First off, can I just say how much I LOVE you guys? OMG(*Pulls everyone into a BIG Veggie hug*) Thank you guys so much for your support! I've got the best reviewers ever! Your ideas were simply inspiring. I had to control myself from writing right then and there to get my exams done, because you guys had me super hyped to write! Some of your ideas left me laughing, others in deep thought, and yet still others left me extremely curious. Perhaps I should just turn the reigns for this story over to some you! Lol
I got the consensus that you guys would like a club scene between Darien and Serena among other things, as well as some more Sere/ Dare moments. I will try my best! Many of you have also been wondering what's going on with the Shields, and that's covered in this chapter. And as Daphne noted, I think you all have probably realized that there is no way I can end this story in the 20 or so odd chapters that I originally planned. It would just be too much to put into such a small time frame, so I guess I'll have to extend the story since rushing is not my style (I can see the disappointment on your faces). Usamamo, I have no comment. I simply cannot say anything about the hints without giving too much away. Lol Sorry. Someone asked about the location of the story. Ummm I actually never intended for the story to have a specific location. I just wanted it in the Caribbean, but we can pick any island if you'd like. Let's say the Bahamas? Again, thanks for all the support and continued patience. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 20
Darien's POV
What the hell am I doing?
For the last fifteen minutes I've been sitting in this car, just staring out at nothing. The storm hasn't eased up one bit, and if anything, it seems to be getting worse. Serena drove off ten minutes ago. I should have been heading home myself. I should've been going home to my awaiting wife and kids. But how can I go home in this state?
After an entire year, an entire fucking year where I finally felt like I had gotten myself under some level of control whereas she was concerned, she shows up and proves to me just how much control I still don't have around her. Just like that; in one encounter. Fuck.
Why did life have to be so difficult?
A brief image of the hurt on her face after I refused her kiss flashed through my mind, and I cringed at the thought. I couldn't help but bang my head against the wheel in front of me.
I hadn't meant to hurt her. I would never hurt her. I wanted that kiss as much as she did; perhaps even more. But she couldn't know that. At this point, I can never allow her to know that.
I knew that she had been coming to the gym after hours. After I received word from the girls that she was back on island, I knew it would only be a matter of time before she showed up down there. To say that I had been surprised was an understatement. I had no idea if she had planned to return to the school or not. After I saw her in New York last summer, I never heard or saw from her. It was hard to accept, but I realized that if she wanted distance from me, I would have to respect that. So I returned home feeling like I had just lost the most important thing in my life and tried my best to move past everything that we had shared. It was undoubtedly the most challenging year of my entire life.
My heart somersaulted when Andrea approached me a few months back and informed me that she had run into her in the cafeteria. I thought that I had been dreaming. When I overheard a few of the guys talking about her a few weeks later, I knew it was real. I was waiting for her to make her appearance. I knew she would when she was ready. After a month and no signs of her, I realized that she was making an effort to stay away from me and the gym, so I stayed away from the campus myself. I didn't want to make her any more uncomfortable than I knew she already was. I knew she would find her way to me eventually.
Basketball is in her blood. It's a part of her that she would be able to resist for only so long. Only a true player would understand the calling of the sport and the intense pull that it can have on someone. That was something we had in common. I knew without a doubt that she would be back.
As expected, she came calling. The first night I saw her, it was completely by chance. I had stayed in my office a little later than usual to finish up some paperwork for our upcoming pre- season tournament. I had been on my way out the gym when I heard the bouncing of the ball. Knowing that the gym is usually vacant during such late hours, my curiosity got the best of me. I walked out on the bleachers at the second floor of the gym and noticed a lone figure on the court. Her back had been turned to me, but even at the distance and height that I was, I knew that it was her. The graceful movements on the court, the beautiful long blonde ponytail, the form of her shot, those long legs….there was no mistaking the identity of the person on the court below me. She had finally come.
My heart had soared. I had watched her transfixed, my heart pounding even harder with every little move that she made. It was so hard to believe that she was just a level below me in the flesh. After twelve months, twelve long months of not laying my eyes on her, she was even more beautiful than I had remembered.
I had watched her, smiling occasionally as she entertained herself while playing on the court by herself. She seemed so carefree and happy, running around on the court while she completed a set of drills. The sight melted my heart.
And then, she turned around.
My breath hitched in my throat as I saw her face for the first time in a year. I took it all in. From her small pointy nose, to that heart shaped mouth of hers, and her beautiful blue eyes; she so was beautiful. Those eyes would forever be branded into my soul. I couldn't focus in on them from the distance that I was, but I didn't need to be any closer to know that they were the same beautiful sapphire orbs that I remembered.
I felt it then; that warm feeling that seemed to overtake my entire being every time I am around her. I hadn't felt that feeling for an entire year. I didn't even think that I could still feel it, but there it was. It was like an invigorating rush of life. Like a first breath after a very long dive. After a year of seemingly just existing, the intensity of the emotions I was feeling at the moment was a bittersweet change.
I was still in love with Serena.
