Page 76 of Keep Me Never
She climbs up on the seat, doing a little dance and spinning, shimmying her shoulders, my name in bold across them.
My jersey swallows her whole, my little Shortcake, creating the perfect dress, and I can’t help but wonder what she has on underneath. If something of mine is the only thing resting against her skin, outside of the long sleeves I can see peeking out.
Paige slips, almost tumbling, but Ari catches her arm and both girls fall onto Cameron’s lap.
Their heads fall back in laughter, and if I concentrate, I swear I can hear it over the chaos around us.
Paige moves the pieces of hair she’s left free of her ponytail from her face, smiling my way with a shrug, and I smile back.
“I know that look.” Mase elbows me.
Reluctantly, I face his way, but he only wraps his arm around my shoulder, spinning me back toward the field.
“I’m proud of you, man,” he says. “I know your dad is cheering like crazy right now.”
My emotions get clogged in my throat, and he knows it.
Chuckling lightly, he picks up his helmet off the bench and walks over to Coach just as the defense holds Vegas at the thirty, bringing up fourth down.
I take a moment to close my eyes, trying one of Paige’s little techniques to focus on right now: the smell of the warm grass beneath my feet, and the sun overhead—sometimes, a morning game is just what I need.
Slowly, everything falls away, and when I open my eyes again, I’ve got tunnel vision.
There’s still half a quarter left to be played, and I’m not done. Not by a long shot.
I’ve got two scouts coming to watch me play?
Watch me make itfour.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Chase
We lost by two points, but it doesn’t feel like it, not to me at least. Mason is bummed out, but after I talked to Coach earlier this week, I shared that the scouts would be coming to watch me play next month. Both my best friends are hyped up, the excitement over how I played tonight outweighing the L we took.
Mostly everyone on the bus is knocked out, with headphones covering their ears, but we three and a few of our other housemates are wired, counting the miles until we get home.
“Love an afternoon game that gets us home before bed, my boys.” Brady tears off a piece of jerky stick with his teeth, speaking around it. “Get to watch my girl work herself up on the dance floor, then take her home.” He wiggles his brows. “Fifteen more minutes, boys.”
“They make it home yet?”
He pulls out his phone, looking at Cam’s location and frowns. “Looks like they’re at your place.” He nods at Mase.
“Payton ordered a bunch of wings and shit,” he tells us. “Figure we’ll eat there and head out together.”
“Hold up, big daddy is coming out tonight?” I tease, and Brady chuckles.
Mase smirks. “Only because my son is already asleep, and Ari said she was too tired to go out, so my woman can come too.”
“Score.”
Brady nods.
We watch the game highlights that have already been shared on TV for the third time, and before we know it, we’re climbing off the bus and into Mason’s Tahoe.
The girls are all done eating by the time we arrive, so we shovel some food in our mouths and dress, having already showered before we loaded onto the bus. Cam and Paige are still in the outfits they wore to the game and when Paige makes a comment that she should change, I quickly grab ahold of her, tugging her back into my front, caging her tiny body with my own.
She laughs, pressing her cheek to my chest and looking up at me. “I’ll only be a minute.”
