I shrugged.
"The only regret I'd have is if I didn't say anything, so there you go."
Chase took my hand and tugged me forward until we were nose-to-nose.
"That's good to know," he murmured.
I huffed a laugh. "Is that all you have to say?"
"Oh no, I have a lot to say." Chase shook his head. "Just not sure I should do it here with all these nosy witnesses."
What was he—?
My eyes widened as I looked around and saw his teammates all staring at us. They quickly averted their eyes, but it was too late. I knew they were listening.
"Maybe I should've waited until after the game," I said. "To tell you all that."
Chase placed a kiss on my forehead then my nose. "No, it was perfect," he said. "Just like you."
"I'm not perfect."
"To me, you are," he said. His eyes were piercing as they stared into mine. "I've been waiting a long time for you, Charlie. I love you with every part of me. Body and soul, I am yours. I always will be."
He pressed his forehead against mine.
"I love you. I love you. I love you," he murmured.
I laughed even as my eyes filled with happy tears.
"Did I mention I love you?"
"Yeah, but it might be nice to hear it again," I said.
"I'll tell you every day," he promised.
And as we kissed, right there in the Wolves dugout, his brothers' and teammates' cat-calls filling my ears, I knew it was true. Chase O'Brien had been looking for his soulmate. I'd only wanted to win a bet. But somehow, fate had brought us together.
I was so in love—and so very grateful.
CHAPTER 24: Chase
5 weeks later
Walking into Shake & Pour again was surreal.
My brothers and sister may have come back, but I'd stayed away, even after my arm was on the mend. For me, it'd been months. This was where it happened. My injury. I looked to my right and saw the place where I'd fallen. There was nothing there to mark the spot. But my life had irrevocably changed after that night. It taught me that things could go south in an instant and to never take one moment for granted.
That was why I was here.
To make sure every second of my life counted.
I took in my surroundings. There were a lot of people at the bar and even more mingling around the tables, booths and dance floor. Loud music. Dim lighting. A lot of tipsy college students. Taken altogether, it should've made it hard to pick out anyone in particular.
But my eyes found her immediately.
Charlie.
She was in the middle of the room, moving to the beat of the music.
A bunch of other people were dancing, too, but it was like Charlie radiated her own light. Her body swayed as if she was one with the music. Her eyes were closed. A small smile lifted her lips. God, I wanted to know what she was thinking about, what had her smiling like that. I wanted to ask whether it was the song or a good memory. Still, I watched, not making a move. Charlie was in her own little world, and I was reluctant to intrude. It made my throat tighten to know she was happy.
"Are you gonna go out there?" Emmy said, suddenly at my side. "Or stand here and watch her all night?"
"Haven't decided yet," I said.
My sister sighed. "Chase, it's a celebration. The Wolves just won another championship. I know I already said it, but congrats again. Charlie's been out there for a while. I'm sure she can't wait to see you."
"She looks happy."
"Well, of course she is," Emmy said. "You guys are together now. It's all hearts and rainbows. P.S. I always knew you and she would make a great match."
I turned to her then. "Weren't you the one who told me not to kiss her?"
"Yeah, but that was all part of my brilliant plan."
"Care to explain?"
Emmy shrugged. "After I saw you guys kiss at Village Pizza, I knew you'd be good together. Charlie's the kind of person who likes a challenge. So, I came up with the bet. I knew you'd never make a move on your own. No offense or anything, Chase. I just wanted to help you two get the ball rolling."
I felt my brows furrow. "But if that's true, why tell me about the bet?"
"For several reasons," she said. "First, you might've been hurt if you found out about it too late in the game. That's how it always happens in books and movies. Second, I figured why not just tell you? Then there'd be no stumbling blocks once you and Charlie actually got together—or so I thought. And third, if you didn't kiss her before the seventh day was up, I'd get a ton of awesome massages. Either way, it's a win."
I shook my head in disbelief.
"Emmy, you're unbelievable," I said. "I don't know whether to be pissed off or impressed by your sneaky ways."
"You should definitely be impressed."
"For future reference, I don't need my sister playing matchmaker."
"You sure about that?" she asked. "Because as far as I can tell you're still over here talking to me while Charlie's throwing off every guy who tries to dance with her."
My gaze shot to the dance floor, and she was right.
Several guys were trying to dance with Charlie, but even as I watched, she deftly stepped away. I turned back to Emmy with a nod.
"I better go rescue her," I said. "Not that she needs it."
"Yeah," she said, "Charlie's a tough cookie."
"I know. It's one of the reasons I'm in love with her."
Emmy groaned. "Ugh, so sappy."
I threw her a smile, and she gave me one back.
"Seriously, though, I'm glad it all worked out," she said. "Once you get past the bravado and sass, Charlie's alright."
"Thanks," I said. "For everything."
"I just want you to be happy," Emmy said.
And I would be, I thought.
I walked with purpose toward the dance floor. Each step brought me closer to Charlie and closer to what I knew would be my happily-ever-after. I couldn't believe I'd gotten so lucky.
When I finally made it to where she was standing, Charlie had her back to me.
The song changed right as I stepped in close.
"Uh, uh, back away," Charlie said, not turning her head. "I'm dancing on my own tonight."
Leaning down and placing my hands against her hips, I spoke directly into her ear.
"Well, that doesn't sound like fun," I said.
She froze at the sound of my voice.
"Chase?" she asked.
"I was hoping you'd make an exception for me."
