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Shelly rolled her eyes. “This is Max. He’s obsessed with our team, clearly.”
“I’m serious. It’s been an urban legend for years that Evers has an arm like a rocket and that the coach begs him every year to play quarterback.” Max pointed to the field. “Evers is warming up his arm.”
I found Caleb on the sidelines, throwing a football back and forth with Jack. I didn’t know anything about any urban legend arm. “There’s already a quarterback, though.”
“Yeah, one who’s thrown two interceptions.” Max shouted and pumped his arms in the air. “Fumble! It’s our ball!”
The crowd went crazy as the guys on the field traded places with the guys on the sidelines. I saw Jack run out and then I watched with a twisted feeling in my stomach as Taylor jogged onto the field, just to be called back by the coach. Caleb said something as he moved past him onto the field that set Taylor off. He yanked off his helmet and screamed in the coach’s face before throwing the helmet into a table of drinks. He flipped the table and shoved past everyone as he charged down the field towards the tunnel.
“Oof. That was ugly.” Shelly saw the same thing I did and shifted nervously in her seat. “Why does it look like he’s coming right at us?”
I pushed Jesse behind me. “Earmuffs, baby.”
“You don’t even know what he just did to you!” Taylor climbed up the same way Caleb had but his face was so twisted in anger that it felt more like I was staring at an animal trying to escape its cage. Spit flew from his mouth as he jabbed his finger at me. “You fucking did this, didn’t you? What? You fuck him and he fucks me? That’s fine, Olive. Remember that it didn’t have to be this way when you’re crying later.”
I looked down at him and shook my head. “You’re making a fool of yourself.”
He reached for me but seemed to remember where he was at the last second. He dropped to the ground and glared at me. “You’re a fucking whore, Olive.”
I kept my head high and stared at the field as he disappeared into the tunnel. Everyone around had heard every word he said and I felt like crying, but I wouldn’t give him that satisfaction.
“Touchdown! Touchdown, Oklahoma!” The announcer’s shouting broke through the tension and everyone seemed to forget about Taylor.
I turned around and saw Jesse was sitting in my seat, eyes on his feet. He didn’t have his earmuffs on and I knew he’d listened to Taylor screaming at me. I picked him up and held him tight with my heart pounding away.
“Girl! Is there a ball player you don’t know?” Shelly tapped my arm and pointed at where Jack was running our way.
He climbed up the railing with a football in his hand and held it out to Jesse. “We got a touchdown, little dude!”
Jesse launched himself at Jack and thankfully Jack caught him. Jesse wrapped himself around Jack and still managed to clutch the football.
Jack looked at me and gave me a pointed look. “You okay?”
I nodded and gently pulled Jesse off of him. “We’re good. Especially with this football now. If you’re good, maybe you and the guys can toss the ball around tonight.”
Finally, that broke through Jesse’s sadness. “Promise?”
Jack nodded. “Promise.”
I leaned closer to him. “Hey, Jack?”
He smiled up at me and my insides melted. “Yes, Liv?”
“Go win this game.”
“And if I do? What do I get?” He glanced at the field and then back at me. “Well?”
“Whatever you want. Just go win!” I laughed and pushed him away. “It’s probably already your turn to go!”
He tilted his head as he slowly climbed down. “My turn to go?”
“Just go!” Shaking my head at him, I watched as he ran back to the sidelines and fist bumped Caleb. They both looked back at me and I could practically hear Jack telling him that I’d said he can have whatever he wants if he wins. As amazing as they truly were, sometimes they were immature boys who giddily bragged to each other about who got what during sex.
“Mommy, can we play ball inside tonight?”
I scrunched up my face. “Why would you want to play inside? You won’t have very much room.”
“If we’re inside, Daddy won’t find us.” He held the ball to his chest with both arms and moved on like he hadn’t just gutted me. “When I’m big, I’m going to play football, too.”
