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She nods and cuts in. “I know, and I would never try to change that.”
I place my finger on her lips. “Shh, just listen to what I have to say.” She nods, and I draw my hand back. “Football has always been the most important thing to me,” I reiterate. “But now, we’ve found our way to each other, and that’s not the case anymore. I have a second love—you. Autumn Cartright, I love you.”
Smiling, she stares up at me through teary eyes. “I love you too.”
No matter what the outcome of today’s game brings, I’ve got the woman of my dreams by my side, and I’m going to take comfort in knowing that.
Cooper sitsdown on the bench next to me. “How are you feeling?”
Knee bouncing, I scratch my head. “That’s a tough question right now. So many emotions and thoughts are hitting me at the same time. But more than anything, I’m excited to get out there and play.”
“I have all the confidence in your ability to lead this team. Look how well our practices have been going all week since you took over.”
“We have been working hard and gelling well. I’m optimistic about today’s game. I know we can get the W if we all stay on task.”
Thor and Griffin walk across the locker room and stop in front of us. With their height and combined shoulder width, they’re like a human wall, blocking our view of the rest of the space.
“How’s it going, QB?” Thor asks.
“Good.”
Griffin makes a face. “What’s this ‘good’ bullshit? Why not fucking fantastic? You’re the quarterback now, for fuck’s sake. Own that shit.”
He’s right. I’m the goddamn quarterback.
“You’re right,” I say, feeling more confident.
Griffin smirks. “Of course I am.”
“I need to get pumped up and play this game with all the enthusiasm I bring to practice,” I say.
“Absolutely,” Thor agrees.
“Why were you being so reserved? That’s not like you,” Griffin points out.
“It’s not, but I’ve never been in this position before, so everything is new. I don’t have my routine down yet, and I don’t know what works for me and what doesn’t.”
“This isn’t your first game. Why wouldn’t you treat it as any other one you’ve played in?” Cooper asks.
I raise my palms. “The stakes are much higher for me now.”
“Yeah, but your effort can’t be more than the one hundred percent you always give,” Thor says.
Nodding slowly, I think about his observation. There’s a lot of merit in what he said. I always put in maximum effort, and that’s all I can do whether I’m in the game as the starting quarterback or the backup. “That’s true. Actually, all three of you are right. Thanks for the fresh perspective. I was feeling a little overwhelmed.”
“That happens to us all at times. Whenever I start to feel that way, I try not to think about anything but what I’m doing at that precise moment,” Griffin shares.
“When it happens to me, I picture myself playing lights out football and our team winning the game,” Thor says. “Positive visualization always helps me.”
“I do that too. I imagine myself catching all the balls and scoring touchdowns.”
“Visualization isn’t new to me. I’ve been imagining myself as the quarterback of this team for two years.”
“You have proof it works,” Thor says. His gaze sweeps to the large clock on the side wall. “Time to get ready, fellas.”
I feel the curl of excitement unfolding in my stomach. “Hell yeah.”
As I walkonto the field as the starting quarterback for the first time, the energy in the stadium is almost palpable. The sound of the crowd’s cheering lifts me up and lessens some of the anticipation and nervous energy coursing through me. The sun is shining as my eyes scan the field.This is just like practice, I remind myself.Yeah, only with sixty thousand plus fans watching.
