At least she was using the tickets I left for her at will call. Normally, she would be with the rest of the press waiting for me in the tunnel, but all she said was that she wasn’t interviewing me today. I wanted to ask her what her boss said and what that meant for us.
If it went well, she would have told me. The fact that hasn’t happened has only made me feel more apprehensive.
“Yo.” Ryder nudged me on the elbow. “You good? You drifted off there for a minute.”
I tore my helmet off and chuckled. “Yeah, just going over that last play and thinking about how lucky we got.”
He grinned. “I saw you getting tired, so I stepped up. You’re welcome, by the way.”
“I’m just glad you finally learned how to catch a damn ball,” I teased. It was all in good fun, but I couldn’t let that game go to his head.
The guy was a beast on the field. He had over one hundred yards receiving and barely looked winded.
“Please, bitch.” He shoved me back slightly. “You know you love throwing me the rock.”
“Only when I don’t have any other options,” I said, trying to annoy him.
“Just keep feeding me, and I’ll keep making you look good.”
I arched a brow. “You’re awfully cocky today.”
“Damn right I am.” He grinned. “That’s what happens when you’re one of the best tight ends in the league.”
“The best, huh?” I chuckled. “Pretty sure Rhett Daniels would disagree with that.”
He stopped walking. “Stats don’t lie.”
The guy was such a shit-talker, but I couldn’t argue with him. I was just happy his hands were like glue when I needed them to be.
I shook my head. “You are intolerable sometimes.”
His face broke into a grin. “And you love it, old man.”
“I’m two years older than you.” I scoffed.
“Yeah, whatever you say.” He waved me off. “Won’t be too much longer until you’ll be getting your movie tickets at half price.”
Ryder really was a good guy; unfortunately, he knew how good he was on the field.
“You keep talking like that, and you’ll be carrying my gear for the next three games.”
“Let’s not act like I didn’t carry your ass all season.” He threw his head back and laughed as we reached the edge of the field.
I shook my head with a smile. Idiot.
The guys were loud as we made our way toward the tunnel. They were all slapping helmets and recalling plays. Their stories got louder with each step.
I scanned the stands for Becca, spotting her instantly in the VIP section. Her hair was pulled back tonight. There was no notebook in her hand, no badge around her neck. Just… wait one hot fucking minute. I squinted my eyes. Is that Jax’s jersey?
I stopped mid-step. You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.
“Media’s lining up,” Ryder said, pulling off one of his gloves.
Why the fuck was she sitting in my seat, using my tickets, wearing my teammate’s jersey?
I nodded even as my gaze remained fixed on her. She caught my eye and gave me an awkward smile.
Unbelievable. I had so many questions.
