Page 100 of The Forever Play

I want to do what’s right for Zoey, and Russell’s venom and accusations have completely thrown me.

Jerking the stroller to a stop, I crouch down and unearth a Vitamin C lollipop from Zoey’s diaper bug. Hardly a healthy breakfast, but it might stop her crying. Unwrapping it with shaking fingers, I hand it over, and she pops it into her mouth with a soft whimper.

I clean up her face with a tissue and find the blanket I was supposed to wash. It’s got a big stain on the front, but I wrap it around her legs, making sure she’s warm enough as a breeze whistles through my skimpy pajamas.

Shit, it’s cold this morning, but like hell I’m going back.

Reaching under the stroller, I rustle through the diaper bag and realize I left the better stocked one at Russell’s. It’s got everything in it, including my wallet and phone… and probably my car keys.

“Shit,” I whisper under my breath, running my fingers through Zoey’s curls and stressing over what to do.

It’s still kind of early. Will Zander mind if I just show up unannounced?

He didn’t seem to the other day.

Just do it, Sen. You need him… and so does Zoey.

I glance down at my daughter. She’s stopped crying now, her big blue eyes staring up at me with all the trust in the world.

“Hey, should we go see Daddy?”

She blinks and doesn’t say anything.

“Football. Football’s your daddy.”

It’s a lot for the poor little thing to take in, but she pulls the lollipop out of her mouth and softly murmurs, “Foobawl.”

“You wanna go see him and Wily?”

She nods, sticking the lollipop back into her mouth and resting her head on the edge of the stroller.

I kiss the top of her head, reminding her how much I love her before pushing her toward Football Frat and hoping I’m not making as big a mistake as Russell is convinced I am.

CHAPTER 36

ZANDER

I got up early, motivated to get through my workload so I could call Sienna as soon as I was done.

Loaded up with caffeine and nibbling on a bagel, I managed to get through two hours before the text on my screen and the pages started to blur.

I need a proper breakfast, but if I can power through, then I’ll be free for the rest of the day. And I want to spend every second I can with Sienna and Zoey.

I’m stoked with my progress this morning and glad I skipped my one sleep-in this week.

The essay I have to get written for my sports psychology class is almost finished. I just need to proof it and make any final tweaks.

I’m now free to jot down some game analysis notes. I don’t normally do this, but I want to impress Coach Jones after my serious fuckup on the field. Yes, we won. Yes, I dominated for most of the game, but that first pass… he saw right through that shit, and I need to prove to him that I can be in a relationship and still focus on the game.

My plan is to have a meeting with him next week, update him on my personal life—because the guy has always had my back, and he cares about his players that way—and then talk through strategies of how to make the most of my season.

He’s been going the extra mile and helping any players who are keen to take this to the next level prepare for the scouting combine in February. It’s going to be the week of our lives. This is what we’ve been working for all along. Wily’s going to ace it. He was born to play ball, and I guarantee there will be teams vying for him.

Me?

I’ve got a decent shot—according to Coach—but there are no guarantees.

I can’t go screwing things up.

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