His facade lasted up until the point we arrived home after the service and my mother said the words she should’ve said years ago, “I want a divorce.” My family was fucked up, and I was so glad to be moving on from this charade.
Nick had no idea what had transpired. None of my friends did, and I wanted to keep it that way. I didn’t need anyone’s sympathy. Richard Shield’s was even better than my father at making stories go away. Which in this case worked in all our favors. We’d already relived it enough.
My sole purpose was to get back into good graces with my girl. Although we were talking every day, I was trying to give her the space she needed and earn her trust. I also didn’t want to push or manipulate the situation. She was dealing with a lot of shit too, and I wanted her heart, not her submission. So, I was trying to be patient and give her time to come to me, which was a foreign concept since patience was never in my vocabulary.
“That’s good, man. It’ll work out.” He slapped me on the back and stood up rolling his neck from side to side. “Now let’s go kick ass.”
“Fuck yeah!” Axel passed by and flexed his arms in a wrestling pose. “You ready, boy?” he yelled in my face. “You ready?” he repeated slapping my shoulder pads. He always had limitless energy before game time and was the unofficial leader of pumping up our offense. This was his ritual.
“Yeah!” I called out jumping up bouncing on my toes ready to follow the team out of the locker room down the tunnel.
Dmitri strolled up adjusting his gloves. “Let’s destroy these motherfuckers,” he said in his droll voice.
Nick, Axel, and I looked at each other about to crack up. “Bro, weren’t you the evil villain in the last Bond movie?” Axel teased.
“Shut up.” Dmitri grinned as he walked away and we tagged along behind him. I couldn’t help but smile too. Despite everything that had transpired, it was good to get back to some normalcy and take the field with my friends again. It would be even better if I knew Theodora was in the stands watching me, but she had to work an evening shift at Duffey’s. How easily it could’ve been to step in and have her schedule changed, but again, I was trying to do things her way. It kind of sucked, but again…
We broke the huddle and lined up in our spots. This was our last shot at the end zone with ten seconds left and we were behind by three. We were too far away to try a field goal. If we lost, our national playoff chances would be over. The margin for error for smaller colleges was basically nonexistent. We were at the fifty-yard line and everyone knew our only chance was to do a Hail Mary.
Troy called the play, and we took off down the field to the end zone. Dmitri sprinted down the sideline while I rushed down the middle of the field. I beat my defender and looked back to see Troy chuck the ball my way. Another defender barreled toward me as I pushed forward with my eye on the ball. I reached out my arms fighting off the guy hanging on me to bring me down and clenched my hands around the football. I stumbled into the end zone as two defenders dragged me to the ground, but the ball was secure in my arms. “Touchdown Falcons! Touchdown Falcons!” the PA echoed across the stadium as a deafening roar rolled over the stadium from the fans.
As players rolled off the pile, Dmitri and Axel both hovered over me each taking an arm and yanking me to my feet. “That’s what I’m talking about. That’s how you do it, son!” Axel crowed and Dmitri patted me on the back of the helmet. “You saved our ass.”
The team rushed the field crowding me since time had expired. I ripped off my helmet shouting out in relief, completely pumped. I pushed through my team fighting through all the congratulatory slaps to my helmet. Some fans had crashed the field cheering like maniacs. It was a crazy scene, but somehow I’d made it to the sideline and chanced a glance up at the student section. My adrenaline kicked up another notch when I saw my girl front and center leaning over the rails with a huge smile on her face.
And I knew as sure as the sun rose in the east that my mantra of patience was evaporating into thin air. Impulsive as hell I was with no apologies. I stalked over to the stands and tugged myself over the railing ignoring the fans who were crowding me in and patting me on the back. I landed right in front of her, and Theodora craned her neck up at me. “What are—?”
I engulfed her in my arms and slammed my mouth on hers consuming her like my life depended on it. Like I’d wanted to do for the past few weeks. Like I would soon be doing again. She was mine and always would be. It obviously didn’t matter where we were. I wanted the whole world to see.
Howls and whistles pierced my ears realizing we were the center of attention. I reluctantly pulled back not before sucking her bottom lip between my teeth releasing it ever-so-slowly. I felt her short breaths she tried to control. She was bothered, and I was enthralled, but I found my voice. “I thought you had to work tonight.”
Her tongue slipped out unconsciously swiping her plump mouth. “I did, but I called in sick.” She glanced down and smoothed her hands over my grass-stained jersey.
“Why, Theodora Daniels did you tell a lie?” I prodded and cupped her rosy cheek. She was flustered, and I couldn’t wait to see her pretty body flushed with heat beneath me as she called out my name. Maybe I was getting ahead of myself. Maybe I wasn’t. Taking it slow was a foreign concept.
“It wasn’t a complete lie. I knew if I’d missed seeing you make that amazing catch it would’ve made me sick with guilt.” My ego inflated at her admitting she wanted to see me play. It took me back to my days in high school when she was my number one cheerleader.
“Is that so?” I asked.
“It is. I’m so proud of you.”
“Roman! Coach wants us back in the locker room,” Axel shouted below. “Save your stalker shit and baby making moves for later, bro.”
Theodora ducked her head in embarrassment as there were a few laughs heard around us, but the crowd had already started drifting away giving us more space. I waved Axel off leaning my brow to hers not wanting to let her go. “Will you wait for me in the parking lot?”
She nodded against me, and I captured her lips in a quick kiss. Relief flowed through me along with all the pent-up passion I’d saved up over the last several weeks. Redemption. She was both my sweet redemption and swan song.
When I pulled back, we stood like someone had pressed pause on a timer in this crazy, fast-paced entity known as life, and she glanced around. “You better go.”
“I don’t want to.”
“But your team. Your coach…”
“Fuck ’em.”
“Roman,” she breathed out and glanced around with her hands on her pink cheeks. She was so damn cute. She was my gorgeous girl who I wanted to hold on to forever. “You’re making a scene.” She peered up at me with worry in her eyes.
“I can’t help it. If you haven’t noticed, I don’t care where we are. Just don’t ever say you don’t want me.”
“Don’t want you?” she croaked. “Is that what you think? I could never not want you. I love you,” she announced taking my face between her palms as though I was thickheaded. I was a stubborn son of a bitch, but my heart soared like the lovesick man I was hearing her truth. “I’ve loved you ever since that day I stepped foot on your parent’s estate.”