Page 56 of Catching Kyle (Football Heartthrobs #1)

Michael Cunningham

So I’m here. At the Championship Game. And I can’t fucking believe it.

On the jumbotron, I’ve seen like fifteen celebrities.

And they’re all in private suites just like me.

This is insane. Amani, her new girlfriend Angie, Skye, Josue and I all sit together, the snow falling outside making us squeeze together for warmth.

I thought Ricardo or some other reporters would give Amani shit for showing up to the game as Kyle’s ex, but we’ve not been bothered.

Jessica, Kyle’s girlfriend, is here too. She’s sitting separate from us, though, with some other people I don’t recognize. I know she and Amani get along, but for obvious reasons, I want nothing to do with her.

As we watch the game, I can’t help but think why Kyle wanted me here.

Susan mentioned this could be his way of showing his love rather than just saying it, but I’m unsure how.

Because what will happen after the game is over?

He’ll probably be interviewed, regardless of who wins. And then he’ll go home with Jessica.

A wave of dread crashes over me. Why the hell did I go through all the trouble of being here?

Amani tugs on my arm. “What’s wrong?” she asks. “You got that look.”

I shake my head. “I’m just—you know. ”

“I’m glad you’re here,” she says. “Kyle really wanted you here too.”

“That’s what I’ve been told,” I say. “But I don’t know why, really.”

“Does there need to be a reason?”

I look at her like she called me a slur. “Of course there does. After what’s happened to us?”

“I thought you guys talked.”

“Yeah,” I say. “And not much came of it.”

The entire room around us tenses as the Vanguards reach their last down, and Amani and I look down at the field.

Tension sucks the noise right out of our room as the Vanguards snap the ball.

Their quarterback throws it out to their wide receiver, someone already saw it coming.

Kyle, already having broken past their players, jumps up.

And he successfully intercepts the ball.

Our suite gets so loud that I want to cover my ears. The stadium is going ballistic. The first Weaver interception of the game.

He’s eventually tackled, but he got some yards back to the Tigers, and the ball is now in their possession.

The Vanguards call a timeout, and this is the one thing I hate. Somehow these two minutes turn into something way longer. I’m just surprised that the Vanguards are using theirs so early.

Somebody taps me on the shoulder. I turn and almost recoil when I see Jessica, her perfect blonde hair cascading down from her Tigers beanie. I hate to admit it, but she’s even more pretty up close. To think that this woman has slept with Kyle…

“I know how weird this might be,” she says.

My stomach jumps. Why would this be weird? She doesn’t know about me.

My eyes widen. Unless…

“I’m sorry, how do we know each other?” I hate that I’m coming off bitchy, but what am I supposed to say? ‘Hey, I fucking hate that you’re sleeping with the man I love?’

She laughs and lightly taps her forehead. “Sorry, um,” she looks around. “Can we talk outside for a second? ”

I glance at the others. Amani is debating with Josue about something, and I can tell Skye is regretting sitting right between them. Her new girlfriend Angie, the one she met at the bar, is unable to contain her laughter. Timeout is still going, so it’s not like I’ll miss anything.

“Sure,” I say slowly.

“Great.”

I follow her out in the hallway, my stomach tripping all over itself. What does Jessica want to do with me? Tell me she knows about what happened between me and Kyle and for me to lay off?

Out in the hallway, we’re completely alone. Not much traffic in the private suites. She glances down both hallways just to make sure, then looks me dead in the eye.

“I know about you and Kyle,” she says.

If I was a cat, I’d be hissing with an arched back, all my hair standing up straight. Well, one of those things is actually true. Goosebumps are making the hair on my arms shoot up.

I scowl at her. “What about me and Kyle?”

She leans in closer, and I step away. Suddenly, one of the suite doors open, and both of us freeze. Then out walk Zendaya and Tom Holland. They smile and say hello as they pass us, and I almost pass out.

Jessica looks back at me, equally stunned, then lets out a laugh. But her laugh is more like a snort, which makes me laugh, too. So pretty soon we’re both cracking up in the private suite hallway of the Championship Game.

“I’m sorry,” she says, wiping her eyes. “That was fucking amazing.”

“Your laugh,” I say, still giggling. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” she says. “It makes every situation funnier.”

After that, I’m still angry at her for stealing my man, but I’ve softened enough to listen.

She sighs. “What I meant to say was that I know about Kyle too. That he’s gay.”

My chest tightens, and my shoulders tense, still accustomed to always protecting his secret sexuality .

“Don’t worry. He told me himself. And for the record, we’ve never slept together.”

My shoulders relax. “Really?”

She nods. “And since he’s told me about you. He still really loves you, you know.”

I blush and stare at the concrete floor. Then I whip my head up at her. “Wait, then why are you guys still together?”

She smiles. “Because I’m helping him out.”

“With what?”

Beyond the walls, cheering begins, and Zendaya and Tom Holland rush back to their suite. I freeze up, not knowing what to say to them, but Jessica lets out an awkward ‘hi’.

“Just wait for the half-time show,” she says once they’re back in their suite. “Someone will come to get you. That’s all I can say.”

My stomach tumbles over itself again. “Someone’s coming to get me? What does that mean?”

Someone opens our suite door—one of Jessica’s friends. He gestures for her to come back, and she pushes herself off the wall.

“That’s all I can tell you,” she says with a shrug.

“What?” I say, confused. But pretty soon she’s left me alone in the hallway. After I gather some strength, I return to the suite and sit back down in my seat.

“What was that about?” Amani asks.

“I honestly have no idea,” I say.

“Was she mean?” Amani asks, alert.

“No, not at all really,” I say. “Just confusing.”

Another play begins, and we’re sucked back into the game.

But I can’t stop thinking about the cryptic message that Jessica just left for me.

‘Wait until the half-time show’, she said.

‘Someone will come to get me’. Is that someone Kyle?

It can’t be. I doubt he’d have that much time to do that.

Oh man. This anticipation is going to kill me.

I try to focus on the game, but each passing second only means I’m closer to the half-time show and whatever’s happening then. It has to do with Kyle, right? Why else would Jessica be the one giving me the message? And does this have to do with the Kyle’s way of showing me he loves me?

While I’m almost hyperventilating, the Tigers manage to score a touchdown, but the Vanguards score one right after and manage to score a safety after their touchdown, giving them two more points.

It’s now 6 – 14, Vanguards winning. But I would say the mystery happening at half-time is making me substantially more nervous.

But wait. It was Jessica who relayed this message. Who told me she knows all about Kyle being gay and how he loves me still. That means that they’re not together in any real way at all. It’s all a ruse, just like it was with Amani. But how?

Just before the first half is over, there’s a knock on our suite. Two huge, burly security guards open the door. “Is there a Michael Cunningham in here?” the taller one asks.

Oh god. This is it.

I sheepishly raise my hand.

“Will you come with us? We’re here to escort you,” the shorter one says.

I stand up, and all eyes in the booth are on me. Jessica’s watching me with rapt attention. This is what she was preparing me for, after all.

“Escort me where?” I say, stepping up to them.

“Just follow us,” the tall one says. “You’ll see soon enough.”

Not knowing what else to do, I follow the guards into the hallway.