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“That means an awful lot, Lace Face,” he says softly. “I know I can’t stop every nasty article that might be printed about you or tell you to block every asshole comment on your photos on social media. But I promise to protect you from what I can control. When you’re with me, you’re going to be safe, alright?”
“Alright.” I nod, and I feel his words in the center of my chest.
They inflate like a balloon and fill the space behind my ribs and next to my heart. He’s such a good guy, and I believe him with my whole soul.
We cruise down the highway, and the traffic is light for a late holiday afternoon. Shawn parks the car in his designated spot, and I give him shit for havingHEADCOACHwritten on a sign like he’s all big and fancy.
I guess to these people, he is.
I only see the guy who has a speck of whipped cream on his cheek.
I lick my thumb and lean over the center console. I wipe away the remnants from dessert, and he smiles.
“Flirting with me, Daniels?” he asks with the lift of his eyebrow.
“In your dreams, Holmes,” I say, and I tug on his ear. “It’s time to get out of the car, isn’t it?”
“Mhm. You could stay in here the whole game, if you want. I can have someone wheel out a television for you.”
“You have a lot of power, don’t you?”
Shawn laughs. “Hardly. It took two weeks for me to get a new water bottle because it had to go through the proper channels before being approved. I don’t get special treatment.”
“NFL head coaches: they’re just like us.” I open my door and jump out of the car. I adjust my skirt and do a spin. “Do I look okay? Like I can pull off being the girlfriend of the league’s most eligible bachelor and everyone’s favorite golden boy?”
“I amnotthe league’s golden boy,” he says.
“Yes, my friend, you are. The people love you.”
He climbs out of the car and walks toward me. He looks me up and down, and he smiles big and wide. “You look great. Minus the hole in your shirt, of course. Was that intentional?”
“What?” My hands reach for the hem of my sweater, and I search for the snag. “Where?”
He flicks my nose and laughs again. “Made you look.”
“Asshole. I don’t want to look like an idiot in the photos that are inevitably going to wind up on some gossip site.”
“You could never look like an idiot.” He holds out his hand in invitation. “Ready for the shit storm to begin?”
“Yeah.” I take a deep breath and thread my fingers through his. His palm is warm, and I feel steady when he gives my hand a squeeze. Like I can conquer all of my fears. “Let’s do this.”
THIRTEEN
LACEY
I standin the crowded hallway and wait for Shawn after the game. Some of the players’ families pass me, and they smile and wave as they head out to the garage. I wring my hands together, and hope I don’t look ridiculously out of place.
“Hey.” I glance to my right and see January, Dallas’ sister, standing by the bathroom. She holds her daughter’s hand and walks over to me. “Are you okay?”
We sat together in the box and had a great time. Shawn was right; she is down to earth. She’s hysterical, an aspiring standup comedian who’s a single mother busting her ass to give her kid a wonderful life. She also made my first game without Maggie and Aiden sofun, and all the fears I had about being here alone melted away.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I sigh and rub my forehead. “I’m still learning how everything works. I’m used to sitting in the stands and waiting for Shawn out in the tunnel with my friends. No one used to know my name. I could buy peanuts without someone pointing at me. It’s different now. There are reporters and cameras and people who want to talk to me. And it’s silly. I’m… I’m nobody. Nobody important. Sorry. I’m being so dramatic.”
“You’re not dramatic at all.” January scoops up her daughter, Lilah, and holds her in her arms. “It can be overwhelming. I’m the sibling of a player, not even a significant other, and people are fucking weird around me. They ask me to get jerseys signed without bothering to learn my name. They ask questions about Dallas’ personal life as if I know how many people he’s slept with. One girl showed me the voodoo doll she has of him, and asked if I wanted her to make me one, too. I can’t even imagine what this must be like for you. Having your face put on the internet and posted on social media like you aren’t a real human with real feelings is bizarre. Couldn’t you have picked someone a little less well known?”
“I’ll remember that for next time.” I grin and rub the back of my neck, trying to get rid of the ball of tension that sits there. “It’s a lot. And I realize how much of a privilege it is to say that. I’m sure millions of girls out there wish they were dating someone in the league—especially someone as kind and special as Shawn. It’s just going to take some getting used to.”
“It is,” January agrees, and she squeezes my shoulder. “You aren’t alone.”
