Chapter Ten
SKYE
I tried to put the time with Liam in the library behind me and looked at the second half of game day as if it were a separate day entirely.
It almost felt like it with the cloudless sky and brightly shining sun promising a semblance of warmth.
I just finished taking a few candid shots of the audience and the field before the guys came out.
“Hey.” A girl with honey-blond hair grinned at me expectantly from the stadium’s packed seats. “You’re Skye Finley, right?”
I nodded. “Yeah.” I tilted my head, recognizing who she was as I placed the brunette next to her as Aurora, Kylian’s fiancée.
Weird that I chose the exact section where Liam’s roommates’ girlfriends were sitting for the playoff game.
Well, maybe not. We were at the fifty-yard line and in the first row.
The seats were terrific, and I could get fabulous pictures without being on the sidelines.
I didn’t regret the choice—since I’d already captured shots from the sidelines—now that I knew the people next to me.
Players and spectators alike wore black armbands in honor of Jackson, the football player who had died. It was a heartbreaking and unifying sight.
“I’m Brielle Sinclair, and this is Aurora,” Brielle said. “I recognized you from the athletic website.”
“Oh.” I scrunched my nose. “I hate that picture. I don’t know why they had to put it up. My name works well enough.”
“What are you talking about?” Aurora laughed. “It’s a great picture. Very artistic.”
It was artistic but not my favorite. I preferred to stay in the background or behind a camera.
Brielle squeezed my forearm and released it, sympathy clouding her ice-blue eyes. “How are you doing? Liam told us what happened with Jackson and how you found him. Liam’s been like a caged animal ever since, super worried about you.”
I started, my mouth falling open before I snapped it shut. “Why?”
Aurora grinned as she leaned forward to better join in the conversation. “Girl, you know he’s into you, right?”
Heat flooded my face despite the December chill. We miraculously hadn’t had any snow yet, though I could use some right about now to help with the wave of embarrassment and maybe hide behind a wall of white. “Liam isn’t into me. He’s a total player.”
Brielle shrugged. “Maybe he was. But I can tell you he’s been different lately. Think on that.”
A roar went through the crowd as fans leaped to their feet.
The stadium shook from the crowd stomping as our team ran out onto the field and saved me from responding.
My heart thudded, not from the high energy of the fans but from what Brielle had implied—stupid heart.
I just… I was afraid to set myself up for heartbreak a second time.
It was probably too late to shield myself against Liam.
My heart hadn’t gotten the memo from my mind as it fluttered like I was some damn Disney princess who’d just been kissed by the man of her dreams. A happily ever after wasn’t in store for me.
I needed to remember that. I’d had a front-row seat to Liam’s reality check when we’d been together.
I shoved Brielle and Aurora’s comments to the back of my mind, focusing instead on my task for the day.
It was the start of the playoffs, and Fall Lake University’s Falcons were predicted to win against Indiana.
But the media had been relentless, questioning if the team could pull it off after the devastating loss of their rising-star wide receiver.
The pressure on Liam was more intense than ever, something I knew weighed on him despite his outward confidence.
Over the past two weeks—and especially two nights ago, when he opened up about his rough childhood—I’d glimpsed layers of Liam that had only deepened my curiosity. Now, with him on the field, it was impossible to look anywhere else.
We won the coin toss and deferred, giving Indiana the ball first. It was the right call. Our defense had been ironclad, with new players stepping up alongside the veterans, making it hell for anyone to gain yards.
As the game wore on, I snapped photos and chatted with Aurora and Brielle, but my attention kept drifting back to Liam. Kylian was throwing rockets, completing short and long passes with precision. The crowd roared, but it all felt muted in my ears with my focus locked on Liam.
Liam dominated the field, every move precise and calculated, as if he were born for this.
Watching him, I couldn’t ignore his magnetic pull.
Everyone was watching him—including me. I raised my camera, trying to capture that determination in his eyes—the same determination that made my stomach knot.
I alternated between my camera and phone, trying to catch a few live videos to post on social media.
The rest would be edited and uploaded later.
The game moved fast, and I adjusted the settings on my camera to focus on Liam mid-sprint.
The light hit just right, illuminating his determined expression as he dodged a tackle.
