The fourth quarter opens to roaring cheers from every corner of the stadium. My siblings start chanting, “Carter Elliott! We’re your biggest fans!”
I’m dying of laughter. No one around us knows what the hell they’re talking about, but Carter hears it. He turns toward us, grinning, forms a heart with his hands, then waves.
Rachel and Bex, in perfect harmony, sing, “I’m obsessed with him.”
The last quarter continues the defensive battle. Neither team can break through the defenses. With one minute left, the Hawks with the ball call a timeout, just enough to give the players a breather.
Carter returns to the field for what should be the final drive of the game. Miller takes the snap and hands it off. Carter dodges one defender, stiff-arms another, and he’s off. Fifteen yards.Twenty. Twenty-five. Thirty-five.
He finally gets shoved out at the ten-yard line.
My siblings are on their feet, screaming. I’m right there with them, cheering, losing my voice, screaming like a maniac.
All I can think is, that’s my man. He’s mine. Seconds later, Miller scrambles up the middle for the game-winning touchdown. The Hawks win.
The stadium erupts in anger; boos, groans, slamming cups, litter everywhere, but I can’t help smiling like an idiot. I throw on my best fake-frown just to avoid getting jumped by angry Philly fans, but inside, I’m freaking out.
As Carter runs toward the bench, he glances up, finds me in the crowd, and sticks his tongue out playfully.
God, I’m going to rip his clothes off later.
As the Hawks entire team is still jumping up and down, my family quickly decides we need to rush out of the stadium to beat the traffic. There are still loads of fans around us, but I think we can slip out before the real crowd hits. After a few minutes of exiting the stadium and walking toward the train station, we collectively decide we’re too lazy and order an Uber to Evan’s apartment.
Splitting it five ways is cheaper, maybe five bucks each. The game started at 1 p.m., and it’s only around 4:30 now. By the time we get to Evan’s apartment, it’ll be five, which means we can order dinner immediately. Dinner won’t feel early anyway since it’s going to take at least an hour for delivery.
***
Carter’s meeting us at Evan’s, but first, he needs to change and grab his own Uber. Right on schedule, we pull up to Evan’s Fishtown, two-bedroom walk-up apartment at 5 p.m. exactly.
We pile out of the car, still bickering about what to order for dinner. I’m craving Italian, specifically a chicken parm hero. I know Carter will want that chicken parm as well . We have a system: I get one thing, and he gets another, and we split them. It's the best of both worlds. I despise ketchup and mayo, though,so anytime these condiments are added by mistake, Carter eats everything. Lucky him.
Rachel and Bex want Mexican. Evan and Ian want Chinese. It’s a full-blown standoff.
But I win, as I pull the “I want to impress Carter” card, which ends the debate instantly.
Rachel raises an eyebrow. “I think Carter needs to impress us, not the other way around.”
Evan and Ian nod in agreement, clearly messing with me.
I throw my hands up. “I completely agree. You’re all princesses, and the world revolves around you all.”
Ian bursts out laughing. “Bitch, you’re right.”
“When does Carter even get here?” Evan asks.
“He should be here within twenty minutes,” I say. “He told me to order now, so the food shows up around the same time he does.”
As soon as I say that, Ian whips out his phone and calls the local Italian spot. We all order sandwiches and heroes. I’m the only one who gets the chicken parm hero, though. Carter ends up getting the turkey club, but I secretly put in a request to remove the mayo. How devious of me.
We sit around Evan’s tiny kitchen table, catching up on each other’s lives, especially mine in Newark. Then my phone buzzes with a message from Carter:Here.
I light up, nerves and excitement hitting me everywhere. What if my family doesn’t like him? But I immediately shake that thought off. My family’s a bunch of lovable idiots. They’ll like anyone who’s even remotely nice to me. Honestly, they probably already love him.
I stroll to the door as my siblings turn to watch with anticipation. I open it, and there’s Carter. God, he looks so hot. He’s wearing a tight black V-neck that shows off his muscles. I swear I can see his abs sculpted through the fabric.
Rachel mouths,I want him.
I mouth back,Perv.