It didn't matter how much I had tried to convince myself to move past her. It would never be that easy for me. It seemed like she was in scripted into my very soul. It seemed like I just couldn't let her go. But I had no choice in the matter at this point. We just couldn't be together. There was no light at the end of the tunnel I could see at this point.
Watching her, I wondered if her feelings toward me had changed. Had she moved on? Was there now someone else?
I looked away with a pained heart at the idea. The thought that Serena may have truly moved on hurt me more than I thought that it would. Thoughts of another man possibly even touching her nearly sent my blood boiling, but I forced myself to calm down. She wasn't mine to claim anymore. In retrospect, I silently admitted that a part of me truly hoped that she had moved on. It would make things a lot easier at this point if there was someone else in her life. If she still cared for me, I would end up hurting her. And I never wanted to do that. I would prefer living in my pretend happy existence on my own, at least knowing that she had found genuine happiness in someone else.
Again, I ignored the pain in my heart at the thought.
With one final glance, I sighed and exited the gym. She didn't need to know of my presence as yet. I figured she would be back. In the meantime, I had a lot of work to do in preparing myself for that encounter. A lot of things had changed over the course of the last year. She would find them all out eventually.
I saw her in the gym two more times after that, but I still hadn't mustered up the courage our resistance to face her as yet. I had gotten into the habit of hanging around just a little longer than usual, hoping I would catch her on my way out. I hadn't expected to see her in the gym tonight. I had stayed behind to complete my own workout after our practice ended. With the weather as it was, I figured everyone should've been in their homes. I suppose that was her reasoning too.
When I saw her laughing her heart out on the court floor, I couldn't help myself. The mellow sound of her laughter just seemed to pull me in. I had to make my presence known. I had to see her up close and personal.
Her surprise had not been hard to see. She had stood from the floor as if she was afraid to turn around. But when she did, I stood rooted to my spot. After coaching myself for days on how our first encounter would go, I forgot everything that I had decided I would do. I just wanted to run to her and pull her into my arms, then kiss her until neither of us could breathe anymore.
Her own reaction hadn't helped either. The way she had watched me from my head to my toes had been quite blatant, but I found myself doing the same. I couldn't take my eyes away from her.
I trailed her long exposed legs up to her mid thigh, where her little shorts stopped. The tank that she wore left the lower part of her mid-drift bare, and my eyes traveled over the toned abdominal muscles. Moving upward I traveled over the full breast, up her delicate neck, and stopped at her captivating eyes.
Our gazes locked onto one another.
I saw it all in her eyes.
I didn't know where we stood, but I think we both silently understood in that moment that we were both definitely still attracted to one another. The heat that I knew without a doubt she was seeing in my own eyes was being reflected right back to me from hers. There was no denying it as we both reacquainted ourselves with the sight of each other. Brief images of those same eyes staring up at me in pleasure as I took her to euphoria flashed through my mind, and I fought not to moan. I thanked God at the moment that I was wearing oversized sweats, because my body was already reacting from just being in her presence.
I had to talk.
If we continued just staring at each other, this first meeting would end up going an entirely different route than I had planned.
Her timid responses to my greetings had amused me. It seemed like she was all shy around me again. Funny, considering she had been all but screaming out my very name in pleasure just the year before. I shook my head, driving those dangerous thoughts from my mind. As I had practiced, I kept the conversation as vague as I could.
Serena seemed to be doing the same, but I knew we both felt the awkwardness in the air. After a year apart, I just wanted to hold her in my arms. But even under the pretense of a "friendly" hug, I wasn't sure if I could handle physical contact with her at the moment. It had been way too long, and there was no telling what I would do. So I opted to play it safe.
The conversation was so foreign to me. It felt like I was forcing myself to speak to a complete stranger instead of the woman that I was in love with. But it was for the best that things remained this way. Serena was reluctant to open up to me herself. I realized that we were both trying to figure out where the other now stood without giving anything away. Needing a distraction, I asked her about her future plans on joining the team. As I suspected, she wasn't planning on joining us this year in an effort to stay away from me.
I would have none of that.
Serena was too talented a player to stay away from the court. And we both knew that playing basketball brought a lot of happiness to her life. I would never allow her to deprive herself of those feelings because she was trying to stay away from me. I left her with a few encouraging words, but I would make sure that she re-joined the team. I would just have to make sure that our relationship didn't cross any boundaries this time around. It would be hard, but I would always look out for her well being; even if I could not have her as my own.
It had only seemed natural that I should offer her my umbrella. It didn't surprise me in the least when she refused to take it. Such was her caring nature. I hadn't planned for us to end up in the position that we did after I saved her from her fall.
I had found myself paralyzed, unable to look away from her. My fingers touching against the soft skin of her arm as I held her upright, our locked gazes, our wet clothes; I was suddenly very aware of everything. All of a sudden I forgot that everything else in the world existed except me and the woman I was in love with and finally holding in my hand again. I forgot about my wife, the decisions I had made, and everything else in the world that said we shouldn't be together. In that moment, none of those things mattered. I just wanted to feel her in my arms again. I wanted to hold her, feel her ever soft lips against mine, and tell her how much I had missed her; how much I still loved her. Just for one moment…one moment as the raindrops washed away all our inhibition and doubts.
