by K. G. Reuss
“I’ll go,” I said, wrapping my arms around her.
She squeezed me back, both of us laughing and crying for reasons we didn’t need to be crying over. At least not yet.
Later that night, I sat in my bedroom, phone in hand with my thumb hovering over Travis’s name.
Lexy: Hey
I waited, wondering if he’d even text me back. Our conversations had been very limited the past few weeks and had pretty much been mostly by email. He’d stopped texting me after the first few days.
Travis: Hey
I don’t know what I was expecting in response. I shook my head, my ego slightly bruised by his seemingly lack of excitement.
Lexy: Ava told me about this weekend.
Travis: Yeah? You going? I can find someone to take your spot. Didn’t really take you for the camping type anyway.
I frowned at the message. Jerk.
Lexy: I was going to go, but if you have someone else you’d rather take, that’s fine. I can just grab my shifts at Fred’s again.
I waited for his answer. My screen blipped with his name almost immediately.
Travis: It’s fine. I’d rather have you. Brandon spooks easily.
I blew out a breath, wondering if this was the end of our conversation.
Travis: You coming to the game Thursday? Scouts will be there.
He didn’t need to say it. I could feel his anxiety coming through the message. He was nervous. I would be too. His entire future rested on his performance.
I’d taken Thursday and Friday off too. Ava said she was going to the game. So, I’d figured I’d get things together for the camping trip. But this other part of me wanted to support him. Plus, Alex played. Our college wasn’t some smalltime gig. Thousands of fans poured into the stands. It was televised. It was a Thursday night game, so it was huge. They both could use my support.
Lexy: I’ll be there.
He didn’t answer back.
I spent the next few days grabbing a few supplies for the weekend. Thursday, during the day, I whipped up some cupcakes. They weren’t really camping food, but Ava demanded I do it. I was just snapping the lid closed on the container when she came into the room wearing a Falcons football jersey and carrying a box in her hand.
“What’s this?” I asked when she handed it to me.
“It’s from Travis. He said to read the card first.”
My heart sped up in my chest as I pulled the envelope off the top of the box. Ava peered over my shoulder, just as eager to read his message. Knowing anything could be written on the card, I ran through the different scenarios of how to explain it when she saw whatever he wrote.
“Girl, open it!”
I laughed and pulled the card out. In Travis’s tidy scrawl was one word.
Challenge?
I smiled as Ava groaned. Eager to see what he had in mind, I opened the box and saw a football jersey inside.
“What? He gave you a jersey?”
I pulled it out of the box wordlessly, knowing it wasn’t just a jersey. If this was a challenge, it meant something.
Turning it over, I saw the challenge.
“Wow,” Ava murmured, staring down at the back of the jersey. Across the back was his number, one, but where his name should’ve been was Mrs. Owens.
I stared down at it, dumbfounded.
“He’s taking this project pretty serious,” Ava commented. “He still wears that ring, you know.”
I swallowed hard. I still wore mine.
“Are you doing it?”
I nodded. “I never back down from a challenge.”
Thirty-Eight
Travis
I hadn’t heard from Lexy yet. I’d sent her the jersey hours ago, pleading with Ava to make sure Lexy got it in time. I figured I’d have gotten an answer by now.
“Alright, team, let’s huddle up!” Coach shouted.
Sighing and feeling dejected, I dropped my phone into my bag and joined the group huddle in the locker room.
“So far this season, this team has been perfect. Each game brings us one step closer making the playoffs. This is our year. We’re going all the way, and we’re going to take the national championship. Owens is going to lead us!” Coach boomed out.
The guys growled and snarled their approval.
“But right now we need to focus just on today. Today’s a big day for the team. Not only are we going to knock Everest out of contention, we’re going to send the best quarterback in this college’s history to the NFL. There are scouts out there today, looking at him. Looking at everyone. Play your fucking hearts out. Show them Rayton University is number one for a reason!”
The guys whooped and cheered, clapping me on the shoulder pads. After some more pep talk, the group broke, ready to head out to the tunnel, but not before I ran back to my bag one last time and grabbed my phone to see if she’d messaged me. When I saw her name on my screen, my heart tripped in my chest. Eagerly, I opened the message.
Lexy: I never back down from a challenge.
A photo of her smirking over her shoulder in my jersey, her hair in a tight bun, greeted me. Mrs. Owens. She’d tied the jersey up so her midsection was bare. Her tiny shorts hinted at the cleft of her ass.
I grinned down at my phone, the blood pumping hard through my veins. It was just what I needed to see.
Hopefully, she’d put on more clothes for the game so she wouldn’t freeze that fine ass off, and so I wouldn’t have to kill anyone for gawking at what was mine.
“Owens, you’re wrecking them out there!” Coach shouted, thumping me on the back.
“Thanks, Coach.”
“We need to nail this team’s dicks to their backs. What are we doing?”
I glanced up at the scoreboard. There was just under three minutes on the clock. It was third and fifteen. If we didn’t get a first down, we’d give Everest the ball back with enough time on the clock for them to score. We were only up by seven. A touchdown and a two-point conversion for them would mean a loss for us. Their defense had been double teaming Alex all night since he’d been our leading scorer all season. As a result, I’d been throwing to Mason the entire game. Maybe they’d shift their focus to Mason and lay off Alex a little.
