the ladies and said, “Who’s ready for dinner?”
The women all stood up and they went to the car.
Dressed in formal attire, Adrian and the three women ate dinner at “The Marine Room.”
After eating a delicious three course meal, they left and went to Parq nightclub.
Once they passed by the bouncer and entered the club, they were led upstairs to the outdoor rooftop dancefloor that was loaded with people, flashing lights, and loud beats.
Adrian took turns dancing with each of the women, but when it came Octavia’s turn, Adrian pressed her body tight against his then spun her around. On the dance floor, right in front of Skylar and Brielle, Adrian started making out with Octavia.
Frustrated, Skylar and Brielle left the dancing area to get a drink.
After a few minutes of kissing, Adrian took Octavia by the hand and they went down the stairs and out the door to Pacific Beach which is just across the way. Then they found a bench and sat down, holding hands.
Adrian caressed her hand as he asked, “When’s the last time you laughed so hard you almost wet yourself?”
Octavia cracked up with a laugh then answered, “A few months ago, my roommates and I had some of the guys on the football team over for breakfast. My roommate was explaining what the options were and she meant to say ‘breakfast sausage,’ but instead she said, ‘morning sausage.’ We all lost it.”
Adrian laughed. “That’s pretty funny. Here’s mine: during our game against Oregon, I got fouled super hard near the end of the game, but the refs didn’t call it. Our whole crowd starting chanting, ‘I’m blind, I’m deaf, I wanna be a ref.’ Even though I didn’t get the call, I felt vindicated, and we ended up winning the game in overtime.”
Octavia let out a laugh. “Oh, that’s great. Our assistant coach told us that one of our midfielders, Lacey, was like a puzzle, it all goes to pieces in the box.”
Adrian chuckled. “Oh, no. I can’t believe she would say that.”
“Well, she wasn’t wrong.”
“I guess sometimes players need tough love.
“And it worked, she scored a goal in nearly every game after that.”
“That’s how you get results.”
A beautiful smile crossed Octavia’s face. “That same assistant coach was really upset when we lost 2-0 to UNLV. She said she’d seen more action in two old geezers playing chess.”
“That’s hilarious.”
“It wasn’t funny to us at the time, but it really motivated us and we went on a ten-game win streak.”
“Ah, so, you’re the kind of woman who needs a challenge, huh?”
Octavia seductively smiled. “Maybe.”
“Well, then, what’s the craziest dare you’ve ever done?”
Octavia looked around for a few moments while thinking, then said, “Oh yeah. A few months ago, some of my teammates and I were sitting in a hot tub playing truth or dare. Then all of a sudden, Skylar comes up with the genius idea that we should race naked. So, at 2 am, six of us strip down, put our clothes at the finish line, then we raced fully butt naked down Exposition Park.”
“Too bad I didn’t get the invite. Who won?”
“I did, of course. Skylar and Brielle are way too slow to keep up with me. But it was so much fun, we did it several times, until we saw the flashing lights of the cops coming toward us. Someone must have called them. We grabbed our clothes and took off running. Then they brought out the helicopters to chase us.”
“No way.”
“Yep. We all ran to our apartments, turned off the lights and jumped in bed. My heart was pounding out of my chest so I didn’t fall asleep for the next two hours until they finally gave up.”
“Did they ever find you?”
Octavia shook her head. “To this day, we’re the only ones who know what happened. Well, now you do too.”
“You guys are gutsy.”
Octavia put up a finger. “Never underestimate a group of bored college girls.”
“Noted.”
Octavia let her hand run up and down Adrian’s muscular arm. “Tell me something I shouldn’t know about.”
Adrian looked around for a moment, making sure no one was near them, then he said, “You have to promise me you won’t tell anyone.”
“I swear.”
Adrian studied her for a few moments, then he gave in. “Just after the season ended, we were going to have a barbecue at Keyshawn’s place. It was my job to get the meats and help set up. I finished up at the store a lot earlier than I planned, so I just went over to Keyshawn’s to watch a game and chat it up with him. When I got there, the door was unlocked, so I walked in and heard bedroom noises coming from his room. After a half an hour, Keyshawn came out of the bedroom followed by Ava.”
Octavia put a hand over her mouth. “No.”
Adrian nodded. “Yep, Isaiah’s girlfriend.”
“What happened after that?”
“They begged me not to tell Isaiah. But instead, I asked Ava who else she had been sleeping with. I said that if she wasn’t honest, I would call him up and tell him right then. It turned out that half the team’s been passing her around for the past year.”
“That’s terrible. But it’s hard to blame them. She was Miss California.”
Adrian shook his head in disagreement. “I definitely blame them. That’s the kind of thing that will destroy a team. The only good news was the season was over and I’m moving on. The barbecue was very interesting after that.”
“Did you tell Isaiah?”
“Of course. There’s no way in heck I’m going to let a friend get cheated on and not tell him when I know. But I waited until after the barbecue was over, then I took Isaiah out to Pazzo Gelato.”
“Mmm. Love that place.”
“So does he. I explained it all to him and he took it rough. I mean, how could you not? He immediately dumped her. We’ve gone for gelato almost every week since. He’ll be fine. He’s gone on a lot of dates and there are plenty of women interested in him.”
Octavia leaned in close, looking in Adrian’s eyes. “You’re a good friend to Isaiah.”
“Unfortunately, that was part of what really crushed him. The guys that he trusts and goes to war with everyday were sleeping with his girl. It’s hard to get past that. He may transfer next year, but maybe not. We’ll see.”
Adrian leaned in close to Octavia and whispered in her ear. “I want you to tell me a real secret. Something deep.”
As Adrian moved his head away from Octavia, she said, “Oh, a deep secret, huh?”
Adrian nodded.
Octavia thought for a few moments, then looked down. She didn’t say anything for a while.
Adrian put his hand under her chin and raised her head. “Hey, look at me. You can tell me anything. Your secret is safe with me.”
A tear ran down Octavia’s cheek and she started breathing hard. Adrian hugged her for a few minutes until she was able to compose herself.
Octavia wiped a tear from her eye then said, “Something terrible happened when I was a little girl. At the time, I didn’t understand how it possibly could have happened. It was one of those things that completely changes your life, completely changes who you are. You know?”
Adrian nodded as he slowly said, “What was it?”
Octavia hesitated for a few moments then teared up. “Well, my . . .”
Adrian and Octavia sat in silence for a minute then Octavia looked away. “I’m sorry. This is too painful to talk about.”
Adrian put a hand on Octavia’s cheek and turned her head to look at him. “It’s okay.”
