And when he crossed into the end zone, still on his feet, it felt as though the entire place was going to shake apart. The noise was deafening, but even so, I could still hear Leo’s trademark roar as he raised the ball high over his head.
“Holy shit, that was beautiful!” Jake turned toward me, scooping me into a quick, tight hug of celebration. I knew it didn’t mean anything; like everyone else around us, he was caught up in the moment, and I just happened to be the closest person to him. But still.
It was the second time in less than twenty-four hours that I’d been held close to a boy, and I couldn’t help but compare the two. The ‘boy’ part was where the similarity ended. Jake wasn’t as tall as Leo, and where Leo was muscled and hard, Jake was thin and almost bony. His chest was firm, but it wasn’t as broad as Leo’s.
I felt guilty comparing them. First of all, Jake was my friend. Just a friend. And Leo ... well, he was my friend, too, but I wanted him to be so much more. Of course, it wasn’t like Jake meant anything by this quick hug.
Or did he? He drew back from me slowly, and the smile on his face, along with the subtle question in his eyes, made my heart sink. I liked Jake, but he wasn’t Leo, and I had no experience in letting down a guy easy.
I stepped back, intentionally focusing my attention down to the field where the team was lining up to attempt the extra point. “That was beautiful, wasn’t it? The catch, I mean. And the run.”
“Yeah. Beautiful.” Jake’s voice sounded odd, but I refused to look back at him. I kept my eyes on Leo. He was standing on the sideline again, and he’d taken off his helmet. I could see the rapid rise and fall of his chest from here; he was still breathing hard from that run. His teammates—at least those who weren’t on the field for the field goal—were clustered around him, smacking his butt, slapping him on his back, offering congratulations. Leo turned, his gaze sweeping over the stands, and I wondered who he was hoping to find. Probably his parents and his brothers, I assumed, but God, how I wished it was me he was seeking. I imagined him finding me in the stands and a broad grin spreading over his face when he caught my eye. He wouldn’t have to do anything else, but I’d know what he was thinking. I’d know that he was thinking only of me ...
“Q! Earth to Quinn.” Jake kept his tone light and teasing, but a small frown hovered between his eyes. “You okay?”
“Oh.” I gave a little laugh. “Yeah. I just, you know, get into the zone. Watching the game.” We both watched the ball fly neatly between the goal posts, giving us a lead of ten to zip. “Sorry about that. What were you saying?”
Jake shook his head. “Nothing important. Nothing that can’t keep for later.”
The game ended with a win for the Eagles and a final score of ten to six. As the stands began to empty, I folded up my chair and propped it against the wall of the press box.
“Thanks for letting me watch up here. I really appreciate it.” I paused. “I’m meeting Gia and her friends over at the diner. Do you ... would you want to come with us, or do you have other plans?”
Jake’s face brightened. “I was going to head over there, too. I’d love to hang with you guys. Or maybe I should say you girls.” He winked. “Want a ride?”
I shook my head. “Thanks, but I have my car. Meet you there.”
“Okay, sure. See you there.”
I stepped out of the box and joined the throngs of people trying to make their way down the bleachers and out of the stadium. Down on the field, most of the team was still milling around, talking to the Franklin Township players or congratulating each other. As usual, the cheerleaders were there, too. A bunch of them surrounded Leo, their hands all over his body. Watching it made my blood boil, even as I tried to rationalize it. He was a football player. He couldn’t help what those girls did. He was just being polite. Nice.
But still, I was glad when the people in front of me moved, clearing the way for me to head to my car.
The Starlight Diner was in the middle of town, but it had the advantage of having a large parking lot. Even so, I nabbed one of the very last spots, since the restaurant was the most popular post-game meeting place. That was abundantly clear when I opened the door and nearly stumbled back at the crescendo of voices that greeted me.
“Hey, Quinn! Over here.” Gia waved her arms, and I smiled, winding around the people standing in the aisles to get to the booth where the three girls sat.
“Thanks for saving me a seat.” I slid in to sit next to Gia. “I hope it’s okay, but I invited Jake. If we don’t have room, I’ll just go sit with him ...” I glanced around. “Well, somewhere.”
“Nah, that’s cool. We love Jake.” Gia pushed a glass of water toward me. “We didn’t order yet, but the waiter brought us these.”
“Thank you.” I took a grateful gulp. “Wow, it’s crowded in here, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.” Heather, the girl sitting across from me, didn’t bother to try to hide her bitterness. “They rope off a whole section for the football team, so the rest of us little people have to fight for every seat.” She glanced over my shoulder. “Speaking of the devils ... here they are. All hail the conquering heroes.”
Suddenly, the diner felt much smaller than it had before, and my heart began to pound. The football team in all its post-victory glory came bursting through the glass doors, raising a cheer and shouts from everyone already sitting down. The defensive line appeared first, and then I saw Matt and Leo, laughing as they came into the restaurant.
“There’s our Lion! Hear him ROAR!” The cheerleaders already inside began to chant, and Leo shook his head. I couldn’t tell if he was embarrassed or pleased. All I could think about was what would happen when he caught sight of me. Would he stop and say something? Or would he invite me over to sit with the team, the way the players sometimes did? My stomach turned over in anticipation.
Someone yelled out Matt’s name, and he stopped, bending over a chair to talk to the guy who was punching him in the arm. Leo turned his head, checking out the rest of the diner.
I knew the minute he spotted me. He froze, and then with deliberate carelessness, gave me a quick wave before he looked away. A group of cheerleaders thronged him, and he relaxed, chatting with them and pretending that they were overwhelming him.
I dropped my gaze to the table and swallowed hard over the lump that had risen in my throat. I hadn’t had expectations—not really—but down deep inside, I’d held out a small spark of hope that had just now died a painful death.
“Fucking football players.” Gia’s voice dripped with contempt. “Look at that. Quinn, you can’t tell me it doesn’t piss you off. Your friend’s hurt, and there’s the assholes who caused it, living it up and making out with the fucking rah-rah bitches.”
I glanced up automatically, but instead of seeing Brent and the cheerleader who apparently was checking on the status of his tonsils—with her tongue—I saw Leo. He’d found a seat, but he wasn’t alone. One cheerleader had pushed through the rest of the crowd and was leaning over him. As I watched in misery, Leo raked his fingers through the girl’s shiny black hair and tugged her close for a kiss.
