Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 95951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
“There she is,” he says. I can hear the smile in his voice.
“I hear you lost some cash.”
He chuckles. “Yeah, but it’s all in good fun. We never raise the stakes too high. I’ll be able to pay the bills still,” he teases.
“Landry said you offered your suite to Sloane and me.”
“I thought that might help sell it. I know you were worried.”
“He also said that you’re smitten with your new secret girlfriend.”
“That’s because I am.”
“It was hard to have that conversation and not tell him.”
“I’m ready when you are, Corie. Just promise me that we’ll do it together. I don’t want him taking his anger out on you.”
“But, it’s me who wants to continue to keep this a secret.”
“I agreed to it. We’re in this together, Corie girl. I’m beside you always. No matter whose idea it was, we are both in agreement, so we tell him together. When you’re ready.”
“Sometimes I can’t believe you’re real,” I tell him.
“How so?”
“You seem to always know what to say.”
“I’m just me, Corie. There’s no script.”
He’s right. I know he is, but I’ve been fed lines in the past, and even though I know Knox isn’t Conner, and he would never do to me what Conner did, that fear lightly lingers in the back of my mind.
“So, the game?”
“Landry thinks it’s a good idea. I told him we’d be there.”
“Fuck yes,” he says, his excitement evident.
“Why are you pushing for this so hard?”
“Because they might not know that you’re mine, but I know. Everyone I care about will be watching and celebrating our win together.”
“Listen to you, Mr. Quarterback. Getting a little cocky, aren’t we?”
“My girl is going to be watching. That’s a first for me, and there is no other outcome than to take home the win to celebrate the occasion.”
“Fair enough.” I laugh.
“Two things could make this even better.”
“Oh, yeah? What’s that?”
“The biggest is that the entire world knows you’re mine. The second would be you wearing my jersey. Fuck, even thinking about that makes me hard.”
“You have thousands of women who wear your jersey every week.”
“They’re not you, Corie. While I appreciate their support, it’s not the same as my girl wearing my name and number.”
“I guess I’m going to have to get me a Knox Beckett jersey.”
“Done. I’ll handle it.”
“You know I can’t wear it,” I tell him.
“Not yet, but there will come a day when you can. When that day comes, you’ll be ready.”
“You think we’ll get there?” I ask, my insecurities showing, but I know I don’t have to hide them from him.
“We will, Corie girl. Tell me when you’re ready, and everything else will fall into place.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Trust me, baby. We’ll make it that simple.”
“It’s not just Landry. We could both lose our jobs.”
“When you’re ready, we’ll make an appointment with human resources, Coach, and whoever else needs to be there. We’ll explain our situation, and whatever happens, happens.”
“I don’t know if I like the sound of that.”
“As long as the outcome is that you’re mine and the entire damn planet knows, it will all be fine.”
“I wish I had your confidence.”
“I have enough for both of us,” he says.
“It’s late. I should let you get some sleep.”
“Yeah, I should get to bed.”
“Night, Quarterback.”
He chuckles. “Night, Corie girl.”
Chapter Nineteen
Corie
* * *
“Hold still,” Sloane commands. I freeze where I’m sitting on a stool in front of the bathroom mirror. My back is turned, so I can’t see it. I have no idea what my best friend is doing to me.
“Not too much,” I warn her. “I’m just me, Sloane. If that’s not enough, then so be it.” I want to make a good impression, don’t get that twisted, but at the same time, I don’t want to pretend to be a different version of myself. We’ve been doing enough pretending the past few months. We don’t need to add more to my list of infractions.
“Babe, we’re doing this for you and no one else. I want you to feel confident and sexy when you walk into that suite with your boyfriend’s family. This is the first time you’ll be meeting them.”
“But I’m not meeting them as someone important to him,” I counter. Saying the words makes my chest ache.
“One day, you will,” she reassures me. “There.” I turn toward the mirror and grin. “See, I told you it wasn’t too much.”
Standing from the stool, I pull my best friend into a hug. “Thank you, Sloane. I don’t think I’d be able to walk into that suite today without you there with me.”
“They’re just people, Corie.”
“People who are important to him.”
“You’re important to him.” My phone pings, and she reaches for it, glancing at the screen before handing it over. “Told you.”
* * *
Knox: Deep breaths, Corie girl. I know you’re freaking out right now, but I promise you everything will be just fine. Stay in the suite after the game, and I’ll come up to get you.