Page 14

CHAPTER 14

GRIFFIN

T his game has been a battle from start to finish, but we knew it would be. When you get to this point in the postseason, everyone is hungry to make the championship game. To get this close and fall short is unthinkable, and it’s up to us to make sure it doesn’t happen.

I swipe my arm across my forehead, catching the perspiration trailing over my skin.

“Defense is doing their part,” Rogan says, standing beside me. “Now it’s up to us.”

I nod with conviction. “Damn straight.”

“We need to stay focused every single second remaining on the clock. No one can get ahead of themself. Stay in the moment and on task,” Rogan instructs, continuing in his role as our fearless leader. He’s been the rock we needed since securing his place as our starting quarterback earlier in the regular season. “No penalties, guys.”

“We’ve got this,” Cooper says.

“Let’s close out this game and secure the win,” Thor adds.

“Let’s do this!” Rogan shouts, putting his helmet on as the defense returns to the sideline.

I take a deep pull from my water bottle, setting it down on the bench. Wiping my arm over my forehead once more, I tug my helmet on and fasten the chin strap. Glancing up into the stands, I find the section of seating designated for family and friends. My gaze seeks out Christine until I see her bundled up in the blanket I bought for her. She notices me looking and raises her arm, wildly pumping her fist in the air. It’s the extra boost of encouragement I need. What happens in the next two minutes will decide our fate.

I suddenly feel unnaturally calm despite the score being tied. We need to add more points on the board and wrap this up. If we allow them to take this into overtime, it could be anyone’s game.

We run the ball on the first two plays, successfully gaining the first down. Then Rogan makes a short pass to Cooper, who runs for the remaining yardage for another first down. The crowd roars as he darts out of bounds, stopping the clock with just over a minute left.

We huddle up quickly, knowing the importance of every single second. With each play we complete, the energy in the stadium builds to the point where I can practically feel it like a tinge of smoke scenting the air.

Breaking the huddle, we line up. My muscles are primed and ready to spring into action. The other team’s cornerback is playing tight coverage on me, but I know I can best him.

I burst off the line at the snap, faking inside before cutting sharply to the outside. The cornerback bites on the fake, giving me just enough separation. I look back and see Rogan winding up to throw. The ball spirals through the air, a perfect arc heading straight for me. Extending my arms, I feel the pigskin make contact with my palms. Pulling my arms in, I secure the football against my body just before I’m slammed into from behind. I maintain my hold as I crash down onto the field. The Silverbacks fans go crazy, cheering with all their worth.

I jump to my feet, ready for the next play. We’re inside the red zone now with under a minute left to play, and momentum is on our side.

“Great catch!” Rogan shouts as we huddle up again. His eyes blazing with intensity, he looks at each of us one at a time. “Let’s finish this.”

We line up for the next play, the crowd noise deafening. Taking my position, my eyes lock on Rogan as he yells out the signals.

Thor snaps the ball, and I sprint forward, cutting sharply to the left. I notice the safety shifting toward my side, leaving Cooper with single coverage on the right. Rogan sees it too. He pump fakes in my direction before launching a perfect spiral to Cooper in the end zone.

Time seems to stop as the ball sails through the air. Cooper leaps, stretching out his arms. The cornerback is right with him, reaching up and trying to deflect the pass. Their hands tangle as they both go for the ball.

For a heart-stopping moment, I can’t tell who has possession. Then Cooper emerges with the ball clutched tightly to his chest. The referee’s arms shoot up, signaling we got the touchdown.

The stadium explodes with cheers as I rush toward Cooper while he does some ridiculous celebration dance in the end zone. I reach him at the same time as Rogan and Thor. The three of us slam into him simultaneously, shouting words of praise at him.

As we jog off the field, I catch sight of Christine, on her feet, screaming along with the rest of the fans. Our eyes meet, and she beams at me, causing a squeezing sensation in my chest. It’s becoming apparent that having her here means more to me than I initially realized.

When I finally pull up in front of Rogan’s house it’s been almost two hours since the end of the game. Two hours since we moved one step closer to the Championship, and it still feels surreal.

As I walk up the driveway I notice Christine’s car, and my chest fills with a pleasant warmth. My teammates are also already here. I made a quick stop at the liquor store to grab a bottle of whiskey on the way.

The front door is unlocked, so I walk right in. I follow the sounds of chatter to the kitchen, where I find my friends.

“Here he is,” Rogan calls out.

“Here I am.” I set the bottle on the island. My gaze finds Christine, and I smile. She beams back at me as she hurries over.

“Griffin, congratulations.” She stretches her arms up, stepping in close to me. I pull her into my embrace, holding her tightly against the front of my body. She’s the perfect reward after a hard-fought win.

“Thank you. Did you enjoy the game?” I ask as we separate.

“Hell yes. It was amazing. You were amazing.”

I squeeze her shoulder. “I’m glad you think so.”

“What a fucking night,” Thor says. “I feel like I can sleep for days.”

I scratch my chin. “Not me. I’m all keyed up. I’m ready to play our next game.”

Copper laughs. “We need to watch a shitload of film first.”

I groan. “Coach Chubb is sure to make us do that this week.”

“Yeah, and make us relive every mistake we made during tonight’s game,” Rogan points out.

“Did you make any mistakes?” Christine asks.

