Page 109 of Second Down Fake

“In her belly. Not you.” Cici squeezed Mila’s shoulder as she mouthed, “totally talking about her!”

“I’ll be in soon,” I promised. “Save me a spot somewhere warm.”

They retreated inside while I made my way down to the tunnel.

On the field, the wave of reporters flooded the opposing sideline, leaving the Breakers’ tunnel oddly empty. A few familiar fans peppered the tunnel, a few crying, most frowning, all freezing.

“Hey girl,” Poppy called. Her cerulean blue hair had faded into a light powder blue, and despite the loss, she smiled brightly as she approached.

“Good to see you.” I pulled her in for a hug. Mostly since I hadn’t seen her since week fifteen and partially for the body heat.

“I hate when the season ends. Even if we got two extra weeks this time.”

“Three next season,” I promised.

“Definitely three extra weeks next season. Not that I can afford Super Bowl tickets…” She frowned.

“Please,” I snorted. “Don’t act like the Breakers aren’t desperate for you to cover their players.”

“The PR team, for sure. The players? Not so much. And Coach Simmons has flat-out declared that partnering with me is a complete no-go.”

“That’s a shame.”

Diego wandered off the field, clutching his helmet in one hand and a towel in the other. He caught my eye, and his concerned frown morphed into a smile. He gripped the handrail, pulling himself up to eye level with me in the stands. “Hey, gorgeous.”

“Brutal loss out there.” I gripped his shoulder pads, brushing my lips over his. “I’m afraid my good luck is running out.”

Diego pursed his lips before shaking his head. “Nah. Absolutely not.”

“You don’t think so? Because I felt a definite lack of luck in this game. I’m losing my touch.”

Diego pressed his sweaty brow to mine, the heat sending a chill down my spine. “You know what I heard?”

“What did you hear?” I whispered. I ran my mittened thumb over the neckline of his jersey.

His eyes flit to either side of us and he leaned in. “Cahoots.”

I bit back a laugh. “Cahoots?”

“Yep, with the groundskeepers. I’m pretty sure they slanted the field.”

“Slanted the field? Yeah, that makes sense.”

“The other team’s been practicing on a slightly uneven field all season, just waiting for their shot at the Super Bowl.”

“Damn groundskeepers,” I grumbled. “Always making trouble.”

“But you?” Diego brushed his nose against mine. “Lucky as hell.”

“Don’t I know it?”

Poppy cleared her throat. “Not to break up this love fest, but I was hoping for an official statement about the state of your relationship for my readers. Everyone is curious if we should expect Cassie back on the sidelines next season.”

I bit my lip, eyes on Diego as I searched for the right response. In the whirlwind weeks between signing the NDA and moving back to Norwalk, we hadn’t discussed what we’d say to anyone else. My presence at all the post-season games spoke for itself, but with the Breakers undefeated final six weeks of the season and a dominant performance in the divisional championship, my presence on the sideline was barely a footnote. I turned up on the occasional crowd shot and the fans who gathered around the tunnel knew me by name. But interviews? Pap shots? Gossip articles? Other than an occasional update by Poppy, Diego and I were old news.

“Is Cassandra going to be here next season?” Diego repeated. “Hell yeah. And the season after that. And the season after that. In fact, Pop, you better get used to seeing her around the stadium.”

She grinned, tapping madly on her phone. “I love that, I’m quoting it, and I can’t wait to see you next season, Cas!”

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