Page 72 of Keep Me Never
His words are like a hit to the chest—hard, fast, and all adrenaline. The kind I live for.
For a second, I think I misunderstood. I had to have, right?
But then he says it again. “You’re officially being scouted, Harper, by two teams, and we still have a good part of the seasonto go. Do your job on game day, kid, and I have no doubt there will be more.”
A rough, disbelieving sound scrapes up my throat, part laugh, part shock, and partI can’t fucking believe this.
“Coach…” My mouth finally begins to curve, and this time an actual laugh leaves me. My pulse kicks into overdrive, blood thunders in my damn veins.
“Stay focused. Prepare as always. And come April, you’ll get the call up.” He grins, clapping my shoulder as he walks away.
But I can’t move.
I bend at the knee, my hands covering my face, as I chuckle into my palms, pressing hard against my skin.
Every brutal morning, every late-night drill, every second I thought I was wasting my time, that I was facing down the field of loss and biding my time until the final second of that last game ticked down to nothing. All these months, when I’ve gone to bed, fighting with the urge to pack up and leave, to cut my losses now and find a job before my pockets were completely empty.
I want to scream and shout.
I want to fucking cry becauseholy shit.
Finally, finally, my future is truly within reach.
No one can take this from mebut me.
I am in control.
My mother can’t touch this.
Money can’t ruin this.
It’s mine to take, and I’m going to fucking take it.
I’m going to hit that field on my scouting day, and I’m going to blow their fucking minds.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Paige
Looking at my outfit in the mirror, I smash my lips to the side, wishing I had a more feminine figure.
It’s not something I’ve thought too much about, but every now and again, depending on the outfit, it’s unavoidable—like in this new AU football tank top I bought at the student store on Thursday, specifically for today’s game.
I huff, and Cameron spins from where she’s sitting on the Vegas hotel floor, her ass sliding off the pillow she’s sitting on as she does.
She laughs, holding her hand up so she doesn’t get the mascara she’s holding all over the carpet. “Okay, what do you keep huffing about over there?”
“This top is made for someone who has to wear a bra, not someone who chooses to.”
Cameron smiles. “So don’t wear a bra. It’s a whole vibe right now anyway and you have those perfect, little, perky ta-tas.”
“‘Little’ being the key word.” I turn to the side, standing up straight, not that it helps my five-foot frame accomplish anything. I sigh again. “I can’t even return it either. It was final sale since it’s getting cold already.”
“Darn. Guess you have to give it to me,” she teases. “Look in my bag. I brought like five AU options.”
Pulling the tank top over my head, I flop onto the bed and cross my legs as I search through hers.
Ari pokes her head out of the bathroom, brushing out her wet hair. “Good luck finding anything in her mess of stuff that isn’t wrinkled. She’s the worst packer.”
