Double The Ache(2)



I grab my book out of my bag on the floor and pretend to read. Neither Wes nor Dean say anything, but I can feel their eyes on me as the seconds tick by. I’d been dying to meet them since my dad signed them to the team, and here I am trying with every inch of my body to ignore the dynamic duo.

The two of them signed on together, both declaring that they wouldn’t go anywhere without the other. After I heard that story I read as much about them as possible. Dean was a good old boy, born and raised on a farm in Idaho. His father was a retired quarterback who was in the Hall of Fame. Dean looks to be hot on his father’s heels to do the same. Everything about his life is All-American.

Wes came from the wrong part of town and lost his parents at a young age. But he had a raw talent that came out of nowhere and he’s been a beast since he set foot on the field. He and Dean were best friends growing up and Dean’s parents took him in. At least that’s what I found online. They’re pretty much brothers, which makes some of the rumors about them seem a little odd.

It’s been said they are lovers, but there aren’t any pictures of them looking romantic in any way. Unless you count them hugging after a game. The same kind of hugs all the other players give each other. The rumor has life because neither of them has ever been spotted with a woman and they live together. They hardly go anywhere without the other, so people just assume.

My heart broke a little the day I read that article. Still, my body didn’t care that they’re not into women; I’ve got my fantasies and nothing is going to change them. And it’s not like I could pick just one of them to fantasize about. Both have their own appeal.

Wes is dark and brooding and Dean is smiles and laughter. At least from what I’ve seen of them on the field or in interviews. Wes is built like a freaking truck. He always reminded me of a caveman, and the way he stomps around has only solidified my impression. His long dark hair hangs a little past his shoulders, and when he’s hot and sweaty on the field it gets wavy with curls. He’s at least six-and-a-half feet tall and is extremely muscled. I’m shocked when I see someone take one of his hits on the field then manage to get up after. Well, some of them get up.

Dean is his opposite in most ways. He’s a few inches shorter than Wes, and he’s lean. From what I’ve seen of him he’s the fastest quarterback in the league. His dirty-blond hair is cut short and he always has an easy smile on his lips. He’s even got a freaking dimple, which makes him look even more dreamy. He’s got hands the size of baseball mitts and lips that any woman would be jealous of.

Both of them are handsome in their own way, but how could I be so attracted to two people who look so different? I thought women normally had a type, but what do I know? I’ve barely been on a date.

My upbringing did not help with my dating life. I was born in Vegas but grew up in New York. My mother moved as far away from my dad as she could. She likely would have gone to Alaska if she could have, but I’m guessing her social life and shopping addiction wouldn’t allow it. For some reason she didn't want my dad and me to be close, but I was always a daddy’s girl.

I never knew a time when my parents were together. Only a few pictures would have made me believe it to be true. My mother and dad met one night when my dad saw her in one of her shows. She was a Vegas showgirl, which is something she tries to hide from her socialite friends in New York. She doesn’t want anyone knowing where she came from.

I can see why my dad fell for her, though. She’s beautiful, even years later. She never settled down, but there have been men in and out of her life. She’s probably been proposed to a dozen times, and I always thought she was waiting for the right one. But I found out that if she remarried her alimony would stop. I knew she’d never give that up. Even more so now that she won’t be getting child support. She only got it if I was enrolled in school, and I graduated right before the summer.

It’s never been said, but I have a feeling my dad only married my mother because she got pregnant. My dad’s always trying to do the right thing when it comes to me, even smiling and being polite when he and my mother have to be in the same room. Like at graduation.

I try to put that day out of my mind. God love my mom, but everything with her has to be a big event. It might have been my graduation, but she was the center of attention. Not that I cared. I wasn’t the one who loved to be in the spotlight. I hadn’t gotten to see my dad in mouths and I wanted to spend the day with him, or at least hide out with him during the party. But my mother kept me at her side, showing me off like some sort of award that belonged to her.

One would have never known she was against me getting my doctorate degree in physical therapy. She complained about it daily. I had to listen to it because I lived at home while going to school. Between going to an all-girls school, staying at home when I went to college, and taking on as many classes as I could to graduate as fast as possible, my social life was null.

My main aim was to graduate because I knew what was waiting for me when I did. It’s probably why my mother hates my career choice. All I had to do was graduate and make straight A’s and my dad promised me a job on his team. The dream fueled me. I not only wanted the job, but I also wanted to be near my dad.

Our relationship is different than the one I have with my mom. My dad has always been more affectionate and loving. He always wanted to be involved in my life. A day doesn't go by that I don’t hear his voice. When he didn’t have to work he’d always be in New York to see me or we’d take a trip together. He even has a second home in the same building as my mom.

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