Page 14 of Fear of Love (Falling #3)

LYDIA

“ G o, Mateo!” I yelled, my voice already a little hoarse and scratchy.

“You got this!” Mila screamed alongside me.

We were holding our signs as Mateo stood directly in front of us with his team.

The blow horns were long gone since the guys thought it would be a good idea to lay on them for a full minute.

Which prompted someone to come down and tell them to put them away five minutes later.

They lasted longer than I thought they would.

Before running back onto the field, Mateo turned around to face our section.

He sent us a little smirk and wink before sliding his helmet on and focusing on the game.

Earlier, Josie said Mateo would wave to us, and she wasn’t wrong.

Whenever he had a chance, he acknowledged us sitting here.

He probably wouldn’t admit it, but I saw him constantly looking in our direction like he wanted to make sure his brothers and mom were still present.

“One day he’s going to get hurt for flirting so damn much,” Landon muttered beside me.

“Wonder where he learned it from,” I said offhandedly. From the corner of my eye, I saw Landon’s head slowly turn in my direction.

“You don’t think he got it from me?” Landon almost looked appalled.

I gave him a flat look. “Being an ass doesn’t count as flirting.”

“I know how to flirt.”

“Okay.” It wasn’t that I didn’t believe him. I was pretty sure Landon could flirt just fine, but it made it hard to believe when he constantly had a glare on his face.

Keeping his gaze locked on mine, Landon bent his head down closer to mine. Those gorgeous hazel eyes seemed to trace my face, lingering on my lips. Being this close, I could smell his cologne. It was almost piney, and I had to stop myself from inhaling it. Why did he have to smell so good?

My own eyes had a mind of their own as I took advantage of how close his face was to mine, taking in his flawless cheekbones and chiseled jaw under the slight stubble that peppered his skin. It was unfair how good he looked.

“Blondie,” Landon’s voice dipped, smooth and deliberate. It wasn’t loud, just low enough that I felt myself leaning an inch closer. Goosebumps prickled along my arms like he had whispered it right against my ear.

He hadn’t said more than just that one word, but there was a subtle shift in his demeanor and in the air that had my pulse stuttering. The faintest smirk pulled at his lips, like he was waiting to see how I’d react.

“You really like calling me that, don’t you?” I asked, trying to play it cool, praying he wouldn’t catch the hitch in my voice.

His eyes dragged over me, slow and unapologetic. “It suits you, and the way you react when I say it…” Landon’s voice dipped again. “Pretty hard to resist.”

My stomach swooped, and my mouth dried as all my thoughts scattered. What the fuck? Where the hell did this Landon come from? With the way his eyes flashed, he knew exactly what he was doing.

“I think you talk too much,” I shot back, but it came out weaker than intended. I was losing the battle of trying to appear unaffected.

“Maybe,” he said, eyes flickering to my mouth before coming back to my eyes. “But you’re still listening.”

My mouth fell open, a response stuck on my lips. I wasn’t expecting the heat that curled in my belly. He stared at me for another second before his lips twitched.

He leaned away from me, settling back into his chair. “And that is how you flirt.”

Without another word he turned to talk to Wyatt on the other side of Evelyn. Like he didn’t just shock me to my core. It was as cold as the Arctic out here in the university’s stadium, but my body was on fire.

I looked back out at the field, not really seeing the players move as my mind tried to catch up with what just happened.

I was not prepared for Landon to suddenly prove he could woo a woman.

He didn’t even have to try that hard, and it made me wonder what it would be like if he actually put in the effort.

Get a grip, Lydia.

That was easier said than done when my body was reacting in a way it hadn’t in years. Thankfully, the sound of Mila’s yells jerked me out of my head. With a mental shake of my head, I tuned back into the game. I could deal with that later. Like when I was home in my bed alone.

I caught sight of Mateo as he hiked the football. He stepped backward looking down the field at his other teammates, arm cocked back waiting for an opening.

He seemed completely unfazed as an opposing player came toward him.

The guy was the same height as Mateo but while Mateo was leaner, this guy was stocky and looked like he could easily tackle someone.

The player got right up on Mateo but in one smooth motion, Mateo darted to the side, sprinting forward.

