AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You love me.”
“Hate you,” I hissed, then blew her a kiss before rushing to the bathroom.
Chapter 15
Violet
I got back from the bathroom just as Tennessee was taking the field. Standing by the window, I put my hand against the glass and waited for him to look up at me. The moment his fist touched his chest, I whispered, “I love you” and gave him a smile, letting him know I was there for him and only him.
On the screen, the cameras had caught the interaction, as they normally did. We were the couple that represented the good part of being married to a football player. The romance story that had the entire country rooting for us, our love, and our family. When Layla’s illness had hit the news, and it was predicted that Luca would have to miss a few games, his team had rallied, promising to win the games in his name. Which they’d done.
Luca’s merchandise was the number one seller for the team, and for a few weeks, it had been the number one in the entire AFC. The league had promised to donate a portion of the profits to a pituitary tumor foundation to help uninsured families get the medical help they needed, such as surgery, medication, radiation treatments, and lifelong hormone replacement therapy.
After the national anthem—which was performed by Jagger—and then the coin toss, Tennessee’s offense took the field first. Which was fine, because that meant our defense would be on the field after halftime. As I watched, my hands began to sweat. It was predicted to be a heart-racing game, with the odds tight on who would win—but of course Wisconsin was favored to be the victor due to their home-field advantage.
Luca and the rest of the defense blocked pass after pass, but a kick got Wisconsin on the board before we got the ball. Our offense wasn’t nearly as good as the other team’s, and the harsh temperatures made our quarterback sluggish at first, leaving the score 3-0 by the time halftime rolled around.
“Sit down and relax, Vi honey,” Layla urged when Luca followed his team off the field so the concert could be set up. “You’ve been standing too much.”
Waddling, I crossed to my seat from earlier and eased down into the chair. More food was shoved into my hands, along with another glass of room-temperature water because I couldn’t stand the taste of ice water with this pregnancy. Out on the field, the stage was quickly assembled, and I settled in to watch as Demon’s Wings and OtherWorld played for the tens of thousands of fans in the stands and millions at home.
The two bands had been asked to perform the minute Tennessee won the AFC championship again. The year before, Jagger, Cannon, and Piper had all played the halftime show. Uncle Nik, Uncle Drake, and Uncle Liam had all surprised everyone by joining their kids onstage. Whoever handled entertainment for the halftime show had been so thrilled with how good the ratings were for the show, they’d begged Aunt Emmie to get the legendary rock bands to play at this one, made even better since the Demon’s Wings’ drummer was Luca’s dad.
“Poppy and G-pa are awesome!” Love Bug laughed as she and Grier danced around.
“My G-pa is better than both of yours,” Grier argued.
“No way. Your G-pa only sings. Mine play drums and the bass. I win. Again. Too bad. So sad.”
“Girls.” Mom got between them before they could come to blows. They might have been best friends, but their competitiveness had caused more than one physical fight. “Stop arguing and enjoy the concert.”
“But, GiGi!”
“Are you sassing me, Remi Sawyer Thornton?”
Love Bug instantly pouted her bottom lip out. “No, ma’am.”
“That’s what I thought. Now, watch your grandfathers and play nice, or it’s going to be time-out for both you and Grier.”
“Yes, GiGi,” she mumbled.
“Love Bug, come watch the concert with me,” Banks called from where he was sitting near the window with Evan.
Sticking out her tongue at Grier, Love Bug skipped over to Banks, and he lifted her onto his lap. Content, she turned to watch her grandfathers, while Grier joined Ian and Isaac with a huff.
I watched the show for a few minutes and then took another bathroom break so I could be prepared for the second half of the game. By the time I returned, the show was over and the field was being cleared.
Heart in my throat, I watched the second half start out strong, with our defense keeping the other team from scoring over and over again. Even the next field goal attempt failed, making the poor kicker the most hated person in all of Wisconsin.
With three minutes left in the game, our offense finally scored a touchdown, the first of the entire game for either team. Angrily, Wisconsin’s offense took the field, determination on their faces. I could feel Luca’s tension from where I sat. The quarterback got the ball and decided to run it for the first play.
Which was the biggest mistake of his career.
Luca shifted gears right before my eyes, his sights set on stopping anyone from getting the ball past him.
“Get him, Daddy. Get him. Get him!” Love Bug cheered as she jumped off Banks’s lap and started hopping up and down in excitement. “Get him!”
The tackle was so hard, everyone in the stands made a collective “ohhhhhh” sound that we heard on the televisions.
