Page 84 of The Mistletoe Trap
That empty, Gavin-shaped hole inside of her lurched, as if it recognized what it was missing and desperately needed it back.
“And I know I did it to myself. It never should’ve taken me this long to realize that I’m in love with you, but I am, and it’s all I can think about. And if you’re not ready for that, I get it. But please, Jules. Ineedyou here. I can’t stand the thought of making it through this game without you.”
He kissed his fingertips and then tapped them to the center of the iPad.
Then the screen went blank, and Julie continued to stare. Waiting for what, she wasn’t sure. Did he truly love her? As in the forever-after way that meant their love was strong enough to withstand the many obstacles they’d have to overcome to be together?
“The plane is fueled up and ready to go,” Charlotte said, reminding Julie she was there beside her. She hadn’t exactly forgotten but had become so lost in her thoughts she’d pushed it to the background. “What do you say?”
Chapter Thirty-One
“She’s gonna show,” Holt said, but Gavin continued pacing the cement floor of the locker room, unconvinced. He’d laid it all out there. Just sent that terrifying admission of how much he loved her without being able to see Julie’s reaction.
Now he better understood how hurt she must’ve been when he’d dismissed everything she’d told him she was feeling because he’d been a selfish coward instead of truly listening.
Currently, he’d give up whatever it took. But what did that matter if Julie wasn’t here and he had to go out on that field and play, his head and heart heavy with the knowledge that he and Jules might not be okay ever again?
Gavin glanced at Coach Bryant, and his gut sank as Coach shook his head, indicating he hadn’t heard from Charlotte yet. Gavin had asked enough times that he didn’t even have to mouth the words anymore.
Coach crossed the locker room and clapped him on the back. “Now I’m starting to worry I made a mistake. I need you focused, and I know it’s not going to be easy, but this doesn’t mean you and Julie won’t work things out down the road.”
Gavin bobbed his head. Did his best to react the way his coach and teammates wanted.
For some reason, his mind decided now would be the perfect time to replay the conversation he’d had with Julie on the first night he’d arrived in Crystal Springs. When he’d confessed he was afraid his shoulder wouldn’t heal in time.
Her reply had been automatic and confident.I have no doubt that when playoffs come, you’ll be out there on the field with the rest of the team, blowing everyone away. The crowd, everyone involved with the Mustangs, all the doubters and haters, and most importantly me.
That last part was her idea of a joke, and yet she’d been right. Millions of people would tune in to watch the Mustangs grind it out for a spot in the playoffs. About a hundred thousand people filled the stadium, and yet, all he could fixate on was the one person he wanted.
Needed.
The door to the locker room opened, and Charlotte strode inside, her heels clacking a steady beat. Her eyes met Lance’s, and how the hell was she able to smile so easily right now? Julie wasn’t with her, which meant…she wasn’t coming.
He’d lost her.
The knowledge slammed into him, robbing him of breath, and he braced his forearms on his knees, sure he was about to lose his lunch. He’d take a couple of minutes to recover as much as he could, and then he’d go and play his heart out, because his team deserved this win.
All the buzzing conversations taking place picked up in volume and intensity, and then a hush fell over the room. One last exhale, and Gavin forced himself to straighten.
He must still be short on oxygen, because a mirage materialized in front of him.
“Julie,” he said, so soft that it’d hopefully prevent his teammates from worrying he’d lost his mind. Then she was striding faster, rushing his way, and those footsteps sounded real.
Whistles and cheers erupted, and Gavin’s feet began propelling him toward the prettiest mirage his brain had ever conjured. Eyes as blue as the sky after a storm, silky blond hair, and God bless those dimples—he’d be the only one to lick them if he had his way.
Julie flung herself into his arms, and he lifted her off the ground and swung her around. She was warm and solid, and it wasn’t until he caught a whiff of her vanilla perfume that he allowed himself to fully believe she was here in the locker room, in his arms, before the biggest game of his life.
“Thank fuck,” Jason said from beside him. Then he pointed a finger their way. “I’m gonna give you two a minute, but you nearly gave us all heart attacks, missy. Once you’re done assuring your boy that you love him, too, you’d better go sit in the owner’s box and think long and hard about how to do better next game, after we kick the other guys’ asses.”
Everyone else echoed the sentiment while Gavin just continued to grin like a kid in a candy shop.
Jason herded the guys a few feet away, giving them at least a semblance of privacy.
“Sorry I’m late,” Julie said. “Kylo Ren needed to be dropped off with a cat sitter, and you know how he gets around other animals. He didn’t want me to leave.”
Gavin chuckled. “I do know. And that’s a sentiment I totally understand. I’m about to dig my claws into you so that you never leave my side again.”
The smile that spread across her face flooded him with sunshine. “That’s gonna be problematic on the field. What if you tossmeinstead of the ball?”
