Page 51 of Play the Last Card

I mean, I like her, obviously, but I’m still a professional athlete.

You can’t win Super Bowls by letting the other team win.

“Sorry, baby.” I lean back in my seat, stretching my arms behind my head. “You should’ve seen your face though. You really thought you had me there.”

“I did have you! I can’t believe this.” She shakes her head at me, a smile peeking through.

I lean across the table, swiping her cards and catching her gaze. When her navy eyes meet mine, I smirk and throw her a wink. “Maybe next time.”

Her phone buzzes again, this time with a text. She sighs. “Great.”

“What’s wrong?” I ask, shuffling the cards in my hands.

She shakes her head. “I love him. I do. But Uncle Jeff wants to come here and it’s only going to make the media circus brewing outside worse.”

I stiffen. If Coach comes here, if he sees me with Ivy, it’s over. Before I can think of something to say, she is already replying back, typing a message across the screen and setting her phone down.

She nods to the cards in my hand. “Okay, one more round before he gets here.”

A lump forms in my throat, the cards still in my hands as I stare at her phone. Shit. Fuck. Shit, fuck, shit.

I’m screwed.

I have to tell her. It will be better coming from me now rather than Coach outing me when he gets here.

I swallow hard, licking my suddenly dry lips and gaze back at Ivy. I open my mouth, ready to tell her when a small knock sounds at the door. One of the nurses that has been checking in every so often peeks around the corner. “Ivy?”

“Yeah?” Ivy’s head snaps up to the nurse.

There is so much hope in her voice as she looks at the nurse. I hope like hell that there is finally some good news. My confession is on the tip of my tongue but I wait, watching Ivy as the nurse speaks.

“Your pops is in recovery now. Would you like to see him?”

“Yes.” Ivy jumps out of her seat; the cards forgotten. I follow her, grabbing my own phone, keys and wallet from where I left it on the couch.

The nurse nods. “I’ll take you up now.”

“Ives?” I say, my hand reaching out for hers before she can race after the nurse. “You go see your pops. I’m going to head home.” It is the shit thing to do but this nurse is giving me an out. And I’m taking it. Like a coward.

“Oh.”

I rub a palm over my chest. “Unless, you want meto—”

“Sorry, but it’s family only in the recovery room.” The nurse gives me a sad look, and then turns back to Ivy. “I’ll be at the nurse’s station when you’re ready.”

“Okay, thank you,” she replies softly. Turning back to me, the disappointment from mere moments ago has lessened. “Thank you for coming with me.”

I nod, stepping in closer to her and breathing in her scent. “You call me if you need anything, okay?”

She drops her head to my chest and my arms lift automatically to pull her tighter against me. “Okay.”

It is a muffled word said into my hoodie. I drop a kiss into her hair, inhaling. When I pull back, so does she, raising her chin to look up at me. She lifts a little on her toes.

I kiss her goodbye and hope once she knows the truth, she doesn’t hate me. Because right now, I’m hating myself enough for the both of us.

Chapter Eleven

Ivy