Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 125852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 629(@200wpm)___ 503(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 629(@200wpm)___ 503(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Fuck kicking for that extra point, we’re staying on the field and going for two.
And we get it, leaving us just shy of two touchdowns.
We run to the sidelines, and the team is on their feet, giving Alister the credit he deserves while the kickoff team takes the field.
I smile to myself, meeting Mason’s eye when he claps my shoulder as I walk toward the water table.
I tear my helmet off, wiping my head, and take a long drink, my eyes scanning the crowd until they land on my favorite girl.
Only this time when I find her, she’s not looking at me.
She’s smiling at him.
We won.
The team is still celebrating, running around and saying hi to their families, and I do the same, searching for the others where the girls were sitting.
Sure enough, Mason and Chase are already over there, hugging Mason’s parents and laughing with the girls.
Mason takes Deaton from his mama’s arms and turns, setting him down on the field. The two jog out to the end zone, and my chest warms as I watch little D run his fastest, his little legs pumping as he tries to catch up to his dad.
“That was him not all that long ago.” Mason’s dad, Evan, claps me on the shoulder. “Of course, I was playing some adult rec league trying to relive my college days at that point, so it wasn’t as cool as this, but man, that kid thought I was the coolest thing in the world.”
“Little D sees him the same.” I smile, turning to give his wife, Mason’s mom, Vivian, a sweaty hug.
She kisses my temple. “That’s from your mama, and this”—she kisses my hair with a wink—“is from me. Good job out there.”
“Thank you. Thank you, you guys, for coming to watch even though Mase couldn’t play.”
“Pssh.” She waves. “We have three sons on this team, not just one. Chase, honey, come give me a hug.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He squeezes around me, his shoulder pads still on.
Vivian wraps her arms around him, whispering in his ear something I can’t hear, and my brows pull when I notice her eyes are growing misty.
Wonder what that’s about.
Chase simply nods and turns around, ignoring everyone as he hops back over the railing, heading for the tunnel.
That’s when I spot them, and my ears grow warm.
Cameron is leaning over the guard, and Alister is smiling up at her like she’s an angel that just popped out of the damn sky. He’s talking animatedly, laughing and nodding, and then her hands are moving, explaining the play the way she saw it, if I had my guess.
They both laugh now, and I watch as they forget to speak, simply staring at each other a moment.
There’s a little kick behind my ribs that draws a frown to my face, so I start to turn around, but then an older couple climbs down the stairs, and Alister looks up. His grin is broad, clearly happily surprised at the sight of them. He jumps onto the wide cement guard, offering the younger boy with them a hug before leaning into the adults’ embrace as well.
Looks like his family came out to see him after all.
A small smile tugs at my lips, but there’s this strain in my chest that tightens when I look back to the blond girl standing all sweet and shyly at his side.
“What am I missing, son?” Evan mutters, and I can feel his gaze when it lands on my face.
Don’t ask me why, but I’m pretty sure a flush is threatening to crawl up my chest—no, a blush. I don’t blush, so I clear my throat and put on my best grin, turning away so I don’t have to watch her get introduced to the dude’s family.
“Come on now, Evan. I thought you were as good a mind reader as I am,” I tease. “Or maybe that’s just your wife.”
The moment the words leave me, though, I regret them because now his gaze is gauging, roaming across my features to try and figure out what he, in fact, is missing.
We didn’t exactly tell our family we were fake dating and I’m 90 percent positive Alister’s name has never been purposefully mentioned to any of our parents. If I say something now, I’ll have to admit that there’s a word in that little equation that no longer fits, and I’m not sure I’m ready to say that out loud.
It doesn’t matter, though, because he’s already nodding, his dad senses kicking in, I’m sure. Somehow parents just…know.
When he returns his attention to where I know Cameron to be standing, he frowns. “Why does she look like she’s about to cry?”
My entire body yanks around, eyes narrowing.
What the hell?
Cameron is walking back this way, her lips pressed tight, eyes immediately seeking mine.
“Interesting,” he muses, but I don’t wait to hear what comes next.