Marriage with a Hot Sports Star

Chapter 3 - Unrequited Love

Sabrina was still angry about what happened a while ago with Brace. She was asking her best friend, Gina, to go home and spend the rest of the night at her house. But Gina had other plans for her friend. She had seen how the men in the club looked at her friend, and she'd be damned if she would allow her to go home now. Especially when Brace Donovan finally arrived.

Brace has been Sabrina's ultimate crush forever, and she will do her best to get these two together. Gina looked at Brace's table to see if they were looking in their direction. The other guy with him kept glancing at their table and had an apologetic smile.

" Gina, please, can we go home now?" Sabrina whined and cut Gina's thoughts.

" Sab, it's still early, and besides, we have hardly had any drinks yet. Forget about Brace for now and have fun, okay? Don't let him ruin your night, babe." Gina advised Sabrina and motioned for the waiter to take their order.

" I can't believe I let myself get blinded by his looks and mesmerizing eyes when, in reality, he's a self-centered, rude, and arrogant man! I'm telling you, Gin, I will destroy every photo and magazine I have of him when I get home!" Sabrina glared at Brace's back.

" Aw, Sab, maybe you caught him off guard and misunderstood his actions?" Gina reasoned out with her friend.

" No, Gin! We stared into each other's eyes! He held me like a precious gem, but suddenly, he let go like I'm a sack of potatoes. He looked like he had seen a ghost and pushed me aside like I had coronavirus." Sabrina continued with her frustrations.

" You know what? Here, drink this, and then let's get on the dance floor. Forget about Brace. Forget about what happened, and let loose!" Gina shoved the martini glass in Sabrina's hands and forced her to drink everything. She dragged Sabrina into the middle of the dance floor and started grinding.

All eyes were on them. Who in their right mind would not look at the hottest girls in the club? Even Brace's team stared at these two sexy girls dancing on the dance floor.

" Dude, that's the girl you pushed aside a while ago." Tom pointed at the girls and whispered and yelled into Brace's ears.

" What?! Did brace push that f*****g Goddess aside? Brace the lover boy?" Andy asked in disbelief.

" You're kidding, right? Those types of girls are his type. I don't believe you, Tom." Jason shook his head at Tom.

" I am telling the truth, guys. Brace pushed the girl aside when she bumped into him in the hallway. That poor girl was so shocked and hurt," Tom narrated.

" What is wrong with you, man?" Dane asked Brace in disbelief.

" I know those types, and I'm not falling into their trap again. They pretended to bump into me accidentally, play a damsel in distress, and then seduce me. I know those kinds." Brace answered and continued drinking his beer.

" Dude, it wasn't like that. I could see that she was different. Maybe she was surprised to see you here, but I could see that she was innocent. But if she ever had a crush on you before, I believe now she wanted to murder you after what you did." Tom chuckled and looked at the annoyed look of the girl on the dance floor.

She is gorgeous and sexy as hell, and Brace would be f*****g blind if he didn't see that. But there's something about this very intriguing girl. She could be the exact match for Brace Donovan. Tom secretly smiled and looked at the girl dancing with her friend.

They didn't know that Brace was also looking at Sabrina secretly and studying her every move and expression. She did look like she was uncomfortable in that place. Then why the f**k is she here? Tom was right. This woman is f*****g gorgeous and so damn sexy. But he'll be damned if he allows her to manipulate his emotions.

After a while, girls started flocking toward them and flirting with everyone. The boys enjoyed all the attention, which added to Sabrina's rage. She kept glancing at Brace and seeing that he was enjoying the company of the slutty girl. That sealed the deal, and she decided to leave the club.

" Gin, I'm going home. You either stay here or come with me, but I'm going." She declared and left Gina in the middle of the dance floor. Gina rolled her eyes and raised her arms in frustration.

" My God, Sab, wait for me!" She chased Sabrina out of the club.

" What got your panties twisted, girl?" She asked Sab when she finally caught up with her outside.

"I have a headache, Gin. I'm sorry. I'm not used to these kinds of partying anymore. You don't have to come with me. Go and enjoy the rest of the night. I'll take a cab home, alright?" Sabrina urged Gina to stay. She doesn't want to rain on her friend's parade just because she's pissed with Brace Donovan.

" Are you sure, babe? I don't want you to feel alone on your birthday." Gina asked Sabrina with uncertainty.

" I am sure. Now go back inside and have fun. I'll take care of myself; besides, I am not alone. I have my Netflix and my books." Sabrina grinned and assured her friend.

" Okay, call me when you get home, alright? I told you to forget about what happened tonight. You know these celebrities, and they have this sense of entitlement." Gina reprimanded Sabrina.

" I'm over it, babe. To hell with Brace Donovan!" Sabrina said with anger.

