Page 44 of Rocking the Receiver
As I take a quick break, Cutter leans in. “Ankle okay?”
“Good enough,” I reply, though my body is screaming for a breather.
He looks at me with a knowing glance. “You heard the coaches earlier, right?” I tilt my head in approval.
Coach Schott catches my eye sideways after a solid drive. “Well done. Keep up the good work… at your own pace.”
“Thank you, Coach. I’ll do my best.”
When I return to the field, Gunner encourages me, “Let’s power through this for a while longer. We got this.”
And we do.
In the final minutes, it’s do-or-die. We’re down by a single point, 26-27, and the clock is ticking. Every play counts.
My legs are heavy, my lungs are burning, and my back is drenched, but my ankle behaves. So, I ignore the pain and fatigue, aiming at finding any edge I can.
On a crucial third down, Cal looks at me. “You ready?”
I nod, determination burning in my chest. “Let’s do it.”
The ball snaps, and I cut hard, breaking free just enough to give Cal a window. The pass is perfect—tight spiral, right into my hands. First down. The sideline erupts, and a surge of relief and adrenaline floods me.
We drive down the field, getting into field goal range. As our kicker lines up, I stand on the sideline, heart pounding. This is it. True to his reputation, he nails it, and we’re up 29-27.
The next few minutes feel like hours.
Only when the final whistle blows do we exhale. We won! My exhaustion melts away, replaced by pure joy. We did it—together.
Gunner jogs over, beaming. “You’re on fire, LeFire!”
“Thanks.” I laugh in relief. The weight of the last few weeks vanishes at once. There’s plenty left to accomplish, but it was ahard-fought win, one that means everything after sitting out the last five games.
As we head back to the locker room, a couple of guys slap me on the back, congratulating me on the win.
“Nice work, man,” Cal says, handing me a towel. “Glad you’re back.”
“Same.” A surge of adrenaline-fueled euphoria courses through my veins. I’m finally back where I belong. Blood rushes through my veins at the thought of celebrating my success with my man, who must be exiting the stadium as we speak. “Feels damn good.”
After we’ve showered and conducted interviews, the journalists disappear. Of course, Gunner shines the spotlight on me by congratulating me once again for my victory in front of the entire team, including the coaches. In a flash, they all engulf me in a group hug, shouting my nickname. Standing here, back with my team, I wouldn’t trade this moment for anything.
As soon as they release me from their warm embrace, they start giving each other shit again, and Gunner asks me, “It’s pretty late, but… since you’re not a party guy, wanna grab a drink with us at the hotel?”
“Sorry, man. I already have plans.” His brow spikes up as he remembers our previous exchange.
“Oh, I’m the one who’s sorry. I had no idea your busy girlfriend was around.”
Unable to hide my grin, I shake my head in amusement. “Well, about that…” I trail off. “If life didn’t get in the way, I probably would have said something sooner.”
At once, their banter stops. Glee is evident in Cal’s voice and posture. “Woodhull, you owe me twenty... You see, some of us had a bet going on about your vow of celibacy… since you never mentioned anyone. Guess Gunner’s got a head start.” Then Cal’s attention goes to him. “You know her?”
I’m sick of lying by omission, so I clue them in. “Listen, I’m pretty sure most of you have heard of Rupert Smith, right?” They confirm, probably wondering where I’m going with this. “He’s the one I have plans with.” My statement is met with silence. Their quizzical looks say it all. “Because he’s my…” I swallow, then smile.
“Boyfriend.”
CHAPTER 21
RAN INTO YOU