Octavia barely gave a small nod. “I’ve never been this close to telling anyone.”
Adrian smiled then they both slowly leaned in until their lips met. They shared a deep meaningful kiss.
Right in the middle of their kiss, Skylar ran in upon them and said, “Adrian, Brielle’s throwing up. But after seeing this, I might throw up too. Brielle doesn’t look so good.”
Adrian immediately pulled his head back and stood up, then quickly walked back toward Parq Nightclub. As Adrian entered the parking lot, he saw Brielle vomit.
Adrian walked up to her. “Brielle, are you okay? What’s going on?”
Brielle was shaking and turning very pale. “I’m sorry. I don’t feel very good.”
“You’re not looking so good,” he said as he grabbed her arm and led her to sit down on the stairs. “Here. Sit down. Rest your head on my shoulder.”
Adrian looked up at Octavia. “Call 911.”
Octavia got on her phone and made the call as Adrian put his arm around Brielle. “You’re okay. I got you now, Brielle. You’re okay. Just breathe.”
At that moment, Brielle’s eyes rolled into the back of her head and she passed out. Adrian held her body up to prevent her from falling. After a couple minutes, an ambulance appeared and the medics put Brielle onto a stretcher then into the back of the ambulance and drove off.
Adrian, Skylar, and Octavia got in Adrian’s car then drove behind the ambulance to Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego.
After sitting in the waiting room for several hours, a nurse informed Adrian, Skylar, and Octavia that Brielle was stable and she had been admitted and transferred to a room.
The nurse led them to the room and all three of them took a seat near her bed. Her eyes were closed and she was clearly unconscious.
“It might take her 30-60 minutes to wake up,” the nurse said, then walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.
Adrian pulled the car keys out of his pocket and held them up while looking at Skylar and Octavia. “It’s late. Go back to your hotel and get some rest. I’ll stay with her.”
Octavia yawned and stood up, then took the keys from Adrian and walked toward the door. When she reached the door, she turned around and looked at Skylar who was still seated. “Are you coming?”
Skylar nodded. “Just give me a minute. There’s something I want to tell Adrian. It’ll be quick.”
Octavia looked at her for a moment then walked out of the room and shut the door behind her. She paced back and forth in front of the large window, stealing glances at Adrian as he talked with Skylar.
Adrian took Skylar’s hand. “What’s up?”
Skylar looked into Adrian’s eyes. “You’re someone that I could see being my person, so I feel like I need to be totally honest with you.”
Adrian hesitated for a moment then said, “Okay . . .”
“Last year I hardly got any playing time at all. I was working super hard all summer long on my skills and doing everything to try to prove to my coach that I was ready to be a starter and a significant part of the team. This season, I didn’t even play at all for the first few games. I was racking my brain to try to figure out what I needed to do to get playing time.”
Adrian shook his head. “That had to be really tough. I’m sorry to hear that, Skylar.”
A tear fell down Skylar’s cheek. “It was. I was so upset and confused and just crushed, honestly. Everything I had worked so hard for my entire life was going up in smoke.”
Adrian furrowed his brow. “But I watched every home game this year. You played a ton.”
Skylar took several deep breaths. Once she was composed, she said, “That’s what I wanted to tell you about. One time, after class, Brielle said Professor Keats asked her to his office. We were both confused. I walked with her there and told her I would leave, but I stayed and put my ear to the door to hear what was going on. I heard him tell her that if she wanted to continue to have playing time, she needed to sleep with him. The moment I heard that, I bolted.”
“So, are you thinking Brielle was really the one who killed Professor Keats?”
“I don’t know. But that’s not my point.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“After a few games, she wasn’t getting any playing time at all. So, I figured Mr. Keats must have had something to do with it.”
Adrian hesitated for a moment. “Interesting. How?”
“Well, I decided that this was my only option to get to live my dream. So, one day after class, I went to his office and told him that I’d sleep with him if he would get me playing time.”
Adrian momentarily dropped his jaw. “Really?”
Skylar looked down for a few moments, then she met Adrian’s gaze. “Yeah. It was either that or waste my entire collegiate career. So, I began to sleep with him. After the first time, I was immediately made a starter. I continued to sleep with him once or twice a week to make sure I kept getting playing time.”
Adrian sat up straight and looked out the hospital window for a bit then back at Skylar. “Wow. Do you know how he was controlling the playing time of the players on your team?”
Skylar gulped. “Well, after a few months, he confessed to me that Coach Christina was actually his second wife.”
“Excuse me? His second wife? What does that even mean?”
“He said that a few years after he married his wife, he and Coach Christina fell in love. They dated and everything. Obviously, in the US it’s illegal to have more than one wife. So, they got dual Egyptian citizenship and went and got officially married in Egypt. There men are allowed to marry up to four wives. All of this happened behind his first wife’s back. To this day, I don’t think she’s aware that he was sleeping with Coach Christina and me.”
Adrian let out an incredulous chuckle. “This is wild.”
“But that’s not even the craziest part.”
“There’s more?”
“A lot more.”
“Okay. You have to tell me.”
“Professor Keats and Coach Christina had a child together.”
Adrian shook his head in disbelief. “He had a second family?”
“Yes. But the thing is that near the beginning of the season, their child was killed.”
“How?”
“He said it was almost for sure a hit and run. The child had wandered out of the house by himself late at night and was found dead right in the middle of an intersection. He was only four-years-old so there’s no way he knew what he was doing.”
“How did none of us ever hear about this?”
Skylar sat back in her chair. “The problem was, Professor Keats and Coach Christina couldn’t do much about it by going to the police because it would reveal their marriage and Professor Keats would be put in prison. So, they kept it quiet. Professor Keats had no idea who hit his child.”
“Do you think he found out who did it and confronted the person, then got murdered to cover it up?”
“That’s certainly possible. But I honestly have no idea. The whole thing is just crazy. The truth is . . .”
When Skylar didn’t finish her sentence, Adrian said, “What?”
Skylar studied Adrian for a moment then answered, “The truth is, the reason he told me all this was because he wanted me to become his third wife.”
“Oh, my goodness,” Adrian blurted out. “What did you say?”
“Inside, I said absolutely no way. The only reason I was sleeping with him was to get playing time. So, I kept dangling him along by saying it was something I would have to think hard about and it would take me many months to decide if I wanted to. He was perfectly fine with that. So, that’s where I left it.”
“Wow, Skylar. You just blew my mind. Like several times.”
“I want you to know the truth about me. The full truth. I don’t want to dangle you along.”
Adrian smiled as he said, “Mmm. I like that.”
Adrian looked into Skylar’s eyes and put a hand to her face then they kissed.
