Chapter Twenty-Six

Blake

" H eard Willa is here," Russell says as we sit in the locker room on Sunday. "They didn't make a big deal out of it, but I have a feeling when they show her on the broadcast and the big screen, your life is going to change in the blink of an eye. Are you ready for it?"

"If I weren't ready for it, I wouldn't have invited her to come to the game. I think you and I both know that."

Inside, my stomach is fluttering with nerves. They're not the same type I usually have before a game—these are the ones you get when you go pick up a date for the first time, when you aren't sure if you two are going to hit it off or not. It's like she and I are dating all the football fans. They're going to have something to say about we, and we're both going to have to ignore it because this is our relationship.

"I do, but I feel like I still need to tell you that, just in case. Has she met the family?"

"Yeah." I grin, thinking about the dinner at my house. "Mom and Dad both love her. They all came over and we had dinner this week. They hit it off, like she'd been a part of the family for years. It was good. I'm excited and beyond happy in how all of this is going."

"And I like her a lot too," Bret interjects. "She's really nice."

"Well, I'm happy for you." He grabs his helmet and hits his knuckles on top of it. "Let's go out there and get this win."

The entire locker room is starting to get hyped and a few of the guys are bumping into me, giving secret smiles because they know who's in the stadium and who we're going to be playing in front of. "Nashville Warriors, what time is it?" I yell loudly.

"It's time to get live. It's time to represent," the team answers, screaming as we head down the tunnel.

My heart is thumping so hard it feels as if it's going to come out of my chest, but I know it's just the adrenaline. Glancing up at the family luxury box, I wish I could see inside, but they haven't opened the blinds all the way yet. I'm almost positive that Willa's already in there.

"What do you think they're going to say?" Moose asks as we loosen up, swinging our arms and stretching out.

"Who?"

"Everyone." He laughs. "They're all going to lose their shit because Willa is here. I mean, I can hear it now, can't you?"

I've tried not to think about it. Every time I do, I get nervous—not because of what people will say, or what they'll do, but because we've been able to keep this relationship private so far. No one knows we've been hanging out—outside of the friends and family we've let into our lives. This is the part I'm worried about. As soon as those cameras pan over to her, we'll have ripped the Band-Aid off. We're inviting people into our lives. Gone is our privacy, and while we both realize that, it's still got the butterflies fluttering. "Yes. I can hear it all, but I know what we're getting into. There's private, and there's public. We've kept a lot of this private, and now it's time to take it public."

"Better you than me." Russell whistles. "No matter what I do, I tend to piss off a good portion of America."

"You're gonna piss them off. You have to decide that doesn't matter. Regardless of what you do, you're going to make someone unhappy. Might as well make yourself as happy as you can. They don't go to bed with you at night, and while their adulation is fun, it's not what's going to keep you warm and safe." I say, and Russell gives an impressed whistle." I'm learning a lot with Willa. Shit I wish I'd had learned years ago."

He's putting on his pads and his gloves. "Maybe you weren't supposed to learn it then. Ya know? My mom says we're given stuff when we can handle it, and maybe you weren't equipped to handle it until now." He pulls his jersey down, tucking it into his pants. "Since you and Christina broke up, you've grown, matured, and become a different person. I'm not saying the two of you held each other back, but I don't think you were suited to be together."

I'm inclined to agree, but saying the words aren't easy. I gave a big portion of my life to her, and the realization that it's years I won't get back is hard to swallow. But I answer. "I think you're right. There are some people who are meant to be friends, and others who are meant to be lovers. I think it was never about Christina and I not loving each other. I still love her, but we're much better off as friends."

Coach calls for us to head into the tunnel leading to the field. Bret gets beside me, elbowing me roughly. "Got a text from CeCe. Willa's up there with everybody, and she met Jovi."

My chest flutters when he mentions my niece. She's the cutest and coolest thing. The fact that they're thinking about having another one is both exciting and surprising to me. They had trouble getting pregnant with Jovi, and she had horrible colic, but now that she's in what should be her terrible twos, things are flowing along and they've hit a routine. I figured they'd keep things status quo for at least a year, but I guess none of us are getting any younger. "I'm sure Jovi is already in love with her." I grin.

"Jovi is in love with anyone who has a good heart, and since Willa has one of those, I'm sure she is."

The closer we get to the field, the louder the fans and the music announcing our entrance become. This is when I know we're about to earn our pay. Bursting out of the tunnel, I'm yelling with the adrenaline, moving my arms up and down to get everyone hyped up.

"You ready to play for your girlfriend?" Moose jokes as he runs up to me. "They're showing her on the big screen."

Taking my helmet off, I glance up at the Jumbotron, and see her smiling face. She's sitting there next to my mom and sister-in-law. They're all laughing and smiling. The crowd goes insane, and I have to grin at what's they've put under her name: pop star and ten-time Grammy winner. Damn, she's beyond talented—and she's all mine.