“Yeah, Chlo,” I whispered back. “It was the LEGOs.”
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
ellie
AFTER ENJOYING A PREGAME cookout coordinated by Theo, a few games of Candy Land with Chloe, and a snuggle or two with Honey, we got back into the car to head into Minneapolis.
I found myself walking next to Delaney on our way into the stadium, and for a very brief moment during which Blake had been called away from her side by his dad, who seemed to be having trouble finding his ticket on his phone, and Sully wandered to talk to Janie, having noticed she looked a little lost, it was just the two of us.
It was nice to reconnect with her; I’d been meaning to call and follow up now that I was in a little bit better place, but I hadn’t gotten the chance, and I’d been feeling bad about that. She was gracious, of course. Kind and sympathetic. I wondered if maybe we could be friends.
I hoped we could maybe be friends.
Once we made it through the front gates, Sully quickly gravitated back to my side, and I smiled at him when he slipped his slightly sweaty palm into my grasp.
I was glad he’d talked to Janie. It was something I adored about him—that he often went out of his way to ensure everyonefelt comfortable. Sully lived by a philosophy of putting other people first, one of the reasons I’d felt so very strongly that he’d had the chance to put himself first five years ago.
But now it was my turn to make sure he was comfortable; I could already feel his nervous energy, the tightening of his body every time someone brushed past us. His hand moved to my lower back, propelling me forward with quickening steps. The stadium was loud, packed with people, and a muscle jumped in his temple every time a booming announcement echoed into the hallways from the field. I stuck close to him as we walked, and eventually, we entered the suite Noah had secured for us today.
“Well, that was terrifying,” Sully murmured as we broke free from the crush of football fans. “I thought you were gonna get swept away from me for a minute there. Was about ready to throw you over my shoulder and make a break for it.”
His arm banded around me, drawing my body back into his, and I felt the shaky stutter of his breaths.
I gave his forearm a tight squeeze, knowing he probably needed it. Music filtered into the suite from speakers I couldn’t locate, and the rumbling of the crowd could still be heard from the opening facing the field. “Why don’t you go sit down?” I prompted. “I can bring you a glass of water.”
“Yeah.” He exhaled slowly. “Yeah, that sounds good.”
His gradual movements told me he was reluctant to release me, but his arm fell, and I watched as he strode to the front row of seats where no one was sitting yet. He dropped his head into his hands, moving his fingertips to press on his ears.
The rest of his family had scattered around the suite, chattering with excitement. I dodged my way through them until I made it to the water station in the back, where Theo was already filling a glass. Before I could say anything, he handed it to me, and I thanked him with a smile before returning to Sully’s side.
“Here,” I said, and Sully took the water from me with a murmur of gratitude. After taking a sip, he set the cup in theholder and grabbed my hips, pulling me down onto his lap and draping my body over his like I was his weighted blanket.
I didn’t move for a few seconds, letting Sully take a few deep breaths. He closed his eyes, and I squeezed his shoulder until he opened them again. Then I adjusted my body, turning my head so he could hear me when I asked, “What are five things you can see?”
“I see about five million people,” he grunted. Against my side, I felt the rise and fall of his chest—a bit faster than normal.
“No, no,” I chastised lightly. “That’s not how it works.”
He blew a breath between his lips. “I see Noah on the field. The football in his hands. Someone wearing a fucking cheesehead hat. Seriously, what the hell are the cheeseheads doing here?”
I chuckled softly. “Two more, Sawyer.”
He tilted his head to look at me, and his breathing began to even out. “Two pretty brown eyes.”
“That should probably only count as one.”
He wrinkled his nose. “Nah.”
I let it go. “Four things you can touch,” I whispered.
“This chair that is way too fucking small for my body,” he answered, holding my gaze now.
I nodded. “Good.”
He made a face. “Is it?”
“What else?” I prompted.
