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I stood there fighting not to cry until he got into his SUV and drove away Only once his taillights faded into the darkness did I release the hold onout of me so hard my knees eak

I didn’t hear the door open behind me, but Dad wrapped his ar “It’s okay, honey,” he murmured “It’s not forever I promise”

“Imy tear-soaked face into his shirt

He didn’t say anything as he pickedon the couch in the living roos and a box of tissues beside her Dad set me down beside her, and she cuddled me close

I fell asleep tucked between bothon to me, because I couldn’t hold on to the one person I ached for the most

Chapter 18

Luca

Every e football practices had nothing on high school I was taking and dishing out hits with ten ti I couldn’t handle on the field

My defensive coordinator had told ame of the season I was the only fresh a junior’s place on the roster My fellow fresh was pissed that I had pushed hia of going into the draft co

I was ht in the locker room, it seemed But it didn’t bother me I wasn’t there to make friends I wanted to be coached by the best, show the world every Saturday what I could do, and get a killer rookie deal when I entered the draft Nothing else s done so I could take care of Violet for the rest of our lives

We didn’t need thepro football, not with both of us set for life with the trust funds our fathers had set up for us But I wanted to be the one to provide for us Our trusts could be set aside for our own kids one day Everything that Vi and I had in life, I wanted to be the one to acquire for us

I took the elevator up to the suite I shared with three other football players and dropped face first onto the couch in the sitting room All I wanted was about ten hours of sleep, especially since I would have to get up before dawn the next y to make it all the way toto start didn’tpractices My head coach wouldn’t even hesitate to push , or even third, if I didn’t consistently prove to hied as a starter

My eyes had barely closed before the door opened andback He was froeneration footballer He’d been grooo pro or don’t colad to have him as a roommate because thatto pressure et me off track

The other two guys we shared a suite with I couldn’t say the same about One was a freshman like me, the other was a junior, and after today, I wasn’t confident either of them would have my back on or off the field

Marsh sawto ask if you’re hungry and want to grab soot other plans”