“Troy. I love it.”
She fingers the two pictures inside. One of both ourfamilies from that day at the beach and the other of the two of us from my last hockey game at SDU. I’m a sweaty mess, but she’s in my arms. Kissing me like it’s the last thing she’ll do.
Which is something I don’t have to think about. Because whatever happens tonight, we’ll be together.
“I love you, Angie. And wherever we end up tonight, it’s you and me.”
“Always.” She cups my cheeks in her hands, the cool metal of the locket pressing against my freshly shaven jaw, and kisses me.
I hold her close as her tongue slides into my mouth. Savoring the taste of her, I let myself get swept up in the moment. Because from here on out, it’s going to be nothing but craziness.
Angie pulls back, nipping at my bottom lip. “I love you.”
My phone buzzes in my pocket. No doubt it’s one of my parents telling us to get a move on.
“We need to go.” I sigh.
“Wait. Put it on me.” She passes it back to me to secure around her neck. It sits just below the star necklace I got her for Christmas.
Angie slips back into her shoes and links her hand with mine. “Whatever happens tonight, Troy, we’re together.”
I sweep a stray hair behind her ear. “I love you.”
And we head out of the room, leaving our old life behind us.
Angie
Chaos. It’s the only way to describe the atmosphere at the convention center tonight.
Players from all over the country—the world, really—are here tonight. Hoping for a shot at being drafted by one of the elite teams.
Troy and I have been in town all week with his family. My nerves have been growing with each passing day. Lydia has been giving me every prospective player’s stats.
Considering that my pops is a math teacher and I grew up knowing football stats, I understand them all.
And my only goal tonight is to try and be as calm as possible. Because I don’t want Troy to be nervous.
“Troy, can we get a quick word before the draft starts?” a reporter asks.
I squeeze his hand. “I’ll meet you backstage.”
“Love you,”he mouths. I do the same and head off to find our families.
“Angie. You doing okay?”
Dad’s waiting with Derek, the two of them now friends. I never thought they’d become friends as fast as they did, but they have.
“If I tell you I’m fine, would you believe me?”
“Not at all,” Pops laughs.
“Then maybe if I say it enough, I’ll start to feel it.”
“You won’t,” Derek tells me. “I puked before I was drafted.”
“Derek, that’s not helping.” Sutton slaps him on the stomach.
“Actually, it kind of does.”
