19. Stone
Ineeded to leave for the game early today since it was an afternoon game. Instead of having Emerson come with me and hang out by herself in the dedicated family room, I told her to head over an hour before the game started. Hayden dropped the tickets off, so I could bring them over to her before I left.
With my helmet in hand and my leather jacket on, I headed out the door. I crossed the landing and knocked. It took all my strength not to think about last night and how I almost kissed Emerson for real.
The memory of her pressed against the doorframe, her wide green eyes staring up at me. Her pillowy lips begging for me to kiss them. It haunted me all night. Finally, I’d gotten up and taken some cold medicine to knock me out.
That seemed to do the trick. I woke up mostly rested. I was tired, but I knew as soon as I got out on the field, that would all go away.
I lifted my hand and knocked. I waited, rocking back and forth on my toes. Finally, the door opened, and Emerson was standing there. She looked groggy.
“What’s up?” she asked, pulling the door open more. She was wearing a skimpy satin pajama set, and it ignited an inferno in my stomach.
I forced myself to stay calm as I reached into my back pocket and pulled out the tickets. “Just dropping these off. Hayden scored you front-row seats, so we can make a show of this.” I winked as I handed the tickets over.
Emerson took them. “Thanks,” she said.
“There’s two, so you can bring Tilly. I’m sure she’ll want to come.”
Emerson yawned as she leaned against the doorframe. “I’m sure she will.”
“Great.” Not sure what to do, I just nodded and then turned to head down the stairs. Then I paused. “Bring something nice to change into afterward. We’re going out for dinner.”
She looked surprised. “Really?”
I winked as I cocked my head to the side. “We gotta sell this romance. I’m going to give you the Stone special.”
She rolled her eyes. “Okay.”
I shrugged and just as I got to the top step, her voice caused me to pause.
“Stone?”
I closed my eyes. Why did I love the sound of my name on her lips so much? I really was a glutton for punishment. “Yeah?” I called over my shoulder.
“Break a leg.”
I met her gaze and held it for a moment before I nodded and made my way down the stairs. Once I got to my bike, I shoved my helmet on and then swung my leg over the bike. The roar of the muffler filled the garage as I pulled out of my parking spot and waited for the garage door so I could get through.
I parked in my reserved spot once I got to the stadium. I threw my keys up into the air as I made my way to the door to punch in my code. As soon as I walked through the door of the locker room, a cheer erupted. The guys were whooping and hollering as they all surrounded me.
“You did it, man!” Isaac said as he clapped me on the back.
“I’m so glad you locked that down,” Colt said.
It took me a moment to realize what they were talking about. Emerson. The kiss from last night must have made it to social media. Which was good. It meant our plan was working.
Instead of telling them the truth, I decided to just go along with it. It felt nice to have my friends this excited for me. No longer were they trying to set me up with their sister or their cousin. I was no longer the single guy, and it felt good.
Plus, I wanted my relationship with Emerson to be real, so with my team, I was going to allow it to be.
“Yep. She finally saddled herself with yours truly,” I said as I shrugged.
“I’m happy for you.” Isaac beamed as he squeezed my shoulder and then returned to his locker.
The rest of the guys murmured something congratulatory before they returned to what they were doing. I knew I shouldn’t be smiling as hard as I was, but I couldn’t help it. I wanted Emerson to be mine, and in this moment, she was.
I was on cloud nine during Coach’s talk to us. I was still grinning when I dressed and made my way to the field to warm up and get my uniform checked. George and I started practicing. I wasn’t fully paying attention. It was getting close to when Emerson was going to show up.
George noticed my distraction and called me on it, telling me that I needed to get my head in the game. I agreed with him and forced my focus to be on George and his throws instead of the stadium seat I’d reserved for her behind me.
Thankfully, I got into the zone. George and I were on point, him throwing me the ball and me catching. I was confused when Issac ran up to me.
“Hey, man. I think your biggest fan just showed up.” He nodded toward the seats behind me.
My heart started pounding in my chest when I turned to see Emerson and Tilly standing in the stadium. Emerson’s hair was pulled up into pigtail buns on top of her head. Her cheeks were painted with a Tennessee Tiger. And she was wearing my jersey.