When we started drifting towards one another my mind started flashing its red lights. It was a waging battle down to the very last second. I wanted to taste those sweet lips again so badly, but ultimately, it would be unfair to her. I still couldn't be with her, and it would be selfish of me to lead her back down that path again when I was in pretty much a more difficult situation than she had left me in. It was those thoughts that had given me the strength to move away. I didn't want to hurt her, but I knew the look of rejection on her face would be nothing compared to the heart break she would suffer if we just picked up where we left off. I loved her too much for that.
I had contemplated apologizing for a moment, but changed my mind. Things were better this way. I was doing it for her well being. Even if it was killing me inside….
Starting up the car, I started my drive home through the stormy weather.
Fifteen minutes later I pulled into the gates of my estate. After I parked my car into the garage, I headed into the house. It was late, so I knew the girls must have already been put to bed. Discarding my soiled shoes by the boor, I headed up the stairs and into the bedroom that I had been sharing with my wife for the last year.
I observed her for a moment before I closed they door and let my presence known. She was sitting beneath the covers on our bed, her long hair draped across the sheets as she intently read from the book in her hand. She was clad in one of the simple silk night gowns that she usually chose to sleep in, and in the faint lamp light even her skin seemed to glow. I would never deny that she was a beautiful woman.
With my bones still chilled from my wet clothes, I continued to observe her, hoping to feel even a glimmer of the heat that had consumed me when I stood in the freezing rain with Serena.
It never came.
I sighed, silently cursing the circumstances of my life at the moment. Over the course of our year together we had gotten closer. I wouldn't deny that we had. We went out more as a family, and as a couple. The girls were elated, and I was satisfied with that. Trista seemed to have done a complete 180, and I sometimes wondered if there was more to her sudden change of heart than she let on. It was so amazing at times to see how much she had changed into the wife that I had wanted her to be for all those years; just like that. At times I even felt that I could somehow learn to love her again despite the situation that I felt I had forced myself into. We had even been featured in the Island Vibe magazine as one of the few "Celebrity Marriages that Defy the Divorce Odds."
But it was all a lie.
It had just taken on encounter with Serena to realize that I had grown to tolerate and accept Trista in her role as my wife, but there was no real passion or love in our marriage; at least not on my end.
I had settled on her due to circumstances in our lives, hoping that with time we would learn to love each other again. But I now knew that we could never go back to what we used to be.
The funny thing I realized is, you cannot miss what you have never known. If I had never experienced the all consuming, raw, and uncontrolled love and passion that Serena and I shared, I would have never known that there was more to a relationship than what I had initially shared with Trista. But I knew differently now, and that was hard to forget. The bar had been raised to a level that I inwardly knew Trista and I would never be able to reach. But she seemed oblivious to it all, and in the end I was stuck in the middle. I again cursed the circumstances of my life. Sighing, I closed the door.
She immediately lifted her head from the book she had been reading, climbed off the bed, and headed towards me.
"There you are. Oh my honey, you're soaked! I was actually starting to get worried with you out so late in this weather. What happened? Come on, let me help you out of those wet clothes."
I said nothing, but nodded and allowed her to lead me into the master bath that we shared.
When we entered the bathroom, she opened the faucet on the huge jacuzzi in the middle of the floor before she returned to me and urged me to sit on one of the plush sofas in our bathroom.
"What happened Darien? How did you end up this soaked?"
She walked behind of me and began to lift my soaked wife beater from my body. Her fingers brushed against my chest in the act, but I noted that observation half-heartedly.
"I stayed behind to work out, and I completely forgot that I had left my umbrella in my car. I had to make a run for it across the gym parking lot."
She stared down at me questionably.
"Wow. You got this soaked from just running to your car? It must really be pouring out there huh?"
"Yeah, it's pretty bad. I haven't seen rain like this in a while."
I relaxed as she nodded and seemed to accept my lie. I watched as she slowly knelt in front of me and began the process of removing my soaked pants. I moved to stop her. I knew that she had been putting a lot of effort into rebuilding our intimacy during the past year, but I just wasn't in the mood tonight.
"You don't have to do that. I can do it myself."
She paused and stared up at me, and a smile slowly made its way to her face.
"It's ok. I want to do this. But if you don't want me to…."
I saw the hurt on her face and inwardly sighed. Damn it. Why did I have to have such a heart?
"No, please. Go ahead if you'd like. I don't mind."
She smiled and continued in her task.
As she slowly continued removing my pants, I realized that Trista had other ideas in mind. Her movements had turned slow and almost sensual, and I fought not to growl from frustration as her fingers slowly grazed the skin of my bare thigh. Why now? Why tonight?
Over the course of the last year, we had resumed having sexual intimacy in our marriage. It had taken us a few months, but we eventually fell into a comfortable pattern that seemed to work.
