Page 132 of The Way We Collide

“I think we have different ideas of fun.”

“You know that’s not true.” Her sassy tone makes my dick jump.

“Dada!” Haddy squeals, pointing at me as if on cue.

“Shew,” I shake my head. “She really is the cutest little cock blocker.”

“Those better not be her next words.”

My thumbs fly across the screen as I reply to the email. “I’m telling them okay. I hope I don’t regret it.”

“Win the game, and no one will care what you wore.” Her nose wrinkles, and I lean down to kiss her soft lips.

The flight attendant comes through and lets us know we’re preparing to land. I cover her hand in mine, ready to get the show on the road.

“Their defense is strong.”Vince stands beside me, holding an Uncrustable peanut butter and jelly sandwich as I slide the burnt-orange blazer off my shoulders. “But we’ve got the best offense in the league.”

“They beat us last time with that defense.” I put the fancy coat in the bag provided.

“Good evening, ladies.” Rusty walks in wearing a teal-colored suit and matching tie, then he gives me a nod. “No crying tonight, Bradford.”

I exhale a growl, shaking my head. “Nice suit.”

“It was my dad’s.” He goes to his locker to start getting ready for the game. “I’m not cut out for that designer shit.”

“These guys went hard the last time we faced them.” Rogers is two-fisting Uncrustables, when he and Tyler walk up to us.

“We have to be in each other’s heads at all times.” He’s already suited up. “We’ve been together long enough. We know what to do.”

Adrenaline surges in my veins as I pull on my gear. I left Raven and Haddy at the hotel with the family. Everybody was cheering and supportive, and they’ll all be in the box watching.

I got my own box this time, since the whole family plus Thomas drove down to watch the game. They even closed the restaurant, which is a first. Dylan said the customers would understand.

Music plays, and I alternate stretching and warming up my muscles. Right before we leave the locker room, I see a text on my phone from Pink.

It’s a photo of her and Haddy in their jerseys waving. Haddy’s showing her four front teeth, which is how she smiles now, and I exhale a laugh. She’s really cute.

Underneath the photo are the wordsWe love you, with a heart emoji. I give the photo a kiss and decide it’s my good luck charm.

It’s time to go out.

Tyler’s hand is on my shoulder as we jog through the entrance onto the sidelines. “You might have a hard time getting clear, but I’ll be looking for you first.”

I nod, and we stop, doing our usual fist-bump routine. The noise of the fans is louder in this stadium than others, and I hear cheers mixed with boos. Looking around, I see different faces on the jumbotron.

They flash to the players’ boxes, and for a split second, I see Raven holding Haddy. They’re bouncing to a rhythm, and she’s waving Haddy’s little arm. It makes me smile, and I wave up at them.

Cheers break out, and I guess they’re for us. It’s hard to tell in the chaos leading up to the coin toss. Rusty is beside me on the sideline, pacing, and I can tell he’s ready to start.

We win it, choosing to defer, and Tyler runs to where I’m standing as our D-line heads onto the field. The guys line up, and at the snap, they’re moving forward, putting pressure on the quarterback.

He gets the pass off, and they make it down the field. It’s moving fast, and I’m not smiling, watching as they close in on the end zone.

“Fuck, if they score right out the gate…” Tyler doesn’t finish, but I know what he’s thinking.

They beat us last time. We can’t miss a single play this rematch.

Our guys manage to hold them, and we’re up, heading onto the field. We line up, and 53 is right across from me, looking straight in my face.

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