Page 58 of Pieces

He flushes slightly as a coy smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “Yeah,” he admits. “I love it. That and maybe even90 Day Fiancé.”

Be still my heart.

I gape at him before laughing. “You’re telling me you’ve been hiding your trash TV addiction this whole time?”

“Not hiding.” He chuckles, eyes crinkling at the corners. “More like…waiting to figure out when I can blindside you with my addiction to watching strangers fall in love and break up over the dumbest things? Or how theLove Islandchallenges have so much drama I can’t look away.”

A giddy warmth buzzes under my skin at his response. “Well, you’re not blindsiding me because I’m obsessed too. Drama, chaos, I love watching people say, ‘I’ve never felt like this before’ after one date. It’s fascinating.”

He grabs the remote to my small TV in the corner, then shuffles back to sit up on my bed. “Shall we, then?”

I sit on the bed next to him, settling close but not too close, already excited at the possibility of sharing this with him. But he frowns, those strong eyebrows furrowing as he assesses me and the space between us.

“Do I smell?” he asks, completely serious.

I bark a laugh and slap a hand over my mouth to cover it. “What? No. Why?”

He waves his hand toward the gap between us. “Because you’re sitting too far away from me,” he says with a little huff that’s actually more cute than grumpy.

“Where should I sit, hm?”

He lifts his arm, biceps flexing under his sleeve, and points to the space right next to him. “Here. Where else?”

My stomach flips. I swallow and slide closer until my shoulder brushes his side. His body heat envelops me immediately.

“That’s better.” Draping his arm around me, he covers me in a little cocoon of warmth and fresh laundry and just him.

I pretend to focus on the TV as the theme music plays toLove Island, but all I can think about is if he can hear my heart thumping in my chest…because I can feel his.

Chapter twenty-six

Hudson

Shecame.She’sactuallyhere at my game.

A part of me thought she might back out, might have decided at the last minute that it wasn’t worth it, that the risk of her dad possibly connecting dots between us would be too much. But there she is, in the stands, watching. Even from here, I can pick her out, sitting among the crowd like a beacon. Her hair’s pulled back, and she’s wearing the hoodie I gave her the other day. It’s big on her, but damn, does it look better on her than it ever did on me.

I can’t quite explain the warmth running through my veins at the sight. It’s like someone lit a fire in my chest, and it’s burning brighter every time I glance her way. Daphne came to my game. Daphne’s here for me. Friend, my ass.

And luckily, I’m playing my ass off. Every snap, every tackle, every read. It’s like my body’s moving on instinct, the adrenaline mixing with something else. I want to show her I’m a damn good player who can make a career from this and support her and the baby in every way she’ll let me.

When I sack the quarterback in the second quarter, the roar of the crowd barely registers. My eyes dart up to where she’s sitting, and I catch the faintest glimpse of her cheering, clapping, smiling. That smile? I’d trade every stat on the board just to keep seeing it.

The game’s a blur after that, but in the best way. I don’t screw up; I don’t overthink. It’s one of the best games I’ve played all season, and when the clock runs out and the final whistle blows, a sensation I’ve never felt before washes over me. The game feels different now. Winning still matters, but not in the same way it used to. Now, it isn’t just about me. It’s about proving I can be someone worth looking up to. The thought nearly puts me on my ass right here in the middle of the field.

I barely wait to celebrate with the guys before my eyes are back on the stands, searching for her.

But she’s not there. The spot where she sat is empty now, the hoodie-clad figure gone. My stomach twists. Did she leave already? I scan the crowd again, hoping I just missed her, but there’s no sign of her.

Back in the locker room, I try to shake it off. The guys are hyped, music blaring, everyone shouting and celebrating the win. I should be riding the high with them, but my phone buzzes on the bench beside me, and I grab it, my heart skipping a beat when I see her name.

Daphne

You played amazing tonight x

A smile tugs at my lips as I reread the message.

“Yo, Hudson!” Benny calls out, slapping me on the back. “Party at mine tonight. You coming?”

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