I sat forward, eyes glued to Mateo’s form. When someone came up to his side and slammed into it, a gasp left my lips. It looked like it hurt as Mateo fell to the ground, but the kid jumped up milliseconds later, tossing the ball to the ref.

How Evelyn could stand to watch her boys get hit while playing sports was beyond me.

Mateo’s team quickly moved into formation on the field as the giant clock on the scoreboard ticked down. Only two minutes remained with a tied score, so Mateo’s team really needed to get a touchdown.

I still wasn’t 100 percent sure what fourth down meant or anything, but with how tense Landon was next to me, I knew this was their last shot to score or it would go into overtime. All the players scrambled as the game drew to an end.

As Mateo bent over, hands extended for the ball, my own snapped out to grab hold of Landon’s arm. Keeping a tight grip on him, I watched with bated breath, alongside everyone else, as Mateo hiked the ball again.

He took a step to the side as his eyes scanned the field to try and find an opening. His teammates were doing a good job at keeping the other team from coming at him, but the same player from before broke through, barreling toward Mateo.

My nails dug into Landon’s shirt as my nerves skyrocketed. This was worse than watching a hockey game. For someone so tall, Mateo easily slipped around and through players, running down the field like he didn’t have a huge guy chasing after him.

When Mateo brought his arm back, ready to launch the ball down field, the whole stadium seemed to freeze. Our entire group held completely still as Mateo threw the ball seconds before he was slammed to the ground.

Landon’s arm was tense under my hand, and I could have sworn he wasn’t breathing as we watched the football fly through the air. Seconds later, the ball landed in the outstretched hands of a receiver.

All it took was a few more steps, and he was in the end zone. Touchdown !

It took all of a moment for it to sink in before the receiver from Mateo’s team jumped in the air with the ball above his head. Mateo was on his feet, running for his teammates as they all swarmed the field.

A wave of noise surged through the crowd, sending a ripple through every seat.

I shot to my feet. Without even thinking, I turned toward Landon and threw my arms around his neck.

There was zero hesitation as his hands wrapped around my waist and yanked me into a tight hug.

The gasp that left my lips swallowed by the crowd.

His head wedged between my neck and shoulder as heavy breaths came from him, our fronts pressed together. I had a feeling this moment was huge for Landon, just as much as it was for Mateo.

The hug only lasted a minute before he pulled back, my lips spread into a grin as everyone around us celebrated.

“He won,” Landon breathed. The relief in his eyes made my heart clench. Mateo’s words from the other day at Mila’s rang through my head. Landon had done everything for his family and given up so much. This right here must have proved to him that it was all worth it.

Unable to help myself, I cupped the sides of Landon’s face. Repeating his words. “He won.”

Landon’s shoulders sagged as he nodded. I didn’t think he let anyone see just how much pressure he put on himself. I think I finally understood why he snapped at me the other day. This moment was about Mateo, but also him, and everything he did to ensure Mateo could get to this point.

The longer we stared at one another, the urge to kiss him grew.

The way his eyes darted to my lips made me think he was wanting the same thing.

Before I could even think of leaning forward to do just that, our moment got ruined as the others closed in on us.

I dropped my hands from Landon’s face and turned just in time to be enveloped in a hug by Mila.

She swayed the two of us before pulling away with a grin. “Damn, that was a good game.” She did a little shimmy.

I went to reply but a figure out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. We all turned to see Mateo running in our direction, the biggest smile on his face, his hair stuck to his forehead with sweat from his helmet.

In one quick motion, he jumped up, hooking his arms around the rod iron rails. He pulled himself up over them and dropped in front of where his mom stood.

My eyes pricked as he pulled Evelyn into a hug so tight her feet almost left the ground. When he pulled back, she cupped his cheeks, whispering something that had Mateo smiling. Not wanting to intrude, I shuffled back a step, giving Landon, Evelyn, and Wyatt a moment to celebrate with Mateo.

“Dude, you didn’t tell us there would be hot chicks here,” one of Mateo’s friends and roommates whispered to the others that were here celebrating the teams win.

The kid was trying to be nonchalant, but the way all four of Mateo’s friends kept staring at me as I made my way to the fridge was anything but obvious.

“They're all taken. Trust me, you don’t want to make a move on them,” Mateo said. “My brother and his friends would more than kick your ass for flirting with their girlfriends.”