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Casey runs up to me from the side, stopping and grabbing my shoulder pads. “We fucking did it, brother! You fucking did it!”

He pulls me in for a hug. I close my eyes for just a second. All the hard work, two-a-days, camps, blood, bruises—it was all worth it for this moment.

But now I want to go get my girl. This all means nothing without her by my side.

CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE

CHARLIE

There are somany people rushing the field, and I’m afraid I’ll get trampled if I try to go down there right now.

My dad tugs at my arm and leans over to speak in my ear. “We need to wait a few minutes until they can clear some of these fans off the field. It’s too crazy right now.”

Ryan leans forward against the bar in front of us. The look of pride on his face is unforgettable. I can only imagine what he must be feeling right now. They’ve been through so much, and to see his son achieve an accomplishment of this magnitude has to feel incredible.

“The security guard is waiting for us at the end of the row. He’s going to lead us down to the field. They’re keeping the family in the tunnel until they get the stage set up and some of the fans cleared off.”

My dad pulls me in front of him, putting me in between him and Mom. Brooke is in front of me with Ryan leading. I grab Brooke’s hand, and she turns back to look at me and smiles.

“Can you believe this, Brooke? They did it!”

“I’m so excited for Beck and Casey! I just want to get down there and hug them!”

We reach the tunnel and see Archie’s family, and it looks like some of his brothers are here too. They all look alike. Liam’s parents are talking to Coach’s wife near the front.

Ryan turns to say something, but we can’t hear him over the noise of the crowd. Brooke shakes her head at him and points to her ear. He just laughs and turns back around.

The crowd on the field is starting to thin out a little, and we can now see the platform for the awards. There are two security guards in the front, and we see them raise their hands, signaling for us to head onto the field. I’m still holding Brooke’s hand, but I start to jog and pull her with me to find Beck.

I see the guys standing in front of the stage. Beck isn’t on the stage this time, but he’s with Casey and Liam. Archie is, of course, on the stage. He’s eating this up.

As we get closer, Beck turns and tilts his head up, searching the crowd. When he spots me and Brooke, she lets go of my hand, and I run to Beck. His arms are open, and I leap into his arms and wrap my legs around his waist. We’re both laughing while we kiss.

I pull back from our kiss and search his face. He looks so happy and tired, and he’s still dripping in sweat, but he’s never looked more handsome.

“You did it, baby!” Tears prick my eyes, and I see his eyes turning glossy too.

He tucks his head into my neck, and I can feel his chest heaving against mine.

“I love you so much!” His head is still in my neck, and I can hear the tears in his voice.

“I love you so much, Beck. That was absolutely incredible. I’m so, so proud of you!”

He pulls back and kisses me again. This kiss is wet from both of our tears, and it’s a moment I will never forget.

He sets me on my feet and wipes his eyes with his gloves. Brooke and Ryan come over, and he wraps his arms around them both. I want to give them this moment together, so I turn and look for my parents and Casey.

They’re a little closer to the stage, so I make my way through the families and congratulate the guys as I pass them. Mom is still wrapped around Casey, and the tears are falling down her face. I look at Dad and see he’s wiping his eyes with the palm of his hand. Casey looks up and spots me and smiles. He had a great game today and caught one pass for a touchdown.

“I’m so proud of you, little brother!”

I wrap my arms around him, laughing. He lifts me up, squeezes me, then puts me down.

“Char, can you fucking believe this? We did it!”

I hug him again, and then the announcer starts to speak. Beck and his family have moved in close to us, and Beck stands behind me and wraps his arms around my waist. I turn my head and look up at him, and he leans in for a kiss.

We stay like that as the announcer issues congratulations and awards for MVP of the game. Archie is still standing on the stage with some of the other guys and the coach. He sees us in the crowd and points at us and nods. Beck straightens one of his arms and points back at Archie.