Scooping her up, I kissed the sweet lips I never seemed to get enough of. “You ready to move to New York, baby?”
30
“The stars must be aligned for us.”
With a grin wider than the sky, Chloe waved an eight-by-ten sheet of paper in the air as we all sat on the couch at their apartment. “This is my ticket to New York, too.” She handed me the sheet of paper. “Well, at least for the summer, anyway.”
It was an acceptance letter fromHot Shotmagazine with details on the summer-intern program Chloe got accepted to.
“I guess sinceHot Shot’swinter internship filled up pretty quickly, they pushed some of the applicants to work during their summer internship program instead.”
Sage snatched the paper from my hands. “Lucky girl. They haven’t sent me anything.”
I shrugged. “My name is probably at the top of theirdo not hirelist.”
“You guys?” Chloe stomped her foot like a two-year-old on the verge of a tantrum. “The whole point of the matter is, we’ll all be in New York after graduation.”
Her news was the icing on the cake to the whirlwind of events that had taken place in a matter of days following Draft Day.
The New York Jets picked AJ on day two of the draft, awarding him and Lucas their chance at being the next greatest quarterback and wide receiver duo.
Lucas had been talking nonstop with his agent who was feverishly trying to get him a sweet contract to sign. Everything about him becoming a pro baller was a strong brew of excitement and overwhelming sensations since it all had moved faster than lightning speed.
“You’re right,” I said, leaning over to hug Chloe. “You two have no idea how happy I am we will all be in the Big Apple together.”
And I was happy.
About everything.
Living and working in New York was a journalist’s dream. Almost every magazine I’d applied to was based there. To be able to live there with the guy of my dreams? Surreal.
“Let’s order pizza to celebrate,” Sage said, rubbing her belly that hadn’t yet started showing signs she was pregnant. The only telltale sign was her having to pee every forty-five minutes and her never-ending appetite. “Maybe some chicken wings, too.”
My phone vibratedwith an incoming text from my baby.
Lucas: Hey, come home. We need to talk.
Catching me off guard, panic unfurled in my chest.
Me: Everything okay?
His reply came in immediately.
Lucas: Yep. Just come home, please.
Unease eating away at my belly, I told my besties goodbye, then headed out the door for my fifteen-minute drive home.
Once there, I found Lucas standing in the kitchen, back to the counter, looking trapped in some sort of daze. His eyes were a little red; the sight of him just standing there had curiosity clawing at my insides.
I padded over to him, reached up, and ran my fingers through his hair. “Baby? Everything okay?”
He grabbed my hand, brought it to his lips for a kiss. “My agent got back to me with the terms of the contract.”
Inside my gut, excitement mingled with concern. “Okay? And…”
He pumped his chest as he coughed up the words. “Four years guaranteed. Thirty million. Twenty-million-dollar signing bonus.”
Heartbeat shooting to the sky, I gasped. “Oh, my gosh. Lucas? Are you serious right now? Twenty. Million. Dollars?”
