Scott looked over at Abi and smiled.

Nothing was funny about this situation, but he had to laugh at the opportunity that fate had dished his way.

Fate, karma, life, coincidence.

Whatever it was, he was grateful for it.

He’d been thinking about her for a while, now -- even before he’d found out about the wedding.

From time to time, she had crossed his mind purely because he’d had his longest relationship with her. Scott knew he took absolute advantage of her and that he’d been a complete asshole to allow her to leave the way she did.

He knew that now (or rather a few years back when reality began to sink in). His grandfather always told him that one day the fast, reckless way of life would catch up with him and that he’d burn out from it.

The old man couldn’t have been more right. Fortunately, nothing bad had happened as such. It was simple, really, and began with the news of his friend and teammate -- Gale Montgomery, the infamous Gladiators quarterback -- getting married. This was a guy who Scott saw with one woman after another and preached that he’d never settle down. But, yet, he’d found one woman who could change his mind and change his ways.

Who was even worse was Josh Mancini, whose wedding to his former assistant took place at the end of last summer. That guy used to be the poster boy for womanizing, and, yet, like Gale, he’d found one woman who could change him -- and Josh had one hell of a change to make.

Scott couldn’t have been more shocked and surprised at the two of them. It was all good stuff, and he was happy for them both, but the whole occurrence was something that flagged itself to him. It made him question his own life.

It made him think about the one woman who’d been good to him, the one woman he could remotely classify as the kind of person that he’d want to be serious about. There was just one massive problem: He’d ruined his chances with Abigail Winters, singeing any hope with her to within an inch of its life.

Right now, his car felt colder than Antarctica with the coldness the said woman was giving him and the icy, emotionless glances she occasionally threw his way.

Abi did not want him. She hated being in his car, and she was most probably calculating an alternate route to Phoenix.

It was her love for Margo that made her decide to go with him. He knew she wanted to get to her as quickly as possible and, honestly, while he was worried about his sister, he admittedly took advantage of the situation to spend some time with Abi. Scott knew he had no chance in hell, but that didn’t mean he’d turn away an opportunity for her company.

He looked over at her, reserved form sitting next to him in his Range Rover. She was looking through the window, watching the scenery as they drove by. Her hands were clasped on top of her purse, which was the same peach color as her long, perfectly-manicured nails. As the wind picked up, she tucked a wayward strand of her light brown hair behind her ear. It reminded him of warm, liquid caramel, and it looked just as smooth, too. Her hair and her large green eyes were a perfect combination. Her eyes were the first thing he had noticed that night he’d first met her. He’d thought they were beautiful with their olive green shade and specks of brown that made them unique.

It was amazing how that night had always stayed in his mind. The three nights with her that he remembered the best were the night he met her, the night he first made love to her, and the night she left him.

That last memory was the worse.

“Do you think Gale believed you?” he asked breaking the silence.

“Yeah,” she answered without looking at him.

Before they left, they had gone back to the lobby to speak to Gale. Scott didn’t think Gale believed Abi for one second about Margo being delayed, and then he got this uneasy look about him when he tried to comment, and Scott asked him if he was okay. There was something amiss, here, and the only person who knew what was going on was his beautiful ex who was sitting next to him.

“He didn’t look like he did. How come you didn’t tell him Margo was stuck in Phoenix?” He’d guessed that Margo had asked her not to, but the question was ‘why.’

“I told him enough.” Again, she didn’t look at him.

He glanced across at her as they stopped for a traffic light. Wow, she was definitely hell-bent on ignoring him.

Scott smiled as the Cranberries came on the radio and started singing “Turn Away.” Abi loved the Cranberries, and he knew she loved this song, in particular.

He drove across the lane when the lights changed, moving into the fast one. As much as she didn’t want to talk, he was determined to get her to warm up to him.

“Do you remember this song?” He looked over at her again.

“No,” she said, a little too quickly.

He couldn’t resist the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. She remembered the song, alright. It was one of her choosing, and she loved playing it when they made love.

“Are you sure?” he teased. “I seem to remember you loving this song. A lot.”

She turned around and glared at him. “I don’t remember the song, Scott. Please stop pestering me.”

“Pestering?” he laughed. “Babydoll, come on.” That was what he used to call her when they were together because she’d reminded him of one of Margo’s dolls she used to play with when she was younger. Petite, beautiful, and delicate with creamy, smooth skin which always glistened in the sun. “I haven’t seen you in all of six years, and you think I’m pestering you? Look how nice I’ve been, too.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Scott, considering what happened at our last meeting, I wonder what you could have expected,” she retorted with cold sarcasm.

“God, what happened?” He clutched his chest. “It sounds serious. Baby, was I drunk? You know better than to talk to me when I’ve had a few.” He was trying, really going all out to feign innocence, but she wasn’t buying it. He was teasing her, anyway, still trying to get her to loosen up.