Tilly was holding a sign that said, “Learn to take the heat because you’re about to be beat!” with a 41 dotted all over the posterboard. She was screaming and shaking the sign, drawing the curious attention of everyone around her.
Emerson shushed her. Tilly was a lot, but I didn’t even care. Emerson was in my jersey, at my game. She was mine. My heart swelled with pride. I held up my hand to George to let him know I needed a second as I jogged over to where Emerson and Tilly were.
Right now, fake relationship or no fake relationship, Emerson was mine.
“Hey, ladies,” I said once I neared the padded wall. I grinned at Emerson, not wanting to hide the fact that I was happy she was here. “That jersey looks nice on you.” I gave her a wink.
Her eyes widened, and her face flushed as she looked down. “Thanks,” she whispered.
Even though she thought that these compliments were contrived, I didn’t care. I was going to be me. I was going to do all the things that I’d wanted to do for her. I was letting it all out.
“And me?” Tilly asked as she framed her chin with the back of her hand and pursed her lips.
“You look amazing,” I said, keeping my gaze trained on Emerson. She kept glancing away and looking back at me. I was enjoying how shy she seemed. It was a side of her that I’d never seen before.
“Are you nervous?” she asked when her gaze finally settled on mine.
I shrugged. “Just normal nerves. Nothing I can’t handle.” I smiled at her, open and unabashed.
“Ooo!” Tilly grabbed onto Emerson’s arm and shook it. “Number 73 is pointing at us while he’s talking to a reporter.”
73? That was Isaac. I turned to see that his gaze was trained on me as he spoke to Jacob, one of the reporters on the field. Jacob was glancing between me and Isaac as if he were trying to follow what Isaac was telling him.
Suddenly, the cameraman turned his camera to face us. I knew that they were getting pregame footage like they always did, and this was going to be our chance of putting Emerson in the public’s eyes.
“Kiss her,” Tilly hissed in my direction, but I was already closing the gap.
Thankfully, she didn’t have to be convinced. As soon as I got to the wall, Emerson bent down. I slipped my hand through her hair and pulled her ever so gently to me. I pressed my lips to hers, loving the sensation that ran through me. It was the good kind of electricity. The kind you wanted to experience over and over again.
I moved my lips over hers, deepening the kiss. I wanted so badly to kiss her for real. Without cameras. Without crowds. I wanted her. All of her. She was mine to enjoy. Mine to worship. I just hoped that someday she’d trust me enough to let me in.
I knew this kiss had to end even if I didn’t want it to. I had a game to play, and Emerson didn’t feel for me like I felt for her. She thought this was fake. I wanted it to be real. I wanted it to be real so damn bad.
I pulled back, but I lingered close enough so I could look her in the eyes. I wanted her to see how I felt for her. Her breathing matched mine. I couldn’t quite tell what she was thinking. Was she mad? Should I have stopped the kiss earlier?
Her gaze was locked with mine. I knew I needed to pull back, but I wasn’t ready. And she didn’t seem in a hurry either.
These intense feelings coursing through my body would be the death of me. If I didn’t back away right now, I was going to fall harder and farther than I’d ever fallen before. And I couldn’t let myself do that. Not when I knew, at the end of all of this, she was going to dance off into the sunset with Brett. The truth was over. Now I was back to playing the game.
“I think that gave them some good footage,” I whispered as I broke out into a smile.
She blinked a few times before we both glanced over at the sports reporters who’d gathered a few feet away from us. I shot them all a big smile followed by a wink. I pulled back and grabbed her hand.
“I want to introduce you all to Emerson King. She is the most talented singer, and lucky for me, my girlfriend.” I dropped a kiss on her hand before I smiled over at her.
Emerson gave the camera a small wave. I said goodbye before I dropped her hand. When I was a few feet away, I turned and blew her a kiss. She smiled, pretended to catch it, and tucked it into her pocket.
“Ugh, you two are so cute it makes me sick,” Isaac said when he came up to join me after I jogged back to the team.
