Page 30 of Single Glance

“Okay,” I whispered. My voice was barely audible over the surrounding crowd. I didn’t miss how Cam’s eyes lit up, like he hoped that would be my answer.

We both stood there as Cole walked away, Emilia snoring on his shoulder. When the stadium cleared out, and the rest of the players headed to their cars, Cam held his hand out to me. “You ready to get out of here, menace?”

I placed my fingers in his, trying to ignore the voice in the back of my mind that warned of consequences and loyalties.

All I could think about was how Cam kissed me.

And how much I wanted to do it again.

TWENTY-FOUR

Erie City couldn’t have been more different from Victoria’s adopted home, Saint Stephen’s Lake. The sleepy little town reminded me of our hometown, with the peaceful ambiance and natural elements. It was relaxing compared to the city. I preferred the quiet, enjoyed the slow mornings, the way everyone knew your name.

Though, to be fair, everyone seemed to know my name tonight. The club blared with the heavy thumps of bass, and the spotlights swayed, illuminating the sleek lines of the building. Shadows cloaked every inch of the club, yet everyone seemed to find our team partying in the VIP lounge. Some guys were eating up the attention, soaking up the free drinks and female attention. I couldn’t blame them. After a tense first half of the season, we all needed to blow off some steam.

Although I hated to admit it, it was good to get out for the night. Having a kid so young messed with my internal clock, and I always felt older than I really was. At twenty-five, I was still on the younger end of the team, but I had more in common with the veteran players than the other rookies.

Most of us stuck to the VIP section, up a level from the rest of the club. The seats were moreobscured by gauze curtains and low lighting, but there was a balcony that jutted out so you could see the throngs of people dancing below. As I toyed with the beer in my hands, I leaned over the metal railing, watching the party unfold below me.

Scanning the crowd, I searched through the sea of faces until I found who I was looking for. Hadley was in the middle of the dance floor, laughing with Parker’s friend Ollie. She looked like a fucking beacon in the darkness, calling straight to my soul. Her body rolled with the pulse of the music, her movements almost hypnotic. I couldn’t have looked away from her if I tried. My fingers tightened on the railing, as if the cold metal was the only thing keeping me from rushing to her side. It was getting ridiculous, this need to be as close to her as possible.

As if she sensed my eyes on her, Hadley looked up and winked at me, just like I had done on the field today.Fuck.Just the thought of seeing her in that box, knowing she wore my fucking jersey, was enough to get me hard.

I’d stolen a taste of her last night, but I wasn’t done, not by a long-shot. As I brought my overpriced beer to my lips, someone joined me on the balcony.

“Damn, Seda,” Jace chuckled. “Please tell me you’re fucking her.”

A low growl emanated from the back of my throat. I used my free hand and shoved him away from me. “Talk about her like that again, and I’ll break your goddamn arm.”

“Shit,” Jace said, his voice a little wobbly after too many shots at the bar. He bee-lined to it the moment we got to the club and showed no signs of slowing down. He stumbled again, and I reached out to steady him.

“You should slow down, man,” I said. “Order water.”

“Fuck off, boy scout.”

I brought my beer up to my lips and took a long pull.As soon as I finished it, I turned away from Jace. But before I could get too far, he called out. “How do you handle it?”

His voice was quiet, almost vulnerable. It surprised the hell out of me. Jace and I never saw eye-to-eye, on or off the field, but we were in the same situation, both fighting like hell to hold on to our dreams.

I shifted toward him. “What do you mean?”

“The pressure.” He dropped his elbows on the railing and ran a hand over his face. “Every time I walk out onto that field, I keep thinkingthis is it. I’ve fucked up my one shot.” Jace shook his head. “Hell, maybe I want it to be my last moment. Can’t stand hearing the fans scream at me for fucking up another play.”

I nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. While the fans seemed to be in our corner most of the time, when we fucked up, they had no problem letting us know. Between social media and the news outlets, everyone had an opinion about our performance. I’d learned early to tune it out, to not let others define my expectations, but Jace seemed to struggle with letting it go.

“We’re doing the best we can,” I said. “And when you’re on, you’re fucking lightning, Jace. Keep your head down. Keep fighting. If you need to talk, I’m around.”

Jace nodded before his usual cocky grin slid back into place. “Yeah, Seda. Might do that.” He took a step back and motioned toward the dance floor. “Now, let me give you some advice. You’ve got a chick that hot waiting for you—what the fuck are you doing sulking up here?” He nodded to the stairs. “Better get your ass down there before I do.”

As he took another step back, he knocked into a server, spilling her entire tray of drinks. I rushed over, trying to help her, but Jace lowered to his knees first,trying to pick up the shards of broken glass. “I’m so fucking sorry,” he mumbled, but the server just shook her head.

“It’s fine. Work at a club long enough, and you’re bound to get some drinks spilled on you.” When she lowered to help, Jace let out a low hiss of pain. I rushed over just in time to see a red streak of blood cascading down his hand. The server grabbed his hand and pulled him up to stand. “Crap. This isn’t deep, but you might need stitches. Come around back with me, and we’ll get it cleaned up.”

She made a hand motion to one of the other bartenders before she led Jace down a barely lit hall, still holding his bleeding palm. I was tempted to follow them, to make sure Jace was alright. Hopefully, he didn’t do too much damage, and the cut just needed a bandage. I frowned as I replayed his words, hating that Jace thought I’d had it so easy. The pressure got to me, but it seemed to drown him. Hopefully, he’d get it together soon, but it was hard to tell what was going through Jace’s mind on any night.

But he was right about one thing: I was done waiting for Hadley to come to me. After dropping my bottle on our table, I headed down the stairs, pushing through the dance floor as I made my way to Hadley. Ollie caught my eye and gave me a slow, knowing smirk. She whispered something in Hadley’s ear, then disappeared into the crowd. Hadley turned around, her eyes widening at me as I approached her.

“Cam—” she started to say when I stopped in front of her, her tone almost questioning.

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