I'll be there for you, like I've been there before

-The Rembrandts

"Hey girl, it's Zoe. How are you? You weren't picking up my calls and this was kinda urgent so I just thought you leaving you a voicemail. I'm flying back to Texas day after tomorrow. Tomorrow is packed because Ben and I have a lot of things to do. So if you're free can we meet up today? Just the two of us?"

I sighed as I lowered the phone and typed her a response agreeing to meet up at Josie's at 5. I needed to be there for Theo's game tonight, and I'd promised to stay over at the penthouse after that. But catching up with Zoe was also important and on my priority list.

So when the clock struck 4:30 pm, I shot up from the bed, cleared it up from the books I'd just been studying from, and threw open my closet. I chose a skinny ripped jeans along with a thin sleeveless top, grabbing my purse and stuffing Theo's jersey inside. I had decided to go for the game directly after that. I left a note for Uncle Mason, explaining to him my plans and asking him not to wait up. Then I closed the door behind me and got inside the car.

The smell of vanilla and milkshakes could be smelt a block away. I locked my car, opening the door to Josie's, the familiar sound of the wind chimes echoing in the ear. I saw her deep black hair before I saw her face. She was scrolling through her phone, taking a sip of her coffee. I smiled as I made my way over. She looked up and smiled at me, getting up and giving me a hug. I sat down.

"I hope it's still espresso." She said.

I nodded. "It is."

"How have you been?" She asked. A waiter came up and placed a cup of coffee in front of me. I took a sip.

"The moving, the shifting and all has been great."

She smiled softly. "I asked how you were, not the moving."

"I've been great as well. How are you?"

"Oh you know." She waved a hand. "Busy. Grandma's health was deteriorating and she had been feeling lonely so the doctor called me and told me to come here for a few days. Ben and I asked Grandma to come with us to Texas. She doesn't have anyone here."

"But she said no." I said.

She nodded. "She said no because this is her home and she cannot leave her home. We tried convincing her so much. What if something happens and she desperately needs someone? But she wouldn't listen."

"She's right somehow, you know. When I talk about myself, I had to leave because I had to give myself a new start. But Canada never felt home to me. Home was always here."

"How's this new start going on?"

"Well, I've managed to surprise a lot of people with this changed me, so I'm gonna say it is going good. Enough about me," I clicked my finger. "Tell me what are the plans for the wedding. Have you started organizing stuff?"

"Ben and I were talking yesterday about finalizing a date. His parents had wanted us to get married as soon as possible, but we just wanted to enjoy engaged life for sometime. They're gonna be ecstatic when we tell them we don't wanna wait anymore."

"That's great Zoe, I'm so happy for you."

"We've already decided we want the theme to be either blue and white, or red and white. So that's that. I've booked myself an appointment for dress shopping one week from now, I'm so excited." She beamed.

"I'm excited as well! I can't wait for you guys to get married. I always knew you would one day, you both had been so great."

Her smile widened. "I know right. Now," The smile thinned, her eyebrows furrowing. "What's the deal with Noah?"

My smile dropped. She must have seen my somber mood because she said, "No, if it's something you don't wanna discuss that's fine."

I shook my head and drew in a deep breath. "Noah and I broke up a long time back. You remember my dad?"

"Of course, how can I forget him." She said.

"Well, long story short, dad found out about us. And he didn't like Noah one bit, but then he probably wouldn't have liked any guy I was dating. So, he filed a restraining order against him."

"What the fuck?" She screeched. "What the actual fuck?"

"Tell me about it." I gave a chuckle without any humor. "Noah left town shorty after that. He couldn't handle the embarrassment."

"What's up with your dad? Where is he now?"

"He passed away in a car accident." Her eyes softened and she grabbed my hand, giving it a squeeze.

"And your mother?"

I paused, digesting the question she's asked me. "I don't know." After I found out she'd been cheating on my father for years, I couldn't bear to look at her. I never spoke to her after that, she didn't make any move to talk to me either. We lived in the same house but we were never together. She came home late at night and left early, where she went and did what I had no idea. I moved to Canada without telling her. Last I'd heard she had moved in with the guy she used to cheat on my father with, and they were getting ready for marriage. That was two years ago.

Zoe squeezed my hand once again. "It's okay, Amelia. We all have our huge share of problems and fucked up lives."

I nodded.

"And, what else is up with you?" She asked, seemingly eager to change the topic.

"I-I found this guy," I whispered, a smile appearing on my face. Zoe squeaked in joy and urged me to continue. "He makes me feel so happy and so...so free. It's like I can be anything when I'm with him and he'd still be there. When I'm with him it's like I'm flying in the sky, it's just him and I and we're away from others."

She smiled.

