Page 106 of The Way We Touch

The guys are on the sidelines, and right at that moment, he looks up at me.

I wave and cross my index finger over my thumb, holding it up and wondering if he can even see it. He grins and signals back, and I’m as happy as a kid on Christmas morning.

“Oh, y’all are so cute!” Maddy wraps her arm around my waist and gives me a side-hug. “Charlie and I should do something like that.”

“You know what this means?”

“Sure! It’s the Korean hand signal for I love you.” She shrugs. “I mean, I guess it’s anybody’s signal now, that’s just where it started.”

Clasping my hands together, I think about how long he’s been doing it on camera, telling me he loved me in front of the whole world before he even said the words to me.

“Do you think Logan knows what it means?”

She slants her eyes at me. “Yes. It’s a heart, see?”

She makes the signal, and I see it now. “I just thought it was fun and went with it.”

“It’s adorable. Just like y’all are.”

Any insecurity I might have been feeling at returning to the city fades, and as the players take the field, the only nerves I have are watching the guys.

25

Logan

The intensity of the games grows fiercer the closer we get to the playoffs. We haven’t had a loss this season, which means we’re a shoo-in for the Big Game. Still, competition is high, and it’s evident the other teams are studying Garrett and me. Last week’s tackle has us on alert.

Today’s game is against the Challengers, Ricky’s team, and he’s giving me death glares from across the field. We’re both putting our best running games forward, and on both sides, the defensive line is a wall.

My muscles tweak with energy, and when I look up at our box, my adrenaline spikes even higher. Dylan waves, and I can see her big smile. She holds up her hand, making our little I love you signal, and it’s better than I thought it would be to have her here.

I confess, it makes me want to show off a little.

Yesterday, we had Thanksgiving dinner in bed. I haven’t really wanted to venture out on the streets with her, not since that fucking article was printed. I don’t like people saying bad things about her simply because she’s with me, and that’s all it is. She’d be anonymous otherwise, and I don’t want her to decide being with me is too difficult.

Still, we went for a walk in Central Park with Garrett later in the day. He wanted to see his little sister, hug her, and tell her Lainey’s a double-crossing jerk he couldn’t believe he thought was cool.

Dylan was graceful, as always. Told him not to worry about it, said she was glad to see him, she missed him.

It was gray and breezy, and the few people who were there gave us space. In the past it was easy for me to move around the city unnoticed, but since I’ve been breaking and setting records, everything has changed.

It’s probably why I got sloppy, and she got hurt.

It won’t happen again.

Jogging onto the field, Garret bumps my shoulder pad. “Keep your head in the game.”

It’s a rough order, but he’s right. Having Dylan here is great, but the Challengers aren’t fucking around. They’re thinking about the Big Game as well, and I’m sure we’ll see these guys a few more times this season, vying for the championship ring.

We don’t make much progress on our first possession. Johnson is sacked, and Garrett has a penalty that sends us back five yards. We leave the field looking like amateurs.

“We gotta do better than that if we’re going to win.” Charlie pulls us all together, and calls out a new play we’ve been working on this week.

He gives me the signal, and I know he’s going to have his eye out for me next possession.

The only problem is I can’t get open. Garrett is held back, and I’m off my feet before Charlie even has a chance to pass. He’s forced to run, and we lose more yardage.

It’s pretty much the same every time we get the ball. The only saving grace is our defense is holding back the Challengers just as well.

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