Octavia watched the kiss for a moment through the window then turned away.
When they finished, Adrian pulled his head back and said to Skylar, “You should go. Get some rest.”
Skylar nodded and while still holding Adrian’s hand, she stood up then walked away and let go. She left the room and joined up with Octavia, then they walked off as Adrian sat there looking at Brielle.
After a few minutes of resting his head against the wall, Brielle slowly opened her eyes. “Where am I?”
Adrian calmly replied. “You’re in the hospital. You’re okay. I’m right here with you.”
Brielle groggily said, “Adrian? What happened?”
“They found a very high amount of Ecstasy in your system.”
“What? I’ve never taken Ecstasy in my life.”
“They said that if we didn’t get you to the hospital so fast, you would’ve died. They’ve been giving you an IV to flush the drugs out of your system and they want you to go see a doctor later today to make sure you’re alright. I’ve set up an appointment for you with a family friend who is graciously squeezing you in at 5pm today. I had to get a reservation two weeks in advance to Steak 48 in Del Mar at 5:30. So, I’m going to let you take my car to your appointment while we go to dinner. Then you’ll meet up with us at the restaurant and have dinner after you’ve been cleared by the doctor. Skylar and Octavia are aware of the plan. I think we’re all going to sleep for most of the day today because of all this.”
Brielle turned her head and looked into Adrian’s eyes. “Well, I would say I’m sorry, but I didn’t actually do anything wrong. Someone must have spiked my drink.”
Adrian flirtatiously smiled. “Uh huh.”
“No, I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Adrian took Brielle’s hand. “So you know, I had to tell them I’m your boyfriend for them to tell me what was going on with your health.”
A smile crossed Brielle’s lips. “Boyfriend? Mmm. I like that.”
“But seriously, no more drugs. If you do it again, I’m going to have to spank you.”
Brielle let out a laugh. “Are you trying to get me to do drugs, because I’ve been dreaming about you spanking me for years.”
Brielle turned her body away from Adrian and said, “I didn’t do drugs, but I know you think I did, so spank away.”
Adrian laughed. “Not in front of the nurses. They’ll think I’m abusing you then they’ll drag me out of here in handcuffs.”
Brielle laid on her back again and looked at Adrian. “Worth it.”
“Not for me.”
After a moment of silence Adrian said, “I’m just glad you’re okay.”
“So, basically, you’ve been my little boyfriend guardian angel?”
“More like your big boyfriend guardian angel.”
“You know what I meant.”
Adrian smiled. “Yeah, I do.”
Brielle flashed a dazzling smile. “Well, boyfriend guardian angel, I’ve been thinking a lot about our conversation earlier today and there’s something I want to tell you that I should have told you then.”
“Oh, okay.”
“The reason I didn’t tell anyone I found Coach Christina and Professor Keats sleeping together wasn’t because I was afraid she would kick me off the team.”
“Really? Then why was it?”
Brielle took a few deep breaths then said, “It was because she blackmailed me.”
“Blackmailed you? With what?”
A tear fell down Brielle’s cheek. “I did something absolutely terrible, and somehow, she found out. If I tell you what I did, you will never look at me the same way, the way you’re looking at me right now.”
“How bad could it be? It’s not like you ended up in prison.”
Brielle vigorously shook her head. “It was very bad. I’ll just leave it at that. I want you to know that I’ll never do it again and also that I’ll never tell you what it was.”
Adrian nodded. “Okay.”
“I also wanted to tell you that I wasn’t surprised to find out Summer was sleeping with Professor Keats because she’s the one who got playing time over me.”
A sly smile crossed Adrian’s face. “Oh, you just had to dig it in like that, huh?”
Brielle put up a hand. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I was just speaking without thinking.”
“It’s fine. I’m glad you feel you can open up to me. And, if you ever do want to share the really bad thing you did, I won’t judge you. I promise. But if you’re not comfortable with sharing it, it’s totally cool. I still think about you the same way.”
“Are you ever going to believe I didn’t do drugs?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Thought so.”
Adrian playfully shook his head. “Summer told me all about the parties your team used to have and how the drugs and substances were flowing freely.”
“She did?”
“Yep.”
“Well, I’ll be honest. I have done some drugs and alcohol at times in the past, but I’m a D1 athlete and every day is cutthroat, so I decided to give them up for good.”
“Good girl.”
Brielle waved her hand. “Okay. I’m talking too much. These drugs must be making me loopy. Whatever. Angel boyfriend, come give me a kiss.”
Adrian stood up, leaned over, and gave Brielle a kiss she would never forget.
Brielle, Skylar, and Octavia dressed up in beautiful formal dresses in their hotel room, preparing for their luxurious meal at Steak 48 in Del Mar.
When Brielle finished brushing her hair and applying her makeup, she turned around and said to the other two, “How do I look?”
Skylar scoffed. “You look like a ‘before’ picture.”
Brielle’s face hardened. “Well, you look like something I drew with my left hand.”
Skylar stood up and walked toward Brielle. “This coming from the moron who got ‘Warior’ tattooed as a Tramp stamp.”
Brielle’s face turned red. “I got it removed and we both know that was the tattoo artist’s fault because he couldn’t spell.”
Skylar let out a sly smile. “Thank you for proving my point.”
Brielle rolled her eyes. “Oh come on, you’re so dull you’d fail a personality test.’
Skylar raised her voice, “You little—”
Brielle cut her off. “Your ex told me that’s the real reason he broke up with you. Because you’re so freaking boring.”
Skylar sneered. “Oh no you didn’t.”
Brielle nodded her head with a wry smile. “Yeah, I did. And that’s not all he told me. He said you’re absolutely terrible in bed. Like literally the worst he’s ever had. You’re like a stiff wet fish.”
Skylar turned around and took a few steps away from Brielle. “I can’t believe we were ever friends.”
Brielle crossed her arms. “Me either.”
Skylar turned around and pointed her finger at Brielle. “Well, your ex told me you ate cold turkey to quit smoking.”
Brielle’s face turned red. “He promised he would never tell a soul.”
Octavia spoke up. “Brielle, you used to smoke?”
Skylar let out a vengeful laugh. “She still does. That’s why she was in the hospital. She’s a druggie.”
Brielle curled her upper lip. “Well, if ignorance is bliss, you must be ecstatic at all times. I remember when we were 15 and looking up at the night sky. You literally said to me, ‘Where do the stars go during the day? Are they still there? If not, where do they go?’”
Skylar dismissively waved a hand. “So, I wasn’t an astronomer. Big deal.”
Brielle scornfully laughed. “Big deal? You’re the reason shampoo bottles have instructions.”