I tap the tip of her nose. “Aren’t you cute.”

“What?” she asks.

“We had plenty of errors,” Thor explains.

“Well, I didn’t notice,” Christine says.

“Yeah, me either,” Scarlett adds.

“Who wants to do a celebratory shot?” I ask, cracking open the cap.

Everyone replies in chorus, saying, “Me.”

Rogan grabs shot glasses from the cabinet, lining them up on the island. I pour the golden liquid into each one, stopping just shy of the rim. Once everyone has one in their hand, Rogan clears his throat. “Today went about as well as we could’ve hoped for. Here’s to the next game going even better.”

“Hell yeah,” I say, knocking the shot back.

The doorbell rings. “That’s the Chinese food delivery,” Autumn says, hurrying off.

Cooper rubs his stomach. “Thank you, Jesus. I’m starving.”

I know how he’s feeling. I could eat a week’s worth of food right about now.

“She ordered enough for a small army,” Scarlett says just before Autumn returns with two large bags clutched in her hands. She places them on the island and begins unpacking multiple containers.

Scarlett grabs paper plates, napkins, and silverware, and sets them out.

“Ladies, you should go first,” Thor suggests. “Otherwise, there might not be anything left when we get done.”

Christine’s eyes widen, as if she can’t believe we could possibly eat this much. But we absolutely can and will. Especially after a game, and one where we came out victorious.

“Winning increases our appetites,” I explain. Then with a snicker, I add, “And losing increases our thirst for alcohol.”

Rogan laughs. “That’s true. Fortunately, we don’t have to drown our sorrows tonight.”

Autumn passes out plates to Scarlett and Christine, and the three of them start dishing out their food. When they finish, they move over to settle at the dining room table.

I jockey for a position in line as we pile food high on our plates. Everything smells so good, I’m practically drooling by the time I slide onto the bench next to Christine. The first bite I take is of rice and Mongolian beef, and the spices hit my taste buds just right.

“Goddamn, that’s good.” I shovel another bite between my lips.

Christine snickers next to me. “You better chew it up before you swallow. If you choke, I don’t know if my arms will fit around you to do the Heimlich Maneuver.”

I lean in, whispering, “From what I remember, your arms fit around me just fine.” As I back away, I wink at her.

Cheeks flushing, she ducks her chin, focusing on the plate in front of her. She pops a piece of chicken finger in her mouth and chews. Peering under the table, I notice her toes tapping against the floor, and I smile.

My teammates join us but remain mostly silent aside from an occasional moan or grunt of appreciation. The girls are already showing signs of slowing down, and their plates aren’t anywhere close to be cleared. Amateurs.

“Christine, when do your classes start?” Scarlett asks.

“Tomorrow morning.”

“Are you excited?” Autumn asks.

Christine smiles. “I am. It feels like I’ve been waiting forever, and I just want to dive in.”

Thor’s forehead furrows. “Who the hell looks forward to going to school?”

Christine laughs. “That would be me.”

“I can’t imagine liking any classes. If college weren’t a necessary link in the football chain, I’d have gladly skipped going. All those papers I had to write, and I don’t remember a damn thing I learned,” Thor says, shoveling another bite in his mouth.

“I had a great time in college.” Rogan smirks.

“Oh, I had plenty of fun, I just disliked the actual schoolwork part,” Thor adds.

“I enjoyed the classes I took,” Cooper says, shrugging.

Rogan pats Cooper on the back. “That’s because you’re a good boy. Well… maybe not anymore.”

“Wait, what’s going on here?” Thor asks.

“Yeah, I feel like I’m missing out on something,” I say.

Cooper scratches the back of his neck, looking uncomfortable. “My dad is a preacher, so I’ve always been a rule follower.”

“So you didn’t party in college?” Thor asks.

“No, I did some, but I wasn’t out of control,” he replies.

“He was a virgin,” Rogan chimes in.

I shrug. “A lot of guys lose it freshman year of college.”

“Yeah, I uh… didn’t,” Cooper says.

“Then when did you finally get some?” Thor asks bluntly.

“After Scarlett and I were together,” Cooper confesses.

Thor’s eyes bulge from their sockets. “Holy shit. I had no idea.”

“Yeah, that was the point,” Scarlett tells him. “It’s a private matter and no one needed to know.” She sends a narrow-eyed glare toward Rogan.

He holds his hands up. “Hey, I figured it’s in the past and doesn’t matter anymore.”

“It wasn’t your information to share,” Autumn adds.

Rogan pats Cooper on the back. “Dude, I’m sorry. I didn’t think you’d care at this point.”

Cooper nods. “It’s not a big deal. Can we talk about something else, though?”

Rogan nods. “Sure.”

“I can tell you about the first time I had sex, if it’ll make you feel better,” Thor says.

Autumn holds up one hand. “Please don’t. I don’t want to know anything sexual about any of my boyfriend’s teammates. That’s just awkward.”

“Yeah, I agree,” Christine jumps in. “I just recently met you people.”

I laugh, nudging her outer thigh with mine. “You don’t know what you’re missing. Thor has some great stories.”

Her expression skeptical, she shakes her head. “No, thanks. I’ll stick to reading smut about fictional people.”

“How smutty are your books?” I ask, nudging her leg again.

She turns her head toward me, raising an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

Yes, I would.