Page 9

9

JAXON

T he roar of the crowd hits me like a physical force.

My heart rate picks up, and I'm not sure if it's from the pre-game adrenaline or the thought of Madison watching me play in person for the first time in years.

When Coach calls us into a huddle, I force myself to focus.

This is my first home game of the season, and every eye in the stadium is on us.

The pressure’s real— it made headlines when I transferred, and I know my old school can’t wait to come at us hard later in the season.

Today’s my chance to show these new teammates I’m here to play some good ass football.

Coach leans in close, his tone low and rough around the edges.

“Jaxon, listen up,” he says.

“I know you’ve got a lot on your mind, but tonight, it’s all about the game. I need you focused. You’re our secret weapon—show ‘em what you’re made of.”

I swallow hard, nodding.

“Got it, Coach. I’m not letting anything get in the way.”

He gives me a steady look, his eyes burning with intensity.

“That’s what I like to hear, son. You’ve done great getting into the swing of things, but this is the real test, seeing how well you work on the field with the rest of them, if you’ve earned their respect. ”

I take a deep breath, feeling the weight of his words mix with the adrenaline pounding in my veins.

“I won’t let you down,” I promise.

Besides, there’s a pretty brunette in the stands to impress today.

“Alright, team—let’s get out there and play some football,” he bellows, and just like that, we break the huddle.

As we take our positions, I steal one last glance at Madison.

My cheeks hurt from how big my smile is, but I give Mads a wink and then get into position.

Yeah, it feels really fucking good having her back in the crowd.

Carter must’ve seen the exchange, wearing a knowing little smirk.

It’s obvious Madison talked to him, but I have no idea what she shared.

That’s an issue for another time.

The roar of the crowd washes over me as I crouch into position, muscles coiled and ready.

Carter's voice cuts through the noise, barking out the play call.

"Red 42! Red 42! Hut!"

I explode off the line, my cleats digging into the turf. My eyes lock onto Carter as he drops back. The ball spirals towards me, and I stretch out, fingertips grazing leather.

Got it.

I tuck the ball and turn up field, legs pumping, a blur of motion in my peripheral.

Impact.

The ground rushes up to meet me as I'm slammed from the side.

Pain blossoms across my ribs, but I hold on tight to the ball.

Can't fumble.

"Nice catch, pretty boy," the linebacker sneers, his hot breath hitting my face as he pushes off me.

I grit my teeth, ignoring the taunt. "Thanks for the welcome," I shoot back, springing to my feet. My eyes find Madison in the stands, her worried expression softening as I give her a subtle nod. I'm okay.

We get back into formation quickly before Carter's voice rings out again, "Blue 33! Blue 33! Set, hut! "

This time, as the ball snaps, I see my opening. The cornerback commits too early, and I blow past him. Carter's pass is a thing of beauty, arcing high and long.

Time slows. The roar of the crowd fades to a dull hum.

It's just me and the ball now.

I stretch, my fingers closing around the pigskin. My feet hit the ground, and I'm off, sprinting towards the end zone.

The wind whips against my face as I run, heart pounding in my ears.

Twenty yards. Ten. Five.

I cross the line, ball raised high.

The stadium erupts.

Touchdown.

As my teammates swarm me, slapping my helmet and shouting congratulations, I can't help but search the crowd again. There she is, on her feet, cheering louder than anyone. You couldn’t wipe the grin from my face if you tried.

The game continues in a blur of plays, tackles, and hard-fought yards. Every time I hit the turf, I spring back up, driven by the fire in my gut and the knowledge that Madison's watching.

Her presence in the stands fuels me more than any cheering crowd ever has.

As the clock ticks down to the final seconds, we're up by four. The opposing team has the ball, driving hard for one last shot at victory. My hands are on my knees as I watch from the sidelines, heart hammering against my ribs.

"Come on, defense," I mutter, eyes glued to the field. "One more stop."

The snap. Their quarterback drops back, searching desperately for an open receiver. Our defensive line surges forward, collapsing the pocket. He scrambles, heaves a desperation throw?—

Intercepted! Our safety snags the ball out of the air, cradling it to his chest as he falls to the ground. The stadium explodes into cheers .

Game over. We've won.

As my teammates rush the field in celebration, I find myself searching the stands again.

There's Madison, beaming down at me, her hazel eyes shining even from this distance. I want to run to her, sweep her up in my arms, but I know I can't, not yet—I don’t want to scare her.

Instead, I settle for a wide grin and a subtle hand gesture, something just for us.

Her answering smile is like sunshine breaking through clouds.

"Hell of a game, Montgomery," Coach barks, clapping me on the shoulder.

"NFL scouts are gonna be drooling over that highlight reel."

I nod, trying to focus on his words, but my mind is already racing ahead to later.

"Thanks, Coach," I manage.

"Couldn't have done it without the team."

As I jog towards the locker room, the weight of the win settles over me. One step closer to the draft, towards the future I've worked for.

