The cheer squad screamed, players were cracking up on the sidelines, and Jace was doubled over near the twenty-yard line, howling.
But I wasn’t doing it for them, obviously. I pointed straight at her.
The tiger froze for a second, then slowly lifted both paws and did the same sequence back—ending with the tail flick and a salute.
My chest went tight.
Yeah, she was laughing again.
And I was so gone for her.
By the time I jogged off the field, Coach’s face was red and his jaw was tense. “What the fuck was that, Adler? First Davis,then Thatcher, and now my tight end’s out here auditioning forDancing with the Stars?”
“Just having a little fun, Coach,” I said, still half breathless.
He stared like he was two seconds from throwing his clipboard. “All my stars have lost their damn minds.”
Grinning, Garrett called out from down the bench, “Not me, Coach. Still got mine.”
Coach’s glare snapped to him. “With my luck this season, I’m not betting on it, son.”
Garrett’s grin dropped, and he shivered like what Coach had proposed was horrifying.
I shoved his shoulder, but I couldn’t stop smiling.
I had lost my damn mind.
And it was so worth it.
OPHELIA
Matty hadn’t stopped moving since the second we got in his car.
His knee bounced against the console like he hadn’t just played a football game and he actually had a bunch of energy to spare. He tapped the wheel and adjusted the rearview mirror twice, even though nothing had changed. He ran his tongue over his teeth like he was about to go into a huddle, and for a guy who could stiff-arm men the size of refrigerators, he looked ridiculously nervous.
“I think you’re more nervous than me,” I joked, sliding my hand over his knee to still it. “And I feel like I’m walking into an ambush since you didn’t tell me until after the game that I was meeting your family.”
I smiled so he’d know I wasn’t mad.
But inside, my stomach twisted.
They were his family.His. What if they took one look at me and saw everything I tried so hard to hide? What if they saw that something was wrong with me…that I wasn’t normal, that I was trying too hard, smiling too much, saying the wrong thing?
Matty’s friends had liked me, though. At least, they’dseemedto. They’d laughed at my jokes, treated me like I belonged. So maybe I could fake it again. Maybe if I smiled enough and said all the right words, his family would believe I was someone worth loving, too.
His aqua eyes flicked to me, quick, guilty, as if I’d caught him off guard. “You don’t need to be nervous.” His voice was low, but the words came too fast, like he was trying to convince himself as much as me. “My mom? She’s great. And my siblings? They’re going to love you. No question.”
“Then why do you look like you’re driving to your own execution?”
That earned me a huffed laugh, the corners of his mouth twitching, though his jaw stayed tight. “Because my dad…” He trailed off, then shook his head. “We didn’t actually end last week on the best terms.” He squeezed my hand, threading our fingers tight. “And I’m dreading you having to meet him.”
The pause afterbest termssaid more than the words did.
“Do you want to cancel?” I asked.
That softened him immediately. His shoulders lowered a fraction, his mouth easing. “You’re so fucking sweet. But no, I want you to meet the rest of my family. I’m hoping he will behave better in front of you.”
His eyes darted toward me again, serious this time. “Don’t let him get in your head, okay? If he says anything stupid, I’ll shut him down.”