I drew a deep breath. “Bang, bang to Hale,” I called out, nodding to Alex. Hopefully, the quick play would throw the Everest defense off, and Alex would be able to pick up the fifteen yards and more.
Alex nodded, and Mason thumped him on the back.
“You guys know the drill. Cover Alex. They’ve been on him all night like flies on shit. They’re going to think I’m long passing to Mason since that’s been our solution to this scenario all night. A fast, short pass to Alex on the slant should trip them up.”
“If it doesn’t?” Jay called out.
“Then looks like I’m going to be doing a lot of running to pick up the fifteen myself,” I said.
“We got you, man.” Dean, an offensive lineman, called out.
I nodded and looked to the stands. It was impossible for me to find Lexy in the mass of fans. Thousands filled the stadium. I knew she was out there though. It was all I needed to fuel my game. It didn’t matter to me if there were scouts out there. For some reason, I only cared if she was here. I was having my best game ever. It had to be because of her presence. My good luck charm.
“Let’s do this!” Coach shouted.
We broke huddle, and I strolled out to the line and scanned the crowd once more. Mason said he got the girls seats near the fifty-yard line at the bottom. I was desperate to see her. It took me a moment, but I finally located her and Ava. They were both cheering, and Ava was waving a school flag with mine, Alex, and Mason’s names on it. I grinned and raised my hand to them in a wave.
Lexy’s smile widened, sending my heart into a stumbling run. Just my enemy, making me excited.
Not my enemy. My wife.
I grinned and took my position. Just me in the center of a field with thousands of fans chanting my name. But it was he
r chant that set me in motion.
“Down!” I called out. Adam, our center, bent into position, the guys following suit. I swallowed hard. “Set!” We had to get the first down. Sweat dripped into my eyes. I breathed in evenly.
“Hike!”
Adam snapped the ball. I caught it and immediately took three steps back, looking for Alex. He had two guys on him. Mason was no better.
“Shit,” I hissed, trying to find anyone open. Realization struck. I had to run it myself.
Knowing every second counted, I dipped and dodged, the ball clutched to my side. My eyes remained trained on the set of chains. As I neared the sidelines, I hazarded a glance back. I wasn’t about to get hit, so I kept going, dancing down the field. The crowd roared as I ran.
The thirty.
The twenty.
The ten.
I could barely breathe from the excitement.
“Touchdown, Rayton!” the announcer’s voice boomed out. My team swarmed the end zone, blanketing me and cheering. The crowd went wild.
We did it. We’d pretty much cinched our spot.
Thirty-Nine
Lexy
“Come on. Let’s wait for the guys outside the locker room,” Ava urged.
We’d waited for a lot of people to leave before getting up from our seats. I followed her out of the stands. My heart had been in my throat as Travis ran the field with the ball. But he’d made it. He was every bit as incredible on the field as everyone said.
But I already knew that.
“They were amazing tonight! I bet they’re going to have a massive party at the frat house to celebrate,” Ava said as we walked.
“Probably.”
“You’ll go, right?”
I didn’t get to answer her because Rory, one of our old roommates, fell in step with us.
“Travis was awesome tonight!” she gushed before grinning at me. “I’m glad you came to the game, Lex! You’re the talk of the town lately.”
“What?”
Rory giggled with Ava.
“Everyone is talking about you and Travis. He doesn’t party like he used to. I mean, everyone knows he’s up for the Heisman and is being scouted, but rumor has it, you two are married.”
“Uh, for Herring’s project. Yep.” I nodded.
“Well, I think it’s awesome you two are taking it so seriously.” She tossed her dark braid over her shoulder.
“They’d make a good couple if they could get their shit together,” Ava chimed in.
I rolled my eyes at her, hiding the fact her words made my belly flutter.
“They would. You guys still doing the challenges?” Rory asked.
Ava giggled and pointed to my jersey.
Rory craned her neck and took in the back, a smirk on her lips. “That’ll make the rumor mill spill.”
We all chuckled. When we approached the door to the locker rooms, it was a madhouse. People milled around outside. There were reporters and the jersey chasers. I spotted Stephanie immediately and bit back a nasty remark.
“Any plans for the rest of the weekend?” Ava asked Rory.
Rory’s cheeks flushed. “Actually, I was wondering if you guys could introduce me to Mason.”
I shot Rory a surprised look. “You want to meet Mason?”
She nodded bashfully. “Yeah. I’m writing a piece for the school paper on heroes. Because he volunteers at the shelter, I thought it might be cool to interview him. I’m just too nervous to approach him.”
“Wait. Mason volunteers at the shelter?”
“Yeah. The homeless shelter on Twenty-Second Street. He’s there on Wednesdays.”
I gaped at Ava in surprise. I had no idea Mason did that.
“Uh, wow. Guess you learn something new every day,” Ava said, chuckling. “OK, then. Sure. We’ll introduce you.”
“Thank you.” Rory grinned, dancing back and forth.
