Chapter Twenty-Six
KINSEY
“You ready for this?” I led the rest of the team in some warm-up stretches, giving Emerson a little wink.
I finally saw it.
Why Miller couldn’t seem to let Em go.
There was this magnetism about her that was addicting. Hadn’t I latched onto her after one day of practice? Her smile lit up the room and just being around her gave me confidence.
I groaned.
Was it wrong to hope that Miller saw similar qualities in me? That when I was by his side he felt better because of it? Maybe I was reaching. Maybe I needed to stop thinking so much.
“Alright, ladies.” I moved to the couch stretch for quads and checked my watch. “Full makeup needs to be on before we hit the field for team announcements. Make sure you’re ready in a few minutes, and remember . . .” I glared at Lily, the only girl I really had trouble with since she thought it was her right to sleep with every guy on the team. The only problem was she was good, so Coach kept her—well, that and her family was loaded and loosely connected to the Bucks football program. “No talking to the players before the game, they need to focus.”
Lily raised her hand. “You mean Emerson can’t talk to Sanchez?”
Emerson rolled her eyes. “Nope.” She turned to face Lily. “Already did plenty of talking last night . . . and this morning . . . and this afternoon.”
The girls laughed softly while Lily scowled.
“Scatter.” I moved my hands while the girls all ran in different directions to put finishing touches on makeup and everything else they had to do. Nervous pee, lip gloss. It was cheerleading, and we had to play our part.
I’d actually gotten ready in record time. So had Emerson, and she gave me a knowing look and nodded toward the locker room hallway. “Walk with me.”
“Are we about to have the talk?” I grinned over at her. “The one where you tell me to be careful?”
“Hah!” She winked, her bright blonde hair bouncing down her back with each perky step. “Absolutely not. You’re a big girl, just like he’s a big boy. You seem happy. I’m glad.”
“I was happy before!” I tried, pointing around.
“No, you were content before,” Em argued. “Now you . . . glow.”
“Don’t say glow.” I shook my head. “That’s all we need, a pregnancy rumor getting thrown around during our first game.”
“Kinsey Romonov!” She elbowed me in the side. “That’s not what I meant and you know it, but you’re right, I’ll watch my mouth.”
I stopped walking. “You’re not . . . mad?”
Em threw up her hands. “Why in the world would I be mad?”
“He’s . . . he was your boyfriend, your best friend—”
“Whoa!” Em held up her hands. “Stopping you right there. Six years ago, yeah, but I have Sanchez now, and even though I love Miller to death and always will, Grant Sanchez is my future. Oh wow, that sounded so wrong even to my ears.” She toyed with the giant rock on her finger.
“So wrong it’s right?” I grinned.
“He’s horribly awesome.” She sighed happily. “I only want to kill him half the time, so that’s a bonus, and last night he made chocolate cake.”
I groaned and patted my stomach. “Next time, save your friend a piece.”
“I’m not a monster!” We were nearing the end of the tunnel. “I saved you two.”
“This.” I grabbed her hand. “This is why we’re best friends.”
“Thought I was your best friend.” Miller’s deep voice had me jumping out of my Spanx. “Damn it, already cheating on me, Waffles?”
“Chicken Dinner, I could never do that,” I shot back.
Sanchez and Jax were both with them.
While Jax looked ready to strangle anything that spoke, Sanchez was groaning and patting his stomach. “Promise me we get chicken and waffles after this.”
“I nominate Em as tribute.” I pointed to her with my pom-poms. “She can cook anything.”
“Settled.” Miller eyed me up and down. “Dinner after the game.”
Jax snorted. “Sounds super fun.”
“Bring Harley.” I crossed my arms.
Everyone around us froze.
He tried to walk past Miller, but Miller grabbed him by the jersey and jerked him back. “Something you wanna tell us?”
“Yeah.” Sanchez rubbed his chin. “I thought you guys weren’t speaking . . . something about . . . bagging and bailing.”
“Holy shit, you slept with her and left?” Miller’s shocked expression so wasn’t helping Jax’s glower.
“Are you guys supposed to be talking to us right now?” Jax pointed out. “Why the hell are you in this tunnel?”
I looked around and paled. “Shit! Em and I were talking, and we took a left. EM!”
She was already running back down the tunnel with me. Even though the players and cheerleaders were like a small family, chatting it up before a game was still frowned upon.
We made it to the right side before most of our teammates had gathered. I wheezed out a cough while Em slapped me on the back.
“So chicken and waffles?”
“Happening,” I decided.
“And this Harley situation?”
I sighed. “Yeah, I have no idea. Jax refuses to talk about it, but last night the guy had a hickey the size of Sanchez’s ego on the side of his neck so . . .” I shrugged. “No offense.”
“That must have been one big hickey.” She went with it and wrapped an arm around my neck. “I know you have a lot going on, Kins. Just know I’m here for you, and I think . . . this is going to be a really good year.”
“Thank you.” I felt my body shudder.
“For?” She frowned, squeezing my body harder.
I shrugged. “Just, being you. An awesome friend.”
“Aw.” She released me and took in a deep breath, eyeing the field before us; the excitement of the crowd was like an electric pulse, making me dizzy with excitement. Lights flashed in front of us. “Well, thanks for taking me under your wing this last year.”
“Like you needed me.” I squeezed her hand.
“I really did.” She put her head on my shoulder then smacked me on the butt. “Alright, let’s do this.”
I grinned as the air swirled and shifted around me.
Despite my dad’s illness and the situation between Jax and Miller, I had to admit, something felt charged—different.
For the first time in weeks.
I felt fine.
Which should have been the warning I needed.
That what comes up.
Must always.
Always.
Come down.