36. Epilogue Nathan
Epilogue: Nathan
“ L et’s go, boys!” I boom, cupping my hands around my mouth so the sound travels directly toward the guys clipping each other on the backs of their helmets after the referee has blown the halftime whistle. It’s the Super Bowl against the Nashville Wranglers—hosted in the Missarali City Stadium.
I’m standing in the stands, wearing a pair of worn jeans and a white T-shirt with a tartan overshirt hanging over my shoulder. It feels good to be here, not in uniform. Watching the guys play. It’s so different seeing it from this perspective.
I feel fucking free.
Leo sits beside me on Darrell’s wife, Hazel’s, lap. He points down at Evan and yells, “Dada!” which causes the people around us to release loud awwws in unison. Evan glances up at his son with adoration and offers him a wave. I know he can’t wait for the game to be over so he can have Leo back in his arms.
“How are your child coaching sessions going, Nathan? Has Leo joined yet?” Hazel asks me, bouncing the giggling child on her lap, making sure the protective earwear he’s wearing doesn’t slide off as she does so. Evan takes his son’s ear health very seriously.
I ruffle up the small boy’s hair as he reaches for me—it’s our thing at this point. “They’re going well, thanks, Hazel. And no,” my eyes narrow at a staring Evan, who cocks his head, knowing we’re talking about him, “Evan refuses to let Leo join my classes. Says he doesn’t want his son getting into football.”
I teach for fun. I let the kids enjoy the sport, and I put no pressure on them. We don’t play competitively. It’s simply a good time, which I wanted from football at a young age, so I’m happy I can give that to other children, even if I didn’t get it myself.
Hazel cackles. “Well, that’s going to be hard with how he looks at his dad when he plays.”
It’s true. Leo watches his father as if he’s hung the moon down there on that field. Normal kids would get restless and want to play with toys or crawl around, but Leo finds entertainment in watching Evan tackle other men to the ground.
He claps his hands every time.
As the guys file down the tunnel to have their halftime pep talk with Darrell—who shoots me a smile before he disappears—I turn all my attention towards the cheerleaders who skip out onto the grass. They’re all blown-out hair and cheesy smiles.
Mae looks fucking unbelievable, and my eyes flicker over to Renee for a split second to see her nodding along with the music, her lips curling into somewhat of a smile.
It’s a huge improvement from what used to be a glower as she scrutinised each and every one of her girls during the performance—her daughter, especially.
Mae’s eyes shoot to me, and she winks before spinning and dropping down into the splits with the rest of the girls.
Oh, she’s definitely going to be doing that for me later.
I make my way down to the stadium stairs as she dances, eyes glued on her. There’s no way I can wait until the game ends to have my arms around her waist and my lips on hers.
I climb the barrier, nodding toward the security guards who let me over with no questions. Renee spots me and offers me a simple nod before I join her.
“She’s great, right?”
She’s tense, but she clears her throat. “She gets it from me.”
My head kicks back as I laugh. Was that a joke? It’s hard to tell with Renee.
“You made the right choice… making her captain.”
“Yeah… is she managing okay?” Renee asks me, sounding like a curious mother. But she doesn’t look at me. Instead, her gaze is fixated on the field. “With her job at the animal shelter and this? It isn’t too much for her?”
I can tell she’s uncomfortable asking me these sorts of questions, but I don’t bat an eyelid. At least she’s doing it. “She helps Amber out at the bar one day a week now, so don’t worry, she’s fine.”
Renee studies me for a brief second before humming. “I hope you wait up for her.”
I chuckle. Mae and I moved into a bungalow on the outskirts of Missarali. It’s a quaint little home, but we didn’t need anything lavish or regal. I did insist on getting the perimeter fenced off and cameras installed though. Radish has his own playroom bursting with toys Flo insists on making us. It turns out the girl can sew. We don’t mention how he tears them apart the very day he gets them, but judging by the sheer amount of stuffing dotted all over the house, I’m sure Flo can tell.
He just loves ripping things up.
Shoes.
Toys.
Root vegetables.
“Don’t worry about your daughter, Renee. I drive her to and from that bar every shift.” I’ve offered to stay, but she always shoves me out the door while complaining she doesn’t need a babysitter.
Renee dips her pointed chin. “Good.”
I know that’s her weird little way of saying thank you , and I roll my eyes and laugh as the girls finish their routine. Arms fly up into the air as they skip around each other in a large circle, one hand splayed over their stomach while the other is up high, shaking the pom-pom.
It’s impossible for me to look at anyone other than my girl. Wherever she goes, my eyes follow.
The crowd cheers as they bow, and I clap and holler—louder than anyone in that stadium.
Mae rushes up to me and wraps her arms around my neck, and the sensation had me releasing a sigh of contentment.
“Perfect performance, Mae,” Renee tells her daughter before she steps away from us, shoulders still high, indicating her discomfort. But she’s trying, and I appreciate that. It’s all we can ask of her right now.
“I still think she kind of hates me,” I laugh as I kiss the tip of Mae’s button nose.
She shakes her head, grinning. “She doesn’t. She even told me how handsome you are the other day, but don’t let her know I told you that. She’d probably kick me off the team.”
“As tempted as I am to tease her about that, your secret is safe with me.”
We lock lips, and the people nearest us hoot. But I pay them no mind as I snake my hands around Mae’s waist and pull her to me, our bodies tangled.
There’s no better feeling than kissing her.
Showing her how wanted she is.
How desired she is.
How mine she is.
“I love you,” I say after I’ve pulled back.
“I love you too.” She leans closer to whisper into my ear, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “And by the way, the only regret I have about you quitting the team is that you never got the chance to fuck me while wearing your helmet.”
I feel my jeans tighten. Is this girl seriously trying to give me a rock-on in front of everyone? I smirk at her. “I still have the helmet, princess.”
Mae presses her lips together to stop her smile from growing even more, and that’s when I gaze into her glistening hazel eyes and know I’m not just in love with her. I’m lost in her. She’s in the air I breathe. In every thump of my heart. She’s the centre of my universe—a universe I didn’t even know existed until I laid eyes on her that day in Emmanuel’s wine store.
I used to dwell on the past. The time before I joined the Missarali Storks. Before my mom ended her life. Before my father took control and used me. Before I was thrown into a world of sleazy tabloid drama.
But that’s all behind me now.
I don’t think about my life like that anymore.
Everything before… that’s just before Mae Bexley . And it will stay that way forever, because she’s my future.
I thought allowing myself to love her was dangerous, but as the Missarali Storks finally raise that Super Bowl trophy in the centre of the field, gathering in a tight huddle, shouting and celebrating, I smile down at my girl.
Because with Mae by my side, I now know that the only dangerous thing about us was the warped belief that we weren’t meant to be.