“I’m not going to even answer that. If you think me breaking up with you is something to joke about, then that’s says everything.” The critical tone in her voice was evident.

Okay maybe joking about it wasn’t the best thing. “I don’t think it was a joke.”

“You could certainly fool me.” She met him with accusing eyes.

“I just want you to talk to me. Without the scowl.” He chuckled as she scowled even more. “I missed you.”

She turned back to the window, but he did see the slight hint of pink flush her cheeks on hearing his words.

“Did you miss me?”

“No.” She bit the inside of her lip and tossed her hair over her shoulder casually as if she really didn’t care at all.

“Ouch. Don’t lie. I missed our Saturday walks in the park, and date nights when you’d make me a Mexican feast if we didn’t go out. I miss you laughing anytime someone said the word ‘rat.’ Hey, remember that time when you nearly died laughing when you saw a host of rats escaping from a science lab?”

“Not so much.” Her dark brows slanted in a frown.

This was fruitless. He was going in for the general everyday stuff, but she wasn’t budging. What he missed most about her was how she made him feel. He could be comfortable around her, and he never had to try to impress her. He also missed her body. To annoy her, he rested his hand on her thigh and she smacked him, swatting him away.

“Abi, come on.” He smiled and playfully leaned in to kiss her when he stopped at another traffic light.

Now she slapped him in his face. “What is wrong with you?”

“Ouch! Damn, I just wanted a kiss,” he said, poking her in the waist where she was ticklish.

She tried not to laugh and scowled at him again.

“You are so weird.”

“Okay, so would you rather we sit in silence for the whole journey?” The journey would have taken up to ten hours, depending on traffic. Scott wasn’t sure if he could stand it, especially since he was used to her being bubbly and a lot livelier than this.

“Did you have something else you needed to talk about?” Her tone was very businesslike. It was the kind of tone you’d expect to hear when you called a customer services department.

“How are you?” He kept his gaze on her.

He knew she’d made a lot of changes to her life with her move to New York. Margo had told him that Abi was doing really well with her work in advertising. It didn’t surprise him because she was always good at whatever she put her mind to.

“I’m fine. Really good. You?”

Well, at least she asked.

“Good. I’m good. And work?”

“Fantastic. Going to New York was the best thing I ever did.”

There was undoubtedly a double-edged meaning to that answer. He was certain she included leaving him in that mix too. H

e couldn’t blame her. Scott was an asshole. Most of the guys on the team were; being on the team seemed to come with the personality. He should have never been with a sweet girl like Abi, but it was her sweetness that drove him to her in the first place -- like a damn predator to prey. But he wasn’t the kind of guy who should have had a girlfriend.

Scott had wanted to cheat on her so many times that he’d lost count. For a majority of the time they were together, he saw her as a hindrance more than his girlfriend. As much as he’d wanted to cheat, though, he could never bring himself to do it. Instead, he treated her like she was some kind of burden on him -- a damn drag that stopped him from having sex with the host of women who congregated to worship him.

He all but rejoiced when she said she was leaving him, and, within five minutes of her leaving, he dragged that redhead that had secured herself to his lap off to his car where he practically devoured her. And the redhead wasn’t the only one that night.

He’d been a fool, and, as Abi held his gaze now, shame filled him. That night was the last time he saw her. It was the reason for the coldness she gave him.

She looked away again, and he returned his focus to the road.

“Is it safe for me to ask why Margo’s stuck in Phoenix, or do I have to drag it out of you?” he asked.

Charm. It was the one asset that never let him down. He could charm his way into anything and use it to melt most women. At one point, he’d been able to melt Abi.

“I’m certain if she wants you to know, she’ll call you.” She’d resumed her disregard of him and kept her focus outside.

He laughed. “Wow is this seriously how we’re going to be, Babydoll?”

She cut him a crude glance. “Scott, some things are private. I’m simply accompanying you for the convenience of the lift and a quicker route to my friend. Please don’t ask me anything else.”

He smiled and looked at her as they stopped for the traffic lights. “So, what happened? Is Gale in trouble? I reckon she ran away or something.” Yup, he was totally ignoring the warning, much to her dismay.

She adjusted herself so that she could face the window more, and ignore him, but he knew how to get under her skin.

“That’s a better view of your sweet ass.”

That did the trick. Quickly, she shuffled around again and scowled at him. “What is your problem, Scott?”

“What? I don’t know what you mean, baby. If your ass is fine, it’s fine. I’m just telling you.” He laughed at her and ran his gaze back to the side of that sweet ass he remembered so well. There were several favorite parts to love on her.

On that thought, his eyes went to her full, very hefty breasts that looked even more defined against the slimness in her waist and hips. He’d noticed straightaway that her body looked more toned, as if she worked out, which he guessed she must have.

