Chapter Thirty-Four NICO

Chapter Thirty-Four

NICO

November

Saturday. Game day at home. The stadium is packed. Not an empty seat in sight. The sky is a bright blue, the sun blazing over us, soothed by the gentle breeze carrying over from the nearby ocean.

It’s the perfect setting to win a game.

This time of year most of the colleges we play against are dealing with colder weather. Cloudy skies accompanied by wind and rain. Sometimes even snow. But here in Santa Mira?

The weather is great year round. Yeah, we’ll have the occasional rainstorm, and we’ll sometimes get major fog, but for the most part? It’s like we’re living on endless vacation around here. Similar to the weather I grew up with too. And speaking of growing up .?.?.

My mom is here at the game today. She’s a nurse, so sometimes it’s hard for her to get time off to come to my games, but she’s in the stands today, sitting with .?.?.

My girlfriend.

We’ve been playing it cool, Ever and I. We go out a lot. Just the two of us. When we’re feeling ambitious, those dates turn into study sessions, which we both need. School is getting more intense, and we have to stay on top of it. When we’re not cramming for an exam or writing papers, we go to the movies. We mostly stay home, holed up in one of our bedrooms and watching a movie or series on a laptop.

That usually leads to us kissing. Making out in the most intense way possible, though we never take it beyond that. I’m a new man. A changed man. I’m trying to take this slow and savor her. Make her feel cherished and wanted and needed. Show her appreciation and not just use her for hot sex.

That’s the most difficult part. Resisting her. I’m being 100 percent truthful right now: this woman is dying for it.

Dying for me.

But I can say that because I’m dying for her too. Goddamn, has it been difficult, only just kissing her. Maybe feeling her up a little bit while we kiss on her bed. Or my bed. Or at the movie theater. Or in my truck. In the back of the library during one of our late-night study sessions.

The one place where we never get too touchy feely? When she’s leading the football team through yoga sessions. I’m usually in the back row, my gaze never straying from her as she stretches and moves. The guys treat her with respect—thanks to me giving them a little reminder speech that she’s mine and they better back the fuck off—and I’ve turned into quite the dutiful yoga student.

We kiss everywhere we can without causing a scene because lately anywhere I go I seem to cause a scene, thanks to the football team doing so well. In the past, I loved this sort of attention. Fucking reveled in it.

Now all I can think about is When can I get some alone time with my girl?

I rub at my chest, right at my heart. Sounds good calling Ever that, even in my own mind.

“What are you daydreaming about?”

Gav appears at my side, full of his usual swagger. I love my friend and am always loyal to him, but he done messed up big time when it comes to Sienna, who also happens to be sitting with Ever and my mom up in the stands.

I’m still not sure what happened that night during the steak dinner a couple of weeks ago when Gavin went searching for Sienna after she told him off, but it couldn’t have been good. Because those two aren’t talking to each other. Sienna’s not coming around our house if Gav is there. And when she’s hanging out with us and Gav shows up?

Sienna leaves.

Ever claims she doesn’t know much about it, either, but I think she’s just protecting her friend, which I get. I don’t push. Someday she’ll tell me. Or Sienna will.

Or Gavin.

“Just thinking today is a good day to kick some ass.” I grin at him, and he smiles in return.

We’re at the front of the tunnel from where we run out onto the field, the game announcers rattling on from their booth about today’s game and how important it is to the Dolphins. We’re currently undefeated this season, and the odds for today’s game are in our favor.

But you still never know what might happen. We could lose.

Doubt we will, though. Thinking there’s a chance is a mentality I don’t want to touch today. I’m confident we’re going to win.

“I figured you were fantasizing about your new girlfriend.” Gavin laughs when I shoot him a dirty look. “Stop being so sensitive.”

“Stop talking about Ever,” I tell him, but he knows I’m giving him shit. Just like he’s doing to me.

Ever since Everleigh and I became somewhat official, my teammates love nothing more than to give me endless shit about it. All good natured, of course.

I’m whipped, I’m soooo in looooooove, I’m a simp, I’m a pussy, I’m all of the above. I laugh along with them and tell them all to go to hell, but I never, ever deny it.

Because it’s true. Not that I’ve ever actually experienced it before, but I think I’m a little in love with Everleigh.

Okay, fine, I’m not a little in love. I am in love.

With Everleigh.

I just haven’t told her yet.

“Guess what,” Gav says, pulling me out of my Ever-filled thoughts.

“What?”

“Dollar’s starting today.”

“No shit?” I glance over my shoulder at the rest of our team filling the tunnel, ready to run out. “That’s great.”

