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“Who’s this?” Brittany’s high-pitched voice rose at the end. “I’m looking for Liam.” She didn’t even wait for a name.
“He’s in the shower. Hold on a sec. We only just woke up.” I semi-muffled the phone. “Hon, you have a call.” I looked at him expectantly.
Lips twitching at the corners, he stood and moved to the other side of the room before saying, “Don’t care. Get your fine ass in here. I’m not done with you.”
I played along. “Babe, I’m so tired. You kept me up most of the night. Let’s go to breakfast first. We can have a repeat after classes.”
Liam slapped his hand over his mouth, muffling his laughter.
I waited another second before fumbling with the phone like I was picking it back up. “Hey, sorry. He’s busy. I’ll let him know you called.” I hung up and put down his phone.
“Holy fuck.” Ares grinned. “If I ever get a stalker, I want you on my team too.”
Liam joined us back at the island, slapping Ares on the shoulder. “You had one last year.”
“Dawn. Wow, I forgot about her.”
“She gave up on you because you never date and showed zero interest in her because, as you claimed, you were too busy.”
Ares shrugged. “Speaking of busy, we have class in fifteen minutes. Are you gonna be around after, Gia?”
“Kylian’s driving me back to the pier after he’s done with class, so probably not.”
“This has been a fantastic morning.” Liam grinned. “I hope to see you around a lot more. Later, Gia.”
“I agree.” Ares smiled before picking up his backpack and following Liam out the door. “You’re good for Kyl. It’s nice having you around.”
I couldn’t stop smiling, even after they left. What they’d said meant a lot, even if my relationship with Kylian had an expiration date. I could still enjoy my time with him and the guys while it lasted.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
GIA
It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, if a little too hot, as I walked into Fall Lake University’s stadium. The afternoon sun blazed high in the sky, and the crowd pressed around me. The air buzzed with excitement, and not even the slightest hint of fear crept in as I stood among the hyped football fans. I didn’t even care that it was televised because my ex hated football. He wouldn’t be caught dead watching a game. I was perfectly safe and loving every moment of the experience.
It was my first in-person game. A pang of longing for my uncle swept through me, there and gone in a second. He would have loved this—going to Kylian’s game, cheering in the stands with the rest of the crowd. Even though he wasn’t with me, I felt him in our shared love for the sport.
The smell of popcorn and fried food from the concession stands permeated the air. Blue and silver filled the stands, and I lost count of the sheer volume of girls wearing players’ jersey numbers on their shirts or painted on their cheeks.
I wore an older jersey of Kylian’s, cinched at my waist with a knot. It was huge, but I couldn’t pass up the chance to wear it when he’d offered. Besides, I was supposed to be his fiancée, soit made sense that I would be present. Ares and Liam had been just as vocal as Kylian about me going to the game. It helped me feel as if I was there to support them.
I followed the directions from Kylian’s last text and looked for the people in the picture he’d also sent, one of a pretty woman and young boy who were Ares’s mom and nephew. The stands on the side where I stood were filled with blue and silver, the university colors.
It wasn’t long before I spotted a woman who resembled Ares. She had shoulder-length dark-blond hair, and when she turned toward me as I made my way down the aisle to the empty seat next to her, I met her topaz eyes. The boy, who had to be around thirteen or fourteen, had the same eyes but dark-brown hair. They both wore Ares’s jersey number.
“Hi.” I smiled at them as I sat. “I’m Gia.”
“Hey, Gia. I’m Julie, Ares’s mom, and this is my grandson, Preston.”
I waved to him and got a quick acknowledgment, then his focus turned to the corner where the footballers would make their entrance.
I leaned close to Julie to be heard over the people around us. “Thanks for saving me a seat.”
“Of course.” Julie squeezed my hand then released it. Sadness clung to the edges of her eyes, as it did with Ares. It was impossible not to notice, but it didn’t feel like my place to ask if everything was okay.
Preston jumped to his feet, a roar leaving his lips as the jumbotron zeroed in on the corner where a swarm of reporters and commentators waited. Fans joined him in a frenzy of blue towels whirling overhead. Ear-piercing screams filled the air as the Fall Lake Ballers ran onto the field. Fireworks shot from the top of the stadium, and everyone in the crowd went crazy.The stands shook like an earthquake struck them from people jumping up and down.
Nothing matched the thunderous excitement of our team taking the field. After the coin toss, I perched on the edge of my seat, along with everyone else, and the teams lined up against each other at the start of the game.
