We’re all fully dressed again—sweats, hoodies, sneakers—looking like we just came from any normal Saturday night hangout instead of an orgy in the depths of Lumen.
“It was... educational,” Diesel says with a big grin, his snapback flipped backward on his head.
Meredith’s red lips curve into a knowing smile. “I bet it was, sugar.”
Micah and I share a look, smiling at each other.
This whole evening has been one hell of an eye-opener. About ourselves. About each other. About what it means to be a team. There probably aren’t many football teams that take bonding to the level we just did, but hey, to each their own, right?
And now that I’ve got a taste of it, I realize what I was missing.
It was right there in front of me the whole time.
I just never let myself see it.
I look over my shoulder at the woman with the strawberry-blonde hair who still doesn’t seem done filing her nails and call out,
“See you next time, Meredith.”
EPILOGUE
MICAH
The stadium lights are blinding, and the crowd is deafening.
Fourth quarter. Three minutes left. We’re down by four.
I crouch in my position, hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath. My lungs are burning, my legs are screaming, but none of that matters right now. This is it. This is the moment that decides everything.
Coach calls a timeout, and we huddle up on the sideline.
“Alright, listen up!” Coach barks. “We’ve got one shot at this. One fucking chance. And if we don’t pull this off, the season is over.”
I glance around at my teammates. Sweat drips down their faces, jerseys stained dark with effort. They look both exhausted and ready.
Cole stands next to me, chest heaving, a cut on his forearm from a nasty tackle. His eyes are locked on Coach, that competitive fire burning in them.
Diesel is on my other side, his massive frame still imposing even after four quarters of getting beaten up. His jersey is torn at the shoulder and stained with grass and dirt, but he wears a wide grin.
Omar, our captain, has his usual calm expression, arms folded across his broad chest, nodding at every word Coach says.
And then there’s Toby. His eyes meet mine across the circle, and he gives me a quick wink.
My chest swells with something warm.
After that night at Lumen, the two of us have gotten closer than ever. We don’t put a label on it or anything, but we’re definitely more than just friends. Before every game, we fool around in the locker room, bathroom, wherever we can find a private spot, to give us both an extra edge.
With that wink, I know exactly what he’s thinking about.
“Micah!” Coach snaps, pulling me back to the present. “You with us?”
“Yes, Coach. I’m here.”
“Good. Because we need your quick feet on this play. You know what to do.”
I nod.
We break the huddle and jog back onto the field. The crowd noise swells again, a wall of sound that makes my ears ring.
