‹ Prequel: Safe Zone
Status: Sequel to Safe Zone
Crash Into Me
Chapter Two
{Matt’s Point of View}
The large gym was roaring as the tiny eight and nine year olds ran back and forth on the old basketball court. It was crazy to think I had an eight, almost nine-year-old son playing one of my favorite sports.
“Run, River! Run!” I shouted from the top of the bleachers. River was good at every sport that he tried, basketball especially. My sweet six-year-old, Cash on the other hand was musically inclined. He would play the drums until we went and physically stopped him. It made me proud whenever I saw him learning on his own and jamming behind the same drums Jimmy played on.
“Hey, sorry I’m late. How’s he doing?” Val asked after climbing up the bleachers and pardoning herself from stepping on people. This was her normal behavior now. Always late, and sometimes never even showing up. Val blames it on her job. I don’t believe it.
“He’s doing good. Tried to make a shot but 36 over there is an awesome defensive player,” I huffed, shaking my head as Val instantly pulled out her phone and stuck her nose in it, “What’s so interesting on there that you need to miss River’s last game of the season?”
“Work, babe. I know you were lucky enough to do your career before the boys, but I don’t have that pleasure. It has to be done,” She rolled her eyes before looking back down at the large iPhone.
“I’m going to go get River a Gatorade. You want anything?” I asked, while she just waved me off with her hand. I wanted to rip the phone out of her hand and through it to the visitor’s side, “Cash, you coming?” The tall blonde haired boy looked up from his IPod that showed a drum tutorial on the screen.
“Yeah,” He answered standing up and leading the way down the bleachers, “Can I get some candy?”
“Yeah, here. Go get Bub a Gatorade and you something. Just get me a water. I’m going to run to the bathroom,” I handed Cash some money and split to the opposite side to the restrooms.
Just as quickly as I went in, I came out. Cash stood by the bathroom door with his hands full, “Thanks, Cash-o-la.”
“Is the game almost over?” Cash asked, tired from the early morning tournament games.
“Yeah, I think there is like ten minutes left. I think we’re going to go out to eat after this. How about you pick?” I tried to negotiate, knowing the six-year-old was bored. I roughed up his hair with my fingers. Cash wasn’t at the same ‘leave-me-alone’ stage as River was and I was thankful that he still loved me.
River sat in the front seat of my jeep, while Cash sat in the back. They were both singing along to a song on the radio, while I zoned out.
My mind wondered as to why Val was so adamant to not join us for a celebratory dinner for River’s victory against the best team in Huntington.
“Dad, is Mom going to be at the house?” River asked as I stopped at the red light.
“I don’t know Bub,” I answered in all honesty.
“Oh okay.”
The light turned green, so I began to accelerate trying to ignore my son’s disappointment. As I continued to drive down the back roads to our house I watched a brunette jog down the sidewalk.
Ever since we moved to our new house, we had seen tons of runners and cyclist. It was quite annoying especially since they were your basic rich snobs. They basically went publicly running just to show off their expensive workout attire.
I sighed loudly as another light turned red. The brunette made it to the corner after we had sat there for a minute. She pressed the crosswalk button and then bent over to touch her toes, I assumed to stretch.
Of course, the roundness of her bottom caught my attention but what kept me sitting through a green light was the small red heart on her hip, “No way.”
Quickly, I pulled over to the curb getting a couple of honks from others catching her attention too. I opened my door, legally parked now, and climbed out.
“Nope,” Katy grunted from behind her heavy breathing. She shook her head, then turned on her heel making her way back where she just came from. I wanted to run after her, but the boys were in the jeep waiting for me.
Defeated, I walk back to my jeep and drive home…
Now my mind was going a hundred different ways. What was she doing back in California? Were her and Brett back together? Where was our child while she was out? Was that even her? Or was I seeing things?
We pulled up to our home and the boys immediately evacuate my jeep. I pull my phone out and began to social media stalk.
Katy Reed pulled up instantly from my search. There were a few others but my eyes sat on a goofy photo of her and Charlie sticking their tongues out for a selfie.
