The Keeper

Owen - Fourteen

Waking up my body is sore, not the sore after playing a whole game but, a good sore from a night of showing Zoey how much I love her body. My mind drifts the evening of screaming each other's names over and over. The way our bodies form one, as if we were made for each other.

I slap my arm over the bed to feel for Zoey, the side is empty. "Babe!!!" I shout loud to the room. "Zoey!" Shouting again—No response. She then appears in the doorway from the living room area. Her face has a upset look on it. Upset and on the verge of tears. I leap out of bed. "Hey, hey....what's wrong? Is it Sadie?" I go to touch her arms and she takes a large step back shaking her head violently side to side. "Zoey, you're scaring me. What is it?" Her hand is trembling as she flashes the screen of her phone to me. A news article with my photo stares at me. Next to my photo is a photo of a women cradling her stomach.

"Owen Williams daddy to be again. Looks like his daughter has a sibling on the way. Two baby mamas."

"What the fuck is this? Owen, you better tell me right now. Who is that?" She manages to say between her tears, which have turned into pure rage. "Baby I really have no clue. This is a lie. I don't even know that person." She grabs the phone out of my hands and starts to throw her stuff in her bag. Her arms are frantic as she tries to grab everything. I'm almost positive she grabs a sheet from the bed. "So, I'm just a baby mama then?" She will be just that, she is so much more. She is the reason I want to breathe, she is the reason I want to wake up each day, she is the reason for it all.

I attempt to turn her to face me and she yanks free, putting space between us again. "Zoey...let me call Jed. This is fake. I promise you. There has been no-one since you." I pull my phone out as it is ringing, fifteen missed calls, twenty texts from Jed. "Jed, what in the actual fuck!" He begins screaming "Tell me this isn't true. Fuck, Owen!" — "Jed, I don't even know that women's name?" I watch as Zoey is still throwing her shit in the bag. "Deb Stevens" I sit on the bed gripping my phone firmly.

I don't even know Deb. "Who is Deb?" Then my brain remembers her crazy eyes, "Fuck! Deb is a fan who is always waiting for me at the gates. It's been a year since I've seen her." He starts to click away on his keyboard in background, and shouting to whoever is there. "Give me thirty I'll call back."

I toss my phone down. "Zoey please look at me" I reach to grab her arm softly. "What!" She screams. Her tone scares me. I have never seen her this angry. "The woman in that photo is a fan. I haven't seen her in a year. And I swear to god I have never slept with her. I haven't even touched her. You know you're the only one in years!" She lets me touch her hand, her touch calms me down. Her hand slips out of mine. "Owen...I don't know that. We just reconnected, this is too much. We need to take a beat." she pauses and closes her bag. Her face is breaking my heart. She looks so broken, so upset, so heartbroken. I caused this, the story may be false but, I am the cause of this. "Can you have Seth take me home." — "Sure. Let me pack up." Her head shakes "Alone" my heart crumbles on the floor into a million pieces. "Ok." I text Seth. "He will be out in twenty." Her nods.

"Can we please discuss this?" I am literally begging at her feet "Not now. I need time, please give me that." I give her a nod, I flop my head into my hands. Why is this happening? Zoey is moving around the room with just anger. Stomping in and out of the bathroom. The sound of a zipper startles me. My eyes rise and meet hers. I want to grab her, and hold her down. Refuse her to leave this room without us discussing this. I know that would back fire on me and make it worse. I cannot lose her or Sadie. My life will mean nothing without them.

My eyes track her body as she opens the door and it slams shut, without saying a word. Letting out a groan I grab the nearest thing to me which happens to be a pillow I chuck it across the room. My phone rings once "Jed! What is happening?" —"Deb came forward saying you are the father of her child. She went into detail of when and where you supposedly made this child. Owen, we need to release statement." "Jed, I have never been alone with this woman. I swear it. Can we prove this somehow?" Jed proceeds to tell me we could offer to pay for DNA test, he doesn't think she would go for it but, we could try. I eagerly agree to that. Jed says he will deal with that, and he will be in Utah tonight and we will go over it all in person.

Sitting alone in this room, I wonder how I can go from being so happy to so lonely. I'm a matter of minutes my world came crashing down like a building being demolished. This hurts worse than when I walked in my apartment years ago, to see clothes on my floor, chairs and down the hall. When I heard moans coming from my damn room. When I saw my wife riding someone else in our bed. For some reason this feels a thousand times worse. Zoey's face will forever be etched into my brain. The face of a woman broken. I need to fix this.

Me: Zoey, can you please tell me you made it home.
Me: Zoey please.
Me: Please.

Getting no answer I call Seth. "Hi Boss. She was just dropped off at her Aunt and Uncles. I saw the article." — "Thank you. I'll be in touch. I don't need you to come get me I have a car coming." He says goodbye.

Zoey: I am with Sadie and my family.
Me: Good. Can I come to you?
Zoey: I need space.
Me: Jed is coming tonight we will handle this. Please believe me when I say I love you.

She doesn't answer that last text.

When I get home there is no Sadie or Zoey, Jed sitting at the table, Joleen next to him and Coach Clawson as well. Fuck. Joleen is yelling at Jed, what's new. "Hi." I plop down into the chair. "Please tell me you are handling this Jed." He pinches his nose and let's out a long sigh. "I have been in touch with her lawyer. She is refusing the test. Which I expected. Especially since she is lying." I lift my head. "I believe you. I checked into the timeline and it doesn't match up. You weren't in California at the time she says you had sex." — "Thank you. So what's the next step? I need to fix this with Zoey." He slide a paper across the table. A script of what I need to say to the public. Grabbing the paper, I walk to the fridge as I read the script. It looks good, basically laying it all out and telling my truth. "Ok let's set it up then." Coach walks with me into the kitchen. "Son, you need to fight for her. She and Sadie need you." — "She won't talk to me." The water feels cold sliding down my throat. "Make her." Coach pats me on the back and leaves.

Make her? How I am going to make her? Jed informs me the press will be at the stadium in two hours. Joleen follows me into my room. "Owen?" I don't stop as I enter my closet. "Owen!" Her voice louder. I turn to face her. "You need to prove to her you aren't who this woman is making you sound like." Facing my suits again "I need her Jo. She and Sadie are my whole entire world. Nothing means anything without them. Nothing. I would give it all away...." Joleen pushed me gently aside and starts picking out a suit for me. "I need her. I need them." Joleen takes the navy blue suit, cream dress shirt, and pale green tie into my room. The tie reminds me of Sadie's eyes. I follow like a school boy following his teacher.

"I will make sure she is there today. You worry about the conference and I will worry about her." I wrap her in my arms and place a kiss on her head. "Thanks Jo."

Before I shower I call her one more time. Straight to voicemail. Text it is.

Me: Zoey, I am fixing this. You and Sadie come first. This can't break us. I love you. Give Sadie a kiss for me.
Me: Please. I love you.

.:read:.