Page 125 of My Secret Bandit

“What’s wrong?” he asked, looking me over.

“Nothing.” I shook my head. “I just wanted to make sure you’re ready for this.”

He watched me for a second. What he was looking for I wasn’t sure, so I watched him right back.

“I am. I love my sister. With every particle in my body, I love her. It’s going to be hard without her, and I’m sure there will be times where I’m not ready to do anything but stay in bed all day. But in order to feel normal, I need to act normal. And I need to get outta this house. Plus, with you by my side, I’m ready for pretty much anything.” His lips pulled into a grin and he wrapped me into a hug, tightening his grip as I buried my face into his chest.

Musicpouredfromthehouse we ended up at. The bass so hard, it felt like thunder shaking the foundation as we walked up the drive filled with cars of every make and model.

“Mattie!” Jordan Abel yelled, throwing the door open and catching me off guard because Interview Jordan was way quieter than Real-life Jordan.

“Xan! Jamie!” he yelled again, his smile growing more after noticing Sierra. “And who is this?” he asked. One massive hand reaching out to swallow hers.

“A friend.” Xander’s hand flew to the small of her back and guided her inside. I smirked at him as he walked by and he returned it with a look that screamedknock it off!

“Come in, come in. The guys can’t wait to see you.” His hand landed on Mateo’s arm in a protective, sympathetic pat before we moved further into the house.

People packed the space. I’m pretty sure the entire team and practice squad were here.

Music worked to drown out most of the chatter, and as we followed the tile floor, guys stopped to give us hugs and condolences. Quincy all but hurdled over the couch and sprinted toward Mateo when he saw him.

“I’m so sorry.” His tree trunk arms wrapped around Mateo’s neck, and Mateo’s around Q’s ribcage. Unlike the bro-hugs given out from the front door to here, this was a real one. And that became more obvious when one of Quincy’s hands moved to wipe his eyes. “I was gonna stop by, but I didn’t know if—“

“Q. It’s cool. You’re good,” Mateo assured him. “We weren’t much company the last few days, anyway.”

“I know, but I still should’ve checked on you and—“ His voice faded again as he looked over to me. “And you,” he said finally. “Is this? Is this happening or are my emotions fucking with me?” A thick finger pointed between me and Mateo.

Mateo smiled down at me, watching and waiting, letting me be the one to answer.

“It’s happening,” I said right before he scooped me up and spun me around.

“It’d be a damn shame if it wasn’t. It’s unfortunate, but sometimes it takes tragedy to figure out what’s important in life.” He wiped another tear from his eye before saying his goodbyes and disappearing in the crowd.

“You wanna drink?” Mateo asked, plush lips brushing my ear.

I nodded, unable to create the volume required to overcome the music or the humming of my body with his subtle touch.

In the kitchen, another round of hugs consumed Mateo before someone pushed two cups into his hands and he left the group with an appreciative raise of his chin.

“Do you see Sierra?” I asked when he handed me the second cup. I invited her and somehow lost her as soon as she walked through the door.

With his cup to his lips, he took advantage of his six-foot-four frame and scanned the room. He pointed when he finally saw her. “Back by the door.” Grabbing my hand, he led me through the thick bodies until we got to her.

She fisted a cup matching mine, but her focus wasn’t on it. Instead, it was on her phone and a worrying crease pulled between her eyebrows.

“What’s up?” I asked with my hand on her shoulder.

“Shit,” she muttered.

“Sierra!” I said louder, leaning in to make sure she heard me.

Without responding, she grabbed my hand and drug me from the house.

“What’s the problem?”

“Someone… Well, not someone. Do you remember Peter? Rose’s assistant.”

I squinted, trying to envision everyone at Mateo’s that day.

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