Page 58 of A Play For The Heart
I look back to Sawyer, who’s grabbing something off the ground. She pulls a tube-shaped item from the floor and begins to unroll it. I recognize it as a poster, but I have no idea what she could have put on there. The nerves I felt before I left the locker room have come back in full force.
With help from Maren and Nathalie, she pulls the massive poster apart, revealing a giant yellow smiley face. Sawyer beams at me while holding the poster, her grin almost as large as the smile on the paper. Jack starts laughing. Since I told him the story, he understands the inside joke. Deon looks at us both in confusion but smiles at the gesture she made.
I stand there for a moment, drinking her in. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so content and at peace as I do right now with Sawyer in the stands, cheering me on and wearing my jersey. Knowing she’s in my corner.
I wave at her quickly before I head off to warm up, smiling through every drill.
Halfway through the third quarter, and I can’t remember a time I’ve ever felt more alive playing a game of football.
Ever.
I’m enjoying myself, having fun. Instead of giving me anxiety, the game is pumping me up. Which is something that hasn’t happened in a long time. The game started to lose its enjoyment when my dad put pressure on it. Requiring me to live up to the standard of being Matthew Parker's son. To him, it's more than just a game, it's everything. Which is what he tried to drill into me as soon as I showed any talent in the sport. Don’t get me wrong, I still love football, but at times, I haven’t loved playing.
But having Sawyer in the stands and knowing she’s out there cheering for me has changed how I feel. I still feel the pressure to perform, but it’s not as intense. It’s a bearable weight on my shoulders.
I’ve already scored twice, and Coach Barrett even gave me a nod as if to say I’m doing well. Which I’ll take considering the last conversation we had. I’m playing lights out and I’m feeling good. Deon has been throwing rockets all game, every single player on the team is in sync.
The final seconds on the clock tick down to zero in the fourth quarter, and the stadium goes wild with the win. I shake hands with a few of the opposing players, then jog over to where Sawyer and the girls are sitting. I get as close as I can and wave at Sawyer. I catch her attention, and she blows me a kiss. I turn towards the tunnel to get off the field but stop by an usher.
“Hey man, see those three up there?” I point at the girls and wait until the usher recognizes them. “Could you make sure they get to the family area?”
The usher lets me know he will make it happen and I make my way towards the locker room.
In the locker room, we listen to Coach Barrett give his post-game speech, which is not as long as it usually is. He dismisses us, and I bolt towards the shower. The sooner I’m clean, the sooner I get to see Sawyer. I haven’t seen her since our date on Wednesday, and I’m itching to spend time with her. Not to mention, the image of her in my jersey is seared into my brain forever.
Not appropriate shower thoughts.
I force my mind to go blank while I finish showering to prevent myself from becoming any harder than I already am. Turning the shower off, I wrap the towel around my waist and head back to my locker. As I get dressed, Jack comes over to chat.
“Where are you headed to after this?”
He knows exactly where I’m going, but he just wants to hear it again.
“Home with Sawyer.”
Well, that’s my plan at least. I haven’t gotten around to asking her yet, but I’m hoping that’s just a formality.
“Aww,” he coos. “How domestic of you.”
I grab my bag, walking towards the door with Jack on my heels. We make our way towards the concourse area specifically for the family of the players. Before today, I never had anyone to meet, but coming out here to meet Sawyer feels right. Natural.
As we make our way closer to the meeting area, I can hear the girls chatting amongst themselves.
“That was exhilarating!” Nathalie screams.
Both Maren and Sawyer seem incredibly amused by Nathalie’s reaction to the game. I make a mental note to ask Sawyer about why exactly Nathalie was more excited than normal. I saunter up to Sawyer, whose back is facing me, and sling my arm over her shoulder.
She immediately jumps and goes into flight mode. Sawyer has never been much of a fighter, which is good for me, otherwise, she might have punched me straight in the nose.
“Cheese and rice!” she squeals. “Don’t scare me like that!” The moment she realizes it’s me though, she leans into my side, her hand resting on my chest. Our bodies fit together perfectly. She looks up at me and gives me a soft smile. “You played amazing. I’m proud of you.”
Her comment causes a smile to spread across my face, and I pull her closer, leaning down and planting a kiss on her lips. I hadn’t planned on kissing her in front of everyone, but my body moved faster than my brain.
“Oh, shit. I’m sorry. We didn’t talk about if you wanted everyone to know, with the spotlight and all.”
She halts my apology with a kiss of her own. A gentle one, full of admiration. She looks up at me, stark desire in her eyes. “I want everyone to know we're dating. The whole world, preferably. I want them all to know you’remine.”
Her sudden possessiveness has me feeling things that I shouldn’t in the middle of a hallway full of other players' families.
