Page 6 of The Throwback

“Hey,” she says, pushing a rogue strand of brown hair behind her ear. I can’t help but stare at her, taking in every detail of her face and body as though I might lose her again.

But I won’t. No fucking way.

“Come on in,” I reply, making room for her to enter. As she passes, I grab hold of the handle of her luggage, taking it from her and wheeling it into the far corner of the room as the door quietly clicks closed behind us.

“How’d it go?” I ask, walking over to the mini fridge and taking out a can of orange soda. When we were kids, she’d beg her parents to let her have it. They’d usually say no, but she’d find a way to sneak itanyway. I pop the top, walking her way and hand it to her with a smile.

“You’re something else,” she says, shaking her head in disbelief before taking a sip. “It went really well. She’s so nice. And really funny. I’m excited to work with her.”

I sit on the bed, motioning for her to join me, hoping she’ll feel comfortable enough to be this close now that we’re alone in my room. Thankfully, she doesn’t hesitate, setting her can on the table before walking over and plopping down next to me. “So, what exactly are you doing for thequeen of the WAGs?”

She laughs. “Skincare and makeup for the week. She hired me to be here every day to make sure she’s looking her best for all the events you guys have going on. Although, I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as her. She could probably roll out of bed, throw on a burlap sack and still look gorgeous.”

“Wait until you meet her crew. Mads, Bella and Grace are all a blast. You’ll fit right in with them.”

Her eyes go wide. “Bella? As inthe Bella Simon? Do you think I’ll get to meet her?”

I chuckle at her excitement. “Well, she’s dating our defensive end, and Dia is one of her backup dancers on her world tour, so my guess is that you’ll probably run into her at some point.”

“Oh my God, Jett. I’ll pee my pants if that happens. Just a full loss of bladder control. I know it.”

I bark out a laugh. “You’ll be fine. She may be the most famous pop star in the world, but I promise she doesn’t act like it. You’ll see.”

She gives me a skeptical scowl and I pinch her cheek, making her roll her eyes playfully. Jesus Christ, she’s pretty. She was an adorable kid, but now that she’s grown up, she’s a knockout. Her green eyes haven’t changed at all, but other than that, she’s practically a walking wet dream. I’m trying to remind myself that we’ve been separated for thirteen years and I can’t just touch her like we’re not basically strangers, but when her gaze burns into mine, I can barely hold back. I want to lean in and taste her lips. Roam my hands over her ample curves. Press my body against hers and show her what being this close is doing to me. But I can’t. I hope all those things happen, but they have to be on her time, not mine.

For now, there’s so much catching up to do.

“So,” I begin, “how’s life?” I want to know every detail of what she’s been up to since I saw her last. I need to know what I missed.

She takes a breath, exhaling slowly. “Well, I got my cosmetology license after high school and started working at a spa here in Tampa. I’ve worked really hard since then, continuing my education and getting additional certifications. I just love making people feel good about themselves. I want to be the best at it.

“My parents moved to St. Augustine shortly after I moved out on my own, to be closer to my grandparents. My grandpa got sick a while back, and they figured it would be easier to help with his care if they lived there. I can’t really tell you why I decided to stay, but I did.”

Fate, Bailey. That’s why.

She may not realize it yet, but I truly believe thatevery event that led us here was meant to happen exactly as it did. Even the fact that I’m playing in the Super Bowl is kismet. I never wanted to be a football player. Up until I was thirteen, I didn’t even know I had the skills for it. But my uncle was a coach and wanted me to have an outlet for my emotions, so, together with my therapist’s support, I was encouraged to give it a try. From the very first touchdown I scored, I was hooked. It quickly became my escape, something to focus on other than the fact that my parents wouldn’t be coming back. I worked tirelessly to become the best, fine-tuning my growing body to ensure that it could take me to the next level if I wanted it to.

I was offered a full ride to Texas A&M, where I spent three years doing everything I could to stand out as a top NFL prospect. College was fun. I went out on occasion. I dated here and there. But I refused to get into anything that had the potential to derail my plan because I knew what the game had given me when I thought I had nothing left. It was a risk declaring for the draft after my junior year, and when the Monsters called me up to the podium with their second-round pick, all the sacrifices I had made to get there were worth it. My journey to the Blizzard roster was filled with highs and lows, but I’d do it all again because it brought me back to Bailey.

“How about you? How are your parents?” she asks.

Fuck.

I swallow the emotion bubbling up inside me, doing my best to stay in the present with her. She has no idea what happened, and I want to make sure I give her thewhole story. She needs to know why I never came back to the beach house, even though I wanted to so badly.

“Ummm,” I reply, searching for the words. “My parents died.”

Her body goes rigid and she brings her fingertips up to her lips, unblinking as she tries to make sense of my words. “What?”

I nod slowly, unable to stop the tears that well in my eyes. I sniff them away, continuing with a shaky voice.

“The day we left the beach house, an oncoming car veered left of center. One minute, we were singing along to the radio. The next, my mom was screaming for my dad to look out, right before he jerked the wheel and we went off the road. There was a—” I’m cut off as my throat tightens, making my words catch as I struggle to force them out. “There was a ledge. It was all rocks and loose dirt. We broke through the guardrail and fell off, rolling a few times before landing upside down. The airbags deployed, but the impact was too much for them. They were already gone by the time I woke up in the hospital. I didn’t even get to say goodbye.”

“Oh my God, Jett,” she whispers, and I look up to see tears streaming down her face. She moves toward me, throwing her arms over my shoulders and squeezing tightly. As though she isn’t close enough for her own liking, she straddles my lap, wrapping herself completely around me. I return the embrace, clinging to her as she breaks down in my arms. “I’m so sorry. You must’ve been so scared. I wish I could’ve been there.”

“I know,” I say quietly, burying my face in her neckas we hold one another. We stay there for what feels like hours, just letting our emotions out, and for the first time since it happened, I don’t feel alone.

My aunt and uncle were very loving and supportive of me after my parents passed. But they were grieving too, and I know that worrying about me was hard on them. They did their best to help me move forward, but I could never shake the feeling that they saw me as a living reminder of all the things that were taken from us. I think it’s why we don’t talk much now that I’m on my own. I appreciate everything they’ve done, and I’ll always remember the way they put their own grief aside to care for me, but the relationships we had were tainted by the tragedy of our situation.

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