Page 11 of Forever

CHAPTER 4

ANABEL

The day after the Super Bowl there is a big parade and rally—if that’s what you call it—on the streets of New York. The city is hectic, still high on the win and title of champion, and wants to celebrate their favorite sons.

People are all over the streets. The colors of the New York Knights adorn every surface. Reds, grays, whites, and black.

Everybody from the Knights family came to celebrate with their fans. Players, coaches, trainers, therapists, management, owner … Their family and friends. Everybody is invited, and there is no place to breathe.

People hold speeches, and victory songs are blasting all the time while the Knights parade with their trophy.

After what seems like hours, the parade is over, and we can go home.

Shelton has invited us all to come to their house for a party afterward.

Even before Sienna, J.D. had a big house in the suburbs where Sienna moved after they got together.

“You seriously don’t need any help?” I look around the busy kitchen. People are running around, and granite surfaces are full of different kinds of food.

“Nope.” Sienna waves me off. “I just came here to check on things, but the caterers have everything under control.”

“And here I wondered how you managed to organize everything in such a short time.”

“Like I would cook.” She rolls her eyes. “I didn’t even get to say my name until the end and they were already jumping at me with ideas for the party.”

I chuckle lightly. “It’s hard to be you, Mrs. Shelton.”

“It sure is, future Mrs. Price.”

My smile widens at the sound of that. Mrs. Price. Soon I’ll be that. Anabel Majer Price. I have to admit, it has a nice ring to it.

“I like that.” I take a sip of my drink to hide the huge grin on my face. She rolls her eyes at my silliness—there is no fooling Sienna—and takes a sip of her tea.

What the hell is with that?

“Why are you drinking tea?”

We go out the back door and to the big white tent used for parties outside when the weather isn’t warm enough yet to be out for too long. Which is good, because the party that was supposed to be just a small party for family and close friends turned out into a party for half the team and staff.

“I’m just feeling like drinking tea.”

I look at her sideways with a deep frown between my brows. “I mean, I know you love that stuff …” Disgust is evident in my voice. Sienna is a tea drinker. And not any kind of tea, but that awful black tea. Yuck. “But I don’t remember ever seeing you drink it at a party.”

Sienna tries to fake cough. “Maybe I’m coming down with something.”

“Are you for real?” The woman just fake coughed. And it’s one really bad fake cough. If she was an actress, she would starve to death.

“Why are you two frowning at each other?”

Will wraps his hands around me, and I look at J.D. then do the same with Sienna. His hands curl around her hips, giving her a reassuring squeeze, then they slide onto her stomach pulling her closer to his chest.

“She’s drinking tea.”

Will’s light chuckle makes me turn my head to the side to see him better. I missed him.

I let my fingers trace his scruffy cheeks because the pull is too hard to resist. “Is drinking tea now a crime or something?”

“No, but she never drinks tea at a party.” I look at her accusingly. We’ve been buddy drinking all the last year when I was in the States. “Si’s been keeping secrets.”

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