“Well, that’s your loss. I’m awesome.” With a final flick of her ponytail, she jumped in the car and started the engine. When she wound down the window and poked her head out, I steeled myself. I knew her well enough to know she wasn’t going anywhere without one final dig. “Play hard tonight, big brother.”
“I always do,” I assured her.
“I meant on the field. Not with yourself.”
Chapter Six - Elise
“I can’t believe you’re making me do this,” I grumbled as Jaxson tightened his grip on my arm and dragged me up to the ticket booth.
“Oh shut up. You know you want to be here, so quit your bitching!”
Fuck Jaxson. I hated that he was right…again.
After paying for our tickets, he led me through the turnstiles before we attempted to navigate our way to our seats. Stepping inside the stadium, I was shocked to see just how many people, how many families were spending their Friday night out here in the cold.
“Want a drink before we find our seats?”
“Definitely.” The truth was I needed more than one if I was going to get through this in one piece.
Due to my complete stupidity, after Luca had left the other day, I’d come home and over a pitcher of margaritas and too many tacos I’d spilled everything. That was ten days ago. It seemed from the moment I told Jaxson about the flowers and the defending my honour, he’d made it a mission to find out everything there was to know about Mr. Conti, a.k.a. Mr. Sexy Shorts. Through the week I’d received daily facts and information he deemed I simply must know. He was also partial to sending through the odd photo or two he’d found on Google.
All his stalking had led us to this exact moment. Me standing at the football stadium on a Friday night in jeans so tight I could barely breathe and a purple jersey with the number seven plastered across the back and freaking the fuck out. But if I was going down, then Jax was coming with me.
While he lined up to get our beers and, if he knew what was good for him some hot chips, I leant against the rails and looked around. Every which way I looked it was like swimming in a sea of purple. It was everywhere. There were families with Mum and Dad both sporting jumpers while the kids wore jerseys, waved flags and had their faces painted. People were definitely invested.
“Ready?” Jaxson asked when he appeared beside me handing me a plastic cup.
Talking a big gulp, I looked up at him. Jax knew me better than anyone and knew how nervous I was about being here tonight. Even though Luca had no idea I was coming and there was no way he’d ever spot me in the crowd, just knowing we were in the same place at the same time had me on edge.
“Let’s do it,” I agreed, faking bravado. Maybe by the time I finished this disgusting warm beer I wouldn’t have to try so hard to fake it.
Winding our way down the steps, we got towards the bottom when I froze, reaching out and grabbing Jax’s shoulder. Spinning around, the arsehole had a grin on his smug face, which told me everything I needed to know. He knew exactly what he was up to, the shithead.
“Jax, where are our seats?” I asked through gritted teeth.
“Not much farther,” he answered, playing coy.
“Jaxson!”
“Fine, over there.” He pointed to a spare set of chairs in the second row. Right behind the bench.
“Tell me you didn’t?”
“I didn’t do what?”
“Are you coming or going? Some of us are trying to get to our seats.” A cranky, bald man slurred as he pushed past, knocking me right into Jaxson’s arms. Thank God he was strong enough to catch me or we would’ve both ended up on our arses.
“We need to move,” he whispered.
“Jax… I… I can’t.”
“Oh shush! You’ll be fine. I’m here and I won’t leave your side.”
“Promise?” I knew I was being whiny and clingy, but that’s what best friends were for. Besides, it was one hundred percent Jax’s fault I was freaking out right now. Had he have gotten us normal tickets, somewhere in the nosebleed section, I would’ve been fine.
“Promise. Now, let’s go. I want to get an up close and personal look at Mr. Perfect.”
“He’s not perfect,” I grumbled under my breath. Sure, he looked perfect and so far, he’d acted like everything I could ever want, but I wasn’t some naive twenty-two-year-old anymore. I was older. Wiser. More cynical. I knew no one was perfect. No matter how many abs they had.
