One-Timer (Carolina Comets)

“Hold your horses! I’m coming!”

I push my arm through my shirt as I amble through the house to find out who the fuck is knocking on my door at this hour. It’s barely seven AM, and I have no clue who it could be. Only three people on the team even know where I live—and one of those people is Coach.

Blurry-eyed, I bump into a table in the hallway.

“Fuck,” I mutter, annoyed at the table and myself. I’ve slept like absolute dog shit last two nights, and I’d really rather not deal with whoever is standing on my porch right now.

I yank the door open, a scowl firmly in place. “Wh—” I don’t even get the full word out before a fist connects with my face and I stumble backward into the house. “What the…” I clutch my face as Collin shoves his way inside my home.

He slams the door behind him, then slams me into the wall so hard I’m going to be surprised if there’s not a dent in it. He drags his forearm over my throat, holding me in place as he gives me a murderous glare.

“What the hell, man?” I spit out, and he doesn’t even flinch when my blood splatters against his face. “What the fuck are you doing in my house, Wright?”

“What the hell is wrong with you?” he hisses, shoving into my windpipe with just enough pressure to knock the breath out of me. “Huh? What in the actual fuck is wrong with you, Lowell?”

He shoves his arm into my throat again, this time hard enough that I choke. I make a halfhearted attempt to try to fight him off, but the prick is big and not going anywhere. Besides, I know deep in my gut that I deserve this and so much more.

I was a total dick to Hollis the other night. The second the shock of everything wore off, I knew I was completely in the wrong.

She wouldn’t be setting me up. I know she wouldn’t. We didn’t spend a lot of time together, but I know she’s not that kind of person.

After she told me, I was up half the night staring at my phone trying to decide whether I should call or text and what the fuck I was going to say to make everything better. I kept coming up blank because I have no idea how I am going to make it better.

Shit. It’s been thirty-six hours and I still don’t know how I’m going to make it better.

“I…I’m sorry, okay? I fucked up. Are you happy?”

His eyes narrow on me, making sure I’m telling the truth. Satisfied with what he sees, he shoves on me once more before releasing me, letting me drop back down to my feet.

I gulp in deep breaths of air and wipe at the blood leaking from my nose and mouth.

“Shit, man,” I say, still trying to catch my breath. “You’re lucky I’ve already lost my real teeth or else I’d be really pissed.”

“Yeah, well, join the club because I am pissed.” He shakes his head at me. “What the fuck, dude?”

I take a few more deep breaths before pushing off the wall and righting myself. I shove past him, making sure to knock him in the shoulder, and head for the kitchen to clean off all the blood and get an ice pack.

He follows behind me, no doubt glaring holes into the back of my head.

“Did you really ask her if she’s sure it’s yours?”

I grimace at his words as I pull a bottle of water from the fridge and twist off the cap. I swish the water around my mouth a few times to get the taste of blood out. Then I down the rest of it in one drink and close the fridge, not bothering to offer Collin anything because screw him after what he just did.

I mean, I deserved it, but screw him.

“I…sort of implied,” I finally say after several long moments.

“And did you also imply that she got pregnant on purpose to try to trap you?”

Another grimace, which is answer enough.

I grab the dish towel that’s hanging off the stove, run it under some cold water, and press it to my split lip that’s no doubt doubled in size already.

Fuck, Collin hits hard.

“I have to ask again…what the hell is wrong with you, Lowell? Why the hell would you say that to her? Do you really think that is something Hollis is capable of?”

“No! Not at all.”

“Then why did you say it?”

I narrow my eyes at him. “You know why.”

“Because of that shit with Celine all those years ago?”

“Yes!”

“Dude!” He runs his hands through his hair like he’s irritated with me. Well, I’m fucking irritated with him, barging into my house and hitting me at the crack of dawn. “Get the fuck over it already.”

“It’s not exactly that easy.”

“Yes, it is. Because they are two completely different people.”

“You think I don’t know that?”

He holds his arms wide. “Apparently not, because here we are.”

“I freaked, okay? In my defense, I had just found out my one-night stand got pregnant. Kind of a lot to take in, no?”

He grinds his teeth together. “I owe you another for that too—for taking advantage of her when she was vulnerable.”

“It wasn’t like that,” I argue, because it wasn’t.

At least I don’t think it was.

Fuck…was it? Did… Did Hollis not want it too? I knew she was struggling with the wedding and how fresh her divorce was, but it’s not like I pressured her into anything. Hell, she was the one who asked me to make a bad decision with her. Did I do something wrong by saying yes?

“How did that even happen? Did you not wrap your shit up?”

“Of course I did! I just… The condom was kind of old, all right? It was one I’d had in my wallet for a while.”

“A while? How long is a while?”

I screw my face up, not wanting to admit it. “A…year. Or more.”

He tosses his head back with a groan. “Holy fuck. No wonder you got her knocked up.”

