41. GraceTanner

FORTY-ONE

GRACE

"Holy shit!" I say as my phone continues blowing up with notifications from every social media app I have. It's been going off nonstop all week. Ever since people saw Bella's jersey dress, I've been getting requests left and right for custom game day designs. I'm still not to a point where I feel comfortable taking on a lot of them at a time, but I can start small and make them for the girls until I feel like I'm able to branch out.

Now that I've had a chance to really think about what went wrong with my education and career, I realize that the answer is absolutely nothing . I've always wanted to create Haute Couture, but I think a part of me never knew what my niche would be. My mind was telling me to go in that direction, but I didn't listen because I didn't think I was good enough. Now that I have a chance to do it all without having to go to college for fashion, I may just ride the wave as long as it lasts. My business degree will come in handy if I decide to actually make a career out of this, so it's not like I'm unprepared. I have Tanner, my family, and my friends who support me in every way I could ever need, and for the first time in a while, my life feels completely full .

"We told you," Dia says, smoothing a hand over the corset I made out of one of Dalton's jerseys. Her white leather pants are laced up the sides, and there's the number thirty-seven on one of the heart-shaped pockets on the butt. I paired it with some silver rhinestone stilettos and found a vintage Blizzard jacket online to finish the look. I also hid a crown brooch on the strap of her stadium bag, because she's every bit of the queen I promised her husband she'd be tonight.

Unfortunately, Mads is still stuck down on the field, so we're getting ready for kickoff without her. After this week, the guys have three away games in a row, and Tanner asked me if I wanted to tag along with the girls and see more of the country. I'm pretty sure he just didn't want to spend a day without me, which I'm definitely not complaining about. Maybe a day will come where I need a little break from him, but today isn't it.

We all hurry to the big window, watching as our guys signal to us in their own ways. I'll never get over the fact that Tanner did it for all those years and I missed it every time. I can promise that I'll see every single one of them from here on out, until he decides it's time to hang up his cleats. Whether it's in person or on TV, I never want to miss another game. Mark my words, Tanner Lake will go down as one of the all-time greats, and I couldn't be prouder to be by his side.

TANNER

I check the defense one last time before getting in my stance behind my center. We're losing by two field goals, so we need a touchdown to tie. With the extra point, we can win this very hard-fought game. It's been a push and pull between us and our division rivals, the Miami Rage, since kickoff. Emotions and tempers have been high all day, and I know it's gotten into the heads of some of the rookies. But we're not here to patty-cake. I need to get the new guys' confidence up, and there's only one way to do it. I glance up at the clock, seeing that we have time for one, maybe two plays. But we won't need them both.

I already called the play from the huddle, so now that we're on the line, I'm going to use a dummy cadence to confuse the defense. They've been on my guys all night, and there's no way we're beating them unless we outsmart them. I start stringing together some nonsense, sounding as confident as I can, while the guys wait for my signal.

"Red ninety-six! Coconut! Gator seven! Hut, hike!"

Danny Boy makes the snap into my waiting hands as I turn to Dalton for the fake handoff. He pretends like he's grabbing it, closing his arms in an attempt to make the defense think he has the ball, while I spin out to my blindside and watch as Blaze and Finn run deep routes up the field. They're both lightning fast, and somehow manage to get open at the same time. Knowing I need to lead this team the right way, I take a chance and fire it off to the rookie. The tight end who's supposed to be blocking for him is left in the dust, along with the rest of the team, because Finn Bellamy might be the fastest guy in the league right now. I wouldn't say that to Blaze's face, but it's the truth.

Right when he hits the ten-yard line, the ball drops perfectly into his waiting hands. Less than a second later, he's in the end zone, and we have the six. We all rush over to him, celebrating his first NFL touchdown, the energy in the entire stadium fueling us to put on a show for our fans. The guys do the dance they choreographed earlier this week as I pretend to take pictures like a proud dad.

It's not that far off. I love this group of guys and the relationships we have. It's been a wild year, but at the end of the day, all that matters is that we were there to help each other when we needed it. We've all been through love, loss, heartbreak, and so many different emotions. It's nice to know I've had my brothers by my side through it all.

I remove my helmet and watch as Ramirez kicks the extra point. The ball sails straight down the pipe as always, because that's what Ramirez does. Maverick and the defense take the field as the opposing offense goes for a quick Hail Mary, which is denied in the end zone with ease. We win the game with a score of thirteen to fourteen and get to boast the best record in the division, at least for now. It's only been two weeks, so we might not have long, but every win deserves a celebration.