Skylar scowled. “Yeah, well, you literally used to think that when people die in movies, they killed them in real life.”
Brielle walked toward Skylar. “Well, I remember when we were lost and you were on the phone with your parents trying to describe where we were, you literally said, ‘We’re behind the car in front of us.’”
Skylar clenched her fists. “This coming from the girl who turned the control dial on a fan to L then said, ‘I set it to Large.’”
Brielle stood right in front of Skylar as she said. “Oh, please, stop insulting me.”
Skylar hardened her jaw as she put her face right in front of Brielle’s. “I’m not insulting you. I’m describing you.”
“Pfft. Well, you have a face for radio.”
Skylar walked away, grabbed a cup full of water off the kitchen sink counter and poured it on to Brielle’s bed. “Your face would make an onion cry.”
Brielle grabbed the flowers out of the vase on the kitchen counter and tossed them in Skylar’s face as she walked by her. “If you’re going to be two-faced, at least make one of them cute.”
Skylar touched the backside of Brielle’s dress. “Jealousy is an ugly thing, Brielle. And so are you, in anything backless.”
Brielle raised her fist to hit Skylar, but Octavia jumped in the way to prevent her.
Skylar barked, “You’ll go far someday. And I hope you stay there.”
Brielle ran past Octavia and grabbed her purse as she said, “Me too.”
Brielle opened the door, walked out of the hotel room, and slammed the door behind her.
Octavia incredulously looked at Skylar. “What was that?”
Skylar stomped over to the bathroom.
Brielle wiped the tears from her eyes as she stormed to the car. She opened the door and sat in the driver’s seat, not moving, letting the tears run down her cheeks.
After a couple minutes, she was startled when she heard the passenger door open. She turned and saw Adrian get in the car.
Brielle immediately began wiping her tears.
Adrian took one look at her and said, “What’s going on? Are you okay?”
Brielle slowly shook her head. “Skylar and I just had this big blow up. She’s one of my best friends, but I don’t think we can recover from this.”
“What was it about?”
Brielle took a few deep breaths. “Honestly, I don’t know. We were all getting ready to go to dinner tonight, then she just started insulting me out of nowhere.”
“That’s not like Skylar. I wonder why she would do that.”
Brielle dabbed her makeup with a napkin. “I don’t know. I mean, I think I may know why, but I didn’t think it would be like this.”
Adrian scrunched his eyebrows. “Well, go ahead and tell me.”
Brielle finished dabbing her makeup and composed herself. Then she turned and said, “Adrian, the truth is—”
All of a sudden, Skylar was rapidly knocking on the passenger window.
Adrian turned his head around to see her, then rolled down the window.
Skylar spoke quickly, “Adrian, can I talk to you for a second?”
“Well, I’m kind of talking to Brielle right—”
Skylar opened the door, grabbed Adrian by the arm and started pulling on him to get out of the car.
Adrian got up. “Okay, okay.”
Adrian walked with Skylar twenty feet away from the car, then she abruptly stopped and turned to face Adrian.
Adrian looked around for a second and said, “So, what do you want to talk—”
Out of nowhere, Skylar grabbed Adrian’s face and kissed him hard.
Adrian was taken aback for a moment, then he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back.
While they kissed, Skylar smiled at Brielle who was sitting in the car and watching.
Brielle jumped up out of the car and ran over to them then pushed Skylar off of Adrian as she shouted, “What the heck are you doing, Skylar?!”
Skylar snarled. “Why are you pushing me, Brielle? I’ll drop you off at the mental hospital. They’re missing a patient.”
Brielle got in Skylar’s face. “Silence is golden, but for you, it’s actually diamond status.”
“Being bitter won’t make you prettier than me,” Skylar said as she grabbed Brielle’s hair and pulled.
Brielle immediately grabbed Skylar’s hair and jerked her head down then started hitting her in the face.
At the same time, Skylar was hitting Brielle in the back and the stomach while both girls were screaming and shouting.
Just as Adrian came up to separate them, his car exploded with a massive boom.
Adrian hit the deck as shrapnel flew through the air.
After a second, Adrian got up and checked himself, making sure he wasn’t hurt. Then he called out, “Brielle, are you okay?”
Brielle stood up, shaking herself off. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
Adrian was about to call out to Skylar, but as he turned around, he saw a large piece of metal from his front bumper had punctured Skylar’s stomach all the way through. It was coming out her back.
Adrian ran to her as she laid on her side.
Adrian quickly called 911 then instructed Brielle to keep the people who were gathering around away.
Adrian looked down at Skylar as she frantically said, “I’m going to die here.”
Adrian put a hand on her arm, trying to calm her down. “The ambulance is on the way.”
“Maybe this is what I deserve.”
Adrian scrunched his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
Skylar took a few breaths then said, “I spiked Brielle’s drink with Ecstasy and I set the car bomb.”
Adrian leaned backward. “Why? Why would you do that?”
Skylar looked away. “Because I see the way you look at her.”
Adrian’s jaw hardened. “Is that why you tried to kill Summer?”
Skylar looked back at Adrian in confusion. “How do you know about that?”
Adrian was stern. “Tell me why.”
Skylar slowly nodded. “After sleeping with Professor Keats for a couple months, I set up hidden cameras. Then I took individual frames and used AI to put Summer’s face on my body, and circulated them around the school. I knew that the only way you’d break up with her was if you saw her cheating.”
“How did you fake the video?”
“My bio father’s a movie producer. I had him put me in touch with a guy.”
“That costs a ton of money. How could you possibly pay for it?”
Skylar let out a sly smile. “I paid him with many unforgettable nights.”
“So, you were the one who killed Professor Keats?”
Skylar coughed up blood and started shaking. Then she said. “No. That wasn’t me.”
Adrian put a hand on Skylar’s shoulder to steady her. “Then why did you try to kill Summer?”
Skylar coughed up more blood and started to turn pale. Adrian looked down at her stomach and saw the blood oozing out of her body. Skylar’s voice was faint as she said, “Summer was the only person who could prove the photos and video weren’t real . . . So, I had to take her out . . . I—I went to her house the night she died, but when I got there . . . she was already . . . dead.”
Skylar coughed up some more blood, then her body shook for a few seconds as she struggled to breathe. A few moments later, she took her last breath, then her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Adrian stayed by her body until the ambulance came and took it away.
The next day, Adrian, Brielle, and Octavia walked through the San Diego Zoo. After watching the playful Koalas for a time, they walked over to the Gorilla Forest and stood in front of the glass enclosure, watching the Gorilla’s play and eat.
