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“Lose your way? Fuck sakes, I’ll be there holding your hand every step of the way, B.”

“You won’t always be there.Iwon’t always be there for you, Dare.”

There. I finally voiced what’s been bothering me for the past three weeks. With as much time as Taron is spending at my place, we might as well be living together, and I like it so much, waking up and going to bed with him.

“You’re serious, aren’t you?”

“Dare, you have a life apart from me. Had one before I showed up.”

“That’s family you’re speaking of, and you are now a part of it. You’re my family, B.”

“Taron’s a big part of my life now.”

“That so?”

“Yes.” I set the popcorn on the coffee table and shift in my seat. “I care for you, but I care for him more.”

“Am I your best friend?”

“Yes.”

“Am I your guy?”

“We already agreed that you don’t have those kinds of feelings for me.”

“Because you have them for Taron?”

“Yes.” I look at him in confusion. “Dare, what point are you trying to make? The shot is messing with my mind.” I’m not a lightweight, but I already had two shots earlier.

“I’m your best friend. You’re like a sister to me. We can be all things to one another without taking away from what you are to Taron. You’re his girl, B. I see the way he looks at you. Any guy come near you and he will fuck them up. I come near you and he isn’t looking at me the same way. That is a secure man, Syn. He knows where you and I stand with one another.”

Dare is so right. God, he has his moments, and this moment . . . Taron’s first home game at his home away from home and I am sitting on my duff blocks away from the stadium when I should be there cheering on my guy.

I rise, and grabbing Dare’s arms, I pull him up off the couch. Whooping and hollering, he gets us an Uber to the game.

“That’s my girl. Now let’s go show the world who the star QB belongs to.”

35

Syn

We made it in time for Beau’s opening speech. From our spot on the bottom bleachers, right behind the team, I watch proudly as Beau talks about sportsmanship and how sports bring us together for a common goal—a connection, a commonality.

“He’s good,” Dare says near my ear at the end of Beau’s speech. The clapping and hollering are loud.

Beau’s speech is so inspiring, I am starting to have a change of mind about football. I look around. The excitement is so palpable, I can taste it.

“I can see why Taron loves the game, and the reason Beau encourages kids to take up sports. The excitement is contagious.”

“No joke.” Dare grins from ear to ear, also taking in the crowd’s excitement. “I read somewhere he has a camp for kids. That’s cool. Beau is a cool dude.”

I find it interesting that Beau’s camp coincides with my spring break. Year after year, he asks me to be a part of it, but I have always declined, associating football with Taron. Now, watching Taron lop a hell of a long throw that is caught by Andy and he takes the ball in for DU’s first touchdown, I plan on telling Beau I am in if he still wants me.

The custody battle with Lola is getting ugly. It’s been all over TMZ and the other tabloid sites. We decided I would go incognito for our daughter-father time before he leaves for a business trip tomorrow morning.

The crowd cheers. DU scored another touchdown. I stick my hands in the air and whoop and holler with the crowd. Taron and his teammates are celebrating at the end zone. He breaks away from his teammates, runs on over, and seeing me, he kisses his index and middle fingers and points directly at me.

Oh my gosh, he did not just declare me as his girl. I should be mortified. Freaked out that my well-constructed drama-free life will be anything but after this game is through. Except I’m not. I am in my own personal heaven. Am flying high in the clouds.