Chapter 30
Vee
The stadium applauded as Fin got to his feet and made his way to the sideline and into the blue medical tent. Through the earpiece, I heard Tilson call for Simpson to go in. My stomach dropped. Fin wouldn’t want his last play of the game to be a tipped pass.
Troy looked at me.
I covered my mouth with my notes. “They’re sending Cody in.”
Troy pressed his lips together and turned back to the field.
We lost three yards with the fumble. That made this second down and thirteen.
Drew called RPO. The ball was snapped. Simpson had the ball.
He stepped back, scanning, scanning. Denver’s defense closed in.
Simpson threw to Ramel Patel, wide receiver.
Patel caught and tucked the ball at the thirty-eight-yard line.
JD Downing blocked, running alongside Patel all the way to the end zone.
After the extra point, we were up fourteen to ten.
On the jumbotron, I saw Fin leave the medical tent and let out a relieved breath when I heard he was cleared to play.
Denver had three and a half minutes to get a touchdown. A field goal wouldn’t be enough.
It was up to our defense now.
Despite how exhausted I believed they were, the Coopers’ defense ran onto the field with vigor. Flores from our secondary hung back as the defensive line bunched up to match Denver’s formation. The ball was snapped.
Denver’s quarterback took a step back. He danced from foot to foot. His arm went back. It was a long pass.
Shit.
This was too fast. We couldn’t let them score.
Flores came from the right field as if he were running the route. He zagged in front of the receiver and intercepted the ball. This time I didn’t try to hide my excitement. All we needed to do was work the clock, and the Coopers would be 2 and 0 in the regular season.
Our defense held.
After the game, Malik Johnson stopped to talk to me. “I told you to watch the defense, Ms. Maeve. We’re the stars.”
My smile was wide. “You are. Great game.”
Fin was only a few players behind Malik on his way to the locker room. “Good game, Fin,” I said.
He turned his blue stare in my direction. There was no joy in his expression. “Congratulations, Ms. Hubbard, your team won.”
It was after seven in Denver by the time we all boarded the Gulfstream. Uncle Darin and Aunt Rachel joined us on the return flight. We wouldn’t get back to Lexington until after one in the morning our time.
Daphne had the back couch converted into a bed. The rest of us sat farther forward in the fuselage. It wasn’t the same as flying economy, but honestly, even with the reclining chairs it wasn’t that comfortable. By the time we landed, I was ready to sleep for a couple of days.
That wouldn’t be possible.
Our Monday executive meeting would be at ten.
After the exciting win and the flight home, sleep should have come easily.
It didn’t.
My thoughts were on Fin.
I couldn’t deny how worried I was about him when he went down on the field. Or that I felt bad Drew didn’t put him back in after the tipped ball. That wasn’t his fault. A defender read the play and got in the way.
Mostly, I couldn’t forget his expression or tone as he wished me congratulations.
I’d been right. Griffin Graham should never have signed with the Coopers.
Four weeks into the season, and the Coopers were undefeated.
I was back at my condominium watching our home game we’d played earlier in the day.
I’d gotten into the habit of recording it.
Thankfully, they were showing me less during the broadcasts.
There were usually one or two shots with my name on the screen.
More than anything, I wanted to hear what the national announcers were saying.
Overall, Fin had the respect of the broadcasters.
Many of the talking heads were retired players who had played against him.
That didn’t stop most of them from betting against us before the start of each game.
Today’s game was different. The Coopers were highly favored over the Rams.
Fin played the first three quarters. Drew took him out and put Simpson in with the Coopers up thirty-five to six. I was watching our last offensive drive in the third quarter when my phone rang.
The stupid twenty-year-old part of me wanted to see Fin’s name on the screen. Our communication of late had been limited to names. “Mr. Graham.” “Ms. Hubbard.”
My bubble of hope popped. It wasn’t Fin’s name on the screen. It was Preston’s. My first instinct was to ignore his call and let it go to voicemail. And then I remembered what it felt like to be ghosted. I answered.
“Hey, Preston.”
“Vee, it’s good to hear your voice.”
“How are you doing?” I asked.
“Fine, I guess. You?”
“Busy.” It was my go-to answer.
“I watched the game. You know, before you, I didn’t pay that close attention to football.”
I scoffed. “The Coopers appreciate your support.”
“Remember that date I promised you?”
“Preston,” I said his name with a weary voice.
“Dinner? I miss you.”
I shook my head, looking around my empty condominium. I didn’t miss Preston. Part of me wanted to, like it was something I should be doing. Maybe I felt I owed it to him after two years. The truth was, I didn’t. “Preston, thanks for calling and cheering for the Coopers.”
“Vee, you look great out there on the sidelines. I should have realized how important it was to you.”
“You should have,” I said. “And it’s okay that you didn’t. Have a good life.”
“I guess this is…”
“Goodbye, Preston.”
Pausing the game, I walked out onto the balcony and looked up at the October sky. The lights of Lexington kept the stars at bay. Holding tightly to the railing, I thought about Preston’s call. I didn’t want to talk to Preston. It was Fin I wanted.
I couldn’t deny it any longer.
Back inside, I picked up my phone and tried.
I typed a text message.
“HI. I AM SORRY. NOT ABOUT THE GIRLS IN TENNESSEE. I’M SORRY I NEVER TOLD YOU WHO I WAS, WHO DAD WAS. I REMEMBERED WHAT YOU SAID HAPPENED IN THE TENNESSEE LOCKER ROOM. EVERY WORD.”
Tears prickled the back of my eyes as my finger hovered over the send arrow.
Twenty-year-old me was afraid to push it. She’d done it before.
Swallowing, I looked up, seeing my reflection in the window. I wasn’t twenty years old. Fin could choose not to respond, but I wasn’t going to miss out on a future due to my own stubbornness.
I hit send.