Perfect. The caption formed in my head: “Unstoppable. Falcons Lead 21–14.”
“Liam’s on fire today.” Aurora nudged me as he made a spectacular catch, weaving through defenders like they weren’t even there.
The crowd chanted his name, and his stats flashed on the stadium’s giant video screen.
I nodded, watching Ares bulldoze through two defensive players, clearing a path for Liam to sprint through the red zone.
Touchdown. The stadium erupted, but I couldn’t shake the mixture of awe and worry tightening in my chest. Liam made it all look effortless, but I noticed the subtle tells—the way he shifted his weight at the line of scrimmage, his eyes flicking toward the scouts in the stands, even as he lined up for the next play.
“He looks stressed,” Aurora added, her voice quieter.
I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of it too.
I couldn’t imagine him not catching the eye of every scout in the stadium.
Liam wasn’t just good—he, Kylian, and Ares were unstoppable forces, creating magic on the field that rivaled top NFL players.
I’d heard analysts on SportsCenter talk about him the same way.
The only question was when his big break would come—not if.
As the crowd roared, I scrolled through photos of Lily on my phone before slipping it back in my pocket. How she’d giggled when Liam had read to her flashed in my mind unbidden. Would it be fair to let her get attached to someone who might not stay?
The camera lens followed Liam as he lined up for the next play.
My hands shook slightly—not from the cold but from the memory of Liam with my daughter.
Lily had adored him instantly, and the way he’d read her a bedtime story…
It wasn’t fair. He wasn’t supposed to be that good, that kind.
I forced myself to focus on the field. The ball snapped.
Liam took off, and I took a picture, capturing him mid-stride, all power and precision.
Leroy’s tackle was bone crushing, the kind that left the crowd gasping. I winced, lowering my camera. Something about his speed seemed… unnatural. My mind flickered back to Jackson’s sudden power and skill. Was it just hard work, or was something else behind it?
My phone buzzed with notifications as I posted a slow-motion clip of Liam’s last touchdown.
Within seconds, the comments had poured in—fans swooning over his athleticism, his smile as he ran off the field.
I set down the phone, but not before sneaking another glance at him through my lens.
He looked so alive out there. So untouchable.
The crowd erupted as the final whistle blew, but my chest felt heavy. I couldn’t shake the image of Liam’s smile—or the ghost of Jackson’s presence on the field. Victory felt hollow when so much remained unanswered.
After the game, as the crowd began to disperse, I lingered in the stands, snapping a few final shots of the field.
Liam was at the center of it all, surrounded by teammates, coaches, and what looked like a few scouts.
My emotions were a chaotic swirl—pride in his performance, anxiety about the drug rumors circulating after Jackson’s death, and the growing pull I felt toward Liam.
Our eyes met across the distance, and for a second, the noise around me faded.
A jolt of connection shot through me, sharper than I’d expected.
My chest tightened as I realized just how complicated things could get.
My feelings for Liam were no longer just about me—they could impact his career.
Since he’d read to Lily and tucked her in that night, something inside me had softened toward him.
He’d been right to tell me the truth all those years ago—football came first for him. It always had. I broke our gaze with a heavy heart, unsure of the future or if we even had one.
Aurora and Brielle waved goodbye as they passed, heading to wait for the guys outside the locker room.
I packed up my camera gear, trying to distract myself from the nagging thoughts churning in my mind.
Nearby, a group of cheerleaders gathered, watching the players with greedy eyes.
I couldn’t help but overhear their whispered conversation.
“Liam was insane out there today,” one cheerleader said, her voice full of admiration. “He’s seriously NFL material.”
“Yeah, and he’s still single,” another added, giggling. “Think he’ll finally settle down? Or is he keeping his streak alive?”
Disgusted with their gossip, I pulled out my phone and scrolled through photos of Lily.
I couldn’t let myself get wrapped up in Liam again.
Even if I wanted to—and I could admit that much—I had to think about my daughter.
She needed stability. I’d been terrified to tell Liam the truth for a reason.
Especially after what had happened to my mom when my hotshot dad had decided he finally wanted me in his life.
I lingered a moment longer, watching Liam disappear into the locker room. The field felt empty without him. I didn’t know what scared me more—the idea of letting him in or the thought of what might happen if I didn’t.