Page 117 of Honey Undone
Adeline didn’t move right away, her face turning back to mine. “If I don’t see you before the game,” she whispered, giving me a small kiss, “I love you.”
TheI thinkportion had finally faded away and the certainty in her voice made me vibrate with unbridled affection toward her.
I squeezed my fingers into her skin involuntarily and surged forward, sinking my teeth into her bottom lip as I stole another kiss. “I love you,” I repeated back as she pulled away. “Hey,” I called out as she slipped off the bed. She turned back to look at me, her hair wavy and crazy around her perfect face. “One more?” I asked and she came right back.
“One more.” The second kiss was longer, sweeter and left me a little breathless when she finally pulled away.
“I got you a surprise,” I pointed to the dresser and she smiled.
Sitting on top was a folded jersey and two bags of gummy cola bottles just for her.
“You spoil a girl you know.” She scooped her jersey off the dresser, my phone number freshly plastered across the back. “Seriously?” She threw her head back laughing, her cheeks bright pink with amusement before she scrunched her nose up at me. “It’s perfect,” she hummed and disappeared after Zoey. “Good luck!”
If you win I have a treat for you
Baby, you are the treat.
“In you come, boys, no more delaying.” Coach stood at the door of the stadium staring at us all in a huddle. I shoved my phone away and pulled at thecollar of my suit walking up, suffocating on the pressure that was coming down on our shoulders. I swear the whole team sat in the parking lot for nearly twenty minutes before any of us dared to move. Holding my breath I stared up at the iron bars in awe, no matter how many times we did that walk. It never got old.
I held my breath to steady my heart and take in the moment.
Harbor Stadium had been my home for the last five years.
“You coming?” Van leaned against the door when I came back to focus and I nodded, following him with a smile. I had told him that morning about what was going on and in true Van fashion, he was nothing but proud of me.
“You’ll make a cute house wife, Jenny.”He teased, throwing my clean ball pants at me from the dryer.
“I’ll be working, I’m not just going to be her ball boy.” I shook my head.
“I don’t know, that sounds kind of fun.” Van shrugged, folding his pants. “What did she say?”
“She thinks I’m insane,” I said, with a laugh. “What do you think?”
“I’ve just been waiting for you to catch up, man. I’m glad you found some happy.”
Cael had the party mix blasting in the locker room by the time we caught up with everyone, Arlo and Nicholas were huddled with Josh going over plays as the rest of the players stripped from their suits just trying to keep the energy in the room high. Seeing Cael navigate the room, stuck in his dress clothes sucked for everyone but he was taking it in strides.
“Hey, Cody.” I called out to him, tapping his locker with my hand. “Get changed. You can’t go out there like that.”
Cael looked at me, his jaw clenched tightly as his eyes landed on his untouched locker.
“Just because you can’t play doesn’t mean you don’t get dressed,” Van agreed from beside me. He was uncharacteristically quiet as he shifted in his fancy shoes, his blonde hair pushed back off his tight face.
“What the fuck are you waiting for?” Arlo barked and Cael instantly moved toward his locker laughing nervously from the intrusion. Arlo watched over his shoulder for a moment, giving a tiny nod to both Van and I.
“Do you think that was a smile?” Van leaned down to whisper to me.
“That was definitely a smile.” I hit him on the shoulder and started to get changed.
Coach cleared his throat, flanked by Silas and Ella at the front of the room.
“The last game is always the hardest, boys,” he said, looking around the room. “It’s the end of season for some of you, for others it’s the end of your career with the Hornets but that doesn’t matter because that’s tomorrow's business. Today, you get together and you show Harbor what it means to be a family, you show them exactly how fucking good you are at being a team. Walk out on that field with your chests out and your heads held high. You have gone through hell to get here today,” Coach’s glance stopped on Cael and Josh across the room as his hand raised to his chest. “You’ve overcome challenges as boys and came out the other side as men. Portland fucking knows how hard you’re going to fight for this so do not let them down, you fight for that win tonight and when you think you can’t fight anymore, you get back up and try some more.”
“Yes Coach.” The room erupted.
“I don’t talk about her much because frankly none of you boys need to see a grown man cry but,” Coach cleared his throat. “Rae would be proud of you.”
He tapped his chest with two fingers, and we all mirrored it, holding it a little longer than we usually would have. Taking in the silence and letting it wrap around our nerves.
