Rushing the Goal
Page 127

“I can’t, Angie. I’m so sorry,” Lucy sobbed as River came to her side, hugging her shoulders and kissing her cheek.
“It’s okay, honey, breathe,” he soothed. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t do this.
“Leave her alone!” Lucy yelled and Rick yanked once more, but Angie wasn’t letting her go.
“Mommy! No!”
But then Autumn bent down, her hand on Angie’s back as Rick screamed at her. “Let go!” he yelled but Angie wouldn’t let go.
“Two days, my love. Just two. Just go,” Lucy heard her mom say. “Just two.”
“Grandma, I don’t want to!”
“I know, my love, but you have to,” she said softly.
Rick was breathing hard, glaring at Lucy. “This is all your fucking fault,” he seethed, but she shook her head.
“No, it’s yours. You’ve made it to where she doesn’t want you,” she spat back, her heart breaking.
“Mommy, I don’t want to go,” Angie cried, her fingers still biting into Lucy’s waist.
Lucy looked down at her sweet baby and slowly nodded as she cupped her face. “I know, baby. I’m so sorry.” Angie’s little lip quivered as her tears rushed down her cheeks. With all the strength she had, Lucy whispered, “Only two days.”
“And then Benji will be home?”
“Who the fuck cares? Get in the car!” Rick yelled, but Lucy nodded.
“He will be and he’ll be so proud that you were strong and went. We both will.”
Angie’s bottom lip puckered out and then she nodded slowly, letting go of Lucy. Rick went to grab her, but she moved out of his way, glaring up at him. “Stop! You’re so mean.”
“Get in the car, now.”
“I’m going!” she yelled back, her tears streaming down her face. Angie shook her head and looked back at Lucy. “I love you, Mommy.”
“I love you more,” she said, her voice breaking as the sobs suffocated her. “I’m so sorry.”
But Angie just shrugged resignedly, grabbing her bag from Autumn and then walking toward his car. Getting in, Rick looked back at Lucy and glared.
“Thanks for ruining our fucking weekend.”
“If anyone ruined anything—a weekend, a relationship—it was you, Rick Hart, and you’ll have to live with that,” Autumn spat at him. “You will be completely alone one day, and then what?”
“Whatever, lady. You watch—when I win, I’ll make sure you never see her again.”
Autumn took a step toward him. “Bring it, asshole.”
Rick laughed, stepping back as Lucy clung to River, crying so hard, it hurt everywhere. As Lucy watched Rick drive off, Angie looked back at them, her little tears falling as she waved slowly.
It was enough to make Lucy wish she were dead.
It was almost midnight when Benji FaceTimed her.
When she hit answer and the little box of herself appeared in the corner, she could see she looked like death. Her face was red and swollen; she had cried until she couldn’t cry anymore, and her heart just ached.
“Hey, baby,” he whispered and she tried to smile, but nothing moved. No, she was frozen in a state of turmoil. “It didn’t go well?”
“No,” she answered, shaking her head as she rubbed her face against his pillow. “He tried to yank her away from me, Benji. And she clung to me, crying for me not to make her go. I couldn’t do anything. I just cried and, River, bless him, he was holding me, telling me it was okay, but it wasn’t. It was horrible.”
Benji’s brow furrowed as he shook his head. “I’m sure you handled it like a boss, but still, I’m so sorry, baby.”
A certain kind of calm washed over her, her heart slowing a bit as she nodded. “She was so strong, though. She let me go and she went of her own accord.”
“Of course, she did. She’s your child.”
“She is,” she agreed, wiping away a tear. “I hate him so much, Benji. You know where he is going for Christmas?”
“Where?”
“To Disney World, but he can’t afford to take Angie.”
Benji scoffed. “Thought he had all kinds of money.”
“Apparently not.”
“That piece of shit. Whatever, that’s fine. We’ll take her to Disney World, and you better believe I’ll make sure she sleeps in Cinderella’s castle.”
Lucy smirked. “Only, like, celebrities can sleep in there.”
He made a face. “I’m a professional athlete. Don’t you worry, I’ll get us up there.”
She smiled, shaking her head. “You’re crazy.”
“About you, I know,” he said with a wink and her heart fluttered. Shaking his head, he curved his lips as he whispered, “I don’t know how I am going to make it until tomorrow. To see you.”
“I don’t either.”
“It will be hard.”
“But we’ll make it.”
“Yup,” he agreed, lying back in his bed, his hair falling in his face. “Are you at my house?”
She shrugged, a grin pulling at her lips. “Yeah, I didn’t want to go home and have Baylor be all over me as I cried.”
“Yeah, I mean, you can move in tomorrow if you want.”
She rolled her eyes. “Anyway…great game.”
He chuckled as his lips turned up in a big grin. “I got four penalties ’cause every dude I saw was Rick.”