Page 97 of Matched By My Rival
What if this was a monumental mistake? He’d played less time in the game than usual, but maybe Coach had wanted to give Hinkel more experience. It didn’t mean Parker had told anyone he wanted to quit the team. He could have changed his mind. His parents might not even know about his sexuality, and I was standing here like an idiot about to out him.
I turned to go but made it only a few steps before the woman called out. “Prentiss, wait.”
She approached me as I reluctantly turned back, a nervous smile on her face. “I’m Parker’s mom.”
“Yeah, I know.” I nodded to the jersey. “You’re wearing his number.”
Her eyes went to the bouquet. “Is that for him?”
I felt my face flash hot. “I should go. I don’t want to get in the way of family time.”
She grasped my forearm, keeping me from running away. “It’s really sweet. I’m sure he’ll want to see you.” She pursed her lips. “He says he wants to leave the team.”
“I know.”
“Did you ask him to do that?”
My mouth dropped open. “I wouldneverdo that. I know what it means to give that up. I’d never ask someone to do that for me.”
She nodded once. “I believe you.” Then she smiled conspiratorially. “I always hated you a little.”
Okay…this was going well.
She laughed at my expression. “You were too good. Always the top receiver. I wanted Parker in that spot. I was angry you hit him, understand?”
Shame swirled up. “I’m sorr—”
“But I was relieved too, I’m ashamed to say. You were gone, and Parker could shine. And now…” She trailed off, looking just as lost as I’d once felt. “It’s gone—or will be soon enough. It’s not what he really wants. But you’re different, aren’t you? You still want it?”
That was difficult to put into words. She was so sincere that I found myself trying. “A part of me will always want it,” I said. “Another part of me, the part that likes Parker, is ready to move on. There’s more to life than football. Parker showed me that.”
Just then the doors opened and the team spilled out. Mrs. Reed and I turned toward the doors expectantly. Parker saw his Mom first, nodding, looking more tense than usual for him. Then his gaze skated to me and stopped.
Our eyes locked, and I felt as if I couldn’t breathe.
Mrs. Reed vanished along with the rest of the crowd. I could only see Parker. My heart pounded and my palms sweated as he approached me.
“I’m sorry,” I blurted out before he could say anything. “I love you too.”
Parker looked stunned, eyes flicking to his mother. Shit, she was still there, wasn’t she?
“Uh, Mom, can you give us a minute?”
She murmured assent, backing away, and Parker’s focus returned to me. Then his gaze dropped again to the bouquet in my arms, and his lips twitched. “Is that for me?”
“Yeah. Is it stupid? I was going to have it delivered with a card that said, like, ‘Eat anything you want, do anything you want,beanything you want. I support you.’ Or something cheesy like that.”
“It’s great,” he said softly, taking it as I extended it to him.
A sudden awareness of the many witnesses in the parking lot hit me.
“Is it okay that I’m doing this? The team, and your mom…”
“Mom knows everything,” Parker said. “I talked to Coach, but the guys are probably going to be surprised. I don’t care about any of that. Just…tell me again, how you feel.”
“I was an asshole last night. I was just caught off guard, and I didn’t understand. But I support you, Parker. I want you to have anything you want out of life—even if it’s not football.”
He laughed, eyes shining. “Even if that’s hard to wrap your head around, huh?”
