Page 37 of The Riskiest Move

“Don’t fall into the superstitions that so many fans do. Your being here has nothing to do with them falling apart in front of our eyes.”

“The other team’s coach must’ve given them one hell of a pep talk at halftime. They’re playing so much better now,” I say.

“I don’t know what Rogan’s going to be like after this loss, since they won their first two games, but he’s super competitive, so…” She trails off.

“He’s gonna need some cheering up, for sure,” I say.

“Maybe I’ll drag him right to bed and distract him,” Autumn says, laughing.

“Sex is the universal cure all, right?” Cassie asks.

I nod. “It certainly won’t hurt the situation.”

“I hate to do this, but I need to get out of here. I have a work shift. It was great meeting you two, and I’m sure I’ll see you at another game soon.”

“It was so nice meeting you also,” I say.

“Have a good night at work,” Autumn says, pulling out her phone to post game updates on the Silverbacks social media pages.

Cassie wiggles her fingers in a wave and rushes off. Cooper’s sister seems to be as nice as he is. My gaze returns to the field, locating him sitting on a bench with his head lowered. His disappointment is obvious, and I wish there were a way to reassure him.

The last snap of the game is played out with their opponents taking a knee.

“That sucks,” Autumn says, still typing on her phone.

“One hundred percent suckage,” I add.

“You might as well get out of here,” she says.

“You think?” This is uncharted territory for me. If he were my real boyfriend, I’d stay and wait for him to come out. But with our arrangement, the normal rules don’t apply.

“Yeah. Why shouldn’t you? There won’t be any after-game celebration today.”

She’s right.Why shouldn’t I?

CHAPTER 10

COOPER

The locker room is somber as we file in after the loss. No one speaks as we start peeling off our sweat-soaked uniforms. The disappointment is palpable, hanging heavy in the air.

I slump down on the bench in front of my locker, replaying the game in my mind. We had such a strong start, but it all fell apart in the second half. I can’t help feeling like I could have done more—made one more catch, gained a few more yards.

“Tough break today, rookie,” Thor says, clapping me on the shoulder as he walks by. “But that touchdown catch in the first quarter was sick.”

I nod, appreciating his attempt at positivity.

Rogan takes a seat on the bench beside me. “Don’t beat yourself up, Cooper. We win as a team and we lose as a team.”

I nod, not trusting myself to speak yet. The sting of defeat is still fresh, and I’m still replaying every missed opportunity in my head.

“Hey.” Rogan nudges my shoulder. “You played your ass off out there.”

“We all did,” I say, finally finding my voice. “It sucks that it wasn’t enough.”

“We'll bounce back next week. Can't win ’em all, right?"

I run a hand through my damp hair. “I fucking hate losing like that, especially at home.”

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