Chapter 1

• DANI
• “And touch down!!!!” The commentator's announcement rushed through the loudspeakers, sending the fans into a frenzy.
• A whistle pierced the charged atmosphere and the University of Westridge, arena burst with the sound of a unanimous roar of victory that vibrated under my feet.
• And for the third time in a row, our football team won the regional football title on home ground. Footballers from UW leaped and groped each other in a group hug, surrounded by excited screams echoing all around.
• The air was electric!
• “Yeah, baby!!!” My BFF Bethany hollered.
• “That’s what I’m talking about!” My other BFF Martina inserted two fingers between her lips, and a very unladylike whistle pierced the air. We were all dressed in our frayed short shorts and tees but as Zack’s significant other, I was rocking his jersey. We supported our team as much as possible.
• And, now we come to the highlight of my day. The team captain as well as that of my heart, Zack Black, jogged towards the VIP section of the bleachers-helmet in hand, his intense, metal grey eyes were on me and only me.
• “Where’s my kiss?” He swooped me off my seat and sucked my face, with my legs wrapped securely around his waist.
• Gosh, I loved my life.
• But I loved my hot sexy, footballer boyfriend even more. “Congratulations, baby!” I smiled down at him as I slid down his sweaty body.
• “Tonight,” he clasped my waist and pressed his lips on mine again. “…we celebrate...” That was a promise if I’d heard one.
• We’d talked about it. A lot. Maybe tonight could be the night? Was I ready? Did I want to?
• “Is that a promise?” I breathed out, my fingers pushing back the damp chestnut tendrils off his forehead.
• “If you knew how turned on I am, right now...” he smiled against my neck before his teeth lightly nipped my skin. “You wouldn’t need to ask.” His fingers gave my butt a little squeeze and my face heated further under the scorching Santa Monica sun.
• “Zack,” I giggled like a giddy schoolgirl. “Behave.”
• “I’m going to hit the shower, cupcake,” he pulled away and started to walk backward. “Meet you back at my car in ten.”
• “I’m ready!” I announced to two best friends in the entire universe. This life-changing decision was announced in the parking lot when we were sitting on the hood of Tina’s sleek BMW, while we waited for Zack-who was taking forever. I always asked my friends to pick me up when we came to a game, knowing Zack would take me home.
• Beth's baby-blue eyes popped out. “Noooo way!!”
• “Yeah, baby!!!” Tina did a sexy little dance.
• They sometimes resembled the angel/devil on the shoulder scenario. Bethany was the angel and Tina was the Greek goddess Aphrodite. She was a bad girl and Beth was a sweetheart, always the voice of reason. Though, they were both unpretentious and loyal to a fault. We’d met three years back when I started my first year of university and we’d been friends from day one. I loved them both to bits.
• Zach’s phone vibrated in my back pocket and I suddenly remembered that I hadn’t given it back to him after the game. “I need to go to the locker room and give Zach his phone. His mom keeps calling. Maybe it’s important.”
• Tina’s hazel brown eyes widened. “He left you with his phone?!”
• “He trusts you that much?” Beth cackled. “Josh would never!”
• What my friends didn’t know was that he wasn’t. He was very protective of his phone. He’d never allow me to touch it or answer it when it rang, though I’d never made an issue out of it. Come to think of it, every time we were together, he would turn it off and tell me he wanted to give me his full attention.
• “I know you got it for his birthday and all but still…” Tina rolled her eyes and fluffed her dark hair, her eyes scanning for her next unsuspecting victim. “Your man is one in a million, chica.” She perked up like a dog when she spotted a few seniors. “Hello papi!” she muttered under her breath, her lust-filled eyes following their every move. “BRB!” She waved and stalked after her prey.
• “Trent gave it to me, said he forgot it in the locker room earlier,” I explained to Beth, sliding off the hood of the sleek car. “And because he was told he was going to be a sub, and, already going out to the field he couldn’t take it with him. So, he gave it to me for safekeeping.”
• “Not sure your man is going to like that,” Beth chuckled. “Go ahead,” she said when it started ringing again. “Or you can just answer and introduce yourself to your mother-in-law.”
• “Not going to happen.” Laughing, I followed the concrete path to the back of the building.
• Zack and I had been together for almost two years and I hadn’t met his mom or his young sister. He kept that part of his life private. One day, I’d suggested that he come over for dinner at my house so he could meet my mom and older brother but he had turned me down too many times after that. I’d stopped trying.
• Again, it didn’t bother me so much. What was important was he loved me and I loved him. Considering my track record, he was good to me and made me happier than I’d been in a long time and that was saying a lot.
• I rounded the corridor and slowed my steps when I heard muffled sounds coming from the janitor’s closet. Grunts and muffled moans drifted from behind the wooden door. It sounded like a pig was being slaughtered in there.
• Someone was getting it alright. “Horny college brats,” I snickered to myself.” My feet started to move again when a female cried out a name in the throes of ecstasy.
• “Zack! Zack! Yes, Zack! Harder!” A stone sank deep down in my gut. No. Never. It couldn’t be. I was hearing things. “Ooh… yes, Zack…ooh…ahhhh! Just like that!”
• Surely not. It couldn’t be my sweet, faithful boyfriend. There was no way that was my Zack
• “Shh…” A familiar husky voice grunted. “Someone might hear us.”
• Too late for that.
• My knees buckled and I staggered back against the brick wall. “No, no, no!” I frantically whispered. “It can’t be. No.” Each grunt and moan was like a knife being twisted right through my heart. I heard and felt her climax, her cries mingled with his delivering the final blow.
• Why was I still here? Why was I torturing myself like this? Maybe a part of me was in denial and wanted to see this, witness his disloyalty with my very own eyes. But, did I really want to? I should just go. I should just run and never look back.
• And yet, my feet remained glued to the polished floor. Numb with shock and pain, I couldn’t move if I wanted to. Fighting back the silent tears that slid slowly down my cheeks as my heart painfully cracked open.
• Somewhere in the back of my mind, I could hear a phone vibrating angrily, demanding attention. What did it matter compared to the way my heart had just shattered into a thousand irreparable fragments?
• The door swung open and she stumbled out first, gasping when my lecturer's shocked eyes fell on me. “Danielle!”
• Steady myself, I pushed off the wall and dashed the tears off my face. “Mrs. Miller.” Did I mention that said lecturer was also the football coach’s wife, as in my soon-to-be ex-boyfriend’s coach?
• “I…I…”
• “You?” Folding my arms over my chest, I inched an eyebrow, waiting to hear the crappy excuse that she was about to spew. “You can come out Zack?” I shouted, gazing over her shoulder. “You can’t hide in there forever.”
• “I’ll go,” she said, her eye darting down the quiet corridor. "You too can hash this out."
• “No, you won’t,” I interjected. “You will stay right here.”
• “I can’t be seen out here…”
• “Hmm...” I snorted and rolled my eyes, ignoring her protests. “I already know you’re in there, lover boy. Show yourself.”
• With a sigh of defeat, my cheating boyfriend hovered in the doorway and his lover stood behind him. Hoping he’d protect her from my wrath. Wouldn’t she be so lucky?
• “Dani, babe..” He dropped his head in shame. “He couldn’t even look at me while he lied to my face. “I can explain…”
• “Really Zack?” I smiled sweetly. “Then how about you explain this?!”
• Taking them by surprise, I slammed my hands against his chest and they both stumbled back. Riding on the momentum, I slammed the door closed, secured the outside lock, and ran like the hounds of hell were on my heels.
• He wanted to explain, didn’t he? I just granted him his wish.