Chapter 31
My heart races, and I hold my breath, watching him fall to the mat as he perfectly executes the Honor Bound.
He hooks the leg of his opponent, and the referee slides across the ring, and the arena goes completely still.
Apparently, I’m not the only one holding my breath.
The referee’s hand slaps down onto the mat three times, each one echoing through the quiet air.
There’s a heartbeat of silence before the crowd erupts, and his music fills in the gaps.
Even from here, I can see his sister jump up and down in the front row with my best friend, hands clasped together, cheering.
I finally let out the breath I’ve been holding, but it does nothing to slow my heartbeat.
He climbs to his feet with a proud smile, and my own tugs on my lips.
“Here is your winner and new EWE Champion…Wolf Bennett!” the ring announcer yells into the microphone over the noise.
The referee presents the new champion with the belt before raising Wolf’s left hand while his right holds the belt high above his head.
It shines beneath the stadium lights, matching the beaming smile on Wolf’s face.
This moment reminds me of the poster back at EWE Headquarters, and it brings tears to my eyes.
I catch a glimpse of Lexi, Sophia, and Lexi’s new boyfriend in the front row.
Unaware of her brother’s identity, her new boyfriend bought Lexi ringside tickets (in the fourth row), but she surprised him with front row seats courtesy of her brother.
They have no idea I’m here. I told them the same thing I told Savannah; the difference is that she refused to take no for an answer.
I want nothing more than to be in the seat next to them, where I could properly celebrate this victory with Ben and the sixty thousand other people in this arena, but right now, my place is here, watching from the back of the sidelines.
I snuck out with Rae and Savannah once he appeared on stage.
They were afraid that if they made their presence known too early, it might give away the surprise.
I didn’t want my presence to detract from this moment for him, but when the car Savannah sent for me arrived promptly at eleven o’clock, I got in anyway.
It brought me straight to Gillette, where Savannah and Rae waited outside to greet me.
I spent most of the day by their side, keeping a low profile, and while it’s been fun, I also felt like a teenager seconds away from being caught sneaking through their bedroom window.
“C’mon, let’s go back, we can surprise him in gorilla,” Rae says, planting her hands on my shoulders to usher me toward the side entrance.
Surprise him in gorilla? I haven’t spoken to this man since the anniversary party; I don’t think ambushing him backstage is a good idea.
I don’t think talking to him at all is a good idea.
Savannah stops her. “I think she’s already been spotted.
” We follow the direction of her finger, pointing back toward the ring, and I meet Ben’s narrowed stare.
The same one from when I was sure he spotted me before the Honor Bound.
He stands on the middle ropes in the corner, looking our way over the crowd.
My insides melt when I notice the smile tugs up in the corner of his mouth, or maybe my mind is playing tricks on me.
Why would he smile? Maybe he doesn’t recognize me and is only smiling at two of his best friends.
“Go up there,” Savannah says, giving me a gentle nudge.
“I-I can’t, Sav. This is his moment, he just—”
“And it won’t be complete until you’re there. Now, go.” She gives me another shove, and this time, my feet carry me forward.
Ben’s eyes never leave mine as I swim through the crowd to the barricade, meeting me there. “You came?” he asks, breath coming out in hard pants, but his warmth wraps around me, threatening to extinguish the lick of anxiety creeping in my chest.
“I wouldn’t miss this,” I say.
He looks over the crowd to where his friends stand, and offers them a subtle nod before his gaze falls back to mine. Dark chocolate eyes search mine for a brief moment, and I feel a subtle tug in my chest. That invisible string pulling me forward. “Did you mean it?” he asks.
Did I mean it? What is he talking about?
“The article. Did you mean it?”
The article. He read it? A few of the other wrestlers had stopped me tonight and mentioned they read it, actually, more than a few did.
Apparently, my article had been making its rounds backstage, and according to the people I spoke with, the response has been positive.
Up until tonight, I had no idea how it was being received.
I ignored the email I received from Barry a week after the issue hit newsstands and the article had finally been uploaded to The Baller’s website, and the emails that followed. I didn’t want to know.
Tears begin to flood my vision at the thought of him reading it, and I try to swallow them back, but they go nowhere. Taking a breath, I say, “I meant every word.”
