Page 69 of Go Deep (A Bad Boy Sports Romance)

The group went crazy again, until Evan’s voice boomed. “That’s right. We just won the SEC Championship. It is time to throw down, son.”

I couldn’t argue. It was a pretty good reason to keep the team together, so I went along with it, knowing full well that once I had my opening I’d make a move.

About a mile of our main street to the frat house was blocked off by police. We couldn’t get our cars to our place. We had to walk the rest of the way. The place was lit up and people were everywhere. It wasn’t just a college after party. I was witnessing a convergence of thousands of fans from all across the city, maybe parts of the state too, all wanting to celebrate our victory with us.

“Guys,” Evan said from the back seat of Tre’s Dodge Avenger as we looked for a place to park. “Let’s take a moment to remember this image.”

We all got out of the car and looked around, watching as the red and blue lights on the police cars lit up the trees around the house, flashing on wraparound porches and across outdoor swing sets.

I patted him on the back. “That’s for us, son,” I said.

“Damn straight,” he said with reverence.

We walked up the street to the party like we owned the world. There weren’t any agents or scouts at the house. The coaches had all gone off to their own thing. They would turn up for the official parade sometime after Christmas. Tonight was about the fans and the team.

I grabbed a beer, and before it was half finished I found one of the neighboring frat house boys around my height. This was convenient. He was already wearing a football jersey with my number and someone’s helmet, bouncing through the crowd like he’d started the drinking early and had planned to be the entertainment for the evening. I was sure that once the beers started flowing, a few people would see him and think it was me. That could help, because my intention was to hang around just long enough for everyone to know I was at the party. I took that as my cue, and hurried out the back of the house, ducked through a few backyards, and past some more police at the corner.

I was over at the dorms a few minutes later, determined for Cassidy to talk to me tonight—or at least listen. I slipped inside, got up to her floor and stood at her door.

Taking a breath, I raised my hand to knock, ready.