Page 60 of A Game as Old as Time

Brad pivoted toward her.

“Gunner was just asking me about his entrance, and I was suggesting a few things.”

Of course.

Hailey bit her lip.

“Just, you know, trying to make sure I get this right.”

Brad jumped and almost fell off the stage.

“You kidding me, Gunner? You were fantastic the other night.” Hailey tilted her head, questioning. “Yeah, Hailey! Gunner and I stayed late and went over a few of his numbers. You should hear him sing!”

Does he ever sleep?

“Just working on a few things. I want to make sure I can keep up with our star.” Her face was getting hot again, and the butterflies were starting to flutter around in her stomach. “So, um, you coming to the game Friday night?”

She was jarred back into the moment.

The game?

“Yeah, Hailey! You should come! You can sit with us!” Brad jumped upand down on the stage, making it hard for Hailey to answer.

Attend a game?

She took a deep breath and thought back to the last game she had attended in California. It was no secret that she hated football after what had happened; however, the last few Friday nights, she had listened to every play on her phone, waiting to hear Gunner’s name.

I cannot attend a game.

Her shoulders were tensing as she sheepishly kicked the wooden planks in front of her. Her mind was racing, trying to think of an excuse that she hadn’t already used the weeks before. As the butterflies multiplied, the knots in her stomach began to give her a cramp.

“It’s OK.” Gunner’s voice was soft and calm, but his face was splashed with disappointment. “I know you really don’t like football, and I would never want you---”

“I’ll go.” The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them.

What did I just say?

“Really?” Gunner’s eyes lit up, and the butterflies were now free in her stomach again. “Wow, that’s great. I can’t wait to see you at the game!”

He seemed sincerely excited that she was coming, and for a split second, she was too. This would be a chance to see her dad coaching again, a chance to support him.

And Gunner.

Selfishly, though, she really wanted to see him play. She had listened to the games and heard about how talented he was. Now she wanted to see it for herself.

This is not good, Hailey.

She took another deep breath and nervously crossed her arms in front of her.

“Wait.” Gunner peered around the stage, looking uneasy. “Brad, where is Ty?”

“Well, he, um, he said he had to go do something, and he left. I mean, we did get to practice a few scenes together, but I didn’t want to keep him. He seemed in a hurry.”

Gunner clenched his fists.

“Gunner? Are you---”

“Hey, sorry!” He seemed to have fallen into another world, and he placed his hand on her shoulder as he slid by, causing her to flinch away.

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