Accidental Love (Accidental Crush #2) Read online

  ACCIDENTAL LOVE

  (ACCIDENTAL CRUSH BOOK 2)

  Adrienne Torrisi

  All rights reserved.

  Copyright © 2014 by Adrienne Torrisi.

  This is a work of fiction. Any similarity of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the author.

  Book 1: Accidental Crush

  Book 2: Accidental Love

  Cover Design: M. ten Napel

  Editing: C&D Editing

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Chapter 1: State Championship

  Chapter 2: Down Under

  Chapter 3: Change in Plans

  Chapter 4: The Hotel

  Chapter 5: January—First Date

  Chapter 6: February—Valentine’s Day

  Chapter 7: March—Happy Birthday to Me

  Chapter 8: Spring has Sprung

  Chapter 9: The Bird has Landed

  Chapter 10: The Sleepover

  Chapter 11: Prom

  Chapter 12: The Pool

  Chapter 13: Goodbye

  Chapter 14: Something New

  Chapter 15: Revelations

  Chapter 16: Back and Forth

  Chapter 17: Back to Work

  Chapter 18: Today is the Day

  Chapter 19: Fresh Start (sort of)

  Chapter 20: Interesting Encounter

  Chapter 21: A New Kind of Pool

  Chapter 22: Last Day

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  This book is dedicated to all of the readers,

  who asked for more.

  Thank you for the inspiration to continue

  Ashley and Todd's story.

  Chapter 1: State Championship

  The score is tied at seventeen, and the other team has the ball. There are three minutes left on the clock, and we have one time out left.

  My heart is pounding in my chest, my hands are freezing and chapped from the bitter cold, but my palms are clammy from the nervous sweat I can't control. My eyes are glued to the field where I see Todd on the sideline, pacing. He knows the score is too close with too little time left on the clock, and since the other team has the ball, time is not on our side.

  Brian is wearing an oversized headset, which is keeping him in constant communication with his offensive coach up in the box. My brother, Ryan, is right next to him, in deep concentration, looking over the play options with Johnny. His helmet is off while he nervously runs his fingers through his hair.

  I glance over at my best friend, Sid, to see she is feverishly biting her nails. Then I look down the bleachers and can see my mom and dad sitting with Todd and Brian's parents. Just seeing them gives me a small form of comfort and eases my nerves a little bit, a very little bit.

  “The Rockland Raiders have a second and goal with two thirty left on the clock." The announcer's voice screams throughout the stadium.

  We need to stop them.

  I look over at my other best friend, Shane. I'm still the only person who knows that Johnny is more than just the quarterback in this game to him. I haven't seen Shane this invested in a game since his brother, Roger, played. Roger was killed in a car accident last year during his first few weeks of college, and I think, for a while, Shane avoided really watching games because it was too painful.

  Roger was an amazing quarterback and incredible to watch on the field. He was Brian's mentor, and now Brian is doing the same thing for Johnny. The irony is painful when you really think about it, but it's also beautiful, like Roger is really looking over everyone.

  It's scary to think that a little over two weeks ago we were all at the hospital, unsure if Brian would even make it from hour to hour, and now he's standing on the sidelines running the game. I know it's killing him not to actually be out there on the field, yet it's almost as if Johnny is an extension of Brian, at least for this game.

  Maybe it's Roger still looking out for everyone, but Johnny and Ryan had the same connection as Ryan and Brian almost instantly. They can read each other. It might be because Johnny has watched Brian from the sidelines all year, but if I didn't know better, I could swear it was Brian out on the field.

  "Rockland touchdown!" As the announcer's voice echoes through the stadium, the blue and orange half of the crowd erupts.

  Rockland is much closer to the stadium where the State Championship game is played than our school, so it seems like they have double the amount of people here. It feels like our entire town made the five-hour trip—we must have at least two thousand people in our section—but the size of the crowd is dwarfed by the sheer enormity of the stadium. We look like a small dot of black and gold compared to all of the empty seats.

  "And the kick is no good" The announcer's voice rings in my ears. "The Raiders are in the lead, twenty-three to seventeen."

  We need a touchdown to win with two minutes left on the clock.

  As the other team kicks off, Ryan and Johnny put their helmets on and get ready to make their way back out on the field. As soon as they start to play, you can sense their connection.

  Johnny throws a bullet down the field and Ryan leaps up to catch the ball in mid-air. Just as his feet touch the turf, he gets slammed down hard by one of their giant defensive players, but he holds onto the ball.

  That's the other thing; Ryan is like Spider-man. It's almost like he has suction cups stuck to his fingers. No matter how hard he gets hit, the ball always sticks.

  Since he didn't get out of bounds, the clock continues to countdown, so all of the guys hustle to get back in formation.

  I see Johnny glance over at Brian on the sidelines. Coach Willis is letting Brian call the plays as if he was out on the field.

  Before I know it, the ball is soaring through the air again. It's another long one to Ryan, and the Raiders aren't expecting it. Ryan catches it with ease then starts to run. He's on the Raider's forty then their thirty before he gets pummeled by another gigantic behemoth of a person. Somehow, he miraculously gets up.

