Page 124 of The Forever Play

“Woohoo! Go get ’em, baby!” Teah cups her hands around her mouth and cheers on Grady.

Some of her sorority sisters are with her tonight. She’s introduced me to Bella and Trinity. They seem nice enough, although I thought they weren’t into football, so I’m surprised they’re here. Unless one of them is making a play for one of the football guys. Yeah, that makes sense.

I dart my eyes to them, trying to figure out who they’re swooning over, but I’m distracted by Wily’s mom. She’s still talking, telling me all about how amazing bothher children are. Wily’s sister, Blake, is a freshman at a college in Chicago this year. She was valedictorian at her high school, and apparently she’s going to cure cancer and be the first woman to walk on the moon. Okay, so Mrs. Wilson didn’tactuallysay that, but she may as well have. She is one proud mama. As for Wily, well, the sun shines out of his ass, and her “little” boy is going to play pro and one day make it to the Super Bowl, where he’ll make game-changing tackles and blocks and be instrumental in winning the team that trophy.

Phew! Talk about pressure.

I’m sure glad I’m not a Wilson.

And I’m sure glad Wily doesn’t seem to wear that pressure at all. He’s so smiley and laid-back that it makes me wonder how he came from two such intense people.

“Okay, let’s go, let’s go.” Mr. Wilson claps, watching the kickoff like it’s a life-and-death situation.

I swallow and turn my attention to the game, cheering when a Cougar’s receiver dodges two tackles before being brought down.

“Yes! Good positioning! Well done! Well done!” Mr. Wilson is clapping and shouting like the team can actually hear him.

I hide my smile and watch the game without a word, pride bursting through me when Zander steps out onto the field.

There’s my man.

He clips his helmet and bends into the huddle. I can imagine what he’s saying, calling the perfect play. He’s been studying his playbook like a freaking Bible, and his intensity around this particular game has been way more potent. He’s been staying late to review game videos withCoach. It’s like they’re on a mission to take down the Titans. They don’t want to just beat this team—they want to annihilate them.

Biting my lips together, I watch them set up for the play, tracking my man as he prepares for the snap.

He yells out a final direction before the ball is snapped into his hands. Taking a few steps back, he does a spin, then passes the ball off for a running play. He’s quick and efficient, but he doesn’t see the guy coming in from behind and gets completely slammed.

I can practically hear his bones crunching as he hits the turf. Damn, that was rough. Was it even legal?

The referees don’t seem to be doing anything about it, and all I can do is watch Zander as the guy who tackled him gets up, pushing Zander’s helmet with a rough shunt before walking away.

That asshole!

I growl, rising to my feet and feeling that fire race through me. How dare he treat Zander that way!

Zander gets up, looking a little worse for wear before jogging up the field to get set for the next play. The Cougars managed twelve yards, but I can sense that this is going to be a really tough game. The Titans seem to be out for blood, and I can’t help wondering if this is why Zander was so nervous about this game.

He knew this was coming.

What I want to know is why.

CHAPTER 46

ZANDER

I knew this game was going to be tough, but holy fuck!

By halftime, I feel like I’ve been run over by a steamroller. The Titans want to break every bone in my body. And you’d have to be blind not to notice it.

“I’m pulling you,” Coach tells me as soon as we get to the locker room.

“No way,” I growl. “You promised me you wouldn’t.”

“They are trying to demolish you!” Coach argues back, pointing toward the field while the rest of the team goes quiet around us. “This isn’t just about football to them. The entire team hates you. You’ve got a target on your back that you can see from space, Zander! And I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I’m not hurt,” I mutter.

Coach shakes his head. “You are going to be black and blue tomorrow, and you know it. We’ve still got the rest of the season to get through. The playoffs are more important than this game.”

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