46. Nicole
NICOLE
I can’t believe what I’m seeing. I knew this was a grudge match, I knew the crowd was going to be wild, but I didn’t expect the boys to celebrate like this. I’m not complaining, I’m loving it. Beating Highgate was a huge deal, and getting to witness it first hand was even better.
Lucky is vibrating with happiness, and as I watch the boys dance and sing and celebrate their victory, I stand on my chair and sing along with them.
I’ve never heard a song like this played at a football match, but I’m not complaining.
‘Do You Love Me’ blares through the system and I sing the words without realising what they actually are.
Angie, Lucky, and Edie turn around and sing them to me and the anxiety and fear is washed away.
Laughing and slightly breathless, I stop dancing to focus on the team.
Owen’s arms are folded tightly across his chest, and as Brady tries to get him to join in, the crowd boos at his refusal.
Lockheart doesn’t dance, he once told me that and I’ve yet to see him do any kind of movement to music, no matter how hard Lucky has tried.
Shaking my head a little, I lean down closer to Lucky’s ear and laugh, “They’re trying to get your dad to dance.” He grins back at me, winks and turns his head back to the antics on the pitch.
Giggling at my little boy, I follow his lead as Owen steps into the circle and… OH. MY. GOD. He starts to move. He’s dancing in front of all these people.
Through laughter and tears, I whoop and cheer with the rest of the crowd. Jumping up and down and never letting my eyes leave Owen’s hips swinging to the beat. I want a piece of that.
I grab Edie next and scream over the noise, “Did you know they were going to do this?”
“Of course she did.” Angie says through her laughter. “Who do you think taught Jaxy to move like that?” She cackles loudly but freezes when Edie shouts over the music.
“Actually, I didn’t teach him, Jenson did. Have you seen his moves when he scores a touchdown?” She fans herself and laughs, but my gaze is focused on Angie, who’s frowning harder than Owen and Lucky put together at the mention of Jenson Brady.
But before I can question her, I spot Coach marching onto the pitch. He looks furious. Shit. Are they going to get into trouble? The press will have a field day with Coach ripping them a new one in front of everyone. And the one thing Owen hates more than anything is publicity.
Shit. I chew on the inside of my cheek and tap my fingers on my thigh as I watch the scene play out in front of me. A collective gasp goes up when Coach pushes Owen, and I bring my hand over my mouth to stop myself from shouting obscenities in front of Lucky.
I need to get to him. He will hate having Coach rip him a new one in front of the whole damn stadium.
Knowing Edie and Angie have Lucky, I turn to leave and run down to the pitch, but a roar of laughter stops me.
Snapping my head back to focus on pitch, I can’t quite believe what I’m seeing.
Jaxson is flopping about on the turf while Coach is twisting his ass so much I’m worried for his hips.
Shit. He was in on it. This is a fantastic PR move.
No wonder Emilia was grinning the whole way through the game.
I glance over at Lucky and notice him copying the moves of his idols and realisation dawns on me. I now know what ‘training’ this week must've consisted of—dance lessons. Damn why wasn’t I allowed to know?
Those insidious doubts start to worm their way into my mind again. Does he not see me as a part of his ‘team’? Is it just him and Lucky now because I refused his proposals? Shit. I hate that. I want us to be a unit, a family, together.
The song’s coming to an end, and I don’t want to stop watching these glorious men dancing their choreographed moves for all to see, but I’ve lost sight of Owen and panic starts to rise in my throat.
What if he leaves before I get a chance to speak to him?
To tell him I want this with him forever.
I’m done waiting for the third time. I’ll ask him instead.
“Edie, I can’t see Owen. He won’t leave without seeing me will he?” My voice is shrill and high-pitched as I scour over the team in search of him.
Edie chuckles, and when I frown at her she motions her head down to the pitch.
My legs buckle and my breath whooshes out of my lungs.
I grab hold of Angie’s hand, and I don’t know how, but Lucky is standing next to me holding the other one.
Tears cascade down my cheeks as I watch Owen, on one knee, offer a ring box up to the stands.
His teammates stand behind him holding signs saying, ‘Nico, I never believed in love at first sight, until I met you. You unlocked my heart. I loved you as my Whiskey Girl. I loved you as Lucky’s mum.
And I loved you as Nico. But I want to spend eternity loving you as my wife. Marry me?
The stadium is silent. My heart is thundering in my ears and I’m struggling to breathe. I want to run down to him, tell him I love him and say yes in front of everyone, but I don’t think my legs will carry me.