“I know, right? It was a last-minute decision, and I think it was the right one.” Gav nods.

“I’m happy for him. I told him he’d get to play during the regular season,” I say, scratching the side of my neck. I’m beginning to feel anxious, which means I get a little jumpy. I wish we’d just get this party started and get on the field.

My gaze catches on Dollar, noting the faint smile on his face, which I haven’t seen in a while. The dude has been down in the dumps the last few weeks, which is another reason why Ever and I keep ourselves locked up in one of our bedrooms. We don’t want to rub it in his face that we’re seeing each other, especially since he’s still single. Portia ghosted him after the party at our house, and while he keeps saying he’s glad she’s gone and that he dodged a bullet, I know deep down he’s upset. His pride is hurt.

He deserves a good woman. Someone who’ll appreciate him for who he is because he’s a stand-up guy.

“And now, ladies and gentlemen, let’s give a big, rowdy welcome to our Santa Mira Dolphins football team!” the announcer screams.

Gavin gives his usual signal—a single nod—and we run out onto the field, our roars sounding like a bunch of gladiators filling the coliseum, ready to take on wild animals with our bare hands.

That’s what it always feels like to me.

Everyone in the stands is screaming and yelling and cheering. I hear some shouts of my last name along with Gavin’s. There are lots of faces painted with the school colors and jersey numbers on cheeks. Women and men alike are wearing our jerseys, and alumni too. One of my biggest fans is an eighty-year-old woman who dyes her hair jet black and paints my number on her cheeks every home game. I make sure to take photos with her when I can because that woman is cool as fuck. She calls herself my adopted grandma.

We get into formation and start stretching on the fifty-yard line. Every chance I get, I’m scanning the crowd, looking for that familiar face that makes me smile the most.

Ah, there she is, seated in the friends-and-family section, which is also on the fifty-yard line. My mom is on one side of her and Sienna is on the other, and while the other women are chatting away, my girl is watching me, her eyes glowing with pride when our gazes meet.

Ever.

I give her a quick little salute, and she does the same, her smile big. She’s wearing an oversize Dolphins hoodie that I recently gave her, and her hair is pulled into my favorite style—a high ponytail.

Pretty sure I’m gonna grab hold of it tonight. Might not let it go for a while either.

If somebody had told me a month ago that Ever would be my girlfriend and sitting with my mom while watching me play, I would’ve called bullshit.

“Your mama is sitting with Ever,” Coop says minutes later as we move over to the sidelines in preparation for the game to start.

“I know,” I say with a nod.

“You’re not worried about that?” Coop’s brows shoot up.

“Nah. They seem to get along okay.”

Coop watches me with a narrowed gaze, slowly shaking his head. “You’ve changed.”

“I know.”

“For the better.”

“Hey, thanks.”

“I mean it. She’s good for you.” Coop inclines his head in Ever’s direction. “I never thought I’d see the day Nico Valente becomes domesticated.”

“Here I am, fully domesticated.” I spread my arms, grinning. “Just wait. It’ll happen to you someday.”

“No fucking way. No woman can tame me.”

I start to laugh. “Coop, you’re not even that bad.”

Not like I was. Or Gav, who is still terrible. Flirting with everyone. Hooking up with everyone.

At least I assume he’s doing that.

“I’m unlovable. That’s what Sienna told me.”

“Damn, bro. That’s—harsh.”

“Eh, it’s whatever. She said I don’t talk enough.”

She’s not wrong. He’s pretty quiet.

“And I’m intimidating.”

He’s a big, bulky guy.

“The tattoos don’t help.” He holds out his arms, which are covered with them.

“Women don’t mind tattoos.”

“Yeah, well, Sienna likes to get in my head with her comments, and they work.” He shrugs. “Maybe I’ll be a bachelor forever. I’ll be Uncle Coop to all of the little rug rats you and Ever have.”

I immediately start to sweat, and Coop, that asshat, begins to laugh.

“Ha. Finally said something that freaked you out.” He points at me, chuckling.

“You had me envisioning babies, and we are so not ready for that,” I admit.

“Smart. You’ve got lots of years ahead of you. And if you’re lucky, you’ll go pro.”

I don’t like to think about it too much. I want it too badly, and I don’t want to be devastated if it doesn’t happen. “You might go pro too.”

“Maybe.” He shrugs. That’s Coop. Always playing everything off.

Gav approaches us, slapping us both in the backs. “Ready to get this game started?”

“Hell yeah,” Coop and I both yell.

“Let’s go.”