Nate laced his fingers with mine. “He fooled a lot of people.”
We all nodded as the noise in the room slowly started coming back to life. Conversations resumed, music started playing again, but next to me, Nate had gone quiet.
“Are you okay?” I asked, feeling my body fill with concern.
“Yeah, I’m just glad it’s finally behind us,” he said, as his fingers traced lazy patterns along my arm.
I tilted my head slightly. “Lydia helped too.”
If it weren’t for her handing over information on her brother, we wouldn’t have gotten this far.
He squeezed my hand, suddenly looking unsure of himself. “I had my lawyer send her some money as a thank you to help her and her family get up on their feet. It felt like the right thing to do.”
I stared at him in disbelief. “How come you didn’t say anything?”
He shrugged, but I could tell he was worried about my reaction. “I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. I hope you’re not mad.”
I turned to face him. “Nate Sandler!”
“What?” He frowned.
Emotion climbed into my throat, but I swallowed it down. “She lied to you. Cheated on you and let her brother manipulate you, and you still helped her.”
Most people would be bitter and resentful, but this felt so very him.
“She also helped us too. She came forward when she didn’t have to. It was the least I could do.”
He still looked uncomfortable, as if he expected me to be upset. “You are a good person,” I said quietly. “You have had so many people screw you over. Given second chances when most people wouldn’t. I don’t know if you realize how rare that is. You are honestly one of the best people I know. And I’m really glad you’re mine.”
A smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. “Do you want to know what I think?”
I laughed softly. “I’m not so sure.”
“I think I’m the one who got lucky. You could have left when things got ugly. Not only did you stay, but you went to battle for me.”
I didn’t understand why he had such a hard time believing that someone would choose him when things got hard. Maybe because so many people had failed him, pressured him, and used him, that he forgot what it was like to have someone love him without strings or conditions.
The thought of my confident football player doubting his worth undid me.
My hand slid up his chest, settling over his heart. “Nate, you make it easy to stay, and if you ask me, I’m the lucky one.”
The room around us faded into a blur. The television played in the background. Jax was in the kitchen trying his best to charm Ember. Ryder was arguing with another player about stats and rankings. A few guys were sitting at a table bickering over their poker game. Yet somehow it felt like we were sitting in our own little world.
Nate brushed his lips against my ear. “You know what I want right now,” he said quietly. “I want to shut the world off and have you all to myself for a little while.” He stood up and reached for my hand. “Come on, Press Girl, let’s go home.”
For so long, everything between us felt impossible. Wrong circumstances. Bad timing. Too much risk. But as he led me out of Jax’s house, none of that mattered. We made it through the hard part, and everything felt exactly the way it was supposed to.
Somehow, through all the noise, we found our way to something steady and real. And I had a feeling the best was yet to come.
EPILOGUE
NATE
Super Bowl logos were everywhere.Fans waved signs and towels. It was the kind of atmosphere I loved and dreaded. The pressure to win sat on my chest. It was both welcoming and terrifying. When this game ended, I was going to be either the hero of Harbor Bay or the guy everyone hated tomorrow.
Despite all that, this was exactly where I wanted to be. After last year, I wasn’t sure I’d be back. Now, I was in survival and instinct mode.
Sweat clung to the back of my neck beneath my pads, while the stadium noise was so damn loud, I could barely hear myself think. Bright lights and cameras were everywhere. Eighty thousand fans screamed as if the next play would secure the game.