Another soft smile spreads across his lips. It warms my entire being, and before I know it, he’s wrapped his arm around my waist and hoisted me over the barrier.
“Ben—”
“Not here,” he whispers, pushing the hair from my face and leaning forward until our lips meet.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I can hear the crowd around us, hear Sophia gasp and Lexi scream with delight, but the world around us blurs. The only thing that matters is him. Our kiss is soft and sweet, and I can’t withhold a gentle exhale.
“Come with me,” he says, and plants his hand on my lower back. Adjusting the belt on his right shoulder, he guides me toward the ramp. With every step, my anxiety returns. How is Amos going to react? Will Ben get in trouble? Will I?
Ben’s sudden halt at the top of the ramp breaks me out of my thoughts.
He drops his hand from my back and cradles the EWE Championship in his hands before lifting it above his head.
The crowd roars, and the building quakes beneath my feet.
Standing here feels…surreal. Not only because he just pulled me from the crowd and kissed me in front of millions of people, but also because I had never imagined what it must feel like to stand in this exact spot.
Is this how they all feel every time they step out from behind that curtain?
It’s…frightening and incredible all at the same time.
I can’t help but stare up at him, mesmerized by the pure light radiating from his smile.
I take this chance to re-memorize the landscape of his face—the chiseled jawline, the dimples in his cheeks, and the crinkles in the corners of his eyes.
A swell of emotion rises in my chest when he glances my way, and the look in his eyes tells me everything I need to know.
The man staring back at me isn’t “The Gladiator” Wolf Bennett, megastar of the EWE; this is Bennett James, a small-town New England boy with a love for sports entertainment—and me.
His eyes say the one thing I’ve been yearning for over the past three weeks: I love you.
Despite the secrets and the lies, despite the judgements, despite it all… I love you.
He motions toward the entrance, and I follow him.
When we emerge through the curtain, everyone in gorilla is on their feet, but I look past them all to the man in the corner: Amos Rafferty.
His raised brow matches a quirk on his lips, but his subtle nod dispels any fears I had of my unexpected involvement in his product.
Noah Callahan steps forward, shaking hands with the man next to me and drawing my attention away from the corner. “That was fucking amazing. You guys killed it!”
“I wasn’t sure how it was going to over,” Ben says, his hand returning to the small of my back and pulling me close.
“They ate it up. Couldn’t have gone any better.”
After a few more handshakes and words of congratulations from the others, Amos steps forward and extends his hand. “Glad it’s over?”
Ben laughs. “You have no idea. I’ll be glad to get back on the road.”
So will I…Shit, don’t think that, Sloane. You don’t even know if he’s going to welcome you back to that.
I wouldn’t blame him if he kept me at arm’s length for a while. Or forever.
“We’re happy to have you back. Noah and Tim will be in touch with the next steps of the story,” Amos says.
Ben nods before he’s pulled into a conversation with Noah and another man—a producer, I think.
Amos turns to look at me and offers a gentle smile. “I’m glad you could make it, Sloane.”
“Savannah left me no choice,” I say.
“She can be very persuasive when she needs to be.” Amos takes my hand, leaning in. “Thank you,” he says in my ear, soft enough that I'm the only one who can hear. "For keeping my secret."
I pull away, smiling softly. “What will you do if it gets out?” I ask him, arching a brow.
Amos chuckles, already turning away. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there.”
Not if. When. What does that mean?
Ben’s hand lifts to rest on the back of my neck, giving it a gentle squeeze, and he smiles down at me when I finally look up.
“Plan to meet us at T.D. Garden around lunch time,” Noah says before he glances my way for the first time since we walked in. “Sloane.”
“Good to see you, Noah,” I say, matching his smile.
“You kids go enjoy your evening. We’ll handle the business tomorrow.” Amos winks, ushering us out of gorilla.
“That was incredible!” Sophia shouts the moment we pass through the curtain into the hallway. She wraps me into a tight embrace, knocking me back a few steps and out of Ben’s grasp. “You said you weren’t coming tonight. Lexi and I were missing you out there. Why didn’t you—”
“I didn’t want to be a distraction,” I say, briefly glancing at Ben.
“Fair,” she says, and squeezes me one more time.
“Where did you sit?” Lexi asks. “We would’ve sat with you.”