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“I know,” he says, unconvincingly.
I look around and behind me with frustration. Whether they realize it or not, these fans that love Eli so much are stressing him out and about to cause a full-blown panic attack. Not to mention the few Ohio State assholes screaming his last name and talking shit.
“Baby, you—”
“Maddison, you fucking suck!” someone yells behind me.
I close my eyes in frustration as I try to get through to my boyfriend. When I open them again, I can see his chest rising and falling at an even quicker pace, hearing the words spoken aloud that his lying mind tells him on a regular basis.
“You’re garbage, Maddison!”
“Maddison, fu—” they begin again.
“Hey!” I yell, turning around to face them. “Shut the fuck up!”
I must look positively possessed right now because the two Ohio State fans’ faces pale and their mouths gape. The crowd around me quiets, giving up on gaining Eli’s attention as everyone retakes their seat. I don’t care if I look like the crazy girlfriend right now. I’m not letting anyone talk to my man that way, especially when he’s struggling.
I turn back to find a more than amused and smiling Eli.
“Baby, I think my personality is rubbing off on you,” he laughs.
I like a laughing Eli. Much better than a panic-stricken one.
“You have no control over what others think or expect from you,” I remind him. “What do you have control of?”
“The way I play. And the way I think.”
“Right. Who cares what any of these people have to say? Just focus on your own game.”
He gives me a nod that looks much more confident than just a few minutes ago.
“Eli, you got this. You don’t need to be nervous. Who gives a shit about all these people? Who are you trying to impress anyway?”
“You,” he answers my rhetorical question with a smile.
“Exactly,” I laugh. “And you know I’m already beyond impressed by you.”
His playful smile quickly softens. “I love you, Logan.”
“I love you too, thirteen. Now, go kick some ass and bring home a championship,” I add before he takes off down the player’s tunnel and back to his locker room.
As soon as I spot Jack, Mary, and Marc making their way down to our section, I settle back in my seat and take a deep breath, knowing how much Eli needs them here today.
“Logan!” Mary’s arms open wide when she turns the corner to our row.
She wraps me up in her tiny embrace as I squeeze her with just as much enthusiasm. Even though I saw Eli’s parents just a few weeks ago, I was in an awful headspace at the time, so I’m excited to see them again now that I’m feeling like myself.
“I missed you,” I tell Mary as she holds onto me, rocking me back and forth in her arms.
Next is Jack, who gives me the proudest, most beaming smile before he hugs me. “There’s our girl,” he says, but this time I think it has more to do with me being back to feeling like myself and less to do with my physical whereabouts.
Mary takes the first seat as Jack sits next. I sit in the open one next to him before my best friend sits on my opposite side. Finally, Ali comes trotting down to our row, hands full with nachos.
Marc stands as soon as Ali approaches, then nervously glances back to his parents.
“Hey, Jack. Hey, Mary. Did you have a good flight?” my tiny New Yorker asks as she nervously stands in front of her seat.
“Good to see you, Ali.” Mary shockingly wears her kindest smile. “We did, thank you.”
