Page 55 of The False Start (Off the Bench)

“Yeah, we’re supposed to for security. No one’s allowed into the training facility, the field, or the hotel if they’re not staff or players. Even the press has to do their interviews in an off-site pop-up.”

I stare at him, attempting to determine a point in that sentence but not finding a single one.

“They unofficially gave us a few hours before dinner to see our families, since we won’t see them before the game.”

“Oh, that was nice of them.” I press another kiss to his lips. “I am glad you’re here, I just wasn’t expecting you.”

His eyes skim my outfit. “Are you going somewhere?”

“I was going to meet Maggie for drinks in about twenty minutes. I think we’re going out with some of the other partners of the team.”

“That sounds fun. I’m glad you’re getting to know some of them. Maggie’s great, she was a few years behind us in school but always a good laugh.”

“Yeah, I wonder if they’ll want to push back drinks if the other players also got a chance to sneak away.”

“I’m not sure many of them did.”

“Really? You’re playing in the Super Bowl tomorrow and some of them didn’t want to see their wives?” I flush. “Not that I’m your wife or anything.”

“I know what you mean. But security is tight, and a lot of the guys are more recognizable than me, I’m not sure the Marvel disguise would work for everyone.”

I laugh. “Yeah, probably not.”

“There are people lining the streets of the hotel we’re staying in, screaming, and there’s so many you can’t even understand what they’re trying to say. It’s kind of a lot,” he mutters. “Where are you meeting Maggie?”

“The lobby, she’s staying across the street.”

“I’ll walk you down then.”

“Hang on,” I say, as he heads for the door. “I still have fifteen minutes if you want to just relax for a minute.”

His mouth quirks up at the side, before he flops down on the king-sized bed. “Come lay with me.”

I pull off my booties and lay carefully down beside him, pulling my curled hair out of the way before he loops an arm around my waist.

“Are you ready?” I ask.

“For tomorrow?” I nod.

“I don’t know,” he admits.

“What do you mean?”

“At some level, it’s just another game. Fans will fill the stadium, they’ll cheer, the winner will celebrate, the loser will go home.

” He pauses, and his chest expands behind me as he takes a deep breath.

“On another level, it’s the game. The biggest football game in the world, with millions of people watching.

So many people want tickets that the starting price is thousands of dollars.

If we win, I get a diamond ring that’s basically priceless, and I’ll forever be a Super Bowl winner. ”

He takes a deep breath. “If we lose, it’ll be one of the most devastating losses of my career, which is crazy because that meant we had to be the best in the conference to even get here in the first place.”

I brush my hand through his hair, and my heart clenches at his vulnerability.

“I’ve been watching film of old games, and almost every single game you can pinpoint the single play that made or broke the team.

Sometimes it’s an interception or even a pick-six.

Sometimes it’s a one-handed jump catch into the end zone.

Sometimes it’s as simple as a lineman moving three inches before the snap.

It’s not just the better team that wins.

The game is decided by several tiny moves that add up to the biggest win of a season.

” He closes his eyes and pulls me close, burrowing his face in my shoulder.

“Everyone wants to have the once-in-a-lifetime catch for the winning touchdown, but so many more are the cause of a holding penalty or a false start on third down, costing the time of the entire drive. I don’t want to be that guy.”

His voice is rough toward the end, and I can sense the true fear coursing through him.

“You won’t be.”

“But what if I am?” It’s too earnest to not be the reason he’s here.

“Okay, what if you are?”

“What happens if I’m traded? Or the entire city turns against me?”

“Well even if the entire Chicagoland area decided they hated you, you’d still have me. And I think Katie and Theo would agree with me, and that makes three of us in your corner.”

“What if they trade me?”

“We’ll figure it out, Cal.”

“You love Chicago, though. I can’t ask you to move.”

“First of all, you’re not. You still play for the Avalanche.

Secondly, I didn’t say I’d move. There are players who live full-time in the offseason somewhere else.

You could get an apartment in the new city and live permanently in Chicago.

” He opens his mouth to object, and I hold up a finger to silence him.

“And thirdly, I do love Chicago. I loved growing up near the city, and I love being downtown as an adult.” I pause and pull away to force him to look at me.

“But I love you more. We would figure it out, okay? And you won’t be playing forever so if we have to move to Texas or North Carolina or something for a few years while you play out your contract before we move back, we can talk about it. ”

I smirk .“Just please not New York, I hate New York.”

He chuckles and presses a kiss to my forehead.

“I love you.”

“Mmm,” I hum.

We lay there for the rest of the time we have in a comfortable silence, just enjoying each other’s company. When it’s time, Cal helps me zip up my booties and dons his hat before ushering me out to the hotel lobby.