Unsurprisingly, Brett won the MVP award. After the ceremonies, Jax, Mike, and I went down to the locker rooms. Along with Shonda and her crew, we conducted as many interviews as possible. It wasn’t easy. I was aching to be with Brett the entire time, and from time to time, our eyes met across the locker room. And, by the look on his face, I could tell the feeling was mutual. When I finish the last of the interviews and leave the locker room, I find him outside the doors in the hallway. Shockingly, he’s by himself. He looks handsome in a pair of dress pants, and crisp white-collared shirt with his hair slicked back. I spot his large silver MVP trophy football in his hand.

“What a season.” I twirl his silver ball in my hands.

“Yeah. It’s been a rollercoaster.”

“So, where’s the after-party?”

“Do you really want to go to an after-party?” he asks, studying my face.

“I don’t. But I thought you would have wanted to celebrate with your team.”

“I’ve spent plenty of time with the boys lately.” He smiles. “Besides, if we end up going, I’ll be forced to take photos with people there and sign autographs. I don’t mind doing it, but I’d rather spend time with you.”

“So, you want to head back to your hotel then?”

“Please.”

We walk out to his car hand in hand. Neither of us speak a word. I can tell, he appreciates what I’m appreciating; the silence. The media storm surrounding us the past few weeks was hell. He glances up at me and smiles as he pulls out his keys and hits the button.

A Mercedes-Benz lights up several feet away from us. My eyebrows raise, and I grin. “You got a Mercedes-Benz convertible?!”

“Mercedes were the sponsors this year,” he says, haughtily.

“Right. So, this is your gift for becoming MVP?”

“Yup.” He opens the passenger door for me. He holds my hand as I lower myself down into the seat. I admire the leather interior and sleek design of the dash. He enters the car and puts the key in the ignition then pauses and turns to me. “There’s something I want to give you.” He pulls a small box out of his dress pants. I bite my lip—it’s a ring box. He opens it and I glance down to see his Super Bowl Championship ring.

“Brett, I can’t accept that.”

“I figured you wouldn’t.” He takes the ring out of the box and places it on my finger. The platinum ring weighs down my hand with its tiny diamonds surrounding the team’s emblem. But it fits perfectly. I notice he’s also wearing one. “When they took our ring measurements, I asked them if they could have one made up for you, too,” he says.

“I’m not a part of the team.”

“You’re a part of my team, sports bunny.” He tucks my hair behind my ear. “At least, I hope you still want to be. I’m so sorry for being so irresponsible with my phone.”

“Brett, the videos never came from your phone,” I say.

“I know, but I should have told you. These past few weeks, I kept thinking had I come clean about it earlier, things would have turned out different. You wouldn’t have thought I had leaked those videos.”

I nod. “Quit feeling guilty, Brett. I understand why you didn’t tell me. You didn’t want me to live in fear that someone would hack the phone and leak the video. But that doesn’t matter now. It’s in the past.” I wave his MVP silver football in front of his face. “This is amazing, Brett. We should be celebrating this. You went from second-string quarterback to MVP in one season.”

“Yeah, I did.”

“This is a sweet ride too, Brett. I know you said that football was something you fell into; something everyone expected you to do because you were good at it. But I have a confession. The night we were in the limo and you fell asleep … I did a bit of snooping on your phone.”

His mouth hangs open. I giggle.

“At first, I was trying to see if you had any other interested girls. But then I read all your texts between you and Hal.” His eyes soften and I continue, “You had been dying for the opportunity. And you did it. You accomplished more than any player has in a season.”

His eyes penetrate mine. “I think I accomplished more than I had intended. You weren’t a part of the plan. Getting a woman like you was beyond my dreams and expectations.”

A tear escapes and rolls down my cheek. I grin and press a warm kiss to his lips. When we finally part, we stare into one another’s eyes for a long moment.

“I believe we made an agreement earlier this season, sports bunny,” he says huskily. “Didn’t you agree to motivate me? I won a game.”

I giggle, I guess he still considers me his ‘reward.’ “We did. So, what’s stopping you, Rock? Drive.”

Cue happy ever after.