For the most part we had been having sex at least once a week, which seemed to keep her content. It was a pity that I could not say the same. It didn't matter how many times we completed the act. My body achieved physical release, but I still felt empty inside every time we were through.
It's not that I didn't find her attractive. On contraire, she was still one of the mot beautiful women I had ever met in my life. But having sex with someone while your mind and soul cries for another is enough to make anyone start to shy away from the act.
Initially, it had been a very awkward affair. Every time I touched her, I felt like I was selling my soul to the devil. I felt sick. I felt like I had betrayed Serena, even if she had been the one to push me away.
But as time passed, I learned to disconnect myself mentally from the situation when we had sex. I played the act of the dutiful husband and made sure that she was pleased. Trista was honestly putting her all into trying to make our marriage work, and at times it really made me feel terrible knowing that I simply could not find it in myself to give the same amount of effort. As hard as I tried, I couldn't force myself to enjoy having sex with her like I used to in the past. And I tried, oh how I tried not to compare her to Serena, but in the end it was impossible not to do so. Making love to Serena had been like an out of body experience for me. It had felt like we were connected via our mind, body, and soul. It had been…beautiful. I wanted to feel that again.
It didn't take too long to figure out that I would never share that experience with Trista. I gave up after our first two months. But Trista could never know that, and in the end, it was thoughts of Serena that aided in maintaining my façade.
It had happened by accident the first time, but the experience had me craving for the emotions again, and it soon became a habit I didn't want to stop.
I started to imagine Serena in Trista's place when we got intimate.
The first time, I felt absolutely mortified that I could do such a thing. But Trista had seemed very pleased with the end result, and in the end, it had been the most I had enjoyed the act since we started as well. So it became a regular pattern at times when I knew I needed more than just physical stimulation to push me into completing the act.
I knew I was threading on very thin ice. I had to always be on guard of the things I said when we had sex, but I had mastered the game at this point. Images of Serena in the rain, her wet shirt sticking to her body as she leaned into me for a kiss an hour ago flashed through my mind, and I felt myself growing erect like I always did from thoughts of her.
Trista's bare hands urging me to raise my now naked body off the sofa drew my attention back to the present. I glanced down, noting the erection that was starring back at me. Undoubtedly, she probably thought she was the reason behind that occurrence.
I glanced down at her, allowing her to lead me to the now filled tub. She slowly urged me in, and I sat in the warm water as she poured in some bathing oils. I watched her as she removed her silk nightgown, noting that she hadn't been wearing any underwear. I guess I had been in for this tonight under any occurrence. I fought not to sigh.
She didn't utter a single word as she slowly stepped into the tub and sat herself between my legs. For a brief moment I thought back on Serena, wondering what she was doing in this rainy weather herself. Was she also home thinking about of our almost kiss, or was she hurting from the pain that I knew I had caused her? My heart broke at the thought, but I forced myself to concentrate on my now naked wife straddling me. Trista had been kissing on my neck, and we connected eyes for a split second before she leaned in and sealed our lips together. I felt nothing from the kiss, but I closed my eyes, imagining instead a different scenario where I hadn't pulled away from Serena.
In the back of my mind I heard Trista moan in front of me, but I did not ponder on the thought. Above us, the rain relentlessly beat down on the roof of our home, filling the house with the unique and sensual sound of rainy weather; a sound that most lovers tend to crave for, driving them into the arms of each other. But I remained oblivious to it all, going on to continue the act that my wife initiated while wishing with all my heart and soul that another person, now just a few miles away, was in her place instead.
Serena's POV
I was humiliated; embarrassed just wasn't fitting enough.
What the hell had I been thinking?
I groaned as I rolled over to my side. The storm was still pounding down on the roof. The room was dark, and the entire dormitory seemed to be asleep. The punishing sounds of the rain and wind were the only ones that could be heard around me. I was alone and in the concealing comfort of darkness that I tended to enjoy, but I still felt the need to hide my heated face.
Rejection had never felt quite that embarrassing.
I closed my eyes, remembering the look on Daren's face as he had moved away from me.
What the hell had I just done?
I didn't know what to make of Darien's reaction. One minute, we had been drifting towards each other controlled by some seemingly unseen force, then the next thing I knew he had stopped and turned away from me. I brought my pillow to my face as I again felt the heat rising there.
What he hell had I been expecting?
I have no idea what made me attempt to close the gap between our bodies. When I initially realized we were drifting towards one another, I had told myself that I would not allow that kiss to happen. The closer we got, the more I kept repeating the words to myself. But as I felt the heat forming between our soaked bodies, the loose grip that Darien still held on my arm became an almost a scalding hot. The way he had been looking at me, in combination with the beautiful form of his soft wet lips had been the start of my undoing. Regardless of my warnings to myself, I took the dive.
What the fuck was wrong with me?
The man was obviously still married to his wife, and here I was, back after an entire year away already trying to fuck things up.
What if they were 'happily' married again?
I prayed that I hadn't just ruined any of the progress that Darien had made with his wife over the pass year.
There was a dull ache in my chest as the thought of their happy marriage ran through my mind. I ignored it.