Gina laughed and hugged her friend fiercely. She knew her friend was hurt, and Sabrina practically worshipped Brace, but she was disappointed with him. And Gina knows her friend is jealous of those girls getting Brace's attention.

Sabrina got in the taxi and waved at her best friend. She hates to leave her there, but she's not in the mood anymore. It pisses her off to let that oaf get into her nerves. She doesn't even know why she's so angry? Brace Donovan doesn't know her and doesn't owe her an explanation, but his action still hurts her.

On the way to her house, Sabrina couldn't help but reminisce about the first time she laid eyes on Brace. It was her third year at Dallas University, and the dean told her to proceed to the gymnasium to attend the orientation. They had a special speaker that day, and that guest was Brace Donovan.

He was an alumnus at this school, so he got invited to speak and inspire the new students. Sabrina admired not only his looks but his intellect and depth. He shared his experiences and struggles as an athlete and a student. Since then, Sabrina has been following his life and collecting photos of him.

It was also that year that she met her best friend, Gina. Gina knew about her obsession with Brace and even teased her and called her a stalker. She will argue with Gina and tell her that she only admires Brace and is inspired by him. But as years went by, her admiration grew into love.

Her idea of him came crashing down after what he did tonight. She viewed him as a gentle and kind man, but what he did tonight was the opposite of those characters. Maybe it's time to let go of this unrequited love and wake up! She can't keep on holding onto something that never belonged to her in the first place.

It was not Brace's fault that she got hurt, and the man didn't even know of her existence. She got hurt because she placed him on a high pedestal. Maybe her best friend was right. Perhaps he was in a foul mood tonight, and she irritated him even more with her clumsiness.

Whatever it is, she needs to be reasonable and give him the benefit of the doubt. The driver cut her thoughts when he announced that they had arrived at their destination, and she gave him the money and got out of the taxi.

She unlocked her door and went inside. The house has been quiet since her mom stayed at the hospital. She sometimes hated coming home to an empty house, but she had to endure it. Her mom needed treatment and professional supervision. She went into her room and went straight to shower.

After her shower, Sabrina took her treasure box and looked at the photos inside. There were both old and new photographs. She took out a photo of her when she was a baby with her mom. Her mom looked so pretty and happy, unlike now. Her cancer took all the light from her eyes, and she seldom smiled.

Then she took another photo. This time it was a photo of Brace Donovan during his game a few years ago. She was the one who took this picture because she went to this match with Gina. They won that night, and Sabrina was so proud of him. Now she's contemplating whether she should get rid of his photos or not.

Before deciding what to do, her phone rang, and she saw that Gina was calling her. She forgot to call her when she explicitly said to call her when she got home.

" Hey, babe!' Sabrina answered.

" Hey yourself! I was worried when you didn't call. Are you already home?" Gina asked.

" Yes, mom, I'm home." Sabrina teased her best friend.

" Don't give me that tone, little girl. So, have you gotten rid of those photos?" Gina teased her.

" I am deciding on it, but you interrupted me," Sabrina answered.

" Well, get on with it then, but let me give you some advice. Most of those photos are priceless. We spent thousands of money and precious time just to get those pictures. You had better think hard and long, Sabrina. I know how important those photos are for you. Those photos have helped you many times in the past years, especially during your mom's episode." Gina reminded her.

" Do not let one incident ruin the memory you have of him. You have loved this guy for years now, Sab. Give him a chance." Gina continued.

" Gin, you know that it's impossible. We both know that I am chasing a lost dream. Yes, I was in love with him at one point in my life, but I must wake up. What happened tonight was one big wake-up call for me. He doesn't know me, Gin, and he doesn't know I exist. I realized how different our worlds were when I stared into his eyes." Sabrina confessed to her best friend.

" I mean, who was I kidding? Brace Donovan would never notice a girl like me. We are poles apart, and I know that now. I will put an end to this obsession and forget about him. I'll keep these photos only because they are memorable, and maybe one day I will be able to give them to him."

" God, Sabrina. How could you put yourself down like that? You are the most beautiful, honest, and the kindest girl I've ever known, and any man would be so lucky to have you. Why don't you rest tonight and stop worrying? If you are destined, the universe will find a way to make you two meet and be with each other." Gina declared.

" Haha, that was hilarious, Gina. The universe has nothing to do with my feelings for Brace. Alright, girl, I'm hanging up now. I need to be at the bake shop early tomorrow. You take care of yourself and don't get too drunk, do you hear?" Sabrina said.

" Yes, mother!" Gina teased.

" Goodnight, Sab. Dream about your Prince Charming tonight."

" Goodnight, Gin. Be safe!" They said their goodbyes and cut the call.

Sabrina put the photos inside the box and put them under her bed. Only her best friend and mom know about those photos, which should stay that way.