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  “One last thing, as you can all guess by now. I am officially taken,” he said and pulled me away, and then leaned in to kiss me on the cheek again.

  “All that wasn’t necessary, Kyle,” I whispered to him. He squeezed my hand, warm in his.

  “Of course it was. I had to announce it to the world,” he said.

  *****

  THE END

  The Football Star's Secret Baby

  Description

  I’d rather die than tell him...

  Olivia Snyder is making do. Her daughter, Maya, is turning two in a few months and Olivia believes she has it all under control.

  She never really achieved her dreams because she got pregnant early… but what more could she ask for except that her daughter grows up happy?

  But then problems start to brew. Sophie, her childhood best friend, returns to their sleepy town for a family event. Sophie and Olivia meet up for their usual girl-time. But what Sophie hasn’t told Olivia is that her older brother Rufus is coming home too...

  Rufus has made it big in NFL. He had always been the town’s sweetheart but he has now quickly become the national heartthrob as well.

  This wouldn’t be an issue if Olivia wasn’t still hung up on him, his classic good looks, that dimpled smile and the way he has about him which makes all women fall at his feet...

  Olivia has secrets to hide: not only her feelings for Rufus, but also that they once slept together in college. She can never let Sophie find out that she slept with her older brother.

  Especially not now that Rufus is back in town... How will Olivia keep her secret, now that her life seems to be unravelling?

  Chapter One

  Olivia’s phone beeped beside her and she turned it over so she wouldn’t be troubled by the flashing light. She needed to get through this last hour without any more distractions. A woman was holding a stack of three books in her hand and waiting at the till when Olivia returned to take up her post. Three books was good, but not enough to hit her target for the day. A few people would have to miraculously appear in this last hour and purchase at least ten more books between them. The trouble was that nobody was buying physical books anymore, so independent bookstores such as the one Olivia was working at made very little money now.

  She smiled at the woman anyway as she zapped the barcodes on the books and then put them in a small paper bag for her. The woman handed Olivia the exact change and walked away. Olivia sighed. She looked at her watch again, fifty-five more minutes to go.

  The bookstore was empty again. Stacks of freshly printed books were piled on the front table, trying to attract passersby into the store to flip through them and, hopefully, make a purchase. Olivia stood behind the till desk, looking hopefully at the people on the street. She needed to make her target for the day, or it could mean risking her job. The management was cracking down on employees now, and getting strict with their sales targets.

  Olivia caught a reflection of herself in the shop window as she remained standing, looking out. Her usual brown curls looked frizzy, given that she hadn’t had the time to properly condition them in a while. Her large gray eyes looked wide and sleep deprived, especially without any makeup. Even her lips looked chapped and tired. She quickly reached for the lip gloss she usually stored in one of the drawers and ran the tube over her lips once, knowing full well that just some lip gloss wasn’t going to cut it.

  Her phone beeped again and, this time, she reached for it. The store was empty so there was no point denying herself the distraction from her boredom.

  She’d received a couple of messages from Sophie again. She was in town now and wanted to meet up. Olivia sighed and rolled her eyes. They had been friends since kindergarten and had grown up together. Now Sophie lived in New York and had a fancy job at a publishing house, while Olivia was still stuck in their hometown.

  She quickly sent a response back to Sophie, letting her know that she would only have a few hours on Saturday afternoon to meet. The rest of the time, she’d be busy at the bookstore or with Maya. Olivia loved Sophie, just as much as she knew Sophie loved her. But it was getting increasingly difficult to keep up with Sophie’s lifestyle now. She didn’t have the fancy lifestyle that Sophie enjoyed, didn’t live a high-flying corporate life, didn’t own the designer shoes or handbags that Sophie now flaunted. A rift was slowly developing between them, and Olivia was recognizing that they had less in common and fewer things to talk about. But she couldn’t let Sophie go, despite everything that had happened. She was still her best friend.

  Sophie replied with an excited text and an invite to come over to her parents’ home, and Olivia put her phone away. It was back to praying that she got a few more customers in before closing time.

  The boredom of not having anything to do resulted in her mind drifting to thoughts of Sophie again…and this time, Rufus as well, Sophie’s older brother. Rufus Frost. He was the guy who Olivia had grown up around, her teenage fantasy. She had spent her whole life drooling over and pining for him.

  Rufus was destined for stardom, he always had been. In school, Rufus was one of the popular kids, while Olivia and his sister were the nerds. However, Rufus always looked out for them and made sure that nobody ever picked on Sophie or her best friend. Not on his watch.

  College was the same. Rufus was the town hero, the rising football star who was going to take the town and the college to national prominence. Girls threw themselves at him, boys wanted to be him and parents wished he was their son. Nobody was left out of Rufus Frost’s charm spectrum, least of all Olivia.

  She grew up in his shadow, admiring him for his looks, his good nature and of course his superstardom. But Rufus had always been out of Olivia’s league. She knew that. Which was why, when he joined the NFL and his charisma and success carried on to the national level, nobody was happier to see him go than Olivia. She didn’t want to be in his presence anymore, she didn’t want to suffer all her life, pining away for a man she could never have. Even though it had seemed for some time, to her at least, that they might actually have a chance, Olivia knew the truth was that they never did. Rufus didn’t feel the same way. To him, Olivia Snyder was nothing more than his sister’s best friend.

