Page 63 of Fumble Into the End Zone

The phone shifted downward to Harley lying next to Mia asleep, and I shook my head once Mia reappeared on the phone.

“Baby, don’t allow Harley to get used to co-sleeping with you. That’s Daddy’s spot,” I said, and Mia rolled her eyes.

“Daddy isn’t here. Trust me, I’m going to put her in her own bed. She gets up too early in the morning for me,” Mia said.

“You miss me?” I asked, and she batted her lashes with a hard smile.

Mia embarrassed easily, and it was fucking sexy to me. She couldn’t handle the compliments, which told me she hadn’t been told she was beautiful enough. I was blunt about my affection for her.

“Marcus,” she said.

“Do you miss me?” I questioned again, and for a second, she removed the phone from her pretty face before returning her attention to me.

“Yes,” she whispered, but her eyes lit with excitement.

“Do you miss me?” she questioned.

I repositioned myself on the bed, tossing a pillow underneath my head.

“I miss my woman already. Be ready when I get home,” I said, and she blushed until she covered the smile.

“Marcus, I did not agree to be your woman. I said we would try things out,” she said.

From the look in her eyes, she didn’t believe the words leaving her mouth. I smirked at her comment.

“Mia, we’ve been in a relationship for about two weeks now,” I informed, and her eyes ballooned before she smiled.

“We will further discuss your surrender Monday morning when I return,” I said and she rolled her eyes.

“Get some sleep and worry about Kellen. Good night, Marcus,” she said and blew me a kiss.

After we hung up, I found my tablet to go through Kellen’s highlights again.

“What’s the game plan?” I asked Bryce as we stood next to each other on the sideline.

Bryce blew out a hard, mad breath before giving me the side-eye. I chuckled at his response. He doesn’t realize the change happening to him as he considers someone else’s opinion. The Bryce I met before the season was determined and confident about his plan. As the weeks passed by, his anger diminished.

“I have to throw this asshole the ball or my woman gon’ be on my ass. She might leave me this time around,” he said.

Patting his shoulder I said, “I’ll take the back seat, but I need at least one touchdown,” I said.

He nodded as we grabbed helmets and ran on the field.

“Arkansas, Arkansas,” Bryce yelled from the line of scrimmage.

He shifted his right heel, alerting me it was a dummy play and to go along with it. Kellen lowered himself to jam me at the line of scrimmage.

“Hike,” Bryce yelled.

Kellen forced me outside and held me to prevent me from being an option. I played along, and Bryce hit Vick for fifteen yards. My opponent bumped into me. “You ain’t getting shit today. I’m on your ass,” Kellen said.

Trash talk didn’t move me or get underneath my skin. I walked back to the line of scrimmage and caught Bryce’s eye. Hesaw the interaction between me and Kellen, but I shook him off. By the fourth quarter, I’ll dust his ass.

Kellen was tired. Vick had received the bulk of the work, but he couldn’t back off me. I went full speed every play as Bryce used me as a decoy. We needed the fourth down to keep the drive going.

“Winter Coats, Winter Coats, Winter Coats,” Bryce yelled and swiped his knee.

“Hike,” Bryce yelled.

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