Page 108 of Fumbled Into Love

He whispers the confession so quietly I barely hear it.

“Why?”

“He’s stealing all of your attention.” I bark out a laugh, but sober at the severity of Deon’s features. “I already have to compete with my freaking cat.”

“A-Are you jealous?” I choke out, my breathing labored for a multitude of reasons. One is Deon may be jealous. Another is that his 200-lb body is on top of mine.

It’s mostly due to the first reason.

“Yes,” he says simply.

My heart soars in ways it should not.

“Well, it looks like your guy made it,” Declan says, interrupting the moment. I want to whack him upside the head when Iremember it’s what I asked for. Deon pushes off the couch, his clean scent lingering as he smugly checks his bracket.

Deon’s entire focus is mine when he speaks, “I’m coming for you, Nat.” He waves the paper through the air. “Watch your back.”

The better suggestion would be to protect my heart, but it doesn’t belong to me anymore.

CHAPTER 24

“Did you ever have someone kiss you in a crowded room, and every single one of your friends was makin’ fun of you?”

Question…? – Taylor Swift

Nathalie

Ishould have brought more hand warmers.

A bitter wind whips against my cheeks as I shiver in my seat, curled into Maren’s side to steal whatever warmth I can. I want to respect her personal space, but it’s this or freeze to death, and I would prefer not to turn blue. Early fall games are my favorite when the air is crisp but still warm enough to wear only a sweatshirt, not this late December tundra.

The only thing keeping my body from turning into a popsicle is the excitement thrumming through my veins to see Deon after the game.

The watered-down stadium hot chocolate melts against my tongue, heating the chill in my bones.

“I don’t know how long I’m going to make it,” Sawyer admits, rubbing her mittens together as she bounces on her toes. “I love Henry so much, but I think I love not freezing to death a bit more.”

“Yeah, I’m not doing so well either, and I enjoy the cold.” Maren pulls her beanie down to cover her ears.

We watch the game in silence, all three of us conserving our energy. The team has done well all season, only losing a game in September, and as much as I love watching them win, it’s much more fun when I’m not on the brink of frostbite.

Halftime rolls around, and Maren pops up, grabbing her things.

“I can’t do this any longer. Let's go to a bar.”

“Oh, thank god. I was trying to be brave for everyone else, but I’m not sure I’m meant for the cold. I get chilly when Henry drops the heat down to seventy-two,” Sawyer says.

Maren’s lips curl in disdain.

“Sixty-eight is a respectable temperature for a house.” Sawyer rolls her eyes. “I’ll text Jack and tell them we’re going to LongBoards,” Maren says, weaving through the crowd of people sheltering in the concourse. Maren fiddles with her phone and does a small cheer when the app dings.

“The car is heating up,” she says, “I love technology.”

The three of us run to the car, and as I slide inside, the warmth envelops me.

“This issomuch better,” I say, lying downacross the back seat.

“To the bar!” Sawyer cheers, lifting a fist into the air, “I’m going to eat my body weight in fried food and justify it by saying I’m replenishing the energy I lost staying alive.”

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