  The bell hanging over the bookstore door tinkled, snapping Olivia out of her thoughts. A customer had walked in! The middle-aged man looked around the shop for a minute, his hands flying over the bookshelves, dragging out titles he thought he wanted. Olivia watched from the till with a smile on her face, ready to recommend books or spark up a conversation that might eventually lead to a sale.

  The man walked out of the store empty-handed. It was almost like the universe was teasing her. She was going to have to go home without having met her target today, bringing her one day closer to losing her job.

  ***

  Olivia parked outside her mother’s house and remained sitting in the car for a few minutes longer. She needed to compose herself before she went it. The door was left open as usual, as her mother was never in a habit to lock the house. Olivia walked in, adding a forced spring to her step and pasting a smile onto her face.

  Her mom was in the living room, in front of the television, with Maya on her lap.

  “Hello, kids,” Olivia greeted them chirpily. Her mom and Maya both turned, both equally happy to see her.

  “Hi, honey. How was your day with Nana?” Olivia reached for her daughter, who grabbed her by the neck and hung from it while they cuddled. Maya had not started talking properly yet, but could say a few words, which always made Olivia proud. She was certain that her daughter was going to be a genius.

  “How was your day?” Jen, Olivia’s mother, asked.

  “Good, good. We had a busy day at the store,” Olivia replied, still hugging her daughter and trying to avoid her mother’s inquisitive stare.

  “Really? I heard from Lucy that they’re planning on closing the store down. Not enough customers.” Jen had folded her arms across her chest and was glaring at Olivia while she spoke.<
br />
  “I don’t know why Lucy would say that. The store is doing really well now.” Olivia was still not looking at her mother, instead busying herself with smoothing the delicate blonde curls around Maya’s angelic face.

  “So you’re meeting your targets?” Jen still urged, and Olivia rolled her eyes.

  “Yes, mom. Will you leave it be? I have to go now.” She whipped around quickly, with Maya still in her arms, and rummaged around to pick up the bags that she’d brought over in the morning. Jen was awfully quiet as she watched Olivia clearing up the mess of toys that Maya had made.

  “Olivia,” Jen said, in a low, worried tone.

  “What, mom?”

  “You’ll tell me if things are going badly?”

  “Yes, I will, mom. I can manage it myself.” Olivia positioned Maya on the crook of her hip and then came over to give her mother a quick hug.

  “It’s Maya I’m worried about. She’s going to turn two in a few months, her necessities and expenses are only going to grow.” Jen still had that worried voice as she spoke. Olivia pulled herself away from her mother slowly and looked at her. Olivia knew her mother meant well, but she didn’t want to cause worry.

  “We’ll be fine, mom. Thanks for your help, though.” Olivia tried to smile weakly while stroking her mother’s arm at the same time.

  “Why can’t the father help, too?” Jen hurled the words at her and Olivia turned around to start walking away. Not this again!

  “Don’t start, mom. I told you he doesn’t want to be involved.” Olivia zipped up the bags and started to walk towards the front door.

  “Can’t we sue him and make him pay?” Jen stood up painfully from the couch. Her hip was getting worse.

  “I don’t want him involved either, mom. Please, just forget it.” Olivia had opened the door now and was distractedly smiling at Maya while she played with her earlobe.

  “Olivia…”

  “I have to go now, mom.” She blew her mom a kiss and was out of the door and down the steps when she remembered. She rushed back into the house and found Jen still standing in the middle of the living room where she had left her.

  “Can I drop Maya off on Saturday afternoon for a few hours? Sophie is going to be in town,” Olivia asked, and Jen nodded.

  “Of course, honey.” Jen smiled at her daughter, with a little sadness in her eyes.

  “Thanks, mom. See you Saturday,” Olivia said, with a quick wave, and was off towards the car again.

  “Hi, baby. Sorry I was late again today. We’ll go home straight away, won’t we?” She was settling Maya into the car seat as she spoke. She liked to chat with her casually like she was already a grown up. The truth was that Olivia didn’t have anybody else to talk to. The bookstore was always empty, her own apartment was devoid of any adults and she had lost touch with all her friends because she didn’t have the time for them.

  So Maya was the only person she could actually have conversations with. Olivia settled into her own seat and strapped the seatbelt on. She turned to get a good look at her daughter, who was peacefully looking out of the window. Maya had Olivia’s curls but golden in color. The same wide eyes, but green. Maya was a quiet child, a baby who liked to think. Olivia laughed at that. She turned around and started the car. No matter what, there was nothing more important to her than her daughter.

  The father wasn’t important, at least not anymore. If Olivia could have her way, play her cards right, Maya would never have to meet her father, never have to face the disappointment. Hopefully, she wouldn’t feel his absence, either. Hopefully, Olivia would be able to provide for her, care for her well enough that Maya never grew up wishing she had a father.

