Page 107 of Keep Me Never
“You feelin’ it?” he shouts.
“More than ever.” My mouth quirks. “You?”
He chuckles, shaking his head with a grin. “You’re gonna light it up out there, man. I can feel it.”
So can I.
My fingers flex at my side, the hairs on my neck tingling, and I spin around.
I find her instantly, moving quickly down the stairs that lead to the railing.
Helmet in my hands, I run over, hopping up just as she takes the last step.
She reaches me, breathing a little quickly and cheeks flushed. Beautiful.
Mine.
Her forehead presses to mine, and she closes her eyes a moment, then those baby blues open, locking with my gaze. “You got this, Trouble,” she whispers, her warm hands pressing to my cheeks, my number painted across hers, and everything around us blurs. “I’m so proud of you.”
My throat thickens, but I smile. “Thank you, baby.” I kiss her quickly, and it’s like a supercharge straight into my damn chest.
“It’s showtime.” She grins.
“You bet your ass it is.”
Paige laughs lightly, and I hop down, my eyes snapping past her.
There. Section One, first row. My dad points at me, holding Deaton on his hip, my friends all around him. I raise my hand in a short wave and his face breaks out in a grin, and he lifts Deaton’s hand to wave back.
An unexpected, sudden warmth fills my chest.
One day, maybe it’ll be my little guy in the stands watching me play from my dad’s lap.
My lips twitch and I nod, winking at Paige before jogging back to the sidelines, my team ready and waiting.
Mase is on the field as captain. The coin is flipped and Oregon is set to kick off.
I chuckle to myself, glancing at my coach at the exact moment he turns toward me.
He tips his head, and I tip mine back.
He chose not to defer the ball to the second half for me.
Because now our offense is hitting the field first.Iam hitting the field first, and this game? The game plan we worked out all week at practice?
It was built around me.Forme.
Today, I’m the weapon.
I’m not just going to show these scouts what they came to see.
I’m going to blow their fucking minds.
And I do. Down after down. Minute after minute.
The crowd is wild. The roar of the packed stadium vibrating through the turf beneath my cleats. Sweat slips down my spine, my temples, but I don’t feel it. I’m in too deep.
Locked in.
