Page 30 of Game Changer (Hidden Attractions #2)

Ethan

At my first home game of the season, I told myself I wouldn’t act like a coach.

I haven’t accepted an official position, yet I’m standing on the sidelines with my fist pressed against my mouth as the clock winds down.

It’s the fourth quarter, and it all comes down to a single field goal.

Marco is a decent kicker, but his track record isn’t stellar.

Not that any thirteen-year-old’s would be.

Ronnie approaches my side when Marco runs out to the field. “Have you decided yet about being my assistant?” Over the past month or so, Ronnie and I have gotten closer, and at every practice he asks me the same question.

My jaw ticks when I reply. “No.”

He exhales heavily through his nose. “All right.”

“Is that all you’re ever going to say in response? You aren’t going to push?” He never says anything but “all right.”

“Why would I push?” He shrugs and points at the field. “You’re right about this being a big decision. I didn’t start this program to have people come into these kids’ lives and not stick around. When you know, you’ll know, and I’ll hand you over a whistle when you do.”

Marco aligns himself with the ball, and all of us, including those on the bleachers, hold our breath when he makes the kick.

The ball soars into the air, and it’s an automatic no-brainer.

It strikes dead center through the end zone, and the boys go wild.

They run onto the field to hoist Marco into the air, carrying him on their shoulders while they chant his name.

It brings me back to when Cameron and I won the state championship in high school.

Even though I knew it would be the last game I played, it was the best day of my life.

Confetti. Dumping the water cooler on our coach. The roaring of the crowd.

I snap out of the flashback to find Ronnie smirking at me.

The opposing team heads off to the other side of the field with sad faces and broken hearts, and I can’t help but notice they don’t have official uniforms. “Why are they only wearing those jerseys?” They’re made of basic red and blue mesh material and remind me of the ones we used to wear while playing capture the flag in gym class.

“They’re a team without many sponsors,” Ronnie explains. “Some programs lack funding. Possibly because they live in a bad section of town, or simply because the coach isn’t dedicated enough to raise the money.”

My eyes linger on the kids with the tattered jerseys. I try to fight the pinch in my chest, but it’s useless. My mind immediately strays to how I can get their team better jerseys.

Ronnie claps me on the shoulder. “Let me know when you’re ready,” he repeats. “In the meantime, let’s go celebrate with these lunatics.”

The boys are crowding Mark a few feet away, hooting, hollering, and giving him multiple high fives when Ronnie and I join them.

The breath stalls in my lungs when the kids swarm me next, nearly tackling me to the damn ground in their excitement.

Pride surges through me. It has me thinking that there might be a sliver of potential that I’m good at this, even if there’s still a lingering fear that I’m not.

“Congratulations.”

I spin around to find Maya, her eyes softening at the hold the kids currently have on me.

She looks cute dressed down in sneakers, shorts, and a T-shirt.

It’s the simplest I’ve ever seen her look, and she’s still the most beautiful woman I’ve laid eyes on.

Her hair is tied up in a ponytail and she’s not wearing any makeup.

“Thought you could use this,” she says, passing me a water bottle.

“I didn’t think you’d come.” I mentioned it briefly over dinner last night but never asked her to meet me here.

“Why would you think that?”

“Because the outdoors is your least favorite thing. You hate mosquitos and everything to do with sports.”

“True, but this is important to you, Ethan, which makes it important to me too. Although, the orange jerseys might be a little much. Don’t know if I’ll be able to pull that color off.”

She’d pull off any color, but before I can say that, Derrick, one of the players, interrupts.

“Who is she?” he asks.

“I’m his girlfriend,” Maya replies with a smile. “Congrats on winning, by the way.”

I’m so stunned by her use of the official term that I don’t see Derrick’s hand shoot out to whack me on the chest.

“ She is your girlfriend?” He grabs the other boys’ attention and shouts, “Guys, this is Ethan’s girlfriend !”

The collection of their surprised gasps makes me roll my eyes. Leave it to a bunch of thirteen-year-olds to take a hit at my ego, but I can’t blame them for foaming at their mouths when she looks like that .

“What’s your name?” one asks.

“Has he kissed you yet?”

“Does he do that weird gargling thing with his water bottle in front of you too?”

“All right,” I groan. “That was one time. I’m pretty sure a bug flew in my mouth.”

“I, for one, am glad you two finally made it official,” Mark interjects. He sighs dramatically while batting his eyes. “It’s a dream come true, isn’t it?”

I scowl at him. “Please don’t tell me Cameron rubbed off on you during his visit.”

“Cameron? Nah. Leo , however . . .”

Whose idea was it to create a friend circle with a bunch of jackasses?

Oh, right.

Mine.

“So, how are we celebrating?” Maya asks, thankfully changing the subject.

“We typically go to the pizzeria on Main Street after practices. That’s the place the kids like best.” The fact that I know which pizzeria they prefer shows how much I care about them.

Obviously, I’m no longer a guest here, but to say I’m an assistant coach aloud means it’s true, and that means my entire life trajectory changes.

It’s a huge step, but the more time I spend around these boys, the less daunting the step becomes.

“I could go for some pizza,” she says.

The boys stare at her with wide eyes. “Is she going to eat with us?”

“ Maybe if you can keep your tongues to yourselves. She’s taken, boys.” I drag my eyes down the length of her, wishing we were in bed rather than on a football field. Maya shifts her weight from one foot to another in response.

The knockout with toned legs, a heart of gold, and a smile that could light up an entire stadium is now off-limits. She did something out of her comfort zone by coming here tonight. Extracurricular activities aren’t her thing, but she still made an effort because this team means something to me .

And I’m officially the luckiest guy alive.

“We’ll meet you guys there!” I shout at Ronnie and the boys.

Maya links her arm through mine. “Lead the way, boyfriend . I’ll hitch a ride with you.”

I pick her up to wrap her legs around my waist, grinning uncontrollably when she squeals and tosses her head back with laughter.

She’s a sight for sore eyes. That’s for sure.

“Of course, I’ll let my girlfriend hitch a ride with me.

” Then, when we’re halfway to the parking lot, I add, “You can hitch a ride on something else if you’d like too. ”

“Oh my god!” She swats the back of my head. “Cameron is rubbing off on you , not Mark.”

I pinch her ass, and as we erupt into another fit of laughter, I can’t remember the last time I’ve been this happy.

And not fake happiness, like the times I had to act it with all my different masks on, but real , genuine happiness.

The type where my stomach dips and laughter is the only thing I can produce to absorb the foreign emotion.

My life is starting to fall into place, and although the puzzle pieces seem to be slowly coming together, I can’t shake the nagging fear that all of this is too good to be true.