Dedicating this chapter to aarthi1897, thank you for being such a great & supportive fan. I really appreciate all your votes, comments. :) Do check out her books :)

Still dedicating to my awesome readers to show how grateful I'm to you all. :)

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CHAPTER - 27

IT GOES ON

 "In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on." - Robert Frost

The Present

Adrenaline rushed through my veins as I watched Brent effectively blocking the path between Landon and Brody and thereby taking control on the ball. My head snapped towards the large digital screen and cursed under my breath as I saw the last thirty seconds of the game ticking away. At the speed of lightening, I looked back at the ball as Brent perfectly managed to take it to the other part of the field.

My eyes snapped to Lee who was looking at me and we did an eye connection, using telepathy and Lee nodded very slightly. That was his cue to run after Brent, block his way with his broad built and jump on him, making the play end.

Shaking my leg slightly in nervousness, I focused on the ball that was now placed in the middle of the ground as we took our positions. The play started again with Landon passing the ball to me at the speed of lightening. I tucked the ball and made a run with it. From the peripheral, I saw one of the members of the opposing team barging towards me; this made me run faster.

The clock was ticking away.

There was another one who was coming from my right to collide with me and sack me. Glancing at the ruthless look on his face from two meters away, I knew what I had to do. I faked left and when he made a run for it by diving on me; I stopped dead on my spot and jumped over him.

The time was too less and yet everything seemed to be in slow motion.

My aim was the end zone, that's all I could see amidst the shouts of everyone in the stadium. It was hardly two meters away from me and I felt someone collide with my right shoulder. It took everything in me to stay on my feet for those two meters. The collision was hard, but with every pounce of strength I could muster, I managed to not stumble as the tallest member of the other team, Connor, did his best to make me fall.

The fall did come; I fell on the ground, breathing raggedly with Connor over me. I cursed under my breath when I realized that I had been taken down too. But as I took notice of where I had fallen, I sighed in relief and complete satisfaction.

The crowd erupted in loudest of cheers and I felt the weight from above me getting removed. I rested my forehead on the ground and kissed the ground that was part of the end zone. I had managed to make the final touchdown. I had managed to make the touchdown on which ourwinning or losing of this tournament depended. I lifted my head to look at my right and saw my teammates running towards me with the hugest grins on their faces.

I didn't blame them. My grin was bigger than theirs. Before I could process everything in my mind, my entire team decided to sack me on the ground.

Laughter erupted from my mouth, even though I was currently close to death. Nothing could stop the joy, the happiness, the thrill, the thunder of winning the tournament. Nothing at all.

"Get off him, you a*sholes. I can't watch my best friend dying." Adam's voice reached my ears amidst the very loud cheers of the crowd and amidst the uncountable curses that my teammates were saying in complete happiness. Judging by Adam's voice, he was laughing his a*s off. Eventually all of them stood up and I stood up on my feet with the hugest grin on my face.

"We did it!" Adam and Lee shouted and hugged me, patting my back. I could just reply in laughter. Everything was perfect. The team picked the captain up, that's me. Lee and Adam carried me on their shoulders and we took a round around the field. The crowd applauded and cheered while we just laughed. I took in the entire scene in front of me; cheerleaders dancing, the crowd applauding, huge grins on everyone's faces. I was living my dream and the moment was a complete bliss.

******************

"For a second, I thought that you haven't made it to the end zone," one of the teammates, Ryder said, patting my back. "The way Connor finally sacked you was real bad, man."

I snorted in response while saying, "I had it all planned out." The cockiness and arrogance were dripping down from my voice and my face. Which captain would like to let his team know that he was himself not sure if he had passed the end zone or not and it took him a second to let the information about winning sink in? Even though I had tried my best and actually succeeded in it, I was never going to let anybody know.

Ryder laughed, patting my back and went towards his locker. The smell of sweat hit my nose and the loud sounds of opening and closing of lockers filled my ears. The entire team was laughing and throwing curses at each other. That showed how happy each one of them was.

"You were as always great on the field, Keith; even though you didn't know that you had touched the end zone." I smirked and looked at Adam, who was looking at me with a huge grin on his face.

'This douche knows me all too well.'

