“Hold your breath,” she said.
I looked down at her. “What?”
She grabbed my hand. “It’s good luck, Matt. Just hold yourbreath and watch.” She squeezed my hand tighter.
I did as I was told. I held my breath as Jefferson swung andhis foot made contact with the football. The ball went up into the air,straighter than I had ever seen him hit it before. Higher, higher. A perfectarc. And straight through the uprights.
Kennedy started screaming. She pulled her hand out of mineand threw both of hers up into the air. “Go, Henry!!!”
I started cheering too.
And the whole team joined in. Jumping and cheering, andchanting Jefferson’s name. A few of his teammates hoisted him up on their shoulders.
“Jeff-er-son! Jeff-er-son! Jeff-er-son!”
I felt tears in the corners of my eyes. He did it. He fuckingdid it!
Kennedy was jumping up and down clapping.
I leaned down and lifted her into my arms, twirling heraround as she laughed. She wrapped her legs around my waist. “He did it!” sheyelled. “Go, Henry!” She clasped her hands behind my neck, laughing.
“You did it,” I said in awe. “How the hell did you getthrough to him?” The chants of Jefferson’s name seemed to fade away as I staredat her.
“It’s all about the angles,” Kennedy said. “We figured outwhat angle he needed to hit it at. He’s really good at geometry.”
“You’re incredible.”
She laughed. “I just used his strengths…”
I kissed her. Not caring that the whole team could see. Notcaring that I was standing in the middle of the Empire High football stadium. Notcaring that she was supposed to be my friend and only my friend. KennedyAlcaraz was a rock star. And she deserved to be told that every day. Brooklynwould always be my first love. But that didn’t mean she had to be my last. Itdidn’t mean I had to be miserable every day. I laughed as Kennedy pulled awayto cheer for Jefferson again.
I wanted to be happy with her.
I put her back down on the ground and she grabbed my hand sowe could run into the middle of the field to celebrate with the team.
“You okay, Coach?” Smith asked. “Looks like you’re about tocry.”
“Shut it, Smith.” I wasn’t about to cry. I was just…happy. Well,not entirely happy. I didn’t love the way some of the players were oglingKennedy.
Smith laughed. “There’s no way we won’t go undefeated now. Hell,I’m about to cry too. Go, Jefferson!”
I pulled Smith into a hug. Because for once in his life, itseemed like he’d stopped being an ass. Today was a good day.
“Your girlfriend’s hot,” he said.
Nope, moment over. I blew my whistle. “Great practiceeveryone!” And this time, I actually meant it. For the first time, every singleplayer was an all-star. “Now get out of here before I change my mind and makeyou do sprints!” I watched as the players left, Jefferson actually running inthe pack for once.
Kennedy started helping me pick up the practice balls.
“You don’t have to help,” I said.
“It’s fine.” She grabbed another ball balancing a pile ofthem in her arms. “I’m basically a coach now too, don’t you think?”
I laughed as I picked up the last one. “Coach Alcaraz has anice ring to it, huh?”
“Absolutely.”
We dumped the balls in my equipment bag and I hoisted it overmy shoulder. “You know…I don’t actually have an assistant coach.”
“Are you asking me to be your number two?”
I smiled at her as we made our way to the parking lot. “Yes.”I stared at her. Maybe in more ways than one. “I am.”
“It was really fun seeing Henry smile so hard.”
“You know everyone calls him Jefferson, right?”
She shrugged. “I like first names. It’s more personal. Maybeyou should give it a try. I might implement first names only as assistantcoach.”
“You can’t do that.”
“Watch me. We’ll go undefeated under me.”
“We’re already undefeated.”
“Whatever you say.”
“Don’t let this go to your head, Alcaraz. I’m still the headcoach. And you have to respect my authority.”
She laughed as we stopped by my car. “I will never respectyour authority. And Alcaraz? Seriously? Don’t call me that.”
“What do you want me to call you?” I stepped forward and shebacked up until her ass hit the passenger’s side door.
She didn’t say a word, she just stared at me. But I couldtell her mind was racing.
“How about baby?” I suggested. “Or babe? Sugar muffin?”
She’d started smiling halfway through the options.
“No? Sex rocket?”
Now she was full on laughing. “Sex rocket? Who the hell wouldwant to be called that?” She started laughing harder.
“Okay. How about I call you my girlfriend?” It was a cheesy thingto say. I felt like an idiot as soon as her laughter died in her throat. Whatthe hell was I thinking? It was too fast. She’d barely agreed to kiss me thismorning. But when you spent 16 years being miserable, it was easy to latch onto happiness. And standing here with her? It didn’t feel like I’d wasted halfmy life away. I felt like I was 16 years old again. I felt young and alive andhappy. Didn’t she?
“Girlfriend? I can’t be your girlfriend,” she whispered.
I dropped the equipment bag and put my hands on either sideof the car, caging her in. “Why not?”
“You know why not. Matt, what are we doing?”
“Dating.”
“We’re not dating. I didn’t say yes.”
I leaned forward and kissed her. Despite her words, shekissed me back. Her throat making that adorable moaning noise I was starting tocrave at all hours of the day. I pulled away just as she started to pull mecloser. “Then what do you call this?”
“Kissing.”
I raised my eyebrow. “That’s it?”
“Really good kissing?”
“Don’t overthink this.” I dropped my forehead to hers.
“How can I not overthink this? You and I can’t be together. Itbreaks all the rules of friendship. I…I can’t. I shouldn’t have even kissed you.I’ve been twisted up inside all day.”
She didn’t think I’d been thinking of that? About how wrongthis was? But I was fucking sick of living like this. Kennedy made me happy. AndI just wanted to be happy. “Fine, I’ll call you Alcaraz.”
She groaned. “I don’t want you to call me that.”
“No? Well, it’s either that or
