If my sister were able to climb into my head, she’d climb right back out at this moment and smack me so hard my ears would ring. She’d remind me how much she loved her life, how she was grateful for every day she’d been given past what the doctors had all predicted. She had a great group of friends in the gaming community, attended a virtual book club once a month, and spent most of her days with her two favorite people in the world — Mom and Dad.
If I were a walking rain cloud, then Ginny was the sun. She was always beaming, even when I wasn’t there to soak up her light.
But it still killed me inside, thinking about how cruel life can be to those we love the most. I would give it all up — my career, my friends, my life — for her to experience just one day of perfecthealth. I wished I could grant her the opportunity to know what it’s like to travel, to go to college, to pursue a career.
To fall in love.
Before the guilt could sink its claws too deep into my skin, my attention was called down the field to where a cheer broke out from our dancers. The team playing against mine had just made a huge play down the field. I was on offense, another player working with the defensive team, so I sat back and let him do his thing.
And because I didn’t have a whole lot to do at the moment… of course, I looked for Emily.
I found her in an instant. I could lie to myself and pretend I hadn’t clocked her the second I stepped foot on the field today, but it would be futile. I was drawn to her like a puppy dog to a tennis ball. No matter how I tried to focus elsewhere, my eyes always seemed to bound back to her.
Presently, she was rubbing the sparkly pompoms in her hands together, her smile wide and bright as she cheered on the girls. When the excitement of the play settled down, she chatted with the male dancer next to her, the two of them giggling before they fell in line with the other dancers doing a synchronized cheer.
It was in the middle of that cheer that her eyes snapped to mine.
I looked away instantly, my neck fucking blazing, but I couldn’t help it.
I looked right back at her.
And she smirked, her eyes keeping mine locked as she twirled and danced.
Fuck, it was unnerving, the way she held my gaze like she owned me. She wasn’t the least bit shy, nor was she hiding the fact that she found me attractive. Then again, I supposed I was doing a pretty shit job of hiding my mutual feelings.
She was stunning, impossible not to watch.
And she watched me right back, like she’d eat me alive if I only gave her the chance.
When the dance ended, Emily waved her pompoms in the air before the dancers spread out — some of them taking a break while others ran off to join the various drills happening around the field.
Emily, however, swayed her hips in a direct line to me.
I cleared my throat, clapping as I brought my focus back to the field. My eyes flicked to where Emily was walking straight toward me, then back to the field, then back to her.
She smiled wider.
Fuck.
By the time she reached me, I had my arms folded over my chest and was yelling out some encouragement to my team’s defense, pretending like I hadn’t noticed her sidling up right next to me.
Of course, she wasn’t going to let me pretend for long.
“Hey, Boss,” she sang, clasping her hands behind her back as she stared out at the field with me. “How was my performance?”
“Stop calling me that. And how would I know? I’m here for football.”
“And yet you were watching me.”
She purred the words, tilting her head to look up at me.
I kept my gaze on the field.
“Oh, let me guess,” she said, turning to face me fully now. “It’s fine for you to check me out from afar, but when I call you on it, I’m… what was it?” She tapped her chin. “Trouble with a capital T?”
I scowled. “I wasn’t checking you out.”
“Sure. And I wasn’t drooling over your arms in this shirt.” She plucked at the hem of one of my sleeves, and just thatfraction of a second where her skin slid against mine made my cock twitch in my shorts.
