Page 117 of Faking Ties

“But the Super Bowl is in a couple weeks still.”

“So?” I ask. “I’d rather wait a couple weeks in order to get you for years.”

“Pfft, years? How about a lifetime?”

“That, too.”

“Fine,” he says. “I’ll accept your conditions on one condition of my own.”

“What?”

“Touch your pussy while I tell you about all the things I’m going to do to you once I finally get you in my bed again.”

I slide my hand into my leggings and say, “Deal.”

My heart hammersa frantic rhythm against my ribs,a far more intense opponent than the two teams battling it out on the field for the Super Bowl championship.Every play,every catch,every tackle steals my breath.I’m squeezed in a sea of green jerseys in the nosebleed section,a million miles from the manicured press box where most WAGs reside.But forHunter,for this moment,I wouldn't trade this view for anything.

Hunter doesn’t even know I’m here. but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to support him in my fake nose and all.

I snap a picture of the field and send it to my group chat with Stella, Aria, and Nina. They all respond by taking a selfie of where they are now. Nina and Aria together at Aria’s house, and Stella in a hotel room with the game on a computer in the background. I heart every one of them, happy that Aria and Nina are able to spend some time together again now that everything has returned to normal.

Me: I can’t wait to see you all in a couple weeks at the charity event.

Aria: Same. It’s been so long, I’ve almost forgotten what you look like.

S: Not sure if I should be offended by that comment or not.

Nina: Don’t worry, S. Perfection is impossible to forget.

S: Nina’s officially my favorite person in the world.

Me: Rude.

I grinand refocus on the field. Hunter’s been playing amazingly well today and has been a blur of green as he streaks down the field. Each time he snags the ball,a collective gasp ripples through the crowd,followed by a deafening roar that vibrates in my chest.I jump and scream with the best of them,my voice hoarse but my grin splitting my face wide open.

The final seconds tick down on the clock,an eternity stretched thin.The opposing team,desperate,launches a Hail Mary pass.My stomach lurches.But then,there he is,leaping for an interception.The ball spirals towards him,a golden promise.

Time seems to slow as the ball meets his hand. He sprints toward the end zone before he’s tackled.

The ref blows his whistle and it’s official. The Skyrise Sentinels just won the Super Bowl. The stadium erupts, and a wave of euphoria washes over me,tears stinging my eyes.I'm not just celebrating the win, butthe culmination of his challenging season.How he persevered and opened up to his teammates.

I snap a photo of the celebration on the field and send it to him.

Me: Congrats on the win! You were fantastic. I can’t wait until we can be together.

ELODIE

TWO WEEKS LATER

It feelslike every news outlet is here at the charity event tonight. Stella didn’t think it would be fair to wait until the next football season to debut my bakery, so she organized a special charity event in Skyrise City in combination with the football team to celebrate their Super Bowl win two weeks ago.

Nina helps me plate each of my donut hole–stuffed cookies, or donutie, for the awaiting servers to take them to the guests. This event is my official kickoff of my bakery, and my stomach feels like a swarm of bees are trapped inside, trying to find a way out. At least the decorations on the cookies look super cute, some with microphones and music notes,and some with footballs and goal posts to represent both Stella and the Sentinels coming together tonight.

Aria breezes into the kitchen, her white, floral swing dress swaying with each step. “Everyone is raving about your donuties.”

I let out a sigh of relief, and Nina bumps her shoulder into mine. “Told you so.”

“You did.”

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