Page 101 of Sack

“I called Oz next, and he said you were on your way here. So, I went looking for you.”

Removing his hands from her arms, he cupped her face, running his thumbs over the silky-smooth skin of her jaw. He stared into her eyes, and with all the emotion he was feeling, said what he should have said so many weeks ago but was too stupid to realize until it was almost too late. “I love you, Ivy.”

Her eyes widened. “You love me?” At his nod, she said, “I never thought I’d hear you say that.”

Something tightened in his chest. “I’m so damn sorry it took until now. I was almost too late. But never again. I’m going to tell you I love you every day for the rest of my life.” He would never again take Ivy for granted.

“That sounds like a commitment.”

“If you’ll have me, I’ll dedicate my life to you.”

“What about football?”

“Fuck football. After this, it just doesn’t seem that important anymore. And it sure as fuck doesn’t come before you.”

Ivy pulled out her phone, looking down at the screen. “No, there’s still time for you to make the game. I won’t have you throw the whole season away.”

Shaking his head, he pulled her to his chest. “No, you don’t get it, you’re the only thing that matters.”

She pushed at his chest. She wasn’t strong enough to break his hold, but he loosened his grip, giving her room to back up. “I do get it. You were scared. Worried. But I’m okay, and now you need to go play your game. You need to win tonight.”

He shook his head. “I can’t.”

“You can and you will. Do it for me. Come on. If we hurry you can still make it.”

She took his hand and pulled him toward the exit. His steps were hesitant at first, but he followed. He wasn’t sure how he could keep his mind focused enough to play, but if she wanted him to win, he’d do it for her. He’d do anything in his power to make her happy.

“Mr. Colton! Mr. Colton!”

Colt heard his name called and saw the cabby flagging him with a wave. He pulled Ivy in that direction.

“You left your credit card. I waited. Is this your girl? She’s okay?”

Colt pulled Ivy close. “She’s more than okay, she’s perfect.”

Ivy

“You’re quiet,” Colt said from behind the wheel.

They were on their way home in a rental that Colt had picked up at the airport, saying he couldn’t stomach the thought of either of them flying. She didn’t know the rules for team travel, but if traveling alone were against them, she assumed his coach had made an exception considering the situation.

And speaking of coaches, Ivy wasn’t sure how upset or pissed he had been by Colt’s disappearance, but Colt had assured her everything was fine. Of course, that could be because the Phantoms had won by twenty-one points. They were officially going to the Super Bowl.

Colt made a grab for her hand, but she pulled it out of his reach.

He glanced at her before putting his eyes back on the road. “Should we address the elephant in the car?”

She didn’t want to, it had been a long day full of emotional highs and lows and what she really wanted to do was stare out the window and wallow. But she supposed the tension between them wouldn’t dissipate until they hashed things out. And as they were only an hour into their twenty-hour road trip, the tension could grow mighty thick, indeed.

The seatbelt stretched across her chest as she angled toward him. She supposed she should start. “You know we’re not back together, right? Just because you confess your love in an intense moment doesn’t mean everything between us is magically better.”

“I meant what I said.”

“Even if that were true, love isn’t enough.” She sighed. “I wish it were.”

He glanced at her again. “What do you mean by that?”

Instead of answering, she asked, “Why do you think I called things quits between us?”

---