“No, and you two are going to keep your traps shut. In all due time,” I say, scanning the crowd again, and that’s when I spot her. I wave, getting her attention, and a beautiful smile crosses her face as she waves back. She’s wearing the Trojans jersey I dropped off to her place last night. At least I think it’s the one I gave her. She turns to high-five a fan behind her and that’s when I see it. My name is across her shoulders. She’s wearing my name and number and that does something to me. I know how big of a Mavericks fan she is, and even last night she acted like I’d given her a bottle of poison as a gift. I was hoping it was an act from the smile playing on her lips. Now, here she is, wearing it with a smile. Fuck me, but I want nothing more than to peel it off her.
“He’s a goner, boys,” Thomas boasts. I don’t even bother to try and shut him up. He’s not wrong, and it’s time to do something about it. I need to move us out of the friend-zone.
“Lucky Bastard,” Kaden mumbles. “You’re always getting the prime pu—” I hold up my hand, giving him a warning glare to shut his mouth. He grins but doesn’t finish what he was going to say.
“Not her,” I say, my voice stern. We’ve had this conversation, and I don’t want to have it again. If she were mine, he wouldn’t be talking about her like some cleat chaser. I need to do something about that.
Keeping my head in the game knowing she’s here is harder than I expected it to be. I glance up at her often, and every time I do, our eyes meet. She’s here for me. Not for the game or to cheer on either of the teams. Me. I want nothing more than to kiss the hell out of her, to show her my appreciation of course. Shaking out of my thoughts, I get my head back in the game. First game of the season with my girl and my parents in the stands. I’ve got this.
* * *
The clock hits zero and just like that, it’s half-time. We’re up by fourteen, and the team is on fire. I glance up to the stands and catch her gaze before making my way to the locker room.
“Yo, Barker, you’re hot.” Kaden slaps me on the back. “Every damn time you lay it right here.” He opens his hand and points to his palm.
I shrug. “We’re all killing it out there.”
“Yeah, but there’s something else going on. You’re laser-focused,” Jack chimes in.
“Except when he’s looking up in the stands,” Case ribs. “You trying to keep an eye on your girl, make sure her eyes aren’t straying to a real man?” He jokes, doing some crazy move that makes him look like he’s trying to fuck thin air.
“Don’t ever do that again.” I laugh.
“What, you don’t think she’d want this? I’m two hundred and ninety-five pounds of steel and sex appeal, baby.” He runs his hands up the side of his body trying to channel his inner Vanna White.
“Fuck off.” I push at his shoulder good-naturedly.
“All right, listen up.” Coach Neil goes on to give us his half-time locker room speech. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows just because we’re up at the half. We may be on fire, but he wants to keep that fire lit to bring home the win. I want that too. With Emma here watching, I want to bring this one home. Oh, and my parents, but they’ve seen me play a thousand times. Emma, she’s seen me too, but this time is different. This time she’s here to see me. That’s a game-changer.
Taking the field, my eyes instantly go to her. Expecting to find her watching for me, I’m surprised when I see Case’s brother, Corey, chatting with her and Aubrey. He’s sitting in front of them, and holding her attention. I try not to get annoyed, but it’s hard. The whistle blows and we take the field for the second half. Defense takes the field first which means I’m on the sidelines watching in between glances at Emma. Emma who’s still talking to Corey. I want to toss the football and knock his ass out. I could do it, but then it would be on national television and I’m sure it would not only piss off Coach, but the higher-ups as well. Not to mention, it would look bad on me and the team.
Maybe they’d understand when I tell them that some man, a guy I’ve met and had a beer with multiple times, is moving in on my girl. Then it hits me like a ton of bricks. She’s not mine.
Not yet, but she will be.
It feels like we’re fourth and goal, and down by two. It’s time for me to do what I do best, and pull off a win. Not on the field, but with her. No more waiting, no more watching from the sidelines.
The second half goes about the same as the first. By the time the clock hits zero at the end of the fourth quarter, we’ve won by three touchdowns. The second half of the game is a blur for me. I kept glancing up in the stands to see Emma, chatting with Corey like she was there for him. With him. Lucky for me, football is like second nature, like breathing in a sense and I was able to keep the game moving.
The locker room is hyped with the guys cheering and laughing. It’s a big boost for morale to win the preseason game. Stopping at my locker, I waste no time stripping out of my gear, grabbing a towel and hitting the showers. The guys pull me into the celebration conversation as they recount a play I can’t remember. I bullshit my way through it, like I did
