Page 80 of Pretty Broken Promises

My eyes open wide, and I look at him questioningly. Shane bends down and whispers in my ear, “I was guessing, but the look on your face is all the confirmation I need.”

“Let him tell you later,” I beg. He gives me a barely perceptible nod of his head.

Mitch feigns a look of confusion. “Oh, well, uhm, let me show you to your seats. I took the liberty of having you moved to the owner’s box. We’d had high hopes for Ford when he committed to Cascade U, but Coach Greer tells me he’s not ready to take the field yet. Hopefully, that changes soon.”

I got the message he was trying not to say overtly. As long as I am in the picture, Ford will be on the sidelines. I can’t help but wonder if this is a set up, and if it is, how Mitch knew I would be here. The steady pressure of Shane’s hand on my shoulder helps to remind me that I’m not facing whatever is coming alone.

The five of us huddle together in the front row of the booth. There’s a group of girls I’ve seen around campus, always following Ford and his teammates around. It doesn’t even matter to them that he hasn’t had a minute of playing time. Contrary to what the idiots in the athletic department seem to think, those women don’t give a shit that he’s in a serious relationship. They didn’t care back in high school, at Playa Community College, and I don’t see Cascade U being any different.

Shane leans over and whispers, “They’re talking about you.”

“Like their makeup, clothes, and dye job, it’s pretty obvious,” I mumble.

The three girls strut over in their heels. I shake my head. Who wears heels and short skirts to a football game? It’s not like the players can even see them from way up here. They probably expect to be given access to the players after the game, which means there’s some kind of quid pro quo happening here.

Sin and I exchange a look. He leans across Shane and says, “I’m picking up on a little tit for tat.”

Shane rolls his eyes. “Probably a lot of tit.”

One of the girls, I think her name is Kylie, moves so the three of them are sitting close by, but not right next to us. I think she believes she’s being subtle, but her efforts to gain our attention are so obvious I’m really hoping she’s not a theater major. If she is then she’s got a lifetime of waitressing to look forward to.

She tosses her hair over her shoulder, and glances over to make sure I’m watching. “It’s really too bad they don’t put him on the field. I’m telling you, Ford Shaw has a lot of stamina. A. Lot. If you know what I mean.” She giggles for effect.

I roll my eyes. So this is the plan? I guess Kendall and Ford managed to get back into the hotel and join the team for breakfast without anyone on the coaching staff realizing they were gone all last night.

I don’t react at first. Shane was at the cabin, so he doesn’t know that Ford and I spent the night at Sin and Raven’s house. The look of concern erases any lingering animosity I still had for him. The three women continue to prattle on about Ford’s sexual prowess, as if they actually know, and I don’t have to fake the stricken look on my face. All I need to do is remember back to all the times I’ve been in this situation and I didn’t know they were lying.

Shane takes hold of my hands, and gives me a very concerned look. “Ford would never cheat on you. I don’t know exactly what is going on here because I’ve been an asshole, but I can promise you he’d never do anything that would risk losing you.”

I sniffle dramatically, and turn to Raven. She wraps her arms around me while I pretend to cry into her shoulder. In between fake sobs, I whisper, “Is she buying it?”

“Yes,” she confirms, “let’s get you out of here.”

We all get up and start to head out of the owner’s box. Mitch doesn’t seem surprised to see us leaving, but he keeps up the ruse of the concerned college official. “Hey, are you okay? We don’t want you to miss the game. I just got word that Ford is going to start.”

Before I lift my head up, I make a show out of wiping my eyes. If I’m going to sell this, I have to make him believe I was crying, and I know I am not an actress. I sniffle again for effect. “I don’t really care what he does. Not anymore.”

Turning to my friends I say loud enough for Mitch to overhear, “Take me home. I don’t want to be here anymore.”

Raven guides me out the door, and down the hall. Shane rushes after us, but Sin holds him back until we’re far enough away. Once we round the corner Shane grabs my arms and turns me around. But the moment his hands land on me I’m not at the stadium anymore. It’s not Shane, but Jesse or one of a dozen or more men that came through that house. I see nothing, hear nothing, and fight like I wanted to then.

Then his hands are gone, and I hear a voice repeating over and over, “You’re okay, just breathe. You’re okay, breathe. Breathe, Tessa.”

I suck in a breath, and realize I’d been holding it. Slowly the fog starts to clear, and I see that my friends have created a wall around me to give me some privacy.

Raven smiles. “You’re back. I haven’t had to do that in a while.” She looks at Sin, then back at me. “I’ve had some practice at helping someone through a panic attack.”

“I’m going to go swap our tickets with another group. That douchebag AD knows where we were supposed to sit, unless you’d really like to go home?” Sin asks.

I swallow and try to slow down my still racing heart beat. “No, if he’s going to play, I want to see him.”

It doesn’t take him long before he’s back. “Our new seats aren’t that great, but we’ll be able to see the field.”

The five of us take our seats, and I sit back and watch Ford take the field for the first time this season. There's a new energy among the players as he joins the offensive line. From the moment he snaps the ball the other team doesn't know how to respond. This isn't the Rams that they were expecting. Ford is literally a game changer. Watching him command his team fills me with pride, but also with shame, knowing I am the reason he has been kept from this position so far.

Mitch made it clear, Coach Greer might have said it was because they want him to appear single, but the truth is they don't like the appearance of him in a relationship with his stepsister. It doesn't matter that we've never seen each other as siblings, the only thing that matters is that the rest of the world will always look at us and see us as some kind of pseudo family.

I try and cheer with our friends each time he gains ground or they make a touchdown, but the better he does the more quiet I get. The truth is, this is my worst fear. I've always suspected that being with me will take opportunities from him. He says that I am what's most important to him, but how can that be true?

---