“My God, Scott, could you be any more of a pervert?” She looked completely appalled.

“It’s not my fault you look the way you do.” He chuckled and looked away.

“You are so annoying.” She opened her little purse and searched around inside. She then pulled out a bottle of Tylenol and popped two out.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“Migraine, thanks to the blockheaded jock sitting next to me.” She put the tablets in her mouth and swallowed them.

“Doll, you should seriously have water with that, and food.”

“I’m fine.” She raised her hand to her head and winced.

He had an idea. Scott pulled off the main road and careened down towards the intersection. It was early. He’d wanted to get to the hotel as early as possible so skipped breakfast, something he never normally did -- especially now that he was supposed to be getting himself back in shape and in routine to start training for the new season.

This morning he slept through his alarm and woke up an hour later than planned.

“Scott, where are we going? This is heading into town.” She looked about them.

“Breakfast. I’m taking you to breakfast,” he answered firmly and pretended not to notice the look of disdain she threw his way.

“What? No, we need to get Margo.”

“Doll, Margo is fine where she is. There’s no way we’re driving for more than half a day on empty. Have you eaten yet?”

She sighed with frustration. “I haven’t. We can’t stay long.”

“We stay as long as we need. You know breakfast is the most important meal of the day. We have to keep that fine body of yours in good condition,” he chuckled.

Her shoulders slumped. “Scott, if this is how you’re going to be on this trip, it would definitely be best for me to hire a car.”

He raised his hands into a shrug and laughed.

They continued down the road for about five minutes until they saw a diner.

This would do. 

"How about here?" He leaned into her shoulder and smiled. 

"Yeah, sure." 

He parked up close to the entrance, and they got out. Inside was mostly empty, except for a few truckers in the corner. 

One of them zoned in on Abi, locking his eyes on her. He looked her up from head to toe. Scott instinctively thought to put his arm around her, to claim her, but he had to remind himself that she wasn't his. 

The man, however, didn't seem like he would have cared one way or the other. His eyes were peeled to Abi. Looking at her with smug delight and satisfaction. 

She noticed and seemed uncomfortable with the way he stared.

Seeing the awkward look on her face, Scott placed his arm around her anyway as they walked towards the opposite corner. He was amazed when she didn't protest or make any comment. 

They sat in the last booth opposite each other. 

Scott glanced across at the man and saw that he was still staring. He looked like a fool ready to start trouble. 

Clearly, he didn’t recognize Scott. Most people around San Francisco and LA tended to recognize him straightaway, if not from football then at least from an ad or promo. He’d already done roughly ten photo shoots, one of which was for a Calvin Klein ad he actually saw on a billboard on the way here. He was happy Abi hadn’t seen it. It probably would have added to her sour mood of his presence.

Abi’s cheeks colored fiercely as the man continued to stare, and that look of discomfort filled her face again. 

Scott didn’t know what came over him, or what pissed him off more -- the fact that this idiot had overlooked him and dismissed him as non-threatening or the way he was looking at Abi.

“Hey, can I help you with something?” Scott balked at the man, startling him. He twisted around so the other two who were with the guy could see his face.

At least they looked cautious, wary of him, but the guy just looked like this was some kind of joke.

“Wise guy! I’m talking to you,” Scott added.

“Nothing, man. Just chill,” the guy replied with a smile that even Scott had to describe as creepy.

“Okay, well if you eye-fuck my woman one more time, it’ll be the last you use your eyes.” Scott had a temper on him that couldn’t be tamed, and when it came to using it, he didn’t hold back.

It was great on the field. In the real world, not so much. However, in times like this, he didn’t think he could be blamed if he had to scare a guy or two.

The guy across from him didn’t look scared, but he at least seemed to get the message. He turned to face his colleagues who had gone silent.

Feeling satisfied with the effect, Scott turned back to face Abi and immediately took in the look of wordless surprise on her face.

“What?” he asked, not sure if it was a good surprised look or if he’d just made her mad.

“You-- What if he came over here and started something?” As she spoke, he realized she wasn’t mad at him. If anything, she was grateful and was trying not to show it.

“Really, Abi, you’ve seen me on the field, and you know I’m not a man to be trifled with.”

“And since when am I your woman?” she laughed. It was the first time he’d heard that laugh in years. A soft and gentle full-hearted sound that rippled through the air. It was the kind of laugh that could make anyone feel instant happiness.

“You’re welcome, Babydoll.” He smiled at her, and she shook her head.

“Thank you.” She smiled, revealing her perfect white teeth. It was a genuine smile, too -- the one Scott remembered from the girl who used to love him.

As the waitress came over to take their orders, he couldn’t help but focus on that smile.

It seemed like this was definitely going to be one interesting day.