Octavia pointed at the biggest gorilla. “That thing has to be 6’4” and easily weigh 500 pounds. There’s no way 100 men could beat that thing in hand-to-hand combat.”
Adrian waved a finger. “What?! What are you talking about? 100 men? Of course we could.”
Brielle shook her head. “No way. That Gorilla could literally rip your head off.”
Adrian crossed his arms. “No, it couldn’t.”
Brielle jumped on her phone and typed for a bit then looked up. “Adult male gorillas, known as silverbacks, are estimated to be between 4-10 times stronger than humans. They can lift or throw up to 1800 pounds.”
Adrian leaned backward. “Goodness. 1800 pounds. That’s a massive bench press right there.”
Octavia looked at Adrian. “Yeah, and what’s your max bench press?”
Adrian scratched his head. “Uh, 330.”
Brielle laughed. “That’s not bad . . . for a human. But you have zero chance against that Gorilla.”
Adrian put up his hands. “Okay, I’ll admit. Without weapons, I would get annihilated if I were by myself. But in a fight against 100 men, you have to multiply 300 pounds by 100. That ends up being 30,000 pounds. That’s more or less 15 times the strength of that Gorilla. The Gorilla wouldn’t have a chance.”
Octavia looked at the Gorilla then at Adrian. “There’s absolutely no way any man would have the cajónes to attack that thing with his bare hands, I don’t care if he’s surrounded by 99 other men. No one will attack it.”
Adrian was silent for a moment, then said, “You may have a point there. The first five or ten men who attack would get ripped apart. There would definitely be some casualties. But if we all attacked at the same time or came up with a great strategy, we would get to the point where we would have five or ten men holding down each one of its limbs, then the rest would kick its eyes out, and punch and kick it to death. It would be a brutal death for the gorilla.”
Brielle flashed a devious smile at Adrian. “So, you think you’d win, huh?”
Adrian confidently nodded. “Absolutely.”
Octavia put a hand on Adrian’s shoulder. “But would you do it?”
Adrian shook his head. “Absolutely not.”
Octavia gave Brielle a high-five. “Point proven.”
Adrian dismissively waved a hand. “Oh whatever.”
Brielle turned and looked off in the distance. “I really want to go see the giraffes.”
Adrian nodded, then the three of them walked over to the Urban Jungle exhibit and looked at the giraffes.
A sly smile crossed Adrian’s face as he asked, “Why is a giraffe such a good father?”
Brielle shrugged. “Why?”
Adrian answered. “Because he’s someone you can look up to.”
Brielle and Octavia chuckled as Adrian said, “Why do giraffes have long necks?”
Octavia shook her head. “I don’t know.”
Adrian replied. “Because their feet stink.”
The two women laughed.
Adrian looked upward as he said, “Have you ever seen any giraffes hiding in trees?”
Brielle answered, “Nope.”
Adrian flashed a playful smile. “That’s because they’re so good at hiding.”
Brielle and Octavia laughed for a bit, then Adrian said, “Octavia, can I talk to you for a bit?”
Octavia nodded with a dazzling smile.
Adrian turned to Brielle. “We’re just going to go down there. We’ll be back in a bit.”
Brielle lowered her head a bit as she resignedly replied. “Okay.”
Adrian grabbed Octavia’s hand and they walked for a few minutes, then sat down on a bench in front of the Cheetahs.
Octavia intertwined her fingers with Adrian’s. “I can’t believe Skylar died yesterday.”
Adrian took a deep breath. “Me neither. The police are investigating what caused my car to explode like that. And I’ve been in touch with her parents and they’ve scheduled her funeral for next weekend.”
Octavia took a moment to respond. “I can’t believe it. Did she say anything to you before she died?”
Adrian shook his head. “Not really.”
After a moment of silence, Adrian gazed into Octavia’s eyes. “So, I’ve been thinking about how you told me something traumatic happened to you when you were a child . . .”
Adrian brought Octavia’s hand close to him and rested it on his leg. “I know you don’t feel comfortable telling me what it was, but I want you to know that I wish I could’ve known, because I would’ve been there for you.”
Tears welled up in Octavia’s eyes. She looked away for a time while wiping her tears.
After a minute, Octavia looked back at Adrian. “I’ve been thinking about it too. And I’m ready to tell you what happened.”
“Are you sure?”
Octavia nodded. “Yeah. I want you to know.”
“Okay.”
Octavia looked into Adrian’s eyes as she said, “When I was ten, my dad died of a car crash.”
Adrian sat in silence nodding his head as Octavia continued, “That was really tough on me and my mom. I mean, what do you do when Superman’s gone?”
“I can’t imagine how difficult that must have been.”
“My mom took it really hard. It took her a few years to get the world to stop spinning, you know. But that wasn’t even the most difficult thing.”
Adrian eyes grew wide. “There’s something worse?”
Octavia nodded, then tears burst from her eyes. Adrian scooted over and hugged Octavia for a time.
When he let her go, she said, “When I was twelve, my mom was getting back into the dating scene, and this one guy she went out on a date with came back to our house and . . .”
Octavia didn’t answer for a bit, but Adrian didn’t say anything.
Octavia took a few deep breaths and finished her sentence. “He—he raped her.”
Adrian shook his head in anger.
Octavia took a few steadying breaths. “My mom totally lost it after that. She got into hardcore drugs and became an alcoholic. She just couldn’t cope. It was like she totally forgot about me. She couldn’t hold down a job. So many days I would come home from school and she would just be wasted on the couch. She blew through my dad’s life insurance and there were times when we went without electricity or water for weeks. All the food I would get to eat was the food I got from school. I would take showers there and fill up a jug of water for home.”
Adrian rubbed her arm. “That is absolutely terrible. I wish you would’ve told me this was happening. My family would’ve helped you. Our church and our community would’ve helped you. We would’ve rallied around you.”
Octavia wiped her eyes. “I didn’t want to be a burden.”
Adrian put his hands on Octavia’s shoulders. “Listen to me. You are not a burden. You are a good beautiful woman who has gone through very difficult things. Things that no one else could imagine.”
Tears ran down Octavia’s cheeks. “Yeah, but me and my mom, we—we made it through.”
Adrian wrapped his arms around Octavia.
They sat there, holding each other, as Octavia let out all her emotion.
After spending most of the day at the San Diego Zoo, Adrian, Brielle, and Octavia went to Bencotto Italian Kitchen for dinner.
While eating their pasta, gnocchi, and lasagna, Octavia looked at Adrian. “In our game against Syracuse I scored a goal, then three minutes later, Kristy scored a goal. I heard the assistant coach of the other team turn to their coach and say about their goalie, ‘She’s like Cinderella, always late for the ball.’”
