Sacking The Player

“I’m sorry, Miss Maxwell, you will never dance again, at least not at the capacity you are used to,” he states.

I feel like I was just punched in the stomach and my breath rushes out of me.

I’ll never dance again? No, how? Why? What did I do to deserve this?

I don’t even get to question or grieve the loss of my dream. A cop comes into my room to question me.

He’s an older man, reminds me of my Uncle Tim in a way, he has dark green eyes like his. “I wanted to let you know that we got that guy that ran you down in the street.”

“You did? Was he drinking?”

He nods. “Do you know a man by the name of Keith Digger?”

My head hurts, but I get a flash of him from the club. I clear my throat and take a sip of water. “What does this have to do with Keith? I dated him in college.”

“After reviewing footage from the club and the street, it appears he may have drugged your drink at the bar and he’s the one who ran you down. When we got a report about blood on his car and him trying to get it repaired this morning we investigated and went to his hotel room. The guy had all kinds of pictures of you and had been following you for some time. We don’t have all the information yet, but we even believe he followed your dance company overseas.”

I feel sick. “Keith did this to me, on purpose?”

**

Ever since I woke up in the hospital realizing my dreams were over, never to dance again I’ve been battling depression. It’s not only that I lost my dream but the fact that Tate wouldn’t take my calls, and last week when I tried again his number was disconnected.

I guess the love we shared wasn’t real. It feels like another lifetime ago that we were even a couple. I thought he loved me.

Keith was arrested for hitting me with his car. Attempted murder is the charge. However, he has plead insanity and his parents have spared no expense getting him a great defense team. He’s currently in a mental ward.

They say that he never got over me after our breakup and that he blamed me for his getting kicked off the football team. He never made it to playing pro and thought it was all my fault and had I only taken him back his life would have been perfect.

I’m still having a hard time wrapping my head around it. He had stayed away, at least I thought he had, but it turns out he had been burning through his trust fund to follow me around the world and he’s even responsible for my partner blowing his knee out.

My dad was able to pull some strings and get me back into USC so I could get my doctoral degree in sports medicine. I only have to do two years of it, since I already have my masters. My mom has been smothering me nonstop. I moved home for a while as much as I didn’t want to. I needed their help though. Taking care of myself wasn’t an option and I wasn’t going to impose on Courtney and Tex. They are starting a family. They didn’t need me in the way.

I’m on spring break for Courtney’s baby shower right now. I’m not really in the mood for a celebration, but I want to do this for Courtney. My mom is trying to better about hovering, but I know she’s jealous that Tessa is becoming a grandma first and that she isn’t sharing in that experience. I guess she thought Courtney and me would have babies at the same time so they could be best friends like we are.

I thought that someday maybe it would happen. I wanted that with Tate, but we will never have that.

Courtney comes in, completely glowing. Even about to pop, her curves are still banging. I wipe away my self-pity and put on a big smile for her. I am so happy for her. She is so excited for this baby. I am excited to be an appointed aunt. None of Tex’s family is here. They still don’t speak. I don’t even know if they know about the baby. It’s none of my business though. Tex comes in behind Court and immediately wraps me up in a bear hug.

“Thanks for putting this together for us. Court is on cloud nine.” He grins.

Guys usually don’t come to these parties, but there was no keeping him from it. He’s so ecstatic about being a dad. He’s so good to Courtney and always makes sure she’s taken care of. He even ran out at three in the morning just to get her sour cream last week to dip her pickles in.

“Of course,” I tell him and get the party started.

We play all the silly stuff, guess the candy bar poo in the diaper, how many candies are in the baby bottle. I watch Tex often, he seems to be enjoying playing the games more than anyone else. I smile, shaking my head.

Once everyone leaves Big Tex helps me clean up. “All this free stuff is so awesome. I didn’t know babies needed all this though. We’re gonna go broke before the baby turns one.”

I laugh. “It’ll be fine, wait until they hit about eight, my mom couldn’t keep

me in clothes for longer than a month, until I was twelve and stopped growing.”

“Great,” he mutters.

“Just buy cheap stuff during growth years, even secondhand stuff, trust me, otherwise you will waste so much cash on that stuff.”

“Good plan.” Tex ties up the garbage bag and lugs it outside. When he comes back in, he says the name I wish I could forget exists. “Have you heard from Tate?” He asks gently.