Page 97 of Play the Last Card
Heat crawls up my neck and I know my face is on fire.
Damn, I hope the cameras didn’t follow his finger.
The moment passes and the teams swap over. I watch Scott rip his helmet off and scull some water. His hair is sticking to his forehead with sweat but he’s smiling with his teammates, clapping them on shoulders and helmets. I watch as Jeff pulls off his headset as he walks up to Scott. Coach grabs his player by the shoulder and shakes him, smiling and laughing at the brilliant touchdown.
Pride floods me.
Scott is beaming and when the whistle goes to signify the end of the game, he throws down his helmet and cheers. The Broncos will progress through the playoffs. They’ve got a chance to be divisional champions.
Katie is jumping up and down next to me. Grant is yelling and cheering along with all the other fans. My eyes don’t leave Scott as he’s surrounded by cameras, giving his post-game interviews.
He’s still sweaty, and still smiling, and damn, I cannot wait to celebrate with him tonight.
This is the first game I’ve come to since the game at Christmas with Pops. I’ve pushed down and ignored the anxiety in my chest pretty successfully. I stare down at the field. If I close my eyes, I could picture my dad running that same route Scott did today.
Not for the first time in the last few weeks, I wish I could have experienced this with him.
I wait around in the suite again. Katie and Grant left me an hour ago so I curled up on one of the couches in the back of the suite with a plate of fruit and have been there ever since.
I’m starting to doze off, bored of my phone and starting to feel exhaustion from the long first week back at school creeping in. The door opens as my eyes start to shut and Scott wanders in.
He’s back in the same game day suit he left the house in this morning and his hands are shoved deep into the pockets. His bag is slung over his shoulder but he drops it inside the door when he spots me.
“Hey, you,” he says, bending over the back of the couch to kiss me.
“Hi.” I duck away, yawning as I sit up. “Sorry, I’m exhausted.”
“Did we bore you?” he chuckles. He leans his arms on the back of the couch, eyes trailing down my body. His gaze pauses on the jersey I wear, his name across my back. A surprise that I didn’t have last time.
“Where did you get this?” he murmurs, tugging at the shirt as I walk around the couch and into his arms.
“Gift shop,” I shrug. I lift up on my toes and ask for a kiss. He obliges.
“You drive here?” he asks, running his lips against my jaw.
I shake my head. “I came with Katie. She’s already left. Can I catch a ride with you?”
“Let me fuck you in that jersey as soon we get home and you have yourself a deal?”
I giggle and nod.
Obviously.
Why else would I have worn his jersey?
He tucks me under his arm and we walk through the quiet stadium.
Cleaners are about. A few players are getting treatment as we head past the locker rooms, and one or two coaches are still debriefing as we pass the offices.
There’s a small group loitering outside but they pay us no mind. I curl further into Scott’s side as we walk towards his car. He opens the passenger door and helps me into the SUV.
“Thank you for coming today,” Scott says quietly.
I sigh, pressing my palm to his cheek and smiling. “You’re welcome.”
He rounds the car and buckles himself in. I watch as he turns on the car and fiddles with some buttons. My seat starts to warm up and I sink deeper into it.
I glance around the empty car park and a familiar guilt rises up in my throat. I swallow, turning to look at Scott. “Do you hate that we can’t go celebrate with the team after a game like that?”