Suddenly, my face flashes on the big screen. Angie squeaks out a little ‘meep’ and dives to get out of the shot as Emilia laughs and shouts, “It’s not televised, Angie.” I breathe a little easier knowing it isn’t going out to millions of people worldwide as well.
“I think he’s waiting for an answer,” Emilia states and motions to the pitch where I can make out a very worried look on Owen’s face. I smile at the camera and nod my head, covering Lucky’s ears as the deafening roar of about sixty thousand fans rings through the air.
I can’t focus on anything else but Lucky squeezing me. As I bend down to him and wipe away the tears from his eyes, he exclaims, “We’re gonna be a real family. We’re gonna be da best Lockhearts ever!”
I grab him in a bear hug and shift my eyes to focus on the guys doing a lap of honour, clapping and waving at the remaining fans who are singing ‘Do You Love Me’ again. I think this may become the new official song for Heath Hampstead, and I’m not sad about it.
Hugs are offered all around. Edie bounces on her toes and Angie high fives Lucky as I’m swamped in a Cooper sandwich, Emilia and her husband tackling me from both sides.
Angie grabs me in a hug and I whisper in her ear, “What is going on with you and the weirdness everytime Jenson is mentioned?” She stiffens in my arms and then relaxes again as she sighs.
“Nothing that matters now. Stop worrying about me. Congratulations, Mrs. Lockheart.” She grins, kisses my cheek, and turns and sashays into the box.
I want to go after her, but Lucky tugs my hand and I bend down and scoop him into my arms as the celebration around us continues.
After a little time has lapsed, I notice the team’s left the pitch and I itch to get down to Owen, but I don’t know if it’s the right thing to do. Should I wait for him to come to me?
“Erm Nicole, I think Lockheart might be about to bust a blood vessel if he has to wait any longer to kiss you. Go to him. I’ll take Lucky home with us tonight. I won’t let him out of my sight.”
I must’ve spoken out loud again, a habit I’ve got to learn to break, as Edie smiles at me. I look to my boy, expecting some sort of irritation at being palmed off with Edie and Jaxson, but instead he pumps his fist and says, ‘sweet’ to no one in particular.
Once I’ve detangled myself from him, I head inside the box and stop, realising I have no idea where I’m going.
“We’ll show you where to go.” Emilia steps forward with Grayson at her side and I smile my thanks to them both.
As I follow their lead through endless hallways, the anticipation starts to bubble in my stomach. I wonder if Owen feels it too. Swishing my ponytail over my shoulder and patting my hair down, I run my finger under my eyes and whisper, “Pssst, Emilia.”
She stops abruptly and turns to face me, her face a quizzical mess. “Did you just psst me?”
Laughter escapes my lips and I nod my head through my giggles. Once I’ve calmed down, I look at her again and fight the twitch in my smile when I catch her smirking. “Do I look like a panda?”
“A what now? Like the bear?” Grayson asks and makes me jump. I’d forgotten he was here. He’d kept walking when we stopped and I didn't see him step back to us through my fit of giggles.
“She means, does she have mascara around her eyes? When you cry whilst wearing mascara, sometimes it smudges,” The frustration in Emilia’s voice is apparent and something Grayson doesn’t miss.
“Angel, you need to watch that tone of yours.” He places his hand on her ass and gives it a little pat.
My eyes fly to Emilia’s, but she’s too busy biting on her lip and blushing furiously to see me.
If I could do it discreetly, I’d fan myself, because the heat these two are emitting has got me all hot and bothered.
“You don’t look like a panda at all. Or any other animal either.
Now come on before he thinks something bad happened.
” Grayson takes Emilia’s hand and she turns to look at me, a smirk on her lips as he tugs her down the hallway.
I hope Owen and I are still as in love and happy when we’re married like these two are.
The notion makes my breath hitch in my throat. He wants to marry me. He wants me in his life forever. He trusts me enough to make me his wife.
I’m still grinning like a lovesick fool when Grayson pushes open a door and declares, “Cover up what you don’t want Shark to see, fellas.”
“What if we do want her to see it?” A voice I don’t recognise calls back, and Emilia cackles behind her husband's back.
“Put it this way, if my wife sees it, I’mma break it,” Grayson states casually as a small ‘okay Mr. Shark’ goes through the room. “Where’s Owen? I’ve got someone here to see him.”