"I'm just glad that we won this." I laughed succeeding in avoiding the topic and making him laugh too.

"Keith Warren!" A voice interrupted our laughter and I looked towards the entrance door of the locker room and spotted the person who had called me.

Josh Stark

I politely smiled and nodded my head in acknowledgement. He grinned at me, showing his teeth and entered the dressing room. The twenty-eight year old man in front of me was the Managing Director of one of the best Magazines in the world - GGIA; the Magazine with which I had just signed a contract to do a Cover story about me.

"Every time I come here the stinking smell seems to have increased," he said, scrunching his nose and making a disgusted face as he ran his hand through his black hair.

Adam and I laughed, making him grin sheepishly. I brought my hand in the front for a handshake and said, "My sweaty, stinking hand says hello."

This made him laugh as well and he shook my hand. Then he greeted Adam and looked back at me. "The game out there was incredible, Keith. The final touchdown made all of us sweat." I chuckled along with Adam and I shrugged it off as nothing, even though, that touchdown was everything. There was an attitude that I had developed in these years of being a professional footballer and I knew how to maintain it. He got into his professional mode and continued, "I'm hoping to see you at the party tonight."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," I replied back without wasting a heartbeat. I had become a diplomat, a diplomat at heart. It amazed me how well I could give the perfect political answers to everything I was asked since the time I gave my first interview three years back to a local newspaper. Being a celebrity, being under the scrutinizing gaze of the cameras, fans and tabloid does that to everyone.

He smiled back and told me, "The coming weekend is final for you to go to Miami with the team. The team, I assure you, is the best we have. So, you don't need to worry about it."

Smiling professionally, I nodded in reply. "It would be great if we get over with it this weekend as-"

He interrupted me by saying, "As we both will be very busy with prior commitments after that." A chuckle escaped my lips as I clearly understood what he was implying here. I nodded and he laughed lightly. "I'll see you tonight, then."

I nodded and confirmed, "Tonight."

He looked towards Adam and grinned. "I'm hoping to see you too, Adam."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Adam mimicked me, making Josh chuckle. I shot him a glare and he quickly added, "I'll be coming as Keith's plus one."

Josh laughed at this and before he could say anything else, Lee interrupted him, "That would be me, McCarty. Keith has already promised me."

I rolled my eyes at my friends and turned back to Josh. "I'll see you tonight, Josh."

"Sure thing." He smiled, looking at my friends in amusement and went out of the dressing room.

I turned back to my friends and raised an eyebrow when I saw them still fighting over the same topic. "Seriously guys?" I asked in disbelief and stepped between them to open my locker, which was currently being a witness of their senseless fight. "You both have your own invitations," I reminded them and they just rolled their eyes at me. "We all are going there and this is not even a matter to fight upon." I tried to put some sense in their minds.

"Look Keith, this is not a matter of going to a party; this is a matter of you choosing one of us to be your plus one." Lee smirked, making me chuckle and shake my head in disbelief.

"And, as I'm Keith's best friend since birth, isn't it obvious that he would take me?" Adam raised his eyebrow questioning Lee.

Before Lee could say anything else, I decided to jump into the conversation and play along. "How about I take both of you with me?" I looked between them with a serious face and added, "Wouldn't it be f*cking wonderful if Adam, you would be clinging on my one arm and Lee, you on the other?" I wiggled my eyebrows at my own suggestion as they made a disgusted face. I just continued having fun. "And tomorrow the headlines would be, 'Lee, Adam and Keith - The Perfect Threesome came out of the closet'."

They scowled at me and Lee mumbled, "You spoil all the fun."

Laughing lightly, I shook my head and replied, "I just add to it." I took out my clothes from the locker and shut it down. I looked between them as they did the same and said, "And, we all know, what our main aim of going to the party is." They smirked in response and nodded their heads gleefully.

Free alcohol is something that a man, no matter how rich or high earning he is, cannot let go.

******************

I inserted the key and unlocked the main door of my condo. Getting back to my place was a relief and welcoming after a strenuous game. Dropping my bag on the floor the moment I entered my den, I locked the door and sprinted towards the bedroom.

I removed my T-shirt, so that I was only in a black wife beater. I lay down on the bed and covered my eyes with my arm in need of some rest before going to that party in an hour.