I just smiled and shrugged. Even though I could pretend that Emerson was mine when I was with my teammates, it didn’t make it true. In reality, this was all a facade. One with an expiration date. I needed to accept that.
“Let’s play some ball,” I growled. I had so much adrenaline and anxiety coursing through me, and I needed to do something to get it out.
We jogged off the field and back into the tunnel to wait for the announcer to introduce us. Coach gave us a few more pointers, and Colt led us in a quick prayer. As soon as our team was announced, we ran through the banner the cheerleaders had put up and out onto the field.
George was the one to represent us in the coin toss, and we won. We chose to receive, and the game started.
I was worried that having Emerson there was going to distract me, but as soon as the ball was snapped and I was running to get open, the stadium faded away and all I could see was the play. My muscles burned and stretched as I leapt to catch the throws that George sent my direction.
Ten minutes into quarter one, we scored a touchdown. I threw the ball onto the ground in the end zone and started to dance. I looked over to see Emerson and Tilly cheering and dancing right along with me.
They suddenly stopped and were pointing at the mega screens around the stadium. I looked over to see that they had split the screen. One side was me and the other side was Emerson.
There was a heart overlay, and everyone started looking around to get a look at who Emerson was. Her cheeks flushed as she smiled and waved at the camera before turning her attention to me and blowing a kiss.
By halftime, the Florida Stingrays were up one touchdown. The locker room was quiet as we sat around, listening to Coach yell at us in a way he knew would motivate us to go out there and kick butt.
We ran back out for the second half. I paced the sidelines when defense was up. I was nervous we might not win this game. I was handed a water bottle, and I tipped my head back and sprayed a stream into my mouth.
And then, even though I knew I shouldn’t, I let my gaze drift over to Emerson. She was standing in front of her seat with her hands covering her mouth as she watched the play. For someone who knew so little about the sport, she was invested. I smiled as I watched her shout at the refs.
An arm falling hard on my shoulders snapped me out of my trance. I looked over to see Jayden standing right next to me.
“Coach is going to be pissed that your head isn’t in the game,” he said as he looked straight ahead and slowly turned to face me.
“What are you talking about? It’s in the game.”
He shook his head and pointed to the mega screens. They were playing my smile as I stared up at Emerson on repeat. They even emphasized it with a pounding heart that was growing bigger and bigger.
I cursed under my breath and swore to myself that I wasn’t going to look in her direction until the game was finished. Thankfully I kept that promise, and we managed a close victory of 13 to 12. We cheered as we met together in the center of the field. After celebrating, I ran over to Emerson, who had remained in her seat.
“Hayden is going to come get you. She’ll take you to the family room to get some food.” I pointed my finger at her. “Don’t eat a lot. We have another public appearance to go to.”
Emerson nodded. Tilly popped into my line of sight to congratulate me. I nodded at her, glanced one more time at Emerson, and rejoined the team as we ran off the field.
I showered and got ready in record time. Coach wanted me to stop in the press room before I left. I nodded as I walked out. After my interviews, I made my way to the family room in search of Emerson.
I pushed through the claps on the back and the congratulations. I tried not to seem rude, but I was ready to find Emerson and leave. The crowd parted, and I found her standing along the far wall. She was leaning toward Tilly and whispering.
She hadn’t noticed me, so I took my time taking her in. She was wearing a strapless black jumpsuit with lots of jewelry hanging from her neck and ears. She tucked her hair behind her ear as she glanced around. Her gaze found mine, and she paused before she smiled.
My heart surged as I crossed the space between us. “Hey, ladies,” I said. I glanced down at Emerson and smiled. She was watching me, holding my gaze like she didn’t want to let it go. I was trying hard not to read into our interaction, but I wanted this to be real so bad.
“You clean up nice,” Tilly said as she motioned to my black suit and white button-down shirt.
“Thanks.” I glanced back over to Emerson. “Ready?”
She nodded as she pushed the strap of her blue purse further up her shoulder. “Sure.”
I reached out my hand and gestured the direction we needed to go. I kept my hand centimeters from her lower back. I wanted to touch her, but I didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable. As soon as we exited the family room and entered the