Adrian chuckled as Brielle put down her glass of soda and said, “We won that game 9-0.”
Octavia took a sip of her water, then a smile crossed her face. “Yeah, so they took out their first-string goalie and put in their second-string. After we scored three goals on the second-string goalie, their assistant coach threw her hands up and said to their coach, ‘She’s worse than Dracula when it comes to crosses.’
Adrian laughed as Brielle nodded, saying, “That’s hilarious. She wasn’t wrong though.”
Octavia shook her head with a playful smile. “No, she wasn’t.”
Brielle took a bite of her lasagna, then looked up at Adrian. “Ooh, I still remember our game against Oregon where Summer kept going by the defender. One time she said, ‘My mother always taught me to be polite . . . so excuse me as I leave you in the dust!’”
“That definitely sounds like Summer,” Adrian said with a laugh. “You know, one time Summer and I went to Magic Mountain. We were standing in line waiting for a ride, and out of nowhere, some random guy came up and grabbed her butt. Summer was startled and turned around and looked at the guy. The guy profusely apologized and said he thought she was his wife.”
Brielle took a bite of a meatball and asked, “What did you do?”
Adrian shrugged. “Well, at the time I wasn’t very happy about it. But after learning she was cheating on me, I don’t care anymore. We watched the guy walk off and tried to see if he went to find a woman, but instead he went up behind a big tall man and grabbed his butt. They held hands and we were seriously confused. Then they walked away and we never saw them again.”
Octavia doubled over. “It’s too bad I didn’t know about that. I would’ve teased her super hard. She got mistaken for a man.”
Adrian chuckled. “She made me promise not to tell anyone or else she would tell everyone my embarrassing story.”
Brielle’s eyes lit up. “Ooh, what’s your embarrassing story?”
Adrian playfully waved a hand. “I’m not sure you guys are ready to hear it yet.”
Octavia put down her fork and leaned toward Adrian. “Of course we are. I’ve been dying to get something juicy on you.”
Adrian hesitated for a moment with a sly smile, then said, “Okay. If you’re sure.”
Brielle and Octavia eagerly nodded.
Adrian took a sip of his water, then set it down. “So, I was on an airplane a few years ago with Summer and her parents. Summer couldn’t get a seat next to me and sat directly behind me. During the flight I thought I would surprise her and reached my hand back onto her knee. Slowly I kept extending it up her thigh until I heard giggling. I looked behind through the seats and saw my hand was on the leg of the guy next to her. He saw my face and said, “I just wanted to see how far you’d go.” Of course, Summer was in on it and started laughing along with the rest of the row. I had to hide my face for the rest of the flight. When we landed, the guy jokingly asked me, ‘So, you want to get a hotel or what?’”
Brielle laughed. “That’s awesome!”
Adrian mused. “In the airport, I quickly grabbed Summer’s hand and booked it out of there while she was laughing the whole way.”
Adrian, Brielle, and Octavia kept talking and laughing for another hour and a half.
Once they finished their dinner and desert, Adrian looked at Brielle. “Do you want to go and talk for a bit?”
Brielle flashed a beautiful smile and nodded, then they both stood up, held hands and walked out of the restaurant.
Together they strolled through Piazza della Famiglia, a 10,000 square foot European-style piazza, with a beautiful tiled fountain and a breathtaking view of the San Diego Bay located in the heart of “Little Italy” San Diego.
Adrian put an arm around Brielle as they walked. “What’s an insult you’ve never forgotten?”
Brielle thought about it for a moment then answered, “In fifth or sixth grade, the boy I had a crush on said to me, ‘You’re kinda cute for a fat girl.’”
Adrian put a hand to his mouth. “Unbelievable.”
Brielle let out a chuckle. “Yep. That was all the motivation I needed to start working out super hard and get good enough to become a D1 athlete.”
“Well, I’m glad you turned it into a positive.”
“Funny thing is, I recently came across his profile on Instagram and now he’s the fat one. Karma’s a witch.”
“No doubt.”
Brielle looked up at Adrian. “What about you? What’s an insult you’ve never forgotten?”
Adrian hesitated for a moment, then replied, “When I was in seventh grade, one of the kids on my basketball team said I looked like a Holocaust survivor.”
“Why are kids so mean?”
“Who knows. But it gave me the motivation I needed. I started hitting the gym and drinking protein. Got me bulked up and athletic enough to play at USC. Now that’s going to be translating over to the NBA.”
“Are you nervous about playing in the NBA?
“Well, I’ll be playing against the best athletes in the world every night, so if I’m honest, yeah, I’m a little nervous. But that’s a good thing. I’m going to work super hard and be prepared. But more than nervous, I’m just really excited. This is what I’ve worked so hard for my entire life and it’s incredible it’s actually going to happen.”
Brielle stopped walking and looked up into Adrian’s eyes. “I’m really proud of you.”
Adrian wrapped his arms around her. “Thank you.”
For a few moments, Adrian and Brielle gazed into each other’s, not saying anything, then their lips met in a beautiful kiss.
As they kissed, Adrian heard a loud sound then Brielle instantaneously cried out and slumped down. Adrian caught her, then laid her on the ground, shielding her behind the tiled fountain as bullets hit the ground near them.
Brielle was crying from the extreme pain. “What’s happening?”
Adrian looked up for a moment and saw a man aiming a gun at them and pull the trigger.
Adrian ducked down as the bullet barely missed him. “Someone shot you.”
Brielle cried harder and her breathing became more unstable as blood pooled around her body.
Adrian immediately called 911. After finishing the call, he looked at Brielle and could see she was dying. He put a hand on the back of her head and said, “Why did you try to kill Summer?”
Brielle shook her head, tears running down her face. “What are you talking about? I didn’t try to kill her.”
“Yes, you did,” Adrian said as he took out his phone, found a video, and hit play. Brielle watched a video of her sneaking into Summer’s apartment the night she died while carrying a handgun.
Through her tears, Brielle explained, “When I saw the photos of Professor Keats with Summer, I assumed Summer was the one who was really influencing Professor Keats to get playing time over me by sleeping with him. So, I went to get revenge. But when I got there, Summer was already dead.”
“Did you kill Professor Keats?”
Brielle took a few deep breaths, wincing from the pain. “When Professor Keats saw the photos of him sleeping with Summer, he thought I was the one who did it, so he threatened to get me expelled and take me to the police. My grades and LSAT score are good enough for me to get into any Law School I want, so to be expelled would have destroyed my future. I had to kill him to prevent him from ruining my life. I went to his office to kill him, but when I arrived, I found someone got to him before me and he was already dead.”
