“You know Cameron leaving had nothing to do with you, don’t you?”
He shrugged again, just as the team jogged out onto the field. The noise was deafening and Xander seemed to shrink into his chair. He leaned into me as if he needed the protection, but he didn’t get too close.
My heart swelled with pride at seeing Cameron in his maize and blue jersey.
When they had found out his mom was sick, he’d been prepared to give up his dream of football. But, in the end, he hadn’t had to. His parents were so proud of him and everything he’d achieved so far at Michigan. But senior year was his year.
At least, I hoped it was.
“They’re looking good,” Clarke yelled over the chorus of cheers and chatter. “Strong.”
“It’s their year.” I grinned at him.
“I really hope so.”
Xander peeked up at me and I frowned. “What?”
“Are you and my brother going to get married one day?”
“I...” I stuttered over the words. “Maybe. I mean, I hope so.”
Karen and Clarke smothered their laughter.
“Why?”
Please don’t say you don’t want us to. My heart galloped in my chest as he stared up at me before beckoning me closer. I dipped my head and waited.
“Maybe if you do, and you come back to Rixon, I can come live with you.”
Oh God.
My heart.
It broke for the boy looking at me with nothing but hope and sadness in his eyes.
It broke for his parents, trying so hard to be unaffected by their son’s growing detachment.
But most of all it broke because I couldn’t give him the answer he thought he wanted to hear.
“Hailee?” he said.
“Uh, it’s not something I can really answer, buddy.”
Disappointment flashed in his eyes.
“We still have to get through college and then figure out what we want to do.”
“You’ll be coming home though, right?”
Crap.
This was not going well.
I was digging a deeper and deeper hole. I glanced over at Karen, but she and Clarke were deep in conversation.
“Wherever we decide to settle down, you will always be welcome, Xander.” I chose my words carefully. “If we get a place big enough, you can even have your own room. We can decorate and—”
The announcer’s voice came over the speaker and relief flooded me.
I gave Xander a reassuring smile, but he barely returned it, and I hoped the game would be enough to take his mind off things.
Cameron
“Okay, listen up and listen good, ladies,” Coach said, his eyes glancing to the scoreboard. We were tied with a little over a minute on the clock. “We’ve got a shot at one final play, and we need to make it a good one. Because anything less is not an option, you hear me?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Now get out there and show them why that championship is coming home this season.”
“Dom, take it away, son.”
“Hands in,” he yelled, and we all piled our hands in the center.
It had been a brutal game, our teams matched in speed, strength, and grit. But with Hailee and my family in the audience, I’d found my flow, scoring touchdowns on five out of seven passes. The only problem was Ohio had also scored.
“Wolverines on three.”
“One... two... three... Wolverines.” We broke from the huddle and Dom jogged beside me. “You ready?”
I gave him a stiff nod.
He curled his hand around my neck and pulled me into him, our helmets crashing together. “We’ve earned this, Chase. It’s senior year and that championship is ours, you hear me?”
Adrenaline pulsed through me, the roar of the crowd like liquid ecstasy coursing through my veins.
When I was out here, on the field with my team, playing to the cheers of over one-hundred thousand fans, it was easy to forget about all the other shit. Xander. Hailee. My future. Decisions I wasn’t sure I was ready to make.
Out here, it all went away until there was nothing but me, the ball, and a line of defensive players all looking to stop me from reaching my destination.
I knew it wouldn’t last though. When the final whistle sounded, and the noise stopped, it would all come rushing back.
But for now, I was invincible.
“Let’s give them a show,” I called to Dom and he grinned.
“What are you thinking?”
“Remember when we were goofing around with Dylan the other day?
“Yeah?”
I nodded.
“It’s a big risk.”
“We can pull it off.”
“Let’s do it then.” He jogged off toward Dylan to give him the instructions as the rest of us moved into position.
The crowd quieted as we waited for the clock to resume. If we wanted to score, we needed to move fast and execute the play to the letter.
“Blue twenty-two,” Dom yelled. “Blue twenty-two.” A couple of players dropped back, and the offensive line began shuffling, trying to read the play.
I stayed light on my feet waiting for the snap to Dom. He caught it and hiked the ball to Dylan who began charging for the line of scrimmage, only to slow at the line and pass back to Dominic. The offense scrambled and I flew. Pumping my legs hard, I moved into the open space, extending my hand to give him the signal. The ball cut through the air and I leaped, curling my hand around the leather. The confused Ohio players immediately switched direction to close in around me. But I was too fast, cool air whipping through my helmet as I push harder... faster... nothing but the end zone and victory in sight.
Fingers grazed my shoulder as a defense player reached me, but I shirked him off, dodging right and straight into the end zone.
“Touchdooooown,” the announcer’s voice rang out through the stadium, the collective hoots and hollers of the tens of thousands of fans deafening.
My team jogged over, all wanting to celebrate our first win of the season against one of our biggest rivals.
“That’s how you get shit done,” Dom said, smashing his helmet to mine. “Fuck, I could kiss you.”
“Please don’t,” I chuckled, trying desperately to hold onto the high. But no sooner had it arrived than it started to dissipate.
Xander was out there somewhere with my parents. They would look to me for answers, answers I didn’t have.
“Get over here,” Coach yelled, and we all jogged toward him. “What the hell was that, Sanchez?”
“That was getting the job done, sir.”
“That flea flicker your idea, son?”
“The credit is all Chase’s, sir.”
Coach set his eyes in my direction. “Risky move.”
“Knew we could do it, sir,” I said, feeling the weight of the shoulder pads start to crush my lungs.
I needed to get off this field, and fast.
“Lucky for you, it worked.”
I went to move around him, but Coach caught my arm, and I glanced back. “You played well out there tonight, son. Keep it up and you’ll have nothing to worry about when the scouts come around.”
His words only made my chest tighter. “Thanks, Coach,” I mumbled, before tearing off my helmet and jogging toward the tunnel. I needed a shower and then I needed to find the one person who could make it all go away.