Page 92 of The Comeback Pact

A grin spreads my lips apart. “You should, asshole.”

“I mean, seriously,” he says, “I think I could’ve stopped wars with that speech.”

“We start the war on the field next time we’re up.”

He lets out an excited shout. “Oh, it’s happening!”

Luckily, Hamilton doesn’t score. We stop them on downs on the five-yard line.

I jog out onto the field, putting on my helmet.

It’s time to get down to business. Gotta show my girl what I can do.

Kenna

I worry over my lip.The first quarter wasn’t good for West. He made a few mistakes, but I spied Aidan talking to him on the sidelines, and since he went back out, he’s been an unstoppable force. Play after play, the announcer echoes Brooks.

Brooks with the first down.

Brooks with fifteen yards on the play.

The Bulldog crowd is loving it. I can’t get over all the signs that people made supporting West. I know it had to have taken so much out of him to do that interview, and now he’s seeing that love reflected back to him.

In my head, I can understand why West would tell everyone else that I’m his inspiration but not tell me. It’s his way. I let him go silent. I could’ve pushed. I could’ve shown up at his place, just like he did the night his father said all those awful things.

I have to fight for him. No one else ever has. He was so touched when I came to his game before, and here I sit now. Waiting. Watching. Cheering for him.

The game clock starts to count down to halftime. Soon, Sydney will be taking the stage, and I’m super pumped for her, but I’m also on eggshells about losing sight of West again. The way his stare bore into me when he saw me earlier… The connection is still there. It didn’t fade just because he pulled back.

The young girl next to me bumps into me with her elbow. “Sorry,” she giggle-yells. She waves a sign in the air that I haven’t been able to read yet, but she keeps switching out from one sign to the other, leaving one at her feet at all times.

“Who’s your favorite player?” I ask.

“West!” she exclaims, affronted. “Is there anyone else on the team?” She laughs to herself, and over her head, her father rolls his eyes while looking at me.

I give him a sincere smile.

An idea clicks into place. On the field, West rams into a defensive player and ends up on top of him while Aidan throws a short pass to Cade.

The girl next to me jumps up and down.

When she finally relaxes, I say, “Hey, what would you say if I said I could get West to come over here?”

She side-eyes me, and I turn toward her, lifting my brows in hope.

“I’d say you were full of it. He’s playing a game.”

“Okay, maybe I can’t get him to come over during the game, but what about before halftime?”

She frowns, scrutinizing me. Her mouth drops open. “You— You’re the girl from the video.”

She’s staring directly at my scar as I nod.

“My dad told me what happened to you, and I’m sorry. I’m sure Brooks didn’t have anything to do with it.”

I grin. “You’re right. He didn’t.”

She looks me up and down. “So, he’s going to come over here before halftime. There’s only two minutes left.”

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