Page 49 of The Comeback Pact

Holy shit.

Our offense isn’t on the field for very long. Aidan throws two complete passes while Sydney screams her head off for him. Then, on the third play, he hands it off to West, and I get to see the Hulk in action. He plows through the smaller defensive players, and they bounce off him like ping-pong balls.

They don’t even stand a chance.

When he runs it into the end zone, I find myself standing and cheering just like everyone else. My heart slams; my pulse skyrockets. I jump up and down on the tips of my toes.

No wonder everyone likes football. This is fun. It’s exciting. A bit more primal than diving. The loudest crowd I ever heard at a meet was today when the football team brought their energy.

I’m still clapping and cheering when Sydney lets out a whistle that nearly pierces my eardrum. “Aidan, West!”

I gasp, pulling at her shirt. “What are you doing?”

She’s not listening to me. She’s waving down at the field. I hesitate to look over, but she hits me with her elbow. When I scour the field, there are Aidan and West, walking back from the end zone. West has stopped moving, his gaze locked onto mine, and an electric current passes between us. He has his helmet in his hand, and his knuckles turn white as he grips it.

My body trembles at the shocked expression on his face.

Did he not want me to come?

No, that can’t be it. He’s just surprised.

One of his teammates runs into him from behind, slapping him on the shoulder, and that’s what finally gets him moving again.

He jogs to the sidelines. A teenager in a white polo shirt offers him some water, and he takes it, gulping it down. After handing it back, he beckons the kid to follow him as he rummages through a bag on the sideline, pulling out a royal-blue jersey.

He turns to look at me, and I finally peer away. I can’t watch him like a stalker.

I try to concentrate on the game. The other team is okay. Next to me, the guy who gave up his end seats for us is explaining to a girl on the other side of him that the team we’re playing isn’t even in the same division as us, but they’re local, so we start out our season here.

He sounds like he knows what he’s talking about, and I get lost in his explanations until a voice says, “McKenna Knowles?”

I glance up to find the water boy that was just down with West staring at me.

Sydney bumps me with her shoulder. “Yeah, that’s her.”

“Here,” he says, offering me the jersey in his palms. On top, there’s a note:

Kenna,

I’ll kiss you next, but I want to make sure we’re on the same page.

Wear my jersey?

Sydney squealsand claps her hands. “Wear my jersey?” She cups her hand around my ear and whispers, “That’s footballer talk for he wants to fuck you.”

I can’t even laugh at her. I’m just stunned.

Is that what he’s asking? It definitely seems like he’s asking for something more.

“How do you know?” I ask.

Sydney starts pointing out all the players’ girlfriends. First, there’s Briar Page. She’s still smiling, sitting next to Reid as they watch the game together, both of them wearing the same jersey. Then there are a few other girls, too. All girlfriends. Not jersey chasers. Not fuck buddies. Not casual flings.

I peer around the water boy to find West, his green eyes focused on me in earnest, sweat lining his temples.

Please? he mouths.

If I had willpower to refuse his offer, I don’t anymore.

---