Page 154 of Off Camera
I thought this would be hard to say. Difficult to find the words, but when I look at her, it’s the easiest thing I’ve ever fucking done.
I feel light. A little bit like I could fucking fly. Impulsive and reckless and happy—a kind of happiness I’ve never felt before. I thought I’ve been in love, but it was nothing like this. Like I’m on top of the goddamn world and nothing could bring me down.
“I love you too,” she whispers, and my heart stops. It flatlines before jolting back to life when she takes my face in her palms. “I love you so very much, Reid, because you’ve made me believe in it again. I feel it when I’m with you. In every cracked corner of my heart that’s putting itself back together again. Every morning when I open my eyes, and you’re there. Sometimes it scares me how much I love you.”
“You don’t have to be scared with me.” I wrap my arms around her and pull on the ends of her hair. “You know why?”
“Why?” Avery asks, a watery question that has her wiping her eyes and nose with the back of her hand.
“I’ve spent years learning everything about you. The things that make you happy. The things that make you mad.” I pause, then add, “I have a spreadsheet on my computer for that one, actually.”
“You’re not serious.”
“Dead fucking serious. It might be titled ‘Thunderhawks girl’, but it gets the job done. I know you. And you know me. Did we go about it in an unconventional way? Without a doubt. It doesn’t change the fact that you are the most perfect person for me, Avery, and I’d be lucky if you tormented me for the rest of my life.”
“The rest of your life?” Her palms move to my back, rubbing over my shirt and across my shoulders. The noise from the crowd quiets. The lights dim. In a sea of thousands, all I see is her. “I think I’d like that.”
“Hey,” Maverick says, interrupting us. I look to my right, and all our friends are there. Emmy. Maven and June. Dallas and his sweaty jersey. He waves an envelope in the air and grins. “Here’s the ticket sales information.”
“And I know who won Social Media Account of the Year,” Maven adds.
“Do you want to know?” I ask Avery.
I don’t care, to be honest.
Everything is moot now, but I want her to make the call.
“Yeah,” she admits. “Just for bragging rights.”
“Fair.” I glance at Emmy. “What do you have for us?”
“I’m going to let Miller take this one,” she says. “He’s been giddy about it all day. He’s treating it like it’s the nuclear codes or something.”
“I had no idea the NFL doesn’t disclose ticket information. I like that this is a big fucking secret.” Maverick rips open the envelope and huffs out a laugh. “Huh. Interesting.”
“What?” Avery asks. “What is it?”
“I’m not sure how you all are going to determine a winner. The Titans had the higher season ticket renewal rate at 95%. But the Thunderhawks had the mostnewticket sales. If we’re looking at overall totals, though, the Titans are goingto have forty-two thousand season ticket holders while the Thunderhawks only have twenty-six thousand,” Maverick says.
“How many did you start the season with?” I ask Avery.
“Only thirteen thousand,” she says.
“Youdoubledin sales? Fuck, Ave, that’s incredible.”
“That’s not me. That’s because the team is doing well. We’re finally winning and signing big name players. A post on Instagram isnotbringing in that kind of revenue,” she explains.
“That’s not true. You came up with promotions. Incentives to get people through the doors. Did your post eight Wednesdays ago encourage someone to buy tickets? Maybe not. But the payment plan idea you came up with did.”
“Do you two want to hear who won the other part of your bet?” Maven asks.
“I don’t know how I became so invested in this, but I have to know,” Dallas says.
“Tell us,” Avery says, and Maven grins.
“‘The NFL is pleased to announce this year’s Social Media Account and Marketing Department of the Year is the Baltimore Thunderhawks. With over a hundred million social media impressions and two hundred thousand new followers over six months, the Thunderhawks have cemented themselves as a fan favorite,’” Maven reads, and I scoop Avery into my arms.
“Congratulations,” I say, my voice muffled by her hair. “You deserve it.”
