The Beast and His Beauty

Chapter One

Chapter one
Cheers echo through the room, chanting Sawyer's name as we watch him through a television screen.

The Beast, that's what the world calls him and if you saw him right now, you would understand why. He was a beast, ruthless and merciless, doing anything to defend his team.

It was hard to imagine that monster I watched from the tv had once been the man that held me so tenderly. The man that kissed all my worries away.

But that was a long time ago. I have no room in my life for romance anymore. I have sworn off men completely, well, all except one.

I smile down at my beautiful baby boy, Nico, as he cheers for number nineteen, The Beast.

He claps, being sure not to disturb the IV line sticking in his arm.

Papa growls as the other team manages to snag the ball. They didn't stand much of a chance, The Beast right on their tails. He was the best defensive linebacker in the country, every team was practically begging for him to play for them. Every guy wanted to be him and every girl wanted to be with him.

Been there, done that, and I can say it's not as great as it seemed.

I loved, I love, Sawyer with all my heart. I always will. His name is engraved on my heart forever. But the day I stood on the football field, drenched from the rain, mascara running down my face as I watched Sawyer turn his back on me, on us, was the day I realized that happily ever afters don't exist. Because in the end, he chose the game over me. He chose the fame and the money over all that we could have been.  I was not the one for him, as much I wanted to be.

In college I thought I had it all figured out. I was going to marry Sawyer, we would have three kids— two boys and one girl, who would obviously be a daddy's girl. We'd have the perfect white picket fence house and the perfect job.

But as you can see, that dream never came true.

Now, I was divorced, working three jobs just to pay the hospital bills, living in a one bedroom apartment barely big enough to fit me and my son while he got to live out his dream in the big leagues. Not the life I imagined for myself.

But it wasn't all bad, I had Nico, and that was all that mattered. He was the only man I needed in my life.

"Te quida mucho," I whisper in his ear, a phrase that means I love you.

"I love you mommy," he pecks my cheek.

The winner players are interviewed after the game, Sawyer Wright of course being one of them. He was always interviewed, it was a must. He was the guy everyone wanted to see. The rest of his team left in his shadow begging for scraps of his fame.

Sawyer Wrights pans onto the screen, giving the crowd one of his signature breathtaking smiles. A smile I used to wake up to every morning. But I wasn't the one who's waist he was holding, instead, that place belonged to yet another one of the girls pining after him. She was no doubt a supermodel, with legs longer than his and a dress so tight it left nothing to the imagination. She glows, amazed that the Sawyer Wright was holding her. But it wouldn't be for long, a day, two max. He never went for repeats. Hit it and quit it, his life motto. I was his last serious relationship.

"I'm here with the man the world calls The Beast after the Sabors just won yet another game. Championships here they come. The other teams better watch out with Mr.Wright playing," the reporter begins before turning to Sawyer, "How does it feel to be heading to your fifth consecutive championship?"

His grin is cocky, "At this point it's just become a usual Marine," he tells the reporter whose name must be Marine.

She lets out an unenthusiastic laugh, keeping the fake elastic smile stretched on. "And who is this lovely lady?"

Sawyer, clearly not knowing the model's name, allows her to introduce herself.

What a pig.

I laugh gently. Nico stared up at me, wanting to know the source of my amusement. "Isn't Sawyer so cool?" Nico awes at the tv.

"You're not going to be like that, are you Nico?" I ask, begging that my son doesn't become a player.

"Like what?" He stares up at me, his big green eyes soft.

"Dating a new girl every week,"

Nico shakes his head, "He only does that because he is still in love with you Mommy," Nico holds my hand.

I smile, knowing that isn't the case. I had only told Nico the good part of my and Sawyer's relationship. I had skipped over the part where he shattered my heart. I didn't have the heart to ruin the reputation of the man that Nico looked up to, so I told Nico all the good stories, the stories that made Sawyer out to be the hero of our story.

My father scoffs. He was never a fan of Sawyer, practically bragging about it how he was right after Sawyer dumped me. "Papa," I warned, telling him to bite his tongue. I had given him specific instructions that he was not to talk badly about Sawyer in front of my son.

"Ey," Papa shakes his head, "I know, I know,"

My mother on the other hand could, loved Sawyer more than I did. To her, it was my fault that he left me. To her, I had just been a better girlfriend, I wouldn't be broke. But I also wouldn't have Nico. If I could go back, I would do everything exactly the same because it gave me my beautiful baby boy. The light of my life.

I give Nico's hand, which is half the size of mine, a small squeeze. He cuddles into my side, watching the television intently. He hangs on Sawyer's every word, fascinated by him.

Maybe this wasn't the life I would have pictured for myself eight years ago, but it was a perfect life for me, because I had Nico.

A/N
This is my entry for the Golden Writers writing competition !