I was happy for them. This meant that my sacrifice had not been in vain. I had made the right decision. I should've been proud of myself. I guess in retrospect, Darien had never been mine to begin with.
There was just one thing. It was unfortunate that our encounter also proved to me how much I was still in love with him….How much I still loved him despite everything I had put myself through to get past our relationship during the last year.
I hugged my pillow to my chest, closing my eyes against the agonizing hurt that realization caused.
I couldn't go back to the team now. There was just no way. I wouldn't be able to handle seeing him everyday, and Trista showing up to our games as the happy wife that she probably was would be my undoing.
Based on his actions, I could only conclude that Darien had moved on from me, and despite the pain, I would do nothing to hamper his now complete world. He had the family that he always wanted; the one that I always wanted him to have as well, even if another woman was in the position I would have liked to be.
I fought against the tears that threatened to spill from my eyes. I wouldn't cry. If Darien could get past us, I could too. I'd just have to work a little harder than I had been doing. Perhaps seeing him in the flesh and knowing that he was no longer mine would be the best thing for me.
I could find happiness too. Perhaps it was time I genuinely attempted to have another real relationship. I knew that Darien had been a major factor in preventing me from fully opening up to Seiya the previous year, but I would no longer allow him to do that. I could get past this and find happiness myself. I would be just fine.
My mind made up, I snuggled beneath my covers, allowing the sorrowful sound of the rain to lull me to sleep.
With my thoughts so scattered, it took a while for sleep to claim my body. As the familiar sensation finally started to overcome my body, I absentmindedly wondered what Darien was doing at the moment. A chilly gust of wind traveled through my window, and I found myself unconsciously snuggling closer to the pillow in my arms. As I made my last connection with the conscious world, I felt a warm pair of arms wrap around my body, and I leaned back against the warmth of a familiar muscular body that I knew was just a fragment of my imagination.
A lone tear escaped from the cascade that I had been fighting all night, and I felt the arms tighten against my body, whispering words of everlasting love before he disappeared and left me alone, shivering and longing in the absence of his warmth.
Two weeks later…
December rolled around in the blink of an eye. True to my word, I did not step foot either inside or near the gym for the past two weeks. I occupied myself even more with my sorority projects and attempted to keep up with my studies as we approached finals.
I hadn't heard or seen from Darien, and despite Andrea's never ending persistence, I did not have much contact with my old teammates. I still missed the game, but there was no doubt in my mind that I had taken the easier course of action. Being around Darien after our little 'encounter' would undoubtedly be much harder.
I was in the library studying when I was approached by a man that I did not know.
"Uh, excuse me, Ms. Charles?"
I looked up from my book, noting the blue dress shirt and slacks that adorned the elderly man.
"Yes? May I help you?"
He flashed me a brief smile before seating in the chair on the opposite side of my table. Extending his hand to me, he started to speak.
"Hello Ms. Charles. My name is Ronald Franklin. I'm the personal assistant to the president here at the university."
I accepted the out stretched hand, eyeing Mr. Franklin with a raised eyebrow.
"A pleasure to meet you. Can I help you with something?"
He gave me a brief smile and retrieved a paper from the briefcase he had been holding.
"Actually, you may. The president is requesting a personal meeting with you. He has a few proposals that he would like to discuss with you."
"Proposals?"
Mr. Franklin flashed me another smile and nodded his head. What in the world would the university president want with me?
"Yes. I assure you that it is in your best interest that you attend. Your schedule was reviewed and we've chosen a time that we think would be feasible for you to attend. I encourage you to do so Ms. Charles. You won't be disappointed."
I slowly nodded my head, but the whole situation had warning bells going off in my head.
"Can you tell me what the meeting is going to be about?"
Mr. Franklin shook his head at me, and I observed him as he stood to leave.
"It is not my place to say, but I assure you it is something that will be to your benefit. I must be leaving now. Good day Ms. Charles."
"Good day."
With a final look, he walked away from my table and towards the exit of the library. How weird was that? I opened the letter, and read the contents of the brief invitation to meet with the president in the next three days. Re-folding the invitation I placed it back into its envelope and into my backpack. I guess I would be finding out what was going on soon enough.
Three days later, I walked into the lavish office of the university president. I had never met the man before, but there were pictures of him displayed on various walls across the school so I knew what he looked like. Upon entrance, his secretary greeted me.
"Good afternoon. May I help you?"
"Um yeah. I have a 3 o'clock meeting with the president?"
"Name?"
"Serena. Serena Charles."
She took a quick glance at her computer and smiled up at me.
"I'll just let him know that you've arrived Ms. Charles. It'll be just a few minutes. Please, take a seat."
I nodded, and she disappeared behind two huge oak doors. I took a seat on a nearby sofa. One minute later, she walked back out and smiled at me.
"He'll see you now Ms. Charles."
I got up and headed into the exquisitely decorated office.
I immediately recognized the president from his pictures, but I did not know the meeting would consist of more people. I stared at Darien, comfortably leaning against the wall of a large window at the side of the room. He smiled at me as we made eye contact. I was still embarrassed over the last time we met, so mustering up a smile was proving to be a lot more difficult on my end.
