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I winced, but patted his sweaty back, not caring as I bathed in the excitement with him.
“You did great,” I said.
“Fucking dominated,” Toby said. “Now let Candy Pop go so she can breathe and you can go change. You stink.”
“Oh.” Paxon released me, his face flushed, a nice red dotting his cheeks. I wasn’t sure if it was because he realized how gross he really was after running back and forth on the field or if it was because he had actually been running back and forth on the field.
Either way, he realized he probably needed to clean up a little bit.
“So winning means what?” I asked.
Paxon chuckled but didn’t seem to be bothered by my ignorant question. “Another game this afternoon, and if we win that, then we’ll have the finals tomorrow.”
“Oh, that’s amazing. It’s all right there for you,” I said.
“Damn right.”
“I’m starving,” Bryan admitted.
Toby jumped right on that too.
“Same.” Justin stood up and stretched. It was practically the first response he gave anyone all morning. Everyone was leaving him alone, but I was still worried. I knew it was about his dad. I just wish I knew how I could help him.
“Sounds like it’s time to get food,” George said and then grinned at Paxon. “And you need some recovery food before your next game.”
Paxon groaned.
“What am I missing?” I asked.
“Other than his dad shoving gallons of water down his throat and keeping him from enjoying a big juicy burger?” Toby asked. “Nothing really.”
“It’s fine.” Paxon still didn’t look happy. “After we win this afternoon, I’ll eat all the fat and protein that I want.”
“And for now, it’s water and carbs. We have to keep you full of energy.” Suddenly George and Paxon went into a deeper conversation about food intake and completely lost me. All I understood was that he was definitely going to be eating a banana while everyone else was aiming for big fat burgers and fries.
Chapter Thirteen
Paxon’s next game was just about to begin. The bleachers were already filling with spectators. I was sandwiched between Bryan and Justin once again. Bryan was talking, but I was having trouble paying attention as my eyes stayed glued to Paxon and his dad. They were at the bottom, talking intimately. George had his hand cupped behind Paxon’s head, leaning in slightly as he talked, whatever he said serious enough to keep both their expressions solemn.
The whole thing was private, despite being so public, and very emotional by the way Paxon nodded and swallowed and blinked, never saying anything, and at the same time looking like he was struggling to figure out what to say.
George finally released a smile that twisted my heart. It was bittersweet. Not joyous. Not excited. But still positive, but in a way that hurt.
Paxon nodded hard and then went in for a tight hug that his dad was more than happy to return. After a long, few seconds, his dad patted his back and stepped back.
Both of them were smiling at each other in such a loving way that even I could feel it from where I was sitting. Paxon turned to us and stopped on me. He met my gaze and waved before going to join the rest of his team for their warmups.
George stood there, arms crossed over his chest, watching after his son with a small smile. And all I could see in that moment was how proud he was of his son. How much he loved his son.
It was awe-inspiring.
George stayed by the sidelines, even as the game started. The others stayed around me and we began cheering, Toby and Cal behind me, trying to be the loudest. Toby already had a booming voice and had no trouble calling out for Paxon. Cal tried to keep up, but his lung capacity just wasn’t there yet. But if he kept hanging out with Toby like this, no doubt people would be able to hear him clearly across the field in no time.
The game had only started for like five minutes when Justin jumped to his feet, scowling at his phone.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, ready to get up.
Justin waved me off. “A phone call. I need to take this,” he responded, not looking at me or anyone else. He took off down the bleachers and practically ran out of sight as he lifted the phone to his ear.
