Tying my hair into a ponytail, I stepped on the ground, getting ready for a hyped-up game.
The ball came flying to the other side over the net and it could have hit my face if not for my reflex to hit it back to the other side.
The crowd choired together, boosting my stamina. I trained my eyes on the ball once again, sweat dripping down my forehead, it was the last and final round.
That was it as it came back to our side and onto my way, I could make us win the game.
I just had to get a little bit closer as I ran forward not knowing a tragedy could hit any time, any moment.
And so it happened that I slipped missing the hit and the opponent rose in victory.
I closed my eyes feeling dejected, still on the ground. The hand in front of my face, made me look up, holding it to stand up.
"It was a nice game."
Grayson said. I could not agree with him. Although there were lots of things I did not agree with him, sometimes our views would align quite well.
He was holding Aiden, strapped onto him. My baby was fast asleep and I was glad about it.
Every weekend, I would come to play here with these players to let out work tension, erase exhaustion and mostly feel refreshed.
"Tell your mom, Aiden that she won the last time so need to be equal with the opponents by losing this one."
He spoke out in a baby voice. It made me smile, shaking my head at his silly tactic.
"You cannot always win, sometimes you let others win too...otherwise you call for unwanted competition."
He had said that day after the Quarters, five years back. I did not understand what he meant by that, but after three weeks I did.
That day we won. I had scored a hetric changing the volleyball trajectory in the school.
Overnight fame engulfed my existence. I was not someone who did well with attention but for the first time, I felt good about myself, confident enough to look at all of them and smile without looking away.
Two days later, everything changed. I did not get to play in the finals.
"Learn to lose."
I could never understand that not before two days after the Quarter matches.
"Janet?"
Grayson's voice snapped me out of my riverie. I shook my head and walked towards the locker room to get fresh asking him to hold Aiden a few minutes more and he did not oppose it.
Turning on the shower, standing below it as water droplets wet my skin, cooling my hot skin, it could not my burning heart though.
"Emily is not his."
The last thing I told Grayson, still not who's. But then he knew that Emily was not Cole's daughter even though it was not the reason why my husband wanted to separate from me.
Emily was the very reason why we got together in the first place. And the constant fear that my past was catching upto me...could it be my own doing? Since I keep getting lost there...
Cleansing my body, grabbing the towel to soak myself dry, I wrapped it around me to go and change into my fresh set of clothes, but then I stumbled, almost losing the towel from my hold, exposing my nudity.
And in one go, my mind bounced back to that one time in the past. How could he be here? So I shreaked, not wanting to risk exposing all of me before him.
"Relax Jan! We all got them same."
I looked around and realized that it was just the ladies in here. I picked up the towel and started putting on my clothes in a hurry.
Ever since that encounter in the grocery store, my head had been in a goddamn mess. And for Emily to come and drop a bomb that she saw him again in school, made me restless.
Or that it could be his girlfriend too...who knows?
I walked out of the stadium and found Grayson playing with Aiden, leaning by the hood of his mercedes.
"There comes your mama!"
He made my baby look at my way and his chubby face lit up, extending his little arms to reach me.
I smiled and carried my baby boy, kissing away on his soft cheeks. He was good not to wake up in the middle of the game and leave it for him.
Plus I got Grayson to come here with me so he could look after my baby. He did not deny and I was glad about that.
"I will leave you two mother and son alone now."
He declared. I understood. He needed to work too. The man was the only heir to a billion dollar coporation and I could not get how he would always make time to come see me whenever I would call.
"Say bye bye to uncle Grayson."
I moved Aiden's tiny arms to wave at him as he got inside his car. He smiled and drove away.
"Now it is time to pick up your sister, Aiden."
I let out and walked towards my car, getting ready to drive after hooking him up on the baby chair.
The faster I drove, the quicker my mind took me back to the time in the locker room where when I had accidentally dropped my towel, not knowing he was there.
By the time I had realized he was there, I shrieked out. He did not budge from where he was standing, making me all the more concious.
But before I could cover myself, he was in front of me with a spare towel. All the time, his eyes were on me and mine on his.
I extended my hand to take the towel from him and he pulled me towards him, crashing his lips against mine...starting the begining of a mistake.
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The story will begin with a soft and static note before all the drama unfolds. It will transition between the past and the present.
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