"Ms. Charles. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
The voice of the president drew my stunned face away from Darien. Coming out of my stupor I walked forward and approached the large man.
Accepting his outstretched hand, I offered him a smile.
"The pleasure is all mine sir."
He nodded, and motioned for me to take the seat in front of his desk.
"Now you're probably wondering why I requested this meeting with you huh?"
I nodded, trying not to notice that Darien had moved off the wall and was heading in my direction.
"Ms. Charles, I've been reviewing your file, and you are indeed an exceptional student of this university. From your grades, to your community service involvements, your extra curricula activities, everything! It seems you are extremely successful in whatever you attempt to do here at this school."
I blushed at the compliment, and the president rewarded me with a beaming smile that revealed a straight pair of glistening white teeth.
"Well I for one believe in the saying that hard work should be rewarded. Do you have any idea how much of an impact you've had on this school Ms. Charles?"
I shook my head, noting that Darien was now seating in the chair adjacent mine.
"Ah, so you are a humble spirit as well. That's a very good trait to have. I see that everything your coach told me about you is true."
I took a quick glance at Darien, noting his amused eyes as he stared back at me. The bastard. Somehow I just knew this meeting was his doing.
"When I first came to this university our athletic department was nothing to talk about. Since the addition of Mr. Shields here and his generous contributions of time and resources, our athletic department has improved ten folds. "
"Oh stop it Kev, you give me way too much credit."
Kev? I stared between Darien and the president, noting that they seemed to be very familiar with each other.
"And you were always too modest my friend. But I digress Ms. Charles. After our unforgettable championship win a year and a half ago, do you have any idea how much publicity and funding this school has received?"
I shook my head. I honestly had no idea.
"Our enrollment dramatically increased, there were various companies from the community willing to endorse our athletic teams, we were more publicized than we have ever been before, and we were able to offer out way more funds in scholarship that we have ever done in the past."
"Um that's great sir. But if you don't mind me asking, what does this have to do with me right now exactly though?"
He smiled and walked around his desk.
"The following year, our teams seemed to take a huge step backwards. I followed the team's progress, and I had to question Darien on such a poor performance after a championship season."
I glanced over at Darien, noting that he was now smiling at the president.
"After a few conversations, I realized that the team had indeed lost a few key players that year, but most of all, it had lost the central glue that just seemed to keep everyone together. Do you know who that glue was?"
I shook my head, but I now had an idea where we were going.
"Through my own little research, I discovered that your presence on that team was a major contributor to our success that year. And your coach agreed with my assessment 100%."
I turned to Darien, and blue met blue as we stared at each other. I quickly turned away.
"Your departure the following year was unexpected and caught us all off guard, and I'm sure you heard about how your teammates fared in your absence."
I nodded my head, feeling a little guilty for abandoning my team.
"In your absence, we decided that we would not have a repeat of last year's performance. So we heavily recruited exceptional players for this year, but there was still that glue element missing. Your return was a beautiful surprise, but I got wind of the fact that you did not intend to play this year. Now, we simply cannot have that. This brings us to the purpose of this meeting."
I turned to glare at Darien. How dare him! He just ignored my gaze.
"Mr. Shields and I are ready to offer you an offer you cannot refuse. We are willing to offer you a scholarship in a sum adequate enough to cover your education in full for two full years."
I looked at the president, then Darien, as they both awaited my response.
"Thank you for your offer sir, but I'm already covered on a full academic scholarship. I play basketball because I enjoy it, but because of my schedule this year I decided not to play. This is my third year of undergrad, but it will also be my last. So your scholarship offer sounds great, but I don't really need the assistance at this point."
Beside me, Darien smiled and got up.
"I told you she would say that."
The president laughed, and turned to stare down at me.
"Yes, you did. Ms. Charles, I am very aware of your status at this school. Our offer is not geared toward your undergraduate education. We are willing to pay in full the first two years of your medial education if you agree to give us one more season."
My jaw dropped to the floor.
"Wh-what?"
"You heard him right Serena. Your first two years of med school paid for in full if you play with us this season. Think of it as a payment for playing with us your first year, and now your last. So we're funding you for the two years you were such a huge help to the team; since you don't need the money while you were here."
I stared back at Darien.
"I-I don't know what to say."
Were they serious? Medical school was terribly expensive. I intended to just take up loans like everyone else, but how could I refuse such an offer? Damn it. This would require more time spent around Darien.
"Say yes."
I stared up at Darien, who was looking at me with hopeful eyes.
"How long do I have to make up my mind?"
Darien and the president turned to each other, and Darien whispered something to the man that I could not hear. He then turned to me.
"Since you've missed pre-season training, we'd have to get you started over the break to get you back in shape. We've got about a week and a half left in the semester, so I'll say a week. That way, it gives me enough time to set up a schedule to get you caught up to the rest of the team."
I nodded, still not believing that this was actually happening.
"Ok. I'll have to think about it. Was there anything else?"
The president stepped forward and again extended his hand to me.
