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He should have told Finn about the breakup sooner, but they’d been so busy with practice...
“Oh, man, Kelly is so psyched to be here. Didn’t even care at least a dozen Chiefs fans flipped her off before she made it out of the parking lot.”
“Here?” Scott’s voice cut out, sound strangled in denial. “Kelly’s here?”
“I couldn’t believe it, either, when she told me... Wait,” Finn’s brain caught up to his words. “You didn’t know? Crap. She’s gonna kill me for ruining the surprise.”
“Abby’s here?”
“Dude,” Finn shook his head, then peeled out of his jersey. “I mean it, she might actually kill me. If you value our friendship at all, don’t tell her I told you.”
Dazed, Scott nodded.
Abby was here, at Arrowhead? Why?
“I swear, Kelly, it’s okay. I’ll wait for you out here.”
Kelly whirled, cocked her head at Abby, and crossed her arms. “What happened?”
“N... Nothing.”
She raised one eyebrow and waited. Abby twisted her fingers in the hem of her jersey. The jersey with Scott’s name and number emblazoned across the back. The one he’d given her when he’d visited the hospital last Spring. Only a few weeks ago, she’d wondered if it might someday sport the same glittery scrawl of letters Kelly’s had:Mrs.
Now, it never would.
“You’ve been quiet as a church mouse since I met you at the airport yesterday. I know Gen... Well, I know what’s going on, but now you, what? Don’t want to go see Scott? He won, girl. He’s going to the Super Bowl. You think he won’t be thrilled you flew out? I told Finn we’d be here because I knew how much it would mean to him to have me in the stands while he played. So, what’s going on?”
“I’m so sorry, Kelly, I should have told you. I wanted you to enjoy the game. I wanted to enjoy Scott playing one last time, and pretend...” She took a deep breath. “Scott and I broke up last week. That’s why I didn’t tell him. That’s why I don’t think I should go in there.”
Kelly’s face fell. “Girl...”
The ready room doors swept open, cutting Kelly off, and the first few players trickled out.
She turned, searching their faces for her husband. “Highcastle, nice catch, man. Well played. Donte, solid defense. I loved that stop in the third...”
A consummate football wife, Abby thought as Kelly greeted each player coming out of the locker room by name, offering some small word of praise or encouragement. She’d only had eyes for Scott, even if he wasn’t hers anymore. Hadn’t even noticed the receivers, except where they’d made Scott’s throws matter, hadn’t noticed the defense, except for getting their job done and getting the ball back into Scott’s hands.
I’m so selfish.
Swallowing the bitter pill, her chest tightened as she counted what it had cost her.
Then, Finn came out, and, with a screech, Kelly launched herself into her husband’s arms.
Abby was forgotten. As she would be by next season. Nothing but another girl who had dated a player for a while, then disappeared.
A lump formed in her throat, choking her breath.
Behind Finn, now kissing Kelly passionately enough to draw some wolf whistles from the players skirting around them, those whose wives or girlfriends hadn’t been able to come, Abby recognized a familiar shock of tousled hair, the freshly-showered look that made her knees go weak and her breath catch. She froze, pressed her back to the cool concrete wall behind her, wished it would swallow her whole, so she didn’t have to face this moment.
He was braver than her. Crossing the hall, he punched Finn’s shoulder as he passed. “Let her breathe, man.”
Stopping far too close for comfort, but still too far away, out of reach of the fingertips that longed to reach for him, to brush against the buttons at the collar of the blue polo he wore, the one that brought out his eyes, Abby shoved her hands into the tight pockets of her jeans.
Not yours, anymore,she reminded herself.
“Why are you here?”
He sounded angry, hurt, and Abby cringed. She’d somehow managed to mess this up, too.