  Olivia sighed as she drove. Maya was quiet as usual, watching the car whizz past the familiar neighborhoods. This wasn’t the life Olivia had imagined for herself. She had never thought she’d spend all her life in this town that had given her nothing. She had been all set for an internship as an Assistant Editor in New York, an opportunity which was even more lucrative than the one Sophie had been offered. They were both fresh out of college, ready to take on the world, ready to move to New York together and start a new life.

  Then Olivia had found out she was pregnant and everything had changed. She couldn’t afford to move to New York and raise a child all by herself. She couldn’t afford a baby on an intern’s measly salary. She had to stay behind, take care of her child and watch as everybody else made a life for themselves. That was three years ago, and nothing had changed for her since then.

  Chapter Two

  Olivia tried dressing up on Saturday to meet Sophie. She knew what the visit to Sophie’s parents’ house was going to entail: lazing by the pool in their bikinis and trying to get a tan while sipping cocktails.

  Sophie was nearly unrecognizable these days, at least from their time growing up together. She had her brother’s fair blonde hair, which fell in waves around her shoulders. When Sophie greeted her at the door, falling on her with a tight hug and several wet kisses on her face, she was already in a black bikini and had a breezy white sarong wrapped around her waist.

  “Get out of those clothes, Olivia. I already have a jug of mojito placed by the pool for us,” Sophie said with a laugh, as she led Olivia outside.

  Olivia smiled and started peeling off her well-thought out outfit for the day. It was only on the occasions that Sophie visited that Olivia had a chance to dress up these days. There were no other reasons to.

  She had dug out an old black and white polka dot bikini from her college days that she thankfully still fit into and had worn it under her clothes.

  “It’s hard to tell you’ve ever given birth,” Sophie said, watching Olivia undress.

  “You’re too kind,” Olivia said, as she lay down beside Sophie on the pool chair.

  Sophie handed her a pair of sunglasses which Olivia put on, smoothing her brown curls on top of her head. She’d taken great care to make her hair look good this day, as she didn’t want any untoward comments coming her way from Sophie about how she had “let herself go”.

  “So how’s the little brat, anyway?” Sophie asked as she faced up towards the sun. Olivia shut her eyes behind her sunglasses and breathed in. Sophie had never been one to develop any motherly feelings towards kids. Maya was no different. Sophie only tried to tolerate her because she was Olivia’s kid.

  “She’s well. Growing up faster than I can keep pace,” Olivia said, a smile creeping onto her face as she spoke about her daughter.

  “You should try looking for a job in New York. Your mom can take care of Maya, can’t she?” Sophie turned to her, and Olivia shook her head.

  “No. I can’t just leave my daughter behind here. I want her to grow up with me,” Olivia said, not looking at Sophie’s judgmental stare.

  “Oh, Olivia! You’re so old fashioned. You’d be more useful to Maya if you made more money. You’re no use moping around over here. She won’t ever see her mother happy.” Sophie reached for the glass of mojito she had placed next to her.

  “She’s happy with me. I’m happy here with her. You’ve got it wrong, Sophie,” Olivia said quietly, the familiar feeling of regret creeping up on her. She wasn’t on Sophie’s wavelength anymore. She should never have agreed to this meeting in the first place. Sophie wasn’t a mother yet, she’d never understand.

  “And what about Craig?” Sophie asked. Olivia’s brows creased.

  “Craig? What about him?” Olivia asked, still a little confused.

  “Isn’t he the father?” Sophie straightened up to look at her more clearly. Olivia threw her friend an irritated look.

  “What about him? I don’t talk to him anymore.” Olivia reached for her own mojito now. She wanted the conversation to end.

  “Hasn’t he like moved to California and tried to get into the film industry? He must be making some money. Can’t you ask him to help out?” Sophie was still looking into Olivia’s face as she sipped at her drink.

  “Drop it, Sophie. My mom
and you seem to be after the same issue. I don’t want Craig to be involved in Maya’s life.” Olivia shut her eyes again, thankful for the sunglasses that could hide her anxious eyes.

  “I’m just saying that you shouldn’t be doing this by yourself,” Sophie added and sank back into the chair. Olivia didn’t respond to that.

  “When did you and Craig get together, anyway?” Sophie threw another round of questioning at her.

  “Sophie!” Olivia threw her a friend a look of disapproval.

  “I’m just asking. I had no idea it had happened. You only told me about it after you were pregnant with Maya.” Sophie wasn’t going to back down, it seemed. It was almost as if Olivia’s mother had set her up to the task.

  “I told you before, Sophie. It was a drunken night at Melissa Lasi’s house party. It’s not like we were in a relationship or anything,” Olivia said, sitting up in her chair now. “What’s with the interrogation anyway?”

  “I’m just curious. And a little worried for you. You’re not the same Olivia as before.” Sophie sighed as she said it, and drank some more of her cocktail.

  “You don’t have to worry about me. Of course I’m not the same, I have a child now. Things can never be the same. That doesn’t mean you have to feel sorry for me. Neither does it mean that I’m a completely changed person either.” Olivia sighed. She felt like all she did nowadays was console people around her and try and convince them that she was alright.

  The two of them were quiet for a while until the silence grew too long.

  “How are your parents? Are they home?” Olivia asked casually, hoping a change in conversation might clear the air a little.