"No, that's all for now. I pray that you make the right decision Ms. Charles. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and you deserve it. It was a pleasure meeting the infamous Serena Charles in person."
I blushed at the compliment.
"Thank you for offering. I'll let you know in a few days. I just need to think about this a little bit."
"Fair enough. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon Ms. Charles, and I hope to hear from you soon."
I nodded, and without sparring Darien another glance I collected my bag and walked out the office. I had waked out the building and was near my car in the parking lot when I felt someone grab onto my arm from behind.
"You were gonna leave without even saying goodbye?"
I turned around, and stood face to face with the image I had been trying to forget for the last two weeks.
"This is all your doing, isn't it?"
Darien looked down at me, placing his hands in his pockets.
"It doesn't matter who's doing it was. Everything he said is true. No one could possibly deserve this more than you do Serena. You love this game, and I would hate to see you give it up for the wrong reasons."
The wrong reasons? My embarrassment from earlier quickly faded away as anger began to take its place. I stepped up to Darien's face.
"The wrong reasons? You have no idea what my reasoning behind my actions are Coach, so don't you dare march in here assuming that you know what's going on in my head."
Darien didn't seem too fazed by my anger, and intently stared down at me.
"So I'm just Coach now? We both know you're wrong. We both know exactly why you're trying to stay away from the gym. And it has nothing to do with your 'busy schedule'."
"You are so full of yourself. I need to do what's best for me right now; as you've done what you thought was best for you. Go live your life and just leave me the hell alone."
I turned to enter my car.
Darien's eyes flashed with a bit of anger before he held back my arm.
"I'm not playing this game with you. Why are you upset? Isn't this what you wanted? Isn't this what your fucking 'year away' was about? Don't stand here acting all victimized. This is as much your doing as mine."
I yanked my arm free and stepped up to his face.
"I did nothing! I gave you a choice, and you chose. You chose her. I didn't make you do anything. So you go ahead and be happy with your wife and let me live my life!"
I couldn't help the tears threatening to form at the corners of my eyes.
"Serena, I bared my soul to you last year. I was prepared to leave Trista. I told you as much. Fuck! I got down on my knees in front of you and begged you to change your mind! But you insisted, you fucking insisted that I spent more time with her to confirm what I already knew. And now are you trying to tell me you're upset? What the hell do you want from me? Isn't this what you wanted?"
I furiously wiped the stray tears that had escaped from my eyes.
"I wanted you to make your decision unbiased Darien. And you have made it. I see that loud and care, and I am trying my best to respect that decision. I made a fool of myself with you two weeks ago and for that I apologize. It won't happen again."
Darien angrily ran his hand through his hair.
"This is fucking insane. Are you trying to tell me that you still have feelings for me? Are you saying you still want to be with me?"
I looked up above the ragged whisper of his words, trying my hardest to pull myself together.
"What I feel or want at this point is insignificant. You made your decision, and I am going to respect that. You should do the same."
Darien sighed and reached out to me.
"Serena, I only chose Trista be-"
I raised my hand to stop him.
"Don't. I don't need to know why you did what you did. As far as I'm concerned she's your wife, and that's all that matters. I don't need your excuses, and I don't need your reasoning. How do you expect me to be around the team, to be around you after everything that's happened?"
Darien sighed and ran a frustrated hand through his hair.
"Everything isn't as it seems Serena. Just remember that. I understand that it will be hard being around me, but don't deprive yourself and your teammates of such an opportunity because of this. You are a ball player. It's who you are, and you can't just turn away from that. It'll make you miserable. I was just trying to aid you in coming to that realization. I still….care deeply for you, and I only want what's best for you."
Taking a deep breathe to calm myself, I turned to face him again.
"Thank you. I appreciate the offer. I…I've still got to think about this. I'll let you guys know in a few days. I've…I've gotta go Darien."
Darien nodded, and I bent to seat in my car.
"For all it's worth. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything I've put you through and for the way things have turned out. I hope that at the end of this, we can at least have some semblance of the friendship we used to have. Like I said, I still care for you Serena; that will never change. I hope you make the right choice."
I nodded, and without sparing him another glance geared my car into reverse and drove off. Why did everything in my life end up so complicated?
Later that evening…
"Mom?"
"In here sweetie."
Pushing the door aside I entered my parents' bedroom. My mother was seated on her bed, her glasses perched on her nose as she read from a novel.
"Serena honey, what a surprise. I didn't expect to see you at home until this weekend. Is everything ok?"
My mother patted down on the bed next to her, and I eagerly accepted her invitation.
"Yeah mom, everything's fine. I just really needed to speak to you about something."
"Of course honey. What's on your mind?"
I placed my head on my mother's thigh, sighing in contentment as I recalled the many times I had laid in the very same spot as a kid.
"I don't know what to do mom."
"Do about what honey?"
I fought not to purr as I felt her fingers gently threading their way through my hair. I quickly reiterated the tale of the president's proposal to my mother, and I smiled as I looked up at her confused gaze.