A moment later, the doors opened, and the guys came out. Travis was immediately swarmed by reporters. He smiled and spoke with them about the team’s performance. One reporter in particular, a blonde woman, rubbed his arm and winked at him before slipping him a piece of paper.
“Shit, girl is trying to pick him up.” Ava giggled.
Rory nodded, assessing me. I watched as Travis gave her his polite smile before shaking his head and handing it back. Her grin slid off her face as he turned his back on her, his eyes sweeping over the group of people.
Stephanie came at him next, but his gaze locked on mine and a giant smile erupted on his face that made my heart dance. He pushed past everyone, Stephanie included, and came straight to me, never looking away.
It unnerved me. When he reached me, he wrapped his arms around me and swung me in a circle, his face buried in my neck.
“You accepted,” was all he said before releasing me and embracing Ava. He stopped when he saw Rory and offered her a handshake.
“How you been, Rory?” he asked.
Her cheeks reddened again, and she nodded. “Good. Great.”
He smirked at her. “Glad to hear it. I liked your piece on me last week. You didn’t make me seem like a douche. Nice.”
She giggled.
“Hey, ladies,” Alex said, beaming. “Lexy, what the hell are you wearing?” His eyes took in my jersey tied up displaying my bare abdomen. He walked around me and snorted.
“Mrs. Owens? You’re taking this a bit far, man.” He laughed, clapping Travis on the shoulder. Travis only grinned and winked at me.
“Mason, this is Rory,” Ava said, nodding to Rory.
“Hi there, beautiful,” Mason said, smiling at her.
If I thought Rory’s face was red before, it was nothing compared to the beacon it was in that moment. “H-hi,” she stammered. “I-I’m a huge fan.”
“Really?” He smirked, draping his arm around her shoulders. “Tell me more.”
Alex snorted as Mason engaged Rory in conversation. His eyes moved to Ava, trailing up her body. She flushed as he winked at her.
What the hell was that?
“Excited for tomorrow?” Travis asked.
I shrugged. “It’s just camping.”
Travis chuckled. “Sure. Just camping.”
“Are you guys having a party tonight?” Ava interrupted before I could ask why he said it that way.
“There’s a party at the house, but we kinda thought we’d skip it,” Alex said.
I glanced at Travis to get his take on that. He looked like the news wasn’t news at all.
“You guys love to party. What’s going on?” Ava asked.
“Well, we figured we’d hang out with you guys tonight instead,” Travis said. “And since it looks like Mason has found a new friend, maybe there’s room for six?”
“Yeah, that sounds awesome!” Ava grinned at me, waiting to see how I felt.
I shrugged. She fist-pumped the air and shouted to Rory that she was coming to our place. Rory’s face lit up as she looked to Mason who didn’t seem opposed to her presence.
“We’ll see you in about an hour?” Alex asked. “We’ll go get a few things. You girls pick a movie.” His gaze landed on me. “No documentaries, Lex. I’m serious.”
I held my hands up. “Fine. We’ll watch something with dicks in it instead.”
Alex grimaced as Ava barked out a laugh. Travis smirked at me before nodding for me to follow.
We all started walking to the parking lot which had cleared out significantly.
“Challenge,” Travis murmured as we wandered behind everyone.
“What you got, Owens?”
“That no matter what happens tomorrow, you go with it.”
I wrinkled my nose as I looked up at him. “Why? What are we doing?”
“Fun things.”
“Travis,” I said in a warning tone. “Don’t screw with me. What’s really the plan.”
He shrugged, that boyish grin on his face that lit up his green eyes. “Something. Just promise you won’t back out.”
“
I never back down.”
“Good. Then this will be fun.” He tweaked my nose and jogged up ahead to Mason and said something to him. Mason glanced at me from over his shoulder and grinned. An unsettling feeling swept over me. Travis on his own was bad, but if he had Mason involved, then I’d better write a will.
Forty
Travis
The night turned into a good one. I kept my distance from Lexy, opting to sit on the opposite end of the couch from her during the movie. Even when it was time to leave, I bounced out with a simple nod in her direction.
By morning, I was giddy for the day to roll on so I could see the expression on her face when she saw what I’d signed us all up for. Thankfully there were no classes today since the faculty were participating in some staff enrichment thing.
We had my truck loaded down and pulled in front of the girls’ apartment building at ten in the morning.
“I’ll go get them,” Alex said, hoping out of the front seat. I watched as he left and sauntered into the building.
“You know she’s terrified of heights, right?” Mason asked,
“Yep.”
“You know doing this could get your ass kicked?”
“Yep.”
“She might end up hating you.”
“She might already. I mean, she turned me down flat on getting together for this project and marriage.”
“Or she has some standards.” Mason chuckled.
I didn’t say anything else because Ava and Lexy came out with Alex. I resisted the urge to get out and help load their stuff, not wanting Lexy to think I was overly eager.
I was surprised when she slid into the front seat while Alex and Ava got into my backseat. Mason hopped out and made Lexy slide close to me and offered me a wink. I snorted and shook my head, causing Lexy to cast me a curious look.
“I get carsick,” Mason explained.
“Since when?” Lexy questioned.
He shrugged. “Since about twenty minutes ago.”