Unprovoked Attack
Chapter 43
Garretts‘ POV
Earlier That Morning:
I headed down to the gym in my condo to work out. It was a little after midnight, but this was
the best time for me to go. I already had my fun for the night. I left when she did. My rules still
stand. No cuddling and no overnight stays. She knew the drill. This wasn’t her first go–around
with me. She knows our relationship for what it is: good s*x, but that is all.
We had gone downstairs to the lobby together, but she knew she wasn’t getting a kiss.
goodbye. I rarely kissed anyone, and only if I got caught up in the moment, which was rare. I
nodded to the night doorman, Frank, before heading towards the gym.
I liked going to the gym at this time. If anyone else is there, I get hit on. I will never get
involved with anyone else who lives in the building again. I learned that lesson the hard way.
What is the point of having security if the one stalking you lives here in the building, too? That
was a nightmare, and I refuse to allow it to happen again.
It is the end of May, so we haven’t started training for the upcoming season yet. I was in good
shape but not in playing shape. This is my second year on the team, and I like it here. The
other quarterback is still recovering from his injury. It sucks for him, but I enjoyed getting a
chance to show what I can do. I enjoy going to the beach with some teammates when we
have time. I work hard to be successful. I started to play about midway through my first
season when the starting quarterback got injured on the field.
Going out onto the field was like a dream come true for me. We train on the field, but not in a
packed stadium like this was. The fans didn’t know me or how I played. They were not
cheering me on as we were already losing 14 to 7 when I went into the game in the third
quarter. I was excited, but I remained calm. I knew what I needed to do. We needed to win this
game, and my spot would be set. I wasn’t planning on staying here forever, but I needed to
shine.
My plan had always been the same. Play the best I could after the draft, and come back to
play for my team, my hometown team. I could build a family and stay close to my parents and
siblings. That was my ultimate dream, but to achieve it, I knew I needed to work hard until it
happened. I was going to be the starter this year and was excited about it. The former
quarterback was still recovering from his surgery. I was looking forward to making a name for
myself. We ended last year’s season in a better position than the previous two years. I am
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Unprovoked Attack
taking some of that credit.
I knew if I could continue to bring the team higher in the rankings and show my worth, I could get my dream team. Then, I would focus on my personal life. I still wanted Addison. Despite her leaving me, I still dreamed about her. What I can’t believe is the fact that she hooked up with someone else. The disappointment I felt left a bitter taste in my mouth. She never reached out to me, not once, after all these years.
I stopped bringing her up due to an incident in March, the last time I visited my parents. My mother started crying after I vented about how much Addison had hurt me. My mother left the room but was more upset than I had ever seen her. My father stayed behind for a few minutes to speak to me. I could tell he was carefully trying to find the words to say what he wanted. He was visibly upset, and I guess it was because he wanted to go and comfort Mom.
“Garrett, have you ever considered that you brought this all on yourself? That your actions, and your actions alone, caused this whole thing? That you could have cost me and your mother pain, too? You need to grow up. You are twenty–three years old. Old enough to be able to stop claiming the part of the victim when you were one of the villains,” he said before shaking his head and leaving the room to go to Mom.
I lay awake for a long time,in my room after that. I wanted to spend time with my family, so I didn’t get a hotel. I wish I had now. I don’t know how Addison had my parents on her side when I was there, son. I checked into a hotel the next day. I stayed for the whole visit, but things between my parents and I were still very strained.
Every time I thought about going back for a visit. I had to talk myself out of it. I did want to see my family, but I didn’t like the guilt I knew would be associated with it. My mother still calls
me once a week. I spoke to her and my Dad every Monday afternoon, but things are much different between us now. I focused on warming up with cardio as I listened to my music.
I managed to get in a pretty good workout, staying in the gym for about an hour and a half. The gym was one of the reasons I chose to purchase a condo here. It was about two thousand square feet, and I was not the only player who lived here. It has a much better setup than some of the other places I looked at. That, plus its proximity to the downtown area, made my decision an easy one.