  I sneak a peek at Todd off to the side, kicking into the net to warm up. I cross my fingers that he gets a chance to kick an extra point, which would mean we got a touchdown and have a shot at winning. However, that shot would be entirely up to Todd. As soon as I realize it, my stomach starts to twist, and I have to wipe the sweat off my palms onto my jeans.

  "It's first and ten for Easthaven, and they are on the Raider's thirty."

  '"Let's go Trojans! First and ten, do it again." The cheerleaders' voices wave through the crowd. I see Gretchen, still in her pink cast, which is a constant reminder of everything we've all gone through.

  My attention is drawn back to the field as Johnny does a fake pass and runs the ball himself, picking up three yards. He's fast, yet the Raiders are an equal match to our talent and they aren't letting us get away with anything. The clock is ticking down, and we need to get somebody out of bounds quick to stop the time.

  The team is back in formation in seconds, but every second counts. Johnny does a sly handoff to Marc Conner, one of the running backs, and he picks up four more yards before getting slammed down. Luckily, he gets out of bounds, so the clock stops with a minute thirty left. This is it. We need to get a first down, or we are pretty much handing the win to the Raiders.

  Brian is deep in concen
tration, zoned in on Johnny. He quickly flashes signs to him in their own non-verbal language—it only means something to them.

  Johnny has the ball. He fakes a hand off then, before I know it, the ball is soaring through the air. Ryan is in the end zone and heavily covered; however, it's an incredible throw; the ball comes right to him. He's mid-air when, out of nowhere, one of the Raider's bulldozes him from the side. He gets slammed down to the ground, looking like a rag doll the way he falls, but he still has the ball!

  "It's a beautiful throw by Johnny Collins, and Ryan Taylor scores a touchdown for Easthaven, tying the score at twenty-three. The Trojans need the extra point to take the lead."

  Our entire side of the stadium erupts. It's a sea of black and gold cheers.

  Ryan is still on the ground. He's not getting up. My heart starts to pound in my ears. Time feels like it's standing still while everyone keeps cheering and screaming in a blur.

  As the referee is calling the trainers over, Ryan still isn't moving. The trainers rush out to the field with Brian right behind them. He's not supposed to be out there, but obviously he doesn't care. The stadium slowly hushes to silence as everyone realizes something is wrong. He should be up by now.

  The Raider who pummeled him is standing over him, and from his body language, it looks like he's saying he's sorry. Brian is kneeling next to Ryan, talking to him, but I can't see Ryan's face because he's still wearing his helmet. All of the other players on the field take a knee, which is the standard protocol for when a player is hurt.

  Every instinct in my body tells me to run down there because something isn't right—he never takes this long to get up—but I know I can't. When I look down at my parents, my mom has her face buried in her hands as she leans into my dad's arm. I know she can't look while my dad can't take his eyes off the field. My parents are used to this, but I know they are just as nervous as me.

  The coach is holding Todd back and talking to him to take his focus off the field. I see the direction of his gaze, though; he can't take his eyes off the commotion, off Ryan. I know he wants to be out there, just as I know Coach is holding him back because he's going to need to go out there in a second and kick to try to win the game with a minute left on the clock.

  When I glance over at Gretchen, Rebecca—aka "Rebecca The Slut"—is holding her hand. No one is moving; the entire stadium is frozen.

  Sidney and Shane are holding my hands. I didn't even feel them grab them. I'm squeezing both of them so tightly I feel my fingernails digging in, but they don't flinch. I can't bring myself to take my eyes off the field, and I don't want to look at either of them because, when I see their worried expressions, it will truly solidify something is wrong.

  In what feels like hours yet could only have been seconds, the trainer shouts to Ryan and holds something under his nose.

  You could hear a pin drop the stadium is so silent.

  Finally, I see Ryan's legs move and then his arms. He tries to sit up immediately, but the trainers stop him.

  I inhale deeply while my heart feels like it starts beating again for the first time. I look at my parents and see relief just from their body language. My dad turns to look back at me with a smile.

  My parents—well, my mom at least—hates that Ryan plays football. My dad says he hates it for my mom's sake; however, I know he secretly loves every second of it and always has. Besides, there is no stopping Ryan if he wants to do something.

  Back down on the field, the trainers are talking to Ryan, asking him questions. I see him responding and moving, thankfully.

  While Todd puts on his helmet, Coach is still talking to him. I'm sure he is psyching him up and trying to take his mind off what's happening on the field, not to mention the fact that the entire game is resting on his shoulders for the win.

  Ryan sits up with the help of the trainers, and I can tell they are trying to convince him to be taken off the field on a stretcher. I'm sure he's refusing since he keeps shaking his head. Finally, they help him up, flanking him on either side, keeping him steady as he walks off the field.

  At this point, the entire crowd stands up and cheers while our side of the bleachers shouts so loudly you'd think we just won the game. People start chanting Ryan's name. When he gives the crowd a thumbs up, I didn't think it was possible, but everyone cheers even louder.

