Page 65 of The Score We Never Settled

However, it doesn’t unravel the knot in my chest—the thought of how this is going to change everything between us literally itches at every brain cell in my head.

If I do well, I’m going to have media everywhere, meaning she still can’t be seen with me because of her Uncle Ben.

“What happens to us?”

She immediately frowns, but she doesn’t lose all the excitement in her eyes. “What do you mean? Nothin’—”

“If I’m successful, I’m going to be a spectacle, Layla. That means press and paparazzi. It’s endorsement deals, and they’re going to want more from me. I’m going to need to work harder. My time is going to be loaded with training night and day, team outings, traveling?—”

“You travel now.”

Frustration boils in my skull because she’s not getting it.

“What happens tous?” I repeat more tersely. “You can’t be seen with me. I need you in my life, I can’t do this without you.”

I loathe how my issues are rearing their ugly heads in this moment when I should be celebrating and twirling Layla in my arms because not a lot of men can say they’ve done this.

That they’ve made it.

Now, I could make this into shit and completely blow on a major league level, but that’s not where my mind settles at.

It’s that Layla Jean and I are going to change.

That she’s not going to want to wait around because I have this feeling my life is never going to be the same.

We’renever going to be the same.

“I promise,” she whispers, falling into my green eyes with hers. “I’m never leavin’ you. I can’t. You’re so freakingannoyin’that you’ll never let me go, right?”

“What about your uncle, Short Stop?”

I feel her body sag a little in defeat, and that’s all I need from her.

She’s never telling him.

I’m her dirty little secret she hides in her life because herlifedoesn’t like me.

“Briggs, I love you,” she mutters softly. “I’m going to tell him.”

“When?”

“When his health evens out. There shouldn’t be a reason why we’re still havin’ these secret meetings. You haven’t ruined me yet.”

“I haven’t fucked you hard enough, then.”

She rolls her eyes and smirks prettily. “I meantemotionally,dummy.”

“I want to emotionally wreck you, too. In the worst way.”

Her brows rise. “Is that a threat, Briggs Kerrigan? Or a promise?”

“That’s both.”

Her forehead rests upon mine, and I hear her breathe me in before I close my eyes to try and calm down. “What do you need? What can I do so you start getting excited about this?”

“I dunno.”

And I don’t.