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I was cheering so loud that I knew I’d lose my voice before the end of the game.

But Scarlett was quiet. I was distracted by the game. And Scar was distracted by looking all over the bleachers for a guy we didn’t know.

“Focus,” I said.

“I am focused.” She kept searching the stands.

Well apparently we were focused on two very different things. “It could be Axel’s last game.”

“Don’t say that. They’ll be in the championship game next week.” She kept looking.

And now who was the jinx? I shook my head and turned back to the field. Just in time to see Axel staring up at the stands at Scarlett instead of focusing on the defensive linemen charging toward him. He was watching her not watching him.

I slapped Scarlett’s arm.

She turned her head just in time to see Axel get sacked. Hard.

She leapt to her feet as she stared in horror at the field.

I jumped up too. “He’s okay,” I said, even though Axel didn’t move. “He’s okay,” I said again, as if my words would magically make it true.

But Axel still didn’t move.

Scarlett threw her hand over her mouth.

I wrapped my arm behind her back as Uncle Matt ran onto the field. Mr. Nigel had been busy filling up champagne flutes full of water. For who knew what reason, the fancy little bastard. But when he saw the chaos on the field, he screamed, dropped his trays of water, and followed Uncle Matt.

Uncle Matt crouched down next to Axel.

Axel lifted his hand in the air, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

“He’s okay,” I said.

Scarlett shook her head. “He doesn’t look okay.”

“He moved his hand...”

“If he was okay, he’d get up. I need to get down there.”

“I don’t think anyone but the team or coaches are allowed on the field...”

But Scarlett had already pushed past the two people next to us and was running down the bleachers.

“Scarlett!” I hissed.

But she kept running.

Oh, screw it. I took off after her. I wanted to make sure Axel was really okay too. And it would be harder for the refs to stop both of us. I’d serpentine and distract them.

“Axel!” Scarlett screamed.

I could hear the pain in her voice. And even though I couldn’t see her face, I knew she was crying.

Axel pushed himself up to a seated position when he heard Scarlett call his name.

Uncle Matt put his hand out to help him to his feet, but Axel waved it off. He got to his feet himself and pulled off his helmet as he stared at his fiancée.

Scarlett hopped over the little fence separating the stands from the field like a freaking hurdler. She was moving faster than I’d ever seen her move.