Page 92 of Her Football Star Ex

“It’s kind of a long story…” I swallowed, trying to get up the nerve to explain what had happened that night.

“It is?”

“Yeah.” I rubbed my neck, trying to figure out the best way to word everything. Then I said, “So, we were at the hotel the night before the playoff game when it happened. He had matched with you the night before, but we’d thought everything would be fine if he just didn’t message you. But then you messaged him, so he came to my room to tell me about it and that he wanted to tell you it was him and the matching was all just an accident.”

She nodded, not visibly upset yet as she listened.

“But then…” I ran a hand through my hair. “I saw it as a chance to finally have a real conversation with you and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.”

“You wanted to talk to me?” she asked in a soft voice.

“Of course,” I said, searching her green eyes. And when I saw what looked like hope in them, I dared to say, “I’d been trying to figure out all year how to get you to forgive me and give me another chance, so I took it.”

She was quiet, taking it all in. Then she looked at me with confusion in her eyes. “Why did you ghost me after that? I messaged Tyler…you…a few times after that and got nothing.”

I lifted my shoulders. “After that night at my apartment, I figured I was the last guy on earth you’d want to talk to, so I told Cole to delete the messages so you could move on and find a guy you could see a future with.”

“I know I should probably be mad at you and Cole for doing that.” Her eyes got a little teary, but she wiped at them and sighed. “But I guess I can’t really blame you. And in a way, it’s actually kind of sweet.”

“So you’re not mad?” I held my breath as I waited.

“No,” she said. “I’m not mad.” She squeezed my hand. “In fact, maybe I should give the app a five-star review.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Why’s that?”

She smiled. “Because in a roundabout way, it did help me find my perfect match.”

My heart doubled over as I stared at her, trying to figure out if she was saying what I was hoping she was saying.

“You’re not about to tell me there’s another guy I need to be worried about, are you?” I asked.

“No,” she said, giving me the most brilliant smile. “The guy I was talking about was you.”

* * *

“I’ll just showerand change real quick,” I said when Emerson and I got to my apartment a half hour later. “Then we can go.”

“Sounds good,” Emerson said, pulling out her phone and sitting on the chair in my living room. “I’ll just wait out here and catch up on some emails.”

I rushed to my bedroom and took one of the fastest showers I’d ever taken. There were only so many hours in the day, and I wanted to make sure I spent as much time with Emerson today as I could.

Not a minute would be wasted.

I was just zipping up a clean pair of jeans when I heard my doorbell ring. Had my mom forgotten I was picking up Jaxon and had brought him back herself?

I did the button at the top of my pants and quickly pulled a shirt on over my wet hair. I was just opening my bedroom door when I heard Emerson talking to someone.

“Is this Vincent Lake’s apartment?” a female voice I didn’t recognize asked.

And when I walked around the corner and saw a woman with long dark hair talking to Emerson at the door, my heart stopped.

Victoria?

But when I got closer and had a better view, I saw it wasn’t Victoria. Just someone who looked very much like her.

Who was this woman?

And what was she doing here?

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