I toweled off as I thought back to the texts I received from Tammy. I know that my dreams of Addison increased after Tammy reached out about two weeks ago. Tammy insisted on us picking right back up to where we used to be. I told her at the trial that I would not be getting back together with her, no matter what. She seems to think I forgot what she did, which amazes me. I didn’t forget that she was the one who had set Addison up with both the football and the video. My gut clenched in guilt as I thought about it.
214
+8 Point
Unprovoked Attack
I grabbed my water bottle and left the gym. As I returned to the main lobby to return to my
apartment, I thought about how delusional Tammy was. I remember Tammy’s weird texts as I
crossed the lobby to head to the elevator.
T: Garrett, this is Tammy. I wanted to remind you of how good we were together. You are
starting to make a name for yourself, and I am so proud of you. You need someone on your
arm who you can be proud of–someone who knew you before you became famous. I am the one you want, the one you need, the one you deserve. You need to let me back into your heart.
You have never left mine.
Me: Stop contacting me, Tammy. We are done.
T: We will never be done. You either pick me, or you are done. It’s that simple.
Me: Nothing is simple when it comes to you, Tammy. You are twisted and can’t be trusted. I’m not going to have anything to do with you again. You can count on that, so stop contacting me. Lose my number. I am about to block this one, just like I blocked the last few you
contacted me from.
T: See you soon, lover.
I shook my head again at her blatant disregard for what I had just told her. That is why I think she is dangerous. She doesn’t care about what I want or need. It has always been about her. I haven’t heard from her for the last few weeks. I hope she is done. If I were going to claim anyone, it would be Addison. She was the one who truly knew me before I made it. She was the one who cheered me on and always supported me. Despite what I allowed my friends to do to her, Addison was still a friend to me, even after I fell for what Tammy did.
I was lost in thought, wondering where Frank was. It was weird that Frank was not grabbing a cigarette behind the desk or just outside the door. I was not paying much attention to the guy standing near the elevator waiting. It was two in the morning, and the lobby was a ghost town. It didn’t matter. This place was secure, so I knew I was safe here. I noticed that he hadn’t hit the call button, so I slipped past him to hit it. I was ready to grab a shower, make an omelet,
and go to bed.
“Hey, aren’t you Garrett Pearson?” I heard him ask. I had stepped back after hitting the call button, and he had turned to look directly at me.
I got this a lot and sighed as I turned to look at him to answer him. That was when I noticed he wore a mask over his mouth and sunglasses. That was way past suspicious in the middle of the night, so I stepped back away from him. When I moved past him to hit the button, his baseball hat had hidden the fact that his face was covered. This was not good.
I didn’t answer him because I didn’t know what he was doing. He could be a superfan from
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Unprovoked Attack
another team wanting to fight because we beat his team. I took another step back away from
him. I was about to run back to the gym to swipe back in, as I had a bad feeling in my gut
about this. I was reaching into my pocket to pull out my phone when I was grabbed from
behind.
One held me while the other punched me. My mind was racing as Frank should have been
back by now. He is only ever gone for short amounts of time from his desk. I needed him to
call the police for help. The pain was bad, but not as bad as it could have been. I was just
thankful they hadn’t damaged my right arm, as that was my throwing arm.
My happiness was short–lived, as I saw the flash of a blade and then an immense amount of
pain in my chest near my right shoulder. He left the knife sticking out of me as they both
laughed at my scream. The burning pain I felt was almost unbearable as I fought not to
scream out in pain again. There was nothing else I could do. I had to wait for help. I have to
believe someone will come to help me.
The one holding me laughed loudly and said, “Not so tough now, are you big guy? You need to
know who you can reject and dismiss.”
“How can she want a worthless asshole like this?” the other one asked as they started to walk
away from me.
I tried to bear the pain, but I had never felt this level of pain before in my life. The blood pooled
on the floor, growing larger each minute before Frank returned. He was adjusting his jacket
straight again as he buttoned it up. He immediately saw me on the floor and pulled his cell
phone out to call for help. I let go after he came. I had been trying to stay awake until
someone found me, now I could let go, and be taken away from this nightmare.
