Page 90 of A Play For The Heart
I explain to them what Sawyer told me. How she bought the jersey because she thought it would get under Jack’s skin. Since they’re ‘enemies.’ The more I get to know her, the more confused I become. She’s truly an enigma.
Jack laughs so loudly, I swear Maren could hear him from the stands.
“She’s in love with me.”
“Dude, it sounds like she hates you,” Declan says, unhelpfully.
“She just doesn’t know it yet. She will.”
It’s a declaration that none of us want to touch. Luckily, the position coaches call for warmups, and the three of them run off onto the field. A small sliver of me is jealous that they get to play, and I don’t. But the rest of me is just grateful. To be here. To have my friends and Sawyer. My scans showed that the tear is healing nicely, and I should be able to start physical therapy. Soon, I’ll be out there, but until then, I’ll do what only I can manage. Cheering them on like a middle school soccer parent.
The first three quarters fly by. Touchdowns are being traded back and forth. We have the ball, and if we score, the game will be tied with less than a minute left. I hold my breath as the offensive coordinator relays the play to Deon. With a terse nod, Deon turns to the huddle, explaining the play. I recognize it immediately. They’re going to throw the ball to Declan in the end zone. I watch as the huddle breaks and my teammates line up on the line of scrimmage.
Declan makes eye contact with me as he jogs to his position. I can see the nervousness in his features. I nod to him, then exaggerate the motion of taking a deep breath. He takes one, then smiles, turning towards the end zone.
Ten seconds later the ball is snapped. I watch it all play out. Deon catching the ball from the center. Declan sprints towards the defensive player, then veers left. Jack slams his body against the defensive tackle to give Deon time in the pocket. Time slows as Deon releases the ball, sending a perfect spiral in Declan’s direction. I watch as the ball flies through the air, landing perfectly in Declan’s hands. Shifting into a dead sprint, Declan covers the last ten yards to the end zone in a second.
The moment he steps into the end zone, the crowd roars. I watch as the team runs at him in celebration. Jack lifts him off the ground and Deon pats him on the back. He jogs off the field as the kicker comes out for the extra point.
I knock on his helmet as he walks by. “One hell of a catch.”
“I know,” He smirks, moving towards the athletic trainer holding water.
The extra point is good, special teams kicks the ball and Cincinnati catches the ball on the thirty-yard line. With forty-five seconds left on the clock, Cincinnati makes their way down the field as quickly as possible. With two solid stops, the defense only needs one more to force the team to kick, sending the game into overtime.
My eyes stay locked in on the field as I watch the quarterback launch the ball into the air. A Hail Mary. The ball moves through the air in slow motion. One second turns into two, and I watch as a Cincinnati receiver comes out of nowhere, catching the ball. He's tackled immediately. With six seconds left on the clock, there’s not much they can do, other than throw another Hail Mary and hope a player catches it.
Then I notice the kicker for Cincinnati running out onto the field. My eyes drop to the yard line. Forty-seven. An incredibly long kick. Another hail Mary of sorts. I can’t peel my eyes away as I watch the ball being snapped, and then kicked. I track it in the air as it barrels toward the field goalposts. The referees’ hands fly up.
It’s over.
We lost.
I tap my fingers against the steering wheel as I wait in the pick-up lane at the airport. Nervous energy coursing through my body. Since I bought the tickets a week in advance, the girls had to fly out on the Tuesday after the game. After we lost and Coach Barrett talked to us in the locker room, we left Dallas pretty quickly after media and other requirements. No one wanted to be there any longer than necessary. The loss still hurts. To be so close and watch it slip away.
In the end, it’s a loss I’m willing to live with. We left everything out on the field.
I honk, spotting the girls walking out of the airport. I hop out of the car, meeting them halfway. I meet Sawyer, planting a kiss on her lips while I take her bag.
“Hi,” she says, blushing. There’s nothing I love more than seeing my Sawyer blush. And PDA does it every single time.
I open the trunk of the car, throw Sawyer's bag in, and then move back to grab Maren and Nathalie’s. Once everyone is settled, I turn my hazards off and pull away from the airport. The drive back is silent except for the sound of the radio. The girls seem tired, and no one wants to address the very large elephant in the car. Sawyer places her hand on my thigh as a drive, setting shivers up my spine.
I drop Nathalie off at her apartment, then make my way towards Sawyer’s apartment. Pulling into the parking garage, I hop out and grab their bags. We silently ride the elevator to their floor. The moment we enter, Maren immediately moves towards her bedroom.
“I’m taking a nap,” she yells as she leaves us in the dust.
Now that Sawyer and I are alone, my nerves ramp up.
“Wanna stay for a while?” she asks, dragging her luggage towards her bedroom.
I follow her into her bedroom, shutting the door and sitting on the bed. I watch as she drops the suitcase, sits in front of it, and begins to unpack.
Now’s my shot.
“Maybe you shouldn’t unpack,” I say, going for nonchalance.
“What. Why? You know I like to unpack right when I get back,” Sawyer responds, still entirely focused on her task.
