Page 110 of The Fake Out

“Couldn’t wait to see my girl.” I ate up the distance between us, pulled her into my arms, and pressed her into the counter, giving her a kiss.

“Mmm. I’m glad you’re home.”

“Missing me make you cranky?” I teased.

She swatted my stomach, but smirked. “Come on, let’s eat.”

“Dinner or you?”

She rolled her eyes. “Well, I’ll hold, but the stir-fry will burn.”

“Okay. Dinner. Then you show me that painting you’ve been telling me about. And then bed.”

She laughed. It was my favorite sound to come home to. Nothing was more real in life than the sound of Gianna Damiano’s laugh.

“He’s adorable.” Avery shook the bobblehead.

Wren hugged hers to her chest. “Totally. I love it.”

It was game one of the championship, and the Revs, apparently trying to still prove how much they loved him, had made today Emerson bobblehead day.

“They never do this for playoff games. He should feel special.” Hannah tapped her foot impatiently.

The Revs were doing a special introduction for Emerson tonight, so we were sitting to the right of the dugout rather than in the box.

“He’s been so nervous all day.” It was weird. When the forecast called for drizzle, Emerson freaked out, certain that I wouldn’t come. Like I would ever not show up to an event that was important to him, regardless of the weather.

“I laughed so hard when he switched from you have to come to I’m worried you’ll get sick if you sit out in the rain.” Isabella giggled next to me.

It wasn’t even currently raining. If it started, we’d head up to the box, so I didn’t understand what he was so stressed about.

“Like I said, he’s nervous.” His entire family had come up for today’s game. Most of them were in the box with Pop, but Isabella had asked to sit down here with Hannah, Wren, Avery, and me. She and Hannah had been glued to my side all damn morning. “I’m gonna run to the bathroom before?—”

“No!” Isabella and Hannah shouted in unison as each grabbed one of my arms, sending me jerking forward.

“Good thing she wasn’t holding her beer,” Wren said, rolling her eyes at the jump scare they’d just given me.

“Seriously. Is it something in the air today? You’re being just as weird as Em.”

“We just don’t want you to miss anything.” Avery waved the bobblehead at me. “It’s Em’s big day.”

And yet it didn’t seem to warrant their brand of weird.

Less than five minutes later, the mascots were out on the field with their normal bins of balls and T-shirts.

The synthesized beat blared from the speakers around the stadium. Then, in a shocking turn of events, my brother was the first to trot up the steps, clapping and looking almost happy. He glanced our way and gave his fiancée a smile as he shook his rose gold Sharpie at her.

“Why is he the only one allowed to use a color other than black?” Wren asked.

“He utterly refuses to use anything but rose gold. I can only assume it has something to do with you.” Hannah arched a brow at Avery.

“It’s the best color,” she said unapologetically, her eyes locked on Chris.

Mason, Kyle, Asher Price, and Eddie Martinez were right behind my brother, all clapping and dancing as they moved toward the mascots. Black Sharpies came out, and they all started signing.

I took a sip of my beer. As I set it down, a cacophony of beeps and buzzes sounded around me, and I swore everyone near us was pulling out their phones.

Wren pulled hers out, but I couldn’t see the screen.

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