"I'm not really sure what to say honey. It sounds like a wonderful offer, and you certainly deserve it. I thought you loved basketball. It sounds like a win-win situation to me."
"It's a very good offer, but I'm just not sure if it's the best thing for me right now. You know, I'm so busy with school, and the sorority, and…."
I stopped as I realized my mother's raised eyebrow.
"Serena, you've been a busy body your entire life. I'm sure you would be able to handle all those things no problem. What's this really about honey?"
Darn. It was just like my mother to see right through me, but I needed an outside opinion on the situation.
"I don't know what you're talking about mom."
"Uh huh. I've known you your entire life sweetie. Now what's really going on?"
I shifted uncomfortably beneath my mother's gaze and turned my face to the side. I was met with her worried expression when she gently turned back my face.
"Serena, what's the matter honey?"
"I-I don't know if I can handle being on the team again mom. It's an amazing offer, but I'm just afraid that things will turn out badly."
"Things like what honey? Is there one of the girls that you no longer get along with on the team? What are you worried about?"
I bit my lips and looked away. Should I tell her? Perhaps a watered down version wouldn't hurt…
"."
My mother blinked at me.
"Uh, one more time honey. And a little slower this time."
Taking a deep breath, I tried to slow my racing heartbeat."
"I think…I…I may have feelings for our coach mom."
My mother's face lit up in an amused smile, and I stared back at her in my confusion.
"Is that it honey? These things happen all the time. Why, I remember I had the biggest crush on my homeroom teacher back in high school. He had the cutest butt ever. That's perfectly natural, and that coach of yours is one smoking piece of man if I do say so myself."
"Mom!"
"What? He is!"
We shard a brief laugh, but I quickly sobered up. It felt a lot better knowing that I had shared that aspect of my life with my mother….well sort of.
"I think it's a little more than just a crush mom. I'm just afraid that spending more time around the team and him might….you know, cause those feelings to develop and lead to something I'll regret."
My mother immediately sobered up and connected eye contact with me.
"Honey, did something happen last year that made you uncomfortable? Did he do anything inappropriate?"
The red lights started flashing in my heads. Maybe this had been a bad idea.
"What? No! It's not him, it's me. I…I just don't know if I should do it knowing how I may feel about him."
My mother looked down at me in deep thought.
"Well honey, I have all the confidence in the world that you will be able to resist that temptation if it presents itself. And Coach Shields seems like a very admirable young man. I'm sure you have nothing to worry about. This is an extraordinary offer honey, but I would hate for you to be in an uncomfortable situation. I personally think you will be able to handle those feelings, but only you can truly know the extent for which they run."
I nodded as she ran her hands through my hair. I was feeling a lot better about the situation. Since finding out that Darien had moved on with his wife, I had been really working hard to move on with my life. I knew it would be rough initially, but perhaps with time we could just have the professional relationships he shared with my teammates. Med school was ridiculously expensive, and I would not be receiving a similar offer from anyone else. And I was really curious to see the new recruits that the president had mentioned. It seemed like our school would have a killer squad, and I had to admit that I was a tad excited about that. With my mind made up, I felt a lot better.
Getting on my knees I pulled my mom into a tight hug.
"Thanks mom. You're the best!"
"Of course I am honey. That's what I'm here for. Now, are you hungry? I can heat up some left overs for you."
"Am I ever!"
My mother laughed, and we walked out of the room.
"Still the bottomless pit that you are I see."
"Hey!"
We shared one final laugh as I sat on the kitchen table. I enjoyed the rest of my night with my family, catching up on the happenings of the last week. Everything would be ok. I would be fine.
I called the president's office the following day and informed him of my decision to accept. The semester rolled to a close, and Christmas break got on the way. On the second day of my break, I received a call from one of our team trainers informing me that I would have to come in for sessions during the weekdays of my break to catch up with the rest of the team. I didn't mind at all, and I was just thankful that I did not personally have to work with Darien one on one.
The New Year started, and soon after that my 21st birthday came to pass. After a family dinner with my family, I would be celebrating with the girls. My friends and I were in my room, preparing for an unforgettable night out on the town when the doorbell rang. Raye enthusiastically announced that she would get it, and I stared at her skeptically as she skipped away.
A few seconds later, I got the notion that I was being watched, and I turned to my bedroom door. My breath caught in my throat at the person standing there.
"Seiya! What are you doing here?"
Seiya presented me with his ever charismatic smile and moved in my direction.
"Happy birthday love. Sorry I'm a little late, but you didn't think I'd miss this for the world, did ya?"
AN: So there you go! I always intended to bring in Seiya again, but his appearance was supposed to brief. Someone mentioned bringing him in for a little longer, and after I toyed with the idea I kinda liked it. I'm sorry if you guys aren't too thrilled about Darien's situation, but hey, we've gotta be realistic here! Again, thx for all the help and fantastic ideas! You guys may or may not see some of your suggestions come to life. I'm not telling! So, next chapter…. Serena is now 21, and back on the team...What's up with Darien? Will this professional relationship last? And Seiya's back! It should be interesting…See ya next time. Veggie out!