Page 61 of Touchdown, Tennessee

And when I actuallydidcross it?

The crowd collectively lost their goddamn minds.

“Two touchdowns in four fuckin’ minutes!” Luke was bellowing again as I slowed to a halt, my heart pounding like a war drum inside me.

Within a moment, the rest of the Tempests were crashing in around me, erupting into cheers and hollers of celebration.

The last ten minutes of the game hadn’t just been good, they’d been some of the best football I’d ever played. I had to work for the touchdowns, but they came quick and fast once I took each pass.

“That’s how we do it, boys,” Coach said from the side, a huge smile on his face. “Peachel, you’re our man. You are ourman.”

The rest of the team kept showering me with compliments as we made our way off the field. A couple of groups of students shouted down at me from the stands, a couple of guys saying I was the best thing that had ever happened to TNU football.

It was more pressure on me to keep performing.

And also what I was made to do.

Gray still looked the same as he had all night, standing up and sliding his notebook into his shoulder bag.

“Yo, Gilman!” Luke said, walking toward him. “You’re coming with us tonight.”

“You don’t have to listen to him,” I said as I walked over.

Luke was giddy after the win. He turned to me, wrapping his arms around my shoulder and pressing a big kiss to my cheek.

“Bullshit, Peachel,” Luke said. “Gray, you’ve got to come with us. Party at the frat house, and there are plenty of whiskey shots with your name on them.”

“I’ll be there.”

Luke smiled at me. “You’ll never guess who else is coming.”

“Who’s that?”

“Danny himself.”

My chest went cold.

“Danny?”

“He’s in town from Nashville for the week. You didn’t hear Coach talking about it?”

No.

Guess I missed Coach Ennick saying his son was back in town.

The same son I used to fuck, until he broke my heart.

Danny had graduated this past spring, and after spending the summer here in Bestens he had moved to Nashville for a job, only a week after I’d caught him cheating.

Tonight would be the first time I’d seen him since the incident.

As Luke turned to talk to some of the other guys, Gray gave me a look.

“Don’t come to the frat party,” I said.

“Luke just likes kissing you on the cheek, huh?” he said. “Not a bromance at all?”

“No,” I stressed. “And I mean it. You don’t need to come to the frat party. It’s going to be a sloppy shitfest.”