Especially after everything I’ve been through today.
He thumps me on the back. “Go find your girl and celebrate. You deserve it.”
It’s like the man read my mind.
I need to find Piper.
Fireworks explode overhead and confetti rains down as the fans rush the field, pouring onto the stadium floor to celebrate. I push through the crowd, making my way toward the bench.
I have no idea if Piper will be there—we didn’t exactly have time to make post-game plans—but I’ll never find her on the field.
The sideline is overrun with screaming fans and I climb onto the bench, turning slowly as I scan the crowd. I make a full rotation before I spot my girl. She’s trying to make her way to me, but the push and pull of the crowd is too much and she’s being tossed about like driftwood.
I leap from the bench and shove through the crush of bodies.
The crowd parts like the Red Sea and there she is, right before me.
My heart swells at the sight of her, and I scoop her up in my arms and swing her around.
“Congratulations! I am so proud of you.” Her breath is warm on my face and when she cups the back of my neck and pulls me in for a kiss, it’s clear she doesn’t give a damn about the dirt and sweat that covers every inch of my body. The kiss is hot and wet and it holds the promise of things to come. “I have to admit, you guys had me worried for a minute. I swear, I thought I was going to hyperventilate on that last drive.”
“You and me both, darlin’.” I bury my face in her hair, inhaling the fresh, clean scent of her. “Thank you for being here. You have no idea how much it means to me to share this moment with you.”
She lowers her forehead to mine, a shy smile on her face. “I love you and I will always be here for you.”
Damn, I love hearing those words.
“I don’t know how I got so lucky, but I will never take you for granted.”
44
PIPER
It’s wellpast midnight by the time we hit the club to celebrate, and I make a mental note to thank Jenna for insisting I bring a little black dress, just in case. The guys are riding high as we settle into an oversized VIP booth with bottle service, courtesy of Austin Reid’s father. Apparently, he’s a big deal in the world of football, so while I feel uncomfortable with the extravagance, Brady assured me there’s no point resisting.
I sip my champagne, trying to remember names as I soak up the vibrations of the hip hop song blasting from the speakers.
There’s Austin and his girlfriend Kennedy, a tall brunette who’s the kicker on the football team. Cooper and his girlfriend Quinn, a tiny redhead and self-proclaimed disaster who’s already spilled her champagne. Parker and his girlfriend Sutton, a petite Latina gymnast who doubled as the Waverly Wildcat prior to bowl season. And then there are the single guys: Wyant, Smith, and… Yeah, there’s no way I’m going to remember them all.
Especially when people are coming and going and the bottle girl keeps refilling my glass.
I lean into Brady’s large body, pressing my thigh to his. “So how does it feel to be a national champion?”
“Not half as good as hearing you say you love me.”
My heart flutters because I actually think he means it. “Yeah?”
“Say it again,” he murmurs, his lips brushing the shell of my ear.
“You’re going to turn me into a broken record.”
“Trust me.” He squeezes my thigh, his hand a comforting weight in the crowded club. “I won’t complain.”
“I love you.”
He turns my face to his and presses a greedy kiss to my lips, his tongue probing the entrance of my mouth despite our audience.
“Damn, Vaughn! Let the woman come up for air.”
