Chapter 31 #2
“The thought of being away from you makes my stomach churn. These past few weeks without you have been torture. And watching you go down on the field almost killed me. I was so worried about you, Colt, you don’t even know. When I saw you in the training room, I tried to hold it together, but…”
Colton couldn’t take it. He took her hands and pulled her toward his couch.
He sat her down, dropping to his knees between her legs and placing his hands on her waist. “Luc, you are the reason that I love football again. I’ve been going through the motions for the adoration of the fans for who knows how long.
For the first time since—god—flag football?
I love it again. And that’s because of you.
You were the first person in my life to make me feel worthy, even without winning. Like I matter regardless of my stats.”
Her lips parted, and he ran a thumb over them.
“Wait, let me finish, sweet girl. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you how I felt sooner.
I don’t know if it would’ve changed things, but I was scared.
So scared to fully admit it to even myself because…
god, if you knew how I feel about you, you’d have the power to end me completely.
She made a noise that sounded like surprise and something else. “Colt…”
“You’ve lived under my skin for so long, put roots down inside of me that don’t want to move.
I can’t go a minute without thinking about you.
When I’m in meetings, lifting, practicing, even during games, you consume my every waking thought, even when you shouldn’t.
I can’t even pinpoint when it all changed for me, not really.
All I know is that I…fuck, Moretti. I love you.
I love your little skirts and those ridiculous heels.
I love that you have ten different green pantsuits for game day.
I love that you know more about football than me.
I love that you know how to fix my game with just a glance at my film.
I love how good you are at football trivia.
I love that little groove between your eyebrows that you reserve for me, mostly.
” He placed his thumb between her brows where he usually found that groove, though it wasn’t there now.
“I love that you came here and made friends with my friends so fast, and that you made my sister feel so welcome when she visited. I love your strength, and how brave you are after everything you’ve been through.
And most of all, I love the feeling I get when I run out on that field and get to kiss you in the end zone like I’m a giddy teenager during homecoming.
You’ve changed my life immensely over the last five months, and I’m so grateful to know and love you.
You’ve made me better in every single way.
” He chuckled, remembering his conversation with his father.
“Hell, I finally stood up to my father because of you.”
Her eyebrows shot up at his last sentence. “You did?”
He nodded, a wide smile on his face. “I did.”
She looked like she was still processing his rambling, so he added one last thought.
“I’ve spent my whole life only caring about one thing: how I can get my next win, my next championship ring.
And for the first time in my life, I realized at the game that none of that shit matters if you’re not there.
If I can’t smile up at you as you jump up and down in the analyst box, if I can’t celebrate with you, what’s the point? ”
Tears formed in her eyes, and she sniffled.
“I hate how much I’ve been crying recently, and you being sweet isn’t helping.
” She laughed, looking down at her hands in her lap.
“I love you too, Colt. Of course I do. How could anybody not love you? You make me smile when nobody else can—even when I should be in a bad mood. You make me happy beyond anything I’ve ever felt.
I feel like I can do anything, be anything I want when you’re with me.
You make me feel like I’m more than an analyst, and I appreciate that so much because, for the longest time, the only way I knew how to describe myself was as a numbers girl. And now I can be anything.”
Colton’s heart thumped hard in his chest, hope filling every vein and artery in his body. Her confession was better than a hundred championship wins.
He grabbed her chin gently, pulling her head up and meeting her eyes as he opened his mouth to speak. She smiled wickedly. “Let me finish, Superstar.”
He smiled back.
“I can’t promise that I’ll magically get over this fear of mine, but I promise I’ll try.
I’ll tell you if I’m ever feeling like running or if something happens and I get the urge to push you away.
I’ll make sure you know so we can talk it out.
Because I trust you more than anybody in this world, and I want to prove myself wrong.
I want to show my younger self, and even me from a few months ago, that love can be for me.
That I’m deserving of it, no matter what I’ve experienced.
That not all relationships have to end in heartbreak. ”
That’s all he’d wanted. He hadn’t expected her to leave all her fears behind just because they loved each other. But he did want her to try, because he was sure he could prove to her that she deserved love. If it took their entire lives together, he would prove that to her.
“That’s all I want, Luc. That’s all I will ever ask for. Just give me the privilege of proving to you that you deserve love. Because you do. You are the most deserving person in this world, and I want to be the one who gets to show you that every day.”
Lucia leaned forward, her forehead resting on his for only a moment before she kissed him passionately. When they pulled away, she said, “You better start by eating the breakfast I made you before it gets cold.”
And then they grinned at each other like a couple of idiots in love.