Page 119 of The Way the Heart Breaks: Jade’s Story

As soon as I step back on the field, I see my pretty girl pushing through the crowd and her eyes find their target, mine, and she smiles that spectacular smile.

“You wanna hug, Tommy boy?” Alex teases, nodding in Jade’s direction.

“Dude, sorry, but I definitely do,” I admit.

And then Alex f’ing Ross shocks the hell out of me by tackle-hugging me, knocking us both to the ground.

Laughing, we both right ourselves. Brooks holds out one hand to Alex to pull him up, and the other… to me.

25

POST GAME

Jade

It’s not easy keeping it together after the emotional hit-and-run I just experienced seeing Dad here. He hugs me tight, and I hug him tighter.

“They did good,” he says, voice a little thicker than normal. He steps back, nods to the field, and asks. “You have Tessa’s gift?”

“Who do you think I am?” I ask, pretending to be offended.

He winks. “Have a good time tonight. Love you, baby girl.” I stand here, and he nods again. “Go.”

I inhale a deep breath and exhale slowly as I try so hard to find Tommy, just Tommy. I will talk to Alex and Ry tonight at the camp, where, if I need to cry, I can, but right now, I want nothing more than to see T. Lane and tell him how amazing he played. What I won’t tell him is I barely thought about what today means, healing this… pain, and how he made it feel… good. A senior year football game, a freaking win, and the hottest player on the field was throwing J’s. Yes, I know how ironic that is, and how it was exactly three, but in this case, they were all for me, a girl he lights up for, and makes light up. A girl who he looks at and sees her, not her ghosts.

Alex is the first one I spot, okay, that’s not true, it’s Ry’s big ass. Okay, so it’s not huge, but bigger than most, thanks to all that squatting when he chops, loads, and stacks enough wood to heat Blue Valley. Then I see him pull up two players, and not just any two players, Alex and Tommy, who are laughing.

Tommy Lane’s jersey is wearing him, not the other way around. He’s sweaty, and it’s sticking to his body. I used to hate it when Jason and Jasper hugged me, when they were like that. And it wasn’t because they missed their ‘cub’; it was to gross me out.

Nothing about Tommy Lane grosses me out. Especially not the way his blue eyes sparkle when they meet mine, and his smile grows.

“You have ten seconds, Tommy boy, ten,” Alex says, as he turns his back to us.

Ry eventually walks away.

He still has that post-game energy rolling off him, like the field hadn't quite let him go yet. His cheeks are flushed, his hair damp, and there is grass stuck to one of his socks.

Tommy smiles as he hurries to me, picks me up and hugs me while twirling me in a circle. “Pretty girl, I think you’re a good luck charm. Can I kiss you before your cousin’s ten seconds are up?”

“Since you asked so nicely.”

“Haven’t earned it yet though, but I⁠—”

“You earned it on that field.” I smile as I push up on my toes, grab the middle of his jersey, and pull him down, pressing my lips to his.

My first kiss… returned.

He kisses me back, softly, then rests his forehead against mine, as his hand comes up and cups the side of my face. Neither of us say anything.

Then he smiles. "So that's a yes."

I laugh, and the sound came out lighter than I felt. “That was a yes.”

“You know how many times I’m gonna ask for a kiss⁠—"

Behind him, Alex shouts, "TIME!"

Tommy closes his eyes.