I congratulate my guys, laughing and joking with them, until I hear a familiar voice yelling behind me.

"You stupid motherfucker!" Riggs shouts, jumping from the first row of seats, over the railing and onto the field. My eyes widen, first of all, because I haven't seen him in a while, and secondly, because of the look in his eyes as he approaches me. His face is red and the veins in his neck and forehead are visibly pulsing as he runs up on me with no sign of slowing down.

Dalton notices what's happening and goes to step in front of me as a line of defense, but I put my hand on his chest, giving him a tight nod as if to say let him . I deserve whatever happens, and he deserves to give it to me.

I put my hands behind my back, raising my chin as he takes the final few steps to close the distance. Even though I'm ready for it, I'm knocked back at the first slam of his fist against my face. Pain explodes behind my eye, but I stay upright, not moving as I prepare to eat another. My teammates rush over to help, but Dalton holds them all back, watching as Riggs punches me again, this time taking me to the ground. He follows, delivering more strikes as he finally speaks .

"My fucking sister ?" he grits out, spit flying from his lips as he lands a shot to my side. "She was a shell of a person for months! There were nights when she'd lock the bathroom door and sob until she puked because of you, but she refused to tell any of us why!" He punches me again and this time, I push back because I can feel the skin around my eye beginning to swell shut. He stops, scowling at me and shaking his head in disgust.

"Not only did you leave her to put herself back together, but you left us all ," he says, chest heaving while he clutches the collar of my jersey. "You're chickenshit, Lake. And you'll never be good enough for Grace. We're done."

He shoves his fist into my chest as he stands, walking backward a few steps before bumping into two large security guards that are just now arriving to the scene. They grab him by the arms, hauling him off down the tunnel while fans behind us cheer in the stands. I sit up slowly, wiping the blood from my lip and taking Blaze's outstretched hand that he's offering from above. I wince as he pulls me up, grabbing the towel Dalton is holding out to clean my face with. Everything is numb, and I'm pretty sure he broke my orbital, but the pain of his words hurts way worse than any of the physical damage he did.

When I left Hope Harbor, my only concern was doing the right thing for Grace. I wanted her to be safe and happy, able to live her dreams the way she had always planned. But things changed for us both that summer. What was important to us before we fell for each other shifted, and I don't think I'll ever forgive myself for not acknowledging it back then. I'd give anything to go back and do it differently because after that, things snowballed, and I got to a point where I couldn't return for my own selfish reasons. I knew she'd eventually move on. I was terrified of having to bear witness to her being loved by another man when it should've been me all along.

My biggest regret in life is all the time I wasted being scared, and now that I have her back, I'm never letting her go again. I'll give Riggs some time to cool off, then I'll reach out to apologize for all the hurt I caused. I'll earn his trust back the same way I did hers. By loving her so loudly, he'll see that nobody on this earth will cherish her the way I do. Because I know what it's like to live without Grace Valentine, and there's no way I'm doing that again.

"Tan!" Grace says, running onto the field and throwing her arms around my waist. "Are you okay? What the fuck was that?" She pulls back, taking my face in her hands, her expression twisting like she's the one in pain as she sees her brother's handiwork. But now that she's here, nothing really hurts anymore.

"How'd you get down here?" I ask. They're pretty strict about letting people on the field without credentials, but when she reaches down and lifts the press pass around her neck, I realize Mads must be behind this. They don't even look remotely alike, but I'm assuming Grace was running so fast, security couldn't get a look at the photo anyway.

I chuckle. "You girls are going to be trouble together, aren't you?"

"Probably," she replies. "Think I can get them to jump my brother in the parking lot with me? What the fuck was he even doing here?"

I blow out of breath. "My guess is that he talked to one of your parents and they told him everything." Now that I know our moms knew what happened between us that summer, I'm not surprised that he would have gotten the information from them. I was gone for too long for there not to be questions about why I came back.

"I hate him," she mumbles.

I put my arms around her waist, bringing her into my body and kissing the top of her head. "No, you don't. He missed a playoff game to come beat the shit out of me because I broke your heart. He's a good brother and he loves you. Besides, I had that shit coming."

She purses her lips in thought. "Yeah, you kinda did. Didn't you?"

Such a little brat.

I huff a laugh, poking her in the side and making her giggle. "Come on, Bunny. Let's go home so you can make me feel better."