  Our school band starts playing "We Will Rock You," and the adrenaline now pumping on our side is incredible.

  "It looks like Ryan Taylor is okay, thankfully." The announcer's voice cuts through the cheers. "Number 18, Todd Hamilton, is coming out to attempt the extra point."

  As soon as Ryan is on the bench, I see Gretchen try to run over to him, but her coach pulls her back. Whatever she says makes her go back to the rest of the cheerleaders.

  One of the student trainers comes up to get my Dad. That can't be good. My heart sinks a little with nerves, but at this moment, I can't take my focus off Todd. Sid is still squeezing my hand, only this time it’s for her brother. I feel like I'm the one out on the field, about to kick the ball. My heart is pounding so hard I swear you can actually see my sweater move.

  I can't imagine how Todd is feeling at this moment—the entire state championship rests on his shoulders. He's made this kick a million times, and I know this is why they actually practice every day—sometimes twice a day—and it's not just for my pleasure, but at practice, there isn't this much pressure or this many people.

  With everyone back on the field in formation, I want to look away or squeeze my eyes shut, but I can't. I see the release, his little jump, and then the kick. The ball soars through the air and goes right through the uprights.

  "And the kick is good! The score is twenty-four to twenty-three! Easthaven takes the lead with fifty seconds left on the clock."

  I'm screaming so loud I feel like Todd must be able to hear me on the field. Everyone on our side of the bleachers is up on their feet. All the players are patting Todd on the back and giving him bear hugs. Sid, Shane, and I are literally jumping up and down.

  "He did it!" Sid shouts, the pride in her smile saying it all. I know I must be wearing the same exact smile because it's exactly how I feel.

  "We're winning!" Shane sounds as shocked as I feel.

  "It's not over yet." I don't mean to be the Debbie Downer of the group, but I know there's enough time on the clock for the Raiders to do something. The good news is, they don't have any time outs while we have one left.

  We kick off again and it's a nice long one, causing the Raiders to start on their own twenty-yard line. They'll have to go almost the entire distance of the field to score.

  Our defense is ready, playing them tough on each play, but they get enough to get a first down. We need to keep them out of field goal range because that's all they need to win.

  They keep barely making another first down, but they are moving the ball down the field. They are two yards away from being in field goal range when we call a time out.

  I take the opportunity to glance down at the sideline to see how Ryan's doing, only he's not there. My heart drops into my stomach as I instantly look at where my mom was standing a few minutes ago, and she isn't there, either. I feel tears start to well up in my eyes—I'm not sure if it's abandonment or nerves—then I feel my phone buzz.

  Don't worry. I went down with Dad. They are taking R for tests under the stadium.

  Since this is a real-deal stadium, they have major medical facilities in the bowels of it.

  Ok. Did U see him? Is he ok? I text back.

  Yes. Don't worry. Let us know who wins.

  Cheers suddenly distract my attention from my phone, but I can't help wondering if her yes was for 'he's ok' or 'did you see him' or both questions. I'm sure it's nothing; still, I can't shake this worried feeling, especially because she keeps telling me not to worry.

  "They're in field goal range," Sid shouts, and I realize I've completely forgotten where I am for a second.

  "Damn," I say, knowing we may not w
in this game after everything that's just happened.

  There are twenty seconds left on the clock, and instead of calling their kicker out on the field to attempt a field goal, they set up in formation with their QB out on the field. They must be trying to get closer to give the kicker a better chance of making it.

  Their quarterback has the ball, and before I know it, it's soaring through the air. What are they doing?

  That's when I notice their best receiver is in the end zone, and he's wide open. This can't be happening. Why didn't we see this coming?

  Everything is in slow motion. The ball seems to be in the air for ten minutes. One of our defensive players jumps up, his fingertips skim the ball, but it flies past him and lands right in their receiver's hands. This can't be right. I see the catch on replay in my head.

  "What an incredible play! The Raiders win it with a last minute touchdown as time expires!" The announcer's voice slices through my heart. "The score is twenty-nine to twenty-four, and the State Champions are the Rockland Raiders! This is one of the most exciting State Championships I've ever seen! It was right down to the wire and The Raiders win it!"

  I wish he would stop saying that.

  Our entire side of the crowd has gone from pure elation to pure heartbreak in twenty seconds. We all have the same stunned looks on our faces. I feel tears start to well up again, and I don't think I can hold them back this time. I can't believe I care this much.

  My eyes search for Todd in the crowd on the field. Just seeing him makes the tears really start to spill out. He's talking to Brian and Johnny, his head down and his hair soaked with sweat. All three of them look as shocked as I feel. My heart is pounding, my hands are shaking, and I can't control the tears I keep trying to discreetly wipe away. When I feel my phone buzz in my hand, which I forgot I was holding, it's another text from Mom.

  We heard the cheers. Who won?

  They don't know. Ryan doesn't know. My heart sinks even further at that realization. I take a deep breath and type back.