At the sound of the bathroom door opening, I uncovered one eye and looked at the person who had just come out of the bathroom in a T-shirt and jeans. "I was thinking I'd get to see you in just a towel," I smirked, making her laugh.

She shook her head and came near me. She lay down beside me and I pecked her lips. "And, I was hoping I'd get to see without this wife beater," she murmured, trailing her finger down my chest.

"I really won't take long to remove it." I groaned and twisted both of us so now she was lying under me. I gazed in her blue eyes that were a shade lighter than mine, and were gazing back at me with adoration and lust. I gripped my hold on her waist and smacked my lips to her's.

We made out for some time and parted only when she lightly pushed me away. "We're getting late and I've to get ready as well," she said, panting heavily.

I looked at her sharp nose, blue eyes and swollen pink lips as I nodded thoughtfully. "You're right." I got off from her and stood up to go inside the bathroom to take a shower.

"So, did you win the game?" Her voice reached my ears and I paused for a second, trying to figure out whether I heard her right or not.

I turned back and looked at her. She was gorgeous. Her blonde hair was long and I loved the feeling of them in my hands. She was looking at me with her curious blue eyes and I asked in a low voice, "Veronica, you didn't watch the game?"

I knew she could sense the disappointment in my voice. She frowned slightly and answered, "I was sleeping. Beauty sleep."

Her answer made me raise my eyebrows, but I let the matter drop. I turned back, trying not to show to her that I did feel a little bad for her being so careless towards my career. "Yes, we did," I told her, trying to keep my voice as normal as I could.

"I knew it. You're just the best." Hearing her cheerful and proud voice made me happy again and I turned to look at her.

"You have never even seen me play," I told her, shaking my head at her.

She rolled her eyes at me and said, "That's true, but I know you're awesome."

"That I am," I agreed, bringing back the cockiness and arrogance in my voice.

She took steps towards me so she was standing just a few inches away from me and she whispered in her seductive voice, "And that's why I'm marrying you."

I smirked and whispered back huskily, "And here I thought, you were marrying me just for my body."

She narrowed her eyes at me playfully and snaked her arms around my shoulder. "Well, that's true too," she joked and kissed me. She pulled away after a minute and smiled her gorgeous smile. "Okay," she breathed and stepped away. "I'll see you tonight. Try to get back on time." She patted my chest lightly and turned away to gather her stuff in her handbag.

Confusion built up inside my head and I decided to end my confusion by asking her, "What are you talking about?"

She picked up her favorite perfume and answered absent-mindedly, "Have you forgotten that you've to go to that magazine party tonight?"

I tilted my head to the side and corrected her, "I perfectly remember that we both have to go to GGIA's party tonight."

She looked up from her very interesting perfume to me with a frown on her face. "Keith, how can I go? Don't you remember I've to go the party that Heather is throwing and how important it is for me to go, as it can get me my next modeling assignment?"

Oh, yes! Modeling!

I pinched the bridge of my nose as I realized that again, the topic of our fight was our careers. Veronica was one of the best models in the country and as she always said, 'I wanna be the best in the entire world.'

When I had met her a year ago at one of the premiers of a movie which was based on football, I had grown fondness for her. It was hard not to. She was completely charming and sexy. We hit it off immediately and started dating. I had never thought that she would say 'yes' to me, keeping in mind how important her career was for her, when I had asked her to marry me six months back. But, she had not only surprised me but the entire modeling world as well. I was not the one complaining. I loved her and she loved me. That was enough.

"Baby, let's just not get into this stuff right now," she cooed and her voice sounded nearer. I opened my eyes and exhaled a huge breath. "We're getting married in two weeks and I'm going to move out of your apartment in two days till we get married. Why don't we just enjoy this time we have?" She smiled that gorgeous smile and I was again a goner.

I snaked my hands around her slim waist, pulling her closer to me and said, "I can't wait to get married to you." She giggled and we kissed, letting the little matters disappear.