Charlie said nothing, but as she melted into me, I smiled.
"One dance," she murmured. "Then you have to go. My very sexy, championship-winning boyfriend should be here any minute."
"I'll take whatever you want to give me," I said, playing along. Our bodies moved to the beat of the music. "Also, your boyfriend sounds like an awesome guy."
"He's alright, I guess."
I chuckled. "I missed you."
"Missed you, too," she said.
Dancing with Charlie was something that I'd never get tired of. Feeling her leaning against me in this trusting, totally relaxed way?
Perfection.
"I love you," I said. "You know that, right?"
She turned to me then and threw her arms around my neck with a smile. "And I love you, Chase O'Brien."
I couldn't have spoken then even if I wanted to.
She'd actually said it. Those three tiny words that meant so much along with my name. It wasn't the first time. Charlie had said she loved me before. Still, it struck me fresh every time, my heart thrilling at the words.
I didn't know if I deserved it. Charlie or her love.
What I did know?
I'd been part of a lot of teams over the years; from tee-ball to now, they were countless. But nothing could beat Team ChaCha. I'd found the one. My one. And I was going to do everything I could to make her the happiest woman on Earth. I loved Charlie. My s
oul recognized her and knew. We were meant to be. I wanted nothing but more days and nights, more laughs, hugs and kisses. I couldn't wait to share life with her.
As I leaned forward and kissed her breathless, I poured all of my love into that kiss.
She was my perfect play, my forever.
And I was hers.
Always.
***
Thank you so much for reading!!!
If you enjoyed this book, I'd be so thankful if you'd leave a review. Your thoughts matter, and just a few words can really make a difference. Reviews are a wonderful way to support me and my books, and they help me find new readers! Thank you in advance, and I hope you loved The Perfect Play! <3
Also, please check out my other books!
Adorkable
Ninja Girl
The Good Girl's Guide to Being Bad
The Unbelievable, Inconceivable, Unforeseeable Truth About Ethan Wilder
The Kissing Challenge (YA romance Novella)
Wallflower
The Best Mistake (New Adult romance)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I loved writing this book! The Perfect Play is my second New Adult romance, book 2 in the Southern U O'Brien Brothers series, which means…it's now an actual series!!! Hooray! The O'Brien family is so close to my heart, and Charlie & Chase are one of my favorite couples I've ever written. Seriously, I love her, and I love him. Team ChaCha forever! I have several people to thank, so here we go :).
To Mom, thank you for always encouraging me, for lifting me up, and for loving Chase & Charlie! Thank you for being as excited about this book as I am. I love you so much.
To Aunt Colleen, thank you for knowing baseball terminology and correcting me lol! I love you, and I'm thrilled that you enjoyed this book! You (and Mom) both said Chase was your favorite after The Best Mistake. I hope I did him justice.
To Aunt Pat. Always to you. I miss you so much, and I'm so thankful that you loved the idea of The O'Brien Brothers right from the start. I hope you'd like this one. Chase loves Kate Daniels as much as we do, and Charlie is a fierce, loyal friend. Their romance is one of my favorites, and I just…I wish you were here. I love you.
To Stephanie Mooney, thank you SO much for this gorgeous cover!!! You are truly amazing!
To The Perfect Play ARC Team: Jen, Krista, Lauren, Sanne and Vanessa. You ladies rock! Thank you so much for reading and being so awesome!!!
To Julia Quinn & Susan Elizabeth Phillips, thank you for writing brilliant books and characters that made me love romance.
To Ilona Andrews, thank you for the Kate Daniels books, one of my favorite series ever!
To Shonda Rhimes, thank you for the spoon scene—and for the wonderful vision you had for Bridgerton. Well done!
To the Burgess Brothers, thank you for existing lol :).
To my readers!!! If you've read, rated or reviewed any of my books, if you sent a kind comment/message, if you've recommended my books to your friends, thank you SO much! I appreciate you, and I'm forever grateful for all of the love you've given my books!
To anyone who wanted more of The O'Brien Brothers, I hope book 2 was worth the wait! :)
And to YOU! Thank you so much for reading The Perfect Play! I hope you loved Charlie & Chase! I hope it made you laugh, swoon, and happy-sigh. If this is your first time reading one of my books, thank you for giving this story a chance! Archer, Baylor, Chase, Dex, Emmy, Finn, and every character in this story, means so very much to me! If you enjoyed this book, I'd love to hear from you! Thank you so much again, and if you're still looking for your soulmate, I hope you find your perfect play <3. Stay safe, and happy reading!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cookie O’Gorman writes stories filled with humor and heart for the nerd in all of us. Fiery first kisses, snappy dialogue, smart girls, swoonworthy boys, and unbreakable friendships are featured in each of her books.
Cookie is a hopeless romantic, a Harry Potter aficionado, and a supporter of all things dork. Chocolate, Chinese food, and Asian dramas are her kryptonite. Above all, she believes that real life has enough sorrow and despair—which is why she always tries to give her characters a happy ending. She is the author of Adorkable, Ninja Girl, The Unbelievable, Inconceivable, Unforeseeable Truth About Ethan Wilder, The Good Girl's Guide to Being Bad, and Wallflower. She is also the author of NA sports romances, The Best Mistake and The Perfect Play.
Whether it’s about her books or just to fan-girl, Cookie would love to hear from you!
Website: http://cookieogorman.com
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The Perfect Play (Southern U O'Brien Brothers) Page 22