“Hey, it’s not like I went to your wedding in hopes of falling into some pussy, okay? That wasn’t part of my plan at all. I know how desperate unattached women at weddings are to attach themselves to someone. I was not about to get mixed up in that.”

“But you did. You did get mixed up in it, and look where that got you.”

Fuck. He has me there.

I rest my elbows on the counter and drop my head into my hands. I can’t believe I got myself into this situation. Again, technically.

Only this time, it’s real. It’s very real and very fucking scary.

“How are you feeling?”

“Like shit. My face hurts, and I now have a pounding headache and I think my tooth is loose. And I’m—”

“No, not that. About the baby, you idiot.”

Right. That.

That is a whole different barrage of emotions I’m not sure I want to get into this early.

I’m scared.

I’m angry.

I’m worried.

I’m confused.

I’m so many different things, and I’m having a really hard time processing it all.

“I—”

Another loud knock sounds on the door, interrupting me.

Who the hell is it this time?

I look to Collin, and he shrugs. “Beats me.”

I push off the counter and head for the front door. I peel it open, and, for the second time this morning, a fist connects with my face.

“Ow! Son of a bitch!” I cradle my nose, which is now bleeding along with my lip as I stumble back from the impact.

“You stupid fuck!” Rhodes rages, tossing me against the wall just like Collin did. “Are you insane? Do you have a death wish? Do you—”

Movement from down the hall catches his attention. Collin’s leaning against the wall, arms crossed, clearly enjoying the show.

“Don’t mind me,” he says. “Please continue.”

I shove at Rhodes, trying to get the beast of a man off me. He glares up at me, shoving me into the wall once more before letting me go.

I can’t decide if I want to keep my nose covered or rub at the bruise that is no doubt forming on my chest at this point.

“Fuck,” I mutter, looking between them. “Is anyone else going to punch their way into my house today?”

The door, which was never closed, is pushed open, and in steps Miller.

“I won’t hit you, Lowell.” He holds his hands up. “I can’t afford to mess up these silky mitts.”

“Why the hell are you all here so early?”

“Uh, because apparently you’re a dumbass who needed an ass beating, and that’s saying something coming from me,” Miller explains. He shuts the front door, then claps his hands. “So, what’s for breakfast, boys? I’m starving.”

With a sigh, I shake my head and leave them in the hallway while I head to my bedroom for a clean shirt since this one now has bloodstains on it after I got punched in the face twice.

How is it not even eight AM and I’ve already been bloodied and bruised?

After I grab a shirt, I head back to the kitchen. Collin and Rhodes are leaning against the island glaring at me. Miller is helping himself to a pot of coffee but can’t seem to figure out how the filter works.

I shove him out of the way and finish the job, setting the sizing for a full pot and pressing start before turning around to meet the glares of my teammates.

“Harper?” I point at Collin.

He nods.

“Ryan?” I say to Rhodes.

Another nod.

I look at Miller. “Then why the fuck are you here?”

He shrugs. “I was just coming over because I was bored and the summer skate camp isn’t for another few hours. I honestly have no idea what’s going on.”

“It’s like seven in the morning!”

“Are you really going to be mad at a guy for missing his captain?” He juts out his lip, pouting in a way that makes me want to be the third guy to throw a punch today.

Instead, I just roll my eyes at him and turn to grab the now-finished coffee. I grab two mugs—because fuck Collin and Rhodes—from the cabinet above the pot, pour a cup for me and a cup for Miller, and slide one his way.

“Thanks,” he says, taking a loud sip. “So, what’d I miss?”

His innocence makes us all chuckle.

“Dipshit over here”—Rhodes hitches his thumb my way—“slept with Harper’s sister at the wedding.”

“You dirty dog, you.” Miller smirks at me, shaking his head. “Thought she was too crazy for you?”

I don’t answer him. The only person who is crazy at this point is me for thinking what we did was a good idea.

“That’s not all,” Collin adds. “She’s pregnant.”

Miller gasps. “No way! Did you not wrap it?”

I toss my head back on a groan. “Why does everyone keep asking me that? Of course I did!”

“Not well enough, apparently. You gotta double up and shit.”

Rhodes shoots Miller a concerned look. “You do not double up. Ever. Do you do that?”

“Uh…n-no,” Miller says, not sounding the least bit convincing.

I’m not even touching that right now. I don’t have the energy. I have my own problems to be dealing with.

“What are you going to do?” Miller asks the million-dollar question they are all wanting an answer for.

Fuck. What am I going to do? I wasn’t looking for this and certainly wasn’t prepared. Hell, I went to dinner with Hollis half-expecting to get my dick wet at the end of the evening. I didn’t expect this major, life-changing bomb to be dropped on me.

So, what am I going to do?

Long term? I don’t have a clue. That’s not entirely up to me.

But I know what I need to do short term, and that’s apologize to Hollis…if she’ll let me.

I look at Collin and Rhodes, who are both staring at me, waiting to hear what I have to say. I swallow the lump that’s been hanging out in my throat since yesterday, then blow out a heavy breath.

“I guess I have a phone call to make.”