******************

"I've been in this profession for a good three years and I still can't understand how these people manage to make a civilized conversation with the people they bash about not even twenty four hours ago," I muttered, looking at the high class party goers in front of me. There was this one particular social activist who had just yesterday on national television bashed Sebastian Garner, the owner of GGIA which stands for 'Guys Got It All', for his 'shallow and not beneficial for the society' magazine; and now she was standing right beside him, feeling his arm up as he shamelessly stared at her breasts.

Adam followed my gaze and snorted. "That's anything but a civilized conversation."

A chuckle escaped my lips as I agreed with him. "Where's Lee?" I asked, taking a sip of my drink. The whiskey burned my throat, making me instantly feel better.

"Must be around with the girls," Adam answered as he himself started looking around in search of our other best friend.

I nodded absent-mindedly and took a huge gulp of my drink.

Yup, definitely better.

There was silence amongst us for a few minutes, but the loud music in this hall of this five star hotel filled our ears. The party was extravagant, just like one should expect a GGIA party to be. The crowd was posh; every celebrity was present here. Adam and I decided to stick to the bar after meeting Sebastian Garner half an hour back.

"I already knew she wouldn't come," Adam said in a low voice, making me look at him with raised eyebrows.

I perfectly knew who he was talking about. "Should this be the point where I should ask if my best friend and my fiancé are cheating on me?" I joked, in an attempt to avoid the topic in hand.

Adam rolled his eyes at me and kept his glass on the table where we were seated. He ignored me. "When has she even taken the pain of doing something for you or your career?" The challenge in his voice was crystal clear.

I clenched my jaw to stop myself from saying anything to him. My grip on the glass I was holding was strong; it could shatter any given moment. "Well, this is one topic of discussion, we've decided to not talk about, Adam. Neither is this the time nor the place," I reminded him, looking straight in his eyes.

He huffed and shook his head. "I really can't believe you're marrying her," he said, his jaw was straight.

I smirked at the sentence I had heard numerous times from him and let the matter go. Just on cue, Lee joined us with his wife Joanna and Adam's girlfriend of eight months, Autumn. We started chatting and let the evening begin. Eventually, Lee indulged in talking to his lovely Asian wife of two years and Adam drifted towards flirting with his raven haired-hazel eyed girlfriend; while I got indulged in my thoughts.

Something I could never understand was Adam's dislike for Veronica. Well, same goes for Veronica's dislike for Adam. They hated each other. Adam was beyond shocked when I had told him my decision of marrying her. He even offered that he could really turn gay for me. That, my friends, is Adam and my friendship. They have mutually agreed to at least be a little civil towards each other for my sake. Lee too was not very much fond of Veronica, but he never said anything to me.

Looking at the two couples in front of me made me miss Veronica badly. If she would have been here with me, I wouldn't be getting bored to death by witnessing my best friends in love. I gulped the last sip of my whiskey and stood up from the table. I mumbled an "I'll be back" to my friends, but I was sure they were too busy to even notice my presence. I just snorted at how love sick they were.

I made my way towards a quieter area of the hall, where there were less people. That area was where all the sweet dishes were presented in an extravagant way. Doing the decorations of food in such a manner was beyond me. Why do so much hard work when eventually all the dishes would be either eaten or wasted?

Facing the wall, I took out my phone from my pocket and dialed her number. Along with the rings, I tapped my foot in impatience. I wanted to tell her that I was missing her and it would be great if she could come here after her party.

She answered the phone after a few rings and I heard her voice. "Keith, you won't believe what just happened. Christopher and Heather just offered me a modeling project in Paris. Isn't it great? I'm going to Paris next month." The excitement and happiness in her voice were unmistakable.

I chuckled and told her, "I'm proud of you."

She giggled and I heard someone speaking on her end. "Keith, I'll see you tonight. Heather wants to talk to me."

Before I could say anything else, she hung up the phone. A sigh escaped my lips as I looked at my phone, and eventually, kept it inside my pants pocket.

"Look, Mister Waiter. No matter how many stars your hotel might get, well, I don't even care if you get an entire f*cking constellation; all I'm saying is that these cheesecakes taste like sh*t." A laugh escaped my lips isamusement as I heard someone behind me say these things to a waiter, for sure as he was addressed as 'Mister Waiter' by some girl, in a very sarcastic voice.

I turned to look back at the girl and when I did, I froze on my spot.

