“We’re meant to be out on the field,” he snaps before the line goes dead, cutting me off from my eavesdropping.
I watch the two talking as I slowly slip my phone back into my pocket.
They exchange a few words before Liam starts walking back into the locker room, Mason following closely behind.
I want to yell out to him so badly.
Once they’re both inside again, I make my way to the bleachers.
By the time I make it to the bleachers, they are full.
Thankfully, Ava and Jonah saved me a seat on the end of a row in the middle.
“What took you so long?” Ava asks, leaning over Jonah to look at me.
“Long line,” I lie, looking at the Ridgewood players warming up, no sign of Greendale on the field.
“Why aren’t Greendale out yet?” Jonah asks, looking between us.
“No clue. Maybe they’re too scared to come out,” Ava laughs.
“Probably.” He joins her laughter, looking at the field.
“He’s there,” I say, pointing to Harry’s number sixty-eight.
He really wanted sixty-nine for shits and giggles, but the school wouldn’t let him, so he settled for sixty-eight.
“Finally!” The man sitting in front of me huffs when the Greendale players come out from under the bleachers.
My eyes instantly find number twelve.
He’s standing off to the side talking to fifty-five, Liam.
“That one is Mason the quarterback, and the one next to him is Liam the running back.
They’re the best players on the team and just the worst,” I hear Ava explaining to Jonah.
“So we hate those two the most?” he asks, looking confused.
“Yup.” She nods as the players start their warm-ups.
“I heard that his brother died and he’s mentally fucked now, so they’re probably going to lose,” she adds, making me frown.
“How’d he die?” Jonah asks, and I want to scream at both of them to mind their business.
“I’ve heard three different ways-drowning, drive-by, and car accident, so take your pick.” She laughs, and it takes all my willpower not to stand up and punch her in the face.
“That’s really sad,” Jonah snaps at her.
“Oh, he’ll get over it.” She tries to brush it off.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” he asks in disbelief.
“Do you think this is funny too?” he snaps, looking at me.
“Quite the opposite, actually,” I say, giving Ava an are you serious? look.
“Let’s just watch the game.”
Turns out Jonah knows less about football than I do.
He asks me what the rules are, and throughout the game what’s happening, but all I can really tell him is when someone scores a touchdown or gets some points.
It takes all my power not to get up and start cheering when Mason scores three touchdowns.
I never actually noticed how good of a player he is.
After the last one, Jonah looks at me with a sad face.
“We’re not going to win, are we?” he asks, and I shake my head.
There’s no way Ridgewood could come back.
Greendale has crushed us.
Once the final whistle blows, some of the Ridgewood players throw their helmets on the ground, including Harry, while the Greendale players celebrate.
“I really thought Mason was going to suck.
I mean, I heard he got in mad shape, but with his brother I thought he’d be weak,” Ava babbles as we make our way toward her car.
“Will you shut up?” Jonah exclaims.
Ava’s face looks like she’s just been slapped, and I bite my lip to stop myself from laughing.
“You know we’re Harry’s best friends, right?
We can make him dump you like that,” she spits out, clicking her fingers.
“Try me, bitch,” he states, not caring about her threat.
“Whatever.” She rolls her eyes.
“Lily, you want a ride?” she snaps at me.
“Harry said he’d give me a ride,” I lie.
Without another word, Ava stomps off toward her car.
“I can’t stand her,” Jonah groans as we head toward Harry’s car.
“She has the best intentions,” I say.
“Sometimes,” I add, pursing my lips.
Jonah and I talk some more, leaning against Harry’s car while we wait for him.
My eyes keep glancing at the visitor locker rooms, hoping to catch another glimpse of Mason.
“Babe? What are you doing here?” Harry’s voice asks, making me pull my eyes away from the door to him.
“Ava was being a bitch,” I explain, making him roll his eyes.
“Typical.” He snorts, unlocking his car and throwing his duffle bag into the back seat.
“Cooper was on fire tonight,” he comments, nodding his head over to where I’ve been staring.
Where Mason and Liam are both walking out of the door.
“He wasn’t even making his normal shitty jokes,” Harry says as I unconsciously take a step closer to Mason.
“Which number was he?” I hear Jonah ask, but I don’t hear Harry’s reply because Mason has turned his head and is looking directly at me.
He stops walking, and it takes all my strength not to run over to him and throw myself into his arms.
“I feel bad for him.” Harry sighs as I watch Mason climb into his car while Liam gets into the passenger seat.
“Want to go to the party?” Harry asks as we all climb into his car.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.