“What did Coach Christina blackmail you with?”
Brielle shook her head as her breathing became unsteady.
Adrian clenched his jaw. “Tell me.”
Brielle closed her eyes and said, “A month into this past season, I was so angry because I wasn’t getting any playing time. One night I went out drinking and got wasted. On the drive home, I hit a kid who just happened to be out in the street. It was two in the morning and no one was around. If I stayed, I would have been taken to prison for manslaughter and my life would’ve been over. So, I left. I hate myself for it, but I just drove off. When I got home, I cleaned my car and wiped it down with bleach and everything else I could think of for hours. No one ever suspected it was me until, somehow, Coach Christina found out.”
Adrian put a hand to his mouth. “Wow.”
“What?” Brielle asked as another bullet ricocheted off the tile fountain.
“Skylar told me Professor Keats and Coach Christina had a son together and that the child was killed by a hit-and-run accident. You are the person who killed their child.”
Brielle shook her head in disbelief. “But how did Coach Christina find out? And why would she not tell the cops?”
“All she would have to do is sleep with some of the policemen and they’d give her full access to the recorded footage from all of the cameras.”
Brielle struggled to breathe. “But there were . . . no cameras at the . . . intersection . . . where I hit him.”
“Which is why the police wouldn’t be able to prove it was you. But if she had all the video from the cameras in the vicinity, then she could narrow it down to who it was.”
Brielle turned pale and she coughed up blood. Then she asked. “Why didn’t she . . . kick me off the team?”
“Because no one knew she had a child. If she brought attention to you by kicking you off the team, she only would have brought attention to the fact that she had a child with Professor Keats and that she was his second wife. Then the police would’ve arrested Professor Keats and sent him to prison, because having more than one wife is illegal.”
As the gunfire died down, Brielle reached out and grasped Adrian’s hand, took her last few gasps of air, then her eyes rolled into the back of her head.
Adrian looked up and saw the gunman dart out of the bushes.
Adrian took off running after him. He passed through oncoming traffic, sliding over the front hood of a car as it came to a stop in the nick of time.
The gunman started throwing down chairs as he ran past several restaurants.
Adrian hurdled the chairs, caught up to the gunman and tackled him from behind right in front of a large group of bystanders.
Adrian pinned him down, holding his hands behind his back until the police showed up, cuffed him and took him away.
Adrian went back to Brielle and watched as medics loaded her dead body into an ambulance then drove off.
The next day, Adrian and Octavia went surfing at Pacific Beach.
After shredding waves for a few hours, they went to their belongings and sat down on a towel underneath their beach umbrella.
Octavia looked into Adrian’s eyes and said, “You’re the only one I want to be with.”
Adrian flashed a smile then they kissed.
After a couple minutes, Adrian pulled his head back and said, “I just have one question.”
“Anything.”
Adrian tucked a lock of Octavia’s soft brown hair behind her ear. “Why did you hire a hitman to kill Brielle?”
Octavia leaned back. “What?! What are you talking about?”
Adrian calmly replied. “It’s a fairly simple question. Why did you hire a hitman to kill Brielle?”
Octavia got defensive. “Adrian, you know me. I would never do such a thing.”
Adrian studied Octavia for a moment then responded, “Oh, really?”
Adrian grabbed his cell phone and clicked on it a few times. A video popped up showing the gunman Adrian tracked down the night before in an interrogation room sitting across a table from a policeman.
The policeman pounded the table. “Why did you kill that girl?!”
The gunman trembled as he answered. “Look, I was hired by another girl to kill her. I couldn’t tell if she was dead or not, so I stayed around until I could reasonably be sure.”
“Who hired you?” the policeman growled.
The gunman’s voice was shaky. “A high-end escort who goes by the name . . . the name Dark Rose. When I’m going to do a job like this, I—I always make sure I know who I’m actually working for. I found out that she plays soccer . . . soccer for USC and her real name is Octavia Bardot.”
Adrian put his phone down as the video came to an end.
Octavia angrily pointed at the phone. “How did you get this?”
Adrian shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. Now, I’m going to ask you for the last time. Why did you hire a hitman to kill Brielle?”
Octavia put her head down for a few moments as tears started to fall down her eyes, then she answered, “I told you about my dad dying and my mom checking out of life. When I told you we made it through, I didn’t tell you how. At the age of 14, I was so hungry every day, then I came across an article that explained how much money I could make if I was a prostitute. So, I began to sell myself. I made enough money for us to have groceries and to turn the lights back on—to have running water.”
“What did your mom say about this?”
Octavia looked out at the ocean as she answered, “She never asked where I got the money from and I never told her, but I assume she always knew somewhere in the back of her mind what I was doing. When I turned eighteen and got a scholarship to USC, I became a high-end escort. Rich men love distinguished athletic women. They would fly me off to the Bahamas or Singapore or really all over the world during the offseason. During the season, they would fly in from all over the world. I could easily make fifty grand in a weekend.”
Adrian scrunched his forehead. “What does that have to do with Brielle?”
Octavia grabbed Adrian’s hand. “I had feelings for you, Adrian. I genuinely did. With you going to the NBA, I wouldn’t have had to do this anymore. We could’ve had a beautiful family. I would’ve become a good church going woman for you.”
“Pfft. Don’t you think I would’ve found out?”
Octavia shook her head. “Doing what I have for so long, I’ve become very good at becoming whatever a man wants me to be. I simply dissociate from the bad things I’ve done. We would’ve had a good beautiful family and you never would’ve known.”
Adrian hardened his jaw. “Did you kill Professor Keats?”
Octavia didn’t answer for a minute, but eventually said, “Remember how I told you when I was twelve, my mom was raped by her date?”
Adrian nodded.
Tears flooded Octavia’s eyes. “Well, what I didn’t tell you was the man who raped her was Professor Keats. He tied my mom up then tied me to a chair and made me watch as he did the most horrible things to her. He was the reason my life was so terrible. If he hadn’t done that, my mom never would have gone off the deep end. For years, I didn’t know his name or who he was. But halfway into my Freshman year on campus, there he was, sitting in the USC Village, eating tacos like he never destroyed my life. I’d sworn to myself that I would kill the man who raped my mom if I ever got the chance. Once I knew who he was, I was coming up with a plan to murder him, I just had to wait for the right opportunity. Then the opportunity arose. It came in the form of Summer cheating with him and the photos and video being passed around online. Once that happened, I knew the cops would suspect Summer of killing him.”
“How did you do it?”