Her lips were pressed in a thin line and her brown eyes were narrowed towards the waiter who was saying something to her, maybe trying to make her understand that she might get thrown out of this party if she doesn't shut up soon. Her hair had definitely grown in these five years as they reached her waist. The black dress she wore was so sexy, showing her long legs.

The shock of seeing her after five years absorbed my body and I couldn't move from my spot. Was she here in New York all these years? How could I've known that? I had stopped looking for her a long time back when I had lost all hope of seeing her again.

I watched as she rolled her eyes and said to the Waiter with a smirk on her face, "You know what? Even if someone would give me these disgusting things that you call as 'cheesecakes' for free, then also I wouldn't even touch it."

The waiter smiled politely at her and said, "Well, Ma'am, these are actually free and you've already eaten one."

The expressions of embarrassment on Kim's face made me chuckle and she opened her mouth to say something. "What I mean is, even if someone gives me money to eat this, then also I won't eat this sh*t." She was so smug. Now, the waiter was fuming, but still trying his best to not blow up his anger.

It took him a moment to calm down and he smiled, again in a fake polite way, and said, "Ma'am, I'll call the Manager and you can talk to him."

"Wasn't that the first thing I said when I came here five minutes back? You should have called him right then. But no! You had to waste precious five minutes of my life. Do you have any idea what all I could have done in those five minutes? I could've eaten a pudding in these three hundred seconds. You really had to spoil it for me. Right?" She ranted.

I could tell she was completely enjoying the red, embarrassed face of the Waiter who was by the looks on his face was shouting in his head, 'What wrong have I done to face this?'

But what he said was, "I'll get the manager right away." With that, he sprinted towards the nearby door that had 'Staff Only' written on it.

I kept on watching her as a satisfied smirk made its way on her face and she looked proud of herself. Looking towards the door where the poor waiter had just ran off to, she very surreptitiously picked up a spoon and cut a piece of the very same cheesecake she was bashing about just a minute ago. She ate the bite and kept the spoon back at its place. Devouring the taste, she nodded slightly and once it was down her throat, she mumbled to herself, "It's not that bad."

A hearty chuckle escaped my lips and I said, loud enough for her to hear over the music being played, "You haven't changed even a bit, Kim."

I saw as she froze. Maybe she too was shocked to hear my voice just as I was shocked to see her. Did she remember my voice? Or was I trying to see too much into things?

She slowly turned to her right to look at me and her brown eyes widened when they landed on me. Her mouth opened and closed to say something and I just smiled in return. Happiness of seeing her was rushing through my veins; the happiness that one gets when seeing a long lost friend.

Eventually, no words came out of her mouth and she chose to smile in return; the smile that I had longed to see five years back. The happiness and disbelief were crystal clear on her face, just like they were on mine. We took a few steps towards each other, without breaking eye contact and without removing the smiles on our faces.

We stopped when we were at a distance of one arm from each other. We grinned as we looked at each other. Just as she opened her mouth to say something, someone came and stood beside her. He snaked his hand around her waist and she looked at the person is surprise. The surprise was short lived though as it soon changed to a nervous smile.

My own gaze that had been fixed on Kim since the last five minutes travelled to the person who had his arms around Kim and to say that I was shocked to see that person like this would be the understatement of the century.

Josh Stark had his left arm around Kim's waist and he was looking at her with admiration and something more. My throat dried as I saw both of them together. I was sure that I was making and saying the perfect definition of 'speechless' at that particular moment.

Josh's eyes travelled from Kim to me and he smiled. I looked between Kim and Josh like a freaking tennis match. 'How the hell do they know each other? And why does he have his hands around Kim like that?' Nothing was making sense. Nothing at all!

Well that was until Josh decided to open his mouth and put an end to the mystery. "I see you two have already met." He looked at Kim and motioned towards me. "Everybody already knows the famous footballer, Keith Warren." Kim nodded her slightly and smiled back at Josh, who was smiling from ear to ear. Then he turned his attention towards me and motioned towards Kim. He kissed the side of Kim's head and said, "Keith, this is Kimberly Jones, my fiancée."

'I really need some alcohol.' 

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A/N (Please READ & ACT)

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18th April 2016 - Edited!