"I gave him a very tough time at the beginning. I almost lost him once. But I realized that I have been pushing people away because of my father and because of what Noah did. I always have this fear that the moment I let my guard down the person would hurt me."

"Sometimes you just have to risk it." She whispered.

"I know, and I'm so happy now that I took it."

"And does this guy have a name?" She asked, a secret smile playing on her lips.

"Theo. Theodore King."

She raised an eyebrow. "As in William King's son? As in the captain of the football team?"

I groaned. "Come on you graduated ages ago how the heck can you know him as well?"

She smirked. "I have my contacts."

We chatted a bit more, after which I told her I needed to go. She had grinned widely when I told her why I had to go. We promised to keep in touch, and I swore to her that I would come to her wedding at all costs. I hugged her goodbye, got in the car, and drove off to uni where the match was to take place.

I parked outside the gates, put his jersey on and got out of the car. The dark blue jersey was soft against my skin, the scent of his cologne faint. I made a mental note to ask him to wear it after which he would have to give it to me again.

When I jogged over to the spot on the first seats he'd saved me, I noticed the game had already begun. I took a seat, glancing to my side. I'd met Hannah the previous time, who was one of Theo's team mates' girlfriend. I waved at her when she saw me, and she smiled and waved back, signing with her fingers to give her two minutes.

I glanced back at the field, my eyes roaming on the players, trying to find those forest green eyes I adored so much. When I finally found him, his eyes were on the ball, expression stern and serious. His hair was slick with sweat, his jersey clinging to every part of his body, making me hot and bothered.

Hannah came up to me just when we scored a goal. I cheered along with everyone, my eyes not leaving Theo's figure. He jogged to the other side, a small smile playing on his lips. Then as if he knew I was here he looked up and his eyes met mine. The smile on his face widened. I blew him a kiss. He blew me a kiss back and winked.

"So, you and the captain, huh? I'd suspected it the previous time but I didn't want to pry." Hannah grinned beside me.

"Come on as if you didn't already know. I'm surprised how fast this kind of news travels in here." I said.

"You know it's kind of surprising for everyone because Theo has never actually bothered to date. And then suddenly you come up and he's all whipped."

"Why hasn't Theo dated before?"

She smirked. "You should ask that to him. How could I know?"

I moved my eyes to my boyfriend once again, trying to figure him out. I realized there were still a few things I didn't know about him. Theo wasn't the one to hide his feelings but everyone had some stuff they didn't talk about unless asked. And I hadn't asked.

His demeanor screamed that he was good at what he was doing and he knew it. He looked focused, rigid, and extremely sexy in a sinning way. He passed off the ball to someone else and ran in the direction of the goal post. He was in his arena and he looked lethal, ready to pounce on his prey like a panther. His team mate passed him the ball again, and this time he struck the ball hard, so hard that it knocked off the goal keeper and flung on the net. Our team cheered as Theo rushed to the post, giving the keeper a hand and pulling him up. He signaled with his fingers to call for a medic.

The game ended shortly after that, our team heaving won with a clear score. Hannah got up beside me and whispered in my ear, "I'll see you later. Gotta congratulate my guy." I gave her a thumbs up, getting up myself, walking down the bleachers as I saw her fling herself onto a guy I recognized from the team. He chuckled and picked her up.

I knew Theo would be surrounded by girls like the last time. And I hated the tremendous number of girls who threw themselves at him, but in a weird kind of way I liked it too. Because it showed me how much of hot crush he was to everyone, but he was mine. And he would remain mine no matter how many people crushed on him and tried seducing him.

So I was surprised when I saw him standing alone with one of his team mates, smiling and nodding his head. And my surprise was short lived when I looked to my side to find fucking Claire making her way over to him. My body then acted on impulse, the need inside me to show her he was my boyfriend growing manifold. I ran, in full speed, and he looked up at me just a second before I launched myself in his arms.

He stumbled back, clearly caught off guard by my sudden display of affection. My words died on my throat as I clutched him tightly, wrapping my legs around his waist, holding him like a teddy bear. When he remained frozen and didn't make a move to hug me back, I grabbed his head and pulled him in for a kiss. The second our lips touched, his hands unfroze and he plunged his fingers in my hair and tilted my head to the side. He deepened the kiss, holding my thighs, his fingers digging in my soft flesh.

He tore his mouth away, breathing hard. "If that is the reaction I get when I win, I fucking promise you there won't be a single match I'm losing from now on."

I giggled. "Congratulations."

He placed his forehead against mine, sighing in content. I dropped my legs from his torso, standing and letting him grab my waist. He bent down, his lips grazing the shell of my ear as he whispered, making me go crazy. "You wanna go for a ride?"

*