“Simple. I told him I wanted to meet with him in his office for a ‘special’ session. I told him to tie himself up with BDSM equipment. That man was so sex-crazed he never thought twice about it. I made his death very painful. I did what I watched him do to my mom. After I put a rag in his mouth, I used a fireplace poker and a whip. I loved every second of it. And he deserved it.”
“So, why did you try to kill Summer?”
“You know about that, huh?”
Adrian looked at her stone cold. “Of course.”
Octavia shrugged. “Well, I guess there’s no sense in trying to hide it now. I had to. As long as Summer was alive, she could defend herself. With her gone, the police would pin Professor Keats’ murder on her. Plus, it had the nice benefit of making you eligible again so I could marry you.”
Adrian got ready to stand up. “Thank you for sharing your secrets with me.’
Octavia grabbed Adrian’s hand. “Can I at least have one last kiss?”
Still sitting, Adrian slightly moved his head toward Octavia. As Octavia puckered her lips and moved her head in, she discreetly grabbed a knife out of her purse and shoved it at Adrian’s stomach, but without looking, Adrian caught her hand and held it in place.
Octavia strained to push the knife forward toward Adrian. “No one will ever know what I did.”
With their faces only inches apart, Adrian said, “It’s a little late for that, don’t you think?”
Octavia discreetly grabbed another knife from her purse with her other hand and tried to shove it at Adrian’s stomach, but without looking again, he caught that hand and prevented her from stabbing him.
While Octavia strained to try to kill Adrian, a sly smile crossed his face. “I do have a little secret to tell you.”
Octavia flashed a mocking smile. “That you were head over heels in love with me?”
Adrian huffed. “Absolutely not. I was never in love with you. In fact, I wasn’t even in like with you.”
“Then what’s the secret?”
“The police bugged our beach umbrella so they’ve been recording every word of this conversation.”
Octavia yelled and became frantic, pushing even harder against Adrian’s grasp.
Just then, a group of five police officers arrived on the beach. After two policeman grabbed Octavia’s arms and took the knives out of her hands, a blonde policewoman wearing a mask put handcuffs on her and four of them carried her away to a patrol car while Octavia was yelling frantically.
Sergeant Barnes shook Adrian’s hand. “I gotta be honest. I didn’t think you had it in you.”
Adrian smiled. “I told you I could do it.”
“You really surprised me, kid,” Sergeant Barnes said as he turned to walk away. Then he shouted behind him, “Good luck in the NBA.”
The next day, Adrian went to visit Octavia in jail. After being let in by the police, Adrian stood in front of Octavia’s cell.
Octavia stood up and came close to Adrian. “Why are you here? You already got me put in this place.”
Adrian shook his head. “I have nothing to do with why you’re in there. That is completely due to decisions you’ve made. I’m here because I want to introduce you to someone.”
A blonde policewoman wearing a mask stepped up to the jail cell and slowly took off her mask.
Octavia stumbled backward wiping her eyes. “Summer? It can’t be. You’re dead. How—how is this possible?”
A victorious smile flashed across Summer’s face. “Dead just long enough to find Professor Keats’ true murderer.”
Adrian spoke up. “When I saw the photos and video of Summer cheating on me with Professor Keats, I broke up with her. She swore to me she was innocent and that someone was trying to destroy her. I didn’t believe her, but I took them to a friend of one of the boosters and asked him to find out if the photos and video were authentic. After a few days of analysis, he told me they were fake. Then Professor Keats was killed. The police took Summer into custody, but then I presented the info I’d learned to them. So, we concocted a plan to find the real killer.”
Summer put an arm around Adrian. “All I had to do was announce through social media that I was leaving LA and maybe never coming back. The real murderer would have to try to kill me to protect himself.”
Adrian nodded. “So, we staged her apartment to look like a suicide so no one would actually kill her, then we waited.”
“To our surprise, three people showed up at different times of the night. Brielle, Skylar, and you,” Summer explained. Then she clenched her jaw. “You little witch.”
Adrian explained, “The police were going to arrest all three of you and try to interrogate you to make you spill your guts. But I told them that would never work. If someone is willing to commit murder, they will certainly lie.”
Summer kissed Adrian’s cheek then said, “So, Adrian convinced the police to let him go on a spring break trip with the three of you.”
Adrian smiled. “All I had to do was get close enough to all three of you and you’d eventually spill the beans.”
“Plus, the police bugged your hotel room so we knew all about your frenemies situation and how you were all madly in love with Adrian,” Summer said with a laugh.
Adrian pointed at Octavia. “The stage was set and all I had to do was gradually work all three of you.”
Adrian kissed Summer on the cheek then looked at Octavia. “All I have to say is: Thanks for the help.”
Octavia stumbled backward and crumbled to the ground as Adrian and Summer turned around and walked out of the jail hand-in-hand.
Adrian and Summer went to La Jolla Beach and strolled along the sand.
All of a sudden, Adrian stopped, got down on a knee, and pulled a velvet box of out his pocket. He popped it open revealing a beautiful diamond ring then looked up at Summer. “Summer, you are the most incredible woman I’ve ever met. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”
Summer nodded, then tears of joy came to her eyes as she said, “Yes!”
Adrian stood up, put a hand on her cheek and they kissed for a long long time.
A few months later, Adrian was drafted in the early second round by the Los Angeles Lakers. After his first season in the NBA, Adrian and Summer married in the spectacular and highly coveted wedding destination, Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills.
Adrian went on to have a fifteen-year NBA career.
After going through what they did, the bond between Adrian and Summer was unbreakable. They had five children and had a marriage so good it only can be described in storybooks, full of happiness, joy, and true love.
Adrian Harris is a writer, author, and business owner. He hopes to soon open his own movie studio and become a movie producer, director, and actor. Read Adrian’s Bio.
Adrian Harris is a writer, author, and business owner. He hopes to soon open his own movie studio and become a movie producer, director, and actor. Read Adrian’s Bio.
*Romantic Comedy/Action Short Story
Veronica, a tall and beautiful high-school senior, curled her long blonde hair as her two best friends, Stephanie and Jennifer put on makeup in her second-story bedroom in Newark, New Jersey while getting ready for Prom.
*Comedy Short Story
Adrian parked the car in the driveway as he and his beautiful wife, Hannah, arrived at home. As they got out of the car, Hannah looked at the blooming flowers in their garden then at their two-story house, “It’s good to be home.”
Video proof that Lee Harvey Oswald did not kill JFK exists, and has existed for a very long time. The name of the video is the Zapruder film because it was taken by a man named Abraham Zapruder who was standing on the Grassy Knoll of Dealey Plaza in Dallas at the time of the assassination.