For now, I'll celebrate with the team.

And later, with Madison, I'll find the peace I'm really chasing.

After a quick shower, I’m walking out of the locker room when I feel my phone vibrating. Grinning, I swipe to answer.

“Hey, Mama.” I make my way outside to my truck, tossing my bag in the passenger seat.

“You played a great game, son!” my dad says before my mom can speak.

“You did so well, Jaxon. We are so, so proud of you. How did it feel to play in your new home?”

“It felt pretty good, honestly. I was surprised at how well the team worked together, but it went pretty good.” I pull out of the parking lot and head for the football house, my lips pulling higher as I share the next bit with them. “Madison was there.”

“ I knew it !” Mom squeals, “I told your father the second I saw your smile right before the game started that she had to be there! How is she? Are you two back to your old ways?”

I chuckle; she has always loved Madison so much. “Yeah. I think so, at least. We’ve been hanging out a lot the last couple of weeks, and she seems to be relaxing more.”

“I am so, so happy to hear this. You’ll have to bring her to dinner soon.” I hear rustling in the background; she must be moving. “We are so bummed we couldn’t make today’s game, but we will be at the next home one. We’re getting ready to head out to dinner, but we will see you tomorrow. Love you, Jaxon!”

“Love you too.” I end the call right as I’m pulling up to a red light. Looking to my right, I do a double take as I see Madison and Lyla jamming out in Lyla’s car.

Seeing Madison daily takes my breath away, but seeing her completely carefree and happy? That shit right there has my heart sputtering to a rhythm only she owns. I roll my window down and give the horn a small tap. Madison’s head jerks to a stop mid-head bang, and her smile breaks free. Lyla rolls the window down and cuts the volume on the music, and Madison leans over.

“Nice game, Montgomery. Made it look like you knew what you were doing out there,” she says, giving me a playful smirk.

“I’ve done it a time or two. Nice concert, by the way. Loved the show.”

A slight blush tints her cheeks, and Lyla rolls her eyes at her best friend before looking over at me.“You headed to the party?”

“Yeah. I live there, so I don’t really have a plan B.” I chuckle, turning back towards the light that just turned green. “See ya there, ladies.”

I hit the gas, leaving them sitting there. In the rearview mirror, I catch a glimpse of Madison—laughing, back to dancing, completely lost in the beat of the music as we roll towards the house. Every second of that carefree joy hits me like a punch to the gut.

Mostly, I miss the days when I was the reason for that smile.

Pulling up to the house, I hop out, grabbing my gear before locking my truck and making a beeline for my room before joining the chaos downstairs.

I catch up with a couple of the guys when I snag a water from one of the coolers.

“Man, that play in the fourth quarter was insane,” one of them says, slapping me on the back. Another chimes in, “Yeah, Montgomery, you were on fire tonight! You think the scouts are gonna lose it?” I grin, nodding, but my mind is already half elsewhere.

Before long, Allie comes barreling up, practically yanking me toward the dance floor. “Hey, super star, come on—dance with me!” she says, whipping her hair right into my face.

I laugh, shaking my head. “Gonna have to pass on that one, but Dennis looks ready.” I nod to my teammate, who’s grinding with two other girls.

My other teammates chuckle, but I can feel the pull of something else urging me to step away. Excusing myself with a quick nod, I slip farther into the backyard.

The scene outside is electric—a sea of people dancing under string lights, the music pulsing as everyone loses themselves in the beat. I lean against the railing, just taking in the views, when my gaze lands on her.

In the center of the crowd, Madison moves like she’s the only one there. Her carefree laughter cuts through the chaos, her hair bouncing as she moves to the rhythm. For a moment, all the noise fades away, and it’s just her and me.

“Montgomery, come play!” someone shouts from behind me. I glance over, seeing Trevor pointing to the table where they’re playing beer pong. I offer a quick smile and a shake of my head before my eyes return to Madison.

Suddenly, she catches my gaze—her eyes glint with that familiar smirk—and she lifts a finger, beckoning me over .

Making my way through the crowd, I start towards her. The song changes, swapping from a high tempo to something you’d probably find on a guy’s sex playlist.

I stop a respectful distance behind her, not wanting to get too close. Her smile is wide, and I can’t help its twin from stretching across my face.

“Nice game, hotshot.” Her eyes are a little hazy, telling me she’s definitely a couple drinks in.

“Had my good luck charm watching, so I had to impress.” Stepping closer, I lean down, whispering only loud enough for her to hear, “Truth or dare?”

Her eyes narrow playfully, “Dare.”

“Dance with me.”

She graces me with that damn laugh I could never get tired of. She grabs my hands, placing them on her hips, her lavender scent hitting me like a tidal wave, and every nerve in my body floods with heat.

Leaning back into me, she gives me a mischievous smile and murmurs, "Come on, Montgomery—let’s see what you’ve got.”