I checked on her Facebook at least every three months, just to see the progress of Charlie as she grew.
The profile loaded and I began to read the wall content.
Praying for safe travels to California and a miraculous work in your Grandfather. Let me know if I can do anything for you! Tell Charlie I said ‘hi’ and that Eli misses his school buddy!
I knew I wasn’t crazy, thanks to Vanessa Velasquez. A grin grew on my face as I looked up from my phone, then it faded. She wanted absolutely nothing to do with me. I mean if the four years of absolutely no communication didn’t say that enough already, but it hurt to make physical eye contact with her and she reject me.
Val and I headed to a local restaurant to meet up with Brian and Michelle for a double date. Afterwards our plans were to head out to one of the popular night clubs for Brian’s birthday.
“Bye boys. We love you be good for Grumpy and Mawmaw,” I waved out the window of Val’s car at our two son’s shooting hoops on mine and Amy’s old goal.
“Okay, dad.” River shouted too cool to confess his love to us, but still signed the ‘I love you’ in sign language towards us before taking a shot. It had become a signal in our family.
“Bye mom! Bye dad. I love you!” Cash proudly exclaimed chasing the bouncing orange ball.
“We made some awesome kids, ya know?” I smiled watching them from my spot in the passenger side, as we drove off.
“There is no doubt about that. They are wonderful,” Val agreed leaning up to see if she was good to turn right on red, “Wish we would’ve had a girl, just to see what she would look like. But I’m happy with our two boys. Keeps me on my toes,” Val leaned back, briefly looking over at me then back at the road.
“No kidding,” Is all that came out, because I did have a daughter and she was very beautiful. Val though was very good at forgetting about the whole ordeal and even about me having another kid, or at least she played it off well.
Just about that time we drive by Katy’s parents and I see a small girl riding a scooter with a brunette pushing her. I knew that brunette was Katy so I watched careful so Val wouldn’t grow suspicion.
With the sun setting it made a beautiful portrait of my other family I’d never be apart of…
The large gym was roaring as the tiny eight and nine year olds ran back and forth on the old basketball court. It was crazy to think I had an eight, almost nine-year-old son playing one of my favorite sports.
“Run, River! Run!” I shouted from the top of the bleachers. River was good at every sport that he tried, basketball especially. My sweet six-year-old, Cash on the other hand was musically inclined. He would play the drums until we went and physically stopped him. It made me proud whenever I saw him learning on his own and jamming behind the same drums Jimmy played on.
“Hey, sorry I’m late. How’s he doing?” Val asked after climbing up the bleachers and pardoning herself from stepping on people. This was her normal behavior now. Always late, and sometimes never even showing up. Val blames it on her job. I don’t believe it.
“He’s doing good. Tried to make a shot but 36 over there is an awesome defensive player,” I huffed, shaking my head as Val instantly pulled out her phone and stuck her nose in it, “What’s so interesting on there that you need to miss River’s last game of the season?”
“Work, babe. I know you were lucky enough to do your career before the boys, but I don’t have that pleasure. It has to be done,” She rolled her eyes before looking back down at the large iPhone.
“I’m going to go get River a Gatorade. You want anything?” I asked, while she just waved me off with her hand. I wanted to rip the phone out of her hand and through it to the visitor’s side, “Cash, you coming?” The tall blonde haired boy looked up from his IPod that showed a drum tutorial on the screen.
“Yeah,” He answered standing up and leading the way down the bleachers, “Can I get some candy?”
“Yeah, here. Go get Bub a Gatorade and you something. Just get me a water. I’m going to run to the bathroom,” I handed Cash some money and split to the opposite side to the restrooms.
Just as quickly as I went in, I came out. Cash stood by the bathroom door with his hands full, “Thanks, Cash-o-la.”
“Is the game almost over?” Cash asked, tired from the early morning tournament games.
“Yeah, I think there is like ten minutes left. I think we’re going to go out to eat after this. How about you pick?” I tried to negotiate, knowing the six-year-old was bored. I roughed up his hair with my fingers. Cash wasn’t at the same ‘leave-me-alone’ stage as River was and I was thankful that he still loved me.
_____________________________
River sat in the front seat of my jeep, while Cash sat in the back. They were both singing along to a song on the radio, while I zoned out.
My mind wondered as to why Val was so adamant to not join us for a celebratory dinner for River’s victory against the best team in Huntington.
“Dad, is Mom going to be at the house?” River asked as I stopped at the red light.
“I don’t know Bub,” I answered in all honesty.
“Oh okay.”
The light turned green, so I began to accelerate trying to ignore my son’s disappointment. As I continued to drive down the back roads to our house I watched a brunette jog down the sidewalk.
Ever since we moved to our new house, we had seen tons of runners and cyclist. It was quite annoying especially since they were your basic rich snobs. They basically went publicly running just to show off their expensive workout attire.
I sighed loudly as another light turned red. The brunette made it to the corner after we had sat there for a minute. She pressed the crosswalk button and then bent over to touch her toes, I assumed to stretch.
Of course, the roundness of her bottom caught my attention but what kept me sitting through a green light was the small red heart on her hip, “No way.”
Quickly, I pulled over to the curb getting a couple of honks from others catching her attention too. I opened my door, legally parked now, and climbed out.
“Nope,” Katy grunted from behind her heavy breathing. She shook her head, then turned on her heel making her way back where she just came from. I wanted to run after her, but the boys were in the jeep waiting for me.
Defeated, I walk back to my jeep and drive home…
Now my mind was going a hundred different ways. What was she doing back in California? Were her and Brett back together? Where was our child while she was out? Was that even her? Or was I seeing things?
We pulled up to our home and the boys immediately evacuate my jeep. I pull my phone out and began to social media stalk.
Katy Reed pulled up instantly from my search. There were a few others but my eyes sat on a goofy photo of her and Charlie sticking their tongues out for a selfie.
I checked on her Facebook at least every three months, just to see the progress of Charlie as she grew.
The profile loaded and I began to read the wall content.
Praying for safe travels to California and a miraculous work in your Grandfather. Let me know if I can do anything for you! Tell Charlie I said ‘hi’ and that Eli misses his school buddy!
I knew I wasn’t crazy, thanks to Vanessa Velasquez. A grin grew on my face as I looked up from my phone, then it faded. She wanted absolutely nothing to do with me. I mean if the four years of absolutely no communication didn’t say that enough already, but it hurt to make physical eye contact with her and she reject me.
_______________________________
Val and I headed to a local restaurant to meet up with Brian and Michelle for a double date. Afterwards our plans were to head out to one of the popular night clubs for Brian’s birthday.
“Bye boys. We love you be good for Grumpy and Mawmaw,” I waved out the window of Val’s car at our two son’s shooting hoops on mine and Amy’s old goal.
“Okay, dad.” River shouted too cool to confess his love to us, but still signed the ‘I love you’ in sign language towards us before taking a shot. It had become a signal in our family.
“Bye mom! Bye dad. I love you!” Cash proudly exclaimed chasing the bouncing orange ball.
“We made some awesome kids, ya know?” I smiled watching them from my spot in the passenger side, as we drove off.
“There is no doubt about that. They are wonderful,” Val agreed leaning up to see if she was good to turn right on red, “Wish we would’ve had a girl, just to see what she would look like. But I’m happy with our two boys. Keeps me on my toes,” Val leaned back, briefly looking over at me then back at the road.
“No kidding,” Is all that came out, because I did have a daughter and she was very beautiful. Val though was very good at forgetting about the whole ordeal and even about me having another kid, or at least she played it off well.
Just about that time we drive by Katy’s parents and I see a small girl riding a scooter with a brunette pushing her. I knew that brunette was Katy so I watched careful so Val wouldn’t grow suspicion.
With the sun setting it made a beautiful portrait of my other family I’d never be apart of…