Page 93 of Second Down Darling

He rolls his eyes. “Did you or did you not make out with Charlotte athalftime?”

“Make out? No, sir. I did not ‘make out’ with her.” Jesus. What’s his problem? “I hugged her. Kissed her once. Maybe twice.” I don’t really remember. “She was on the sidelines and excited about how well we were doing. I apologize if it was an inappropriate time, but I didn’t see theharm.”

Coach holds out his hand, and Evelyn, who I didn’t notice join us, hands him aphone.

“The AD asked a few students to record the team’s entrance for some promo video he’s doing. This kid also happened to record us leaving athalftime.”

I start to sweat because this can’t be good if Coach is this pissed. The fact that he’s in the locker room right now instead of at the post-game press conference means whatever I’m about to see isbad.

Thinking back to that kiss with Charlotte, I realize it probably looked passionate because we were ramped up because of the game, but it wasn’t porno-level crazy. It’s not like I jammed my tongue down herthroat.

My heart hammers as the video starts toplay.

It’s taken from the tunnel and shows the guys running off the field. I spot Charlotte tucking away her gear, but she’s almost out of the shot. When she stands, her top half is cropped out. You can see my legs as I veer away from the team and head to her. I pick her up as she jumps in my arms. You see her dangle against me and then my hand lands on herass.

This must catch the videographer’s attention because he shifts to focus on us. I give Charlotte another peck and pat her butt when I put her down a minute later. I have an idiotic grin on my face when I catch up with theteam.

My lips tilt up as I watch my gorgeous woman who looks so good in Bronco colors. Her goofy grin matches mine. She touches her lips like our kiss was special. Because it was. All of our kissesare.

Is this what has Coach in a tizzy? Because that wasn’t terrible. Just looks like I’m hyped up from the game and stopped to kiss my girlfriend. What’s the bigdeal?

As I stare at the screen, something makes Charlottepause.

She looks up, still smiling and looking so beautiful my heart kicks up anotch.

But what happens next feels like I’m watching some terrible teen movie. Food rains down on her. Sodas and hot dogs get hurled at her from the stands above. It lands on her head and hits her in the face. Soaks her shirt. Hits her camerabag.

What thehell?

Some girl screams, “Hey, skank! How does it feel to get Dakota’s sloppyseconds?”

“Oh, fuck.” I shouldn’t curse around Coach, but the words slipout.

I swallow hard as bile pushes up the back of mythroat.

Then that bitch throws something small, and it hits Charlotte in the head. Hard. She wobbles one way, then the other before she fallsover.

And doesn’t getup.

Coach glares at me. “That poor girl’s injury is onyou.”

37

JAKE

“Come on, motherfucker!”I smack my steering wheel, frustrated as hell the car in front of me isn’tmoving.

After Coach reamed me out for kissing Charlotte in a public venue during halftime, he finally told me to get my ass to the hospital because that’s where the paramedics took her. He might be pissed at me, but I know he cares about Charlie because he asked me to text him an update as soon as I hadone.

I didn’t bother to change or shower. Just threw on some sneakers, grabbed my shit, and booked it to the parking lot, where I’ve been sitting for the last forty minutes in gridlocktraffic.

Nobody could tell me how badly she washurt.

I’m going out of my goddamn mind notknowing.

It takes another twenty to get to the main drag. I’m so used to hanging around the stadium after a game, I didn’t realize how slow traffic crawls throughtown.

Then I see an accident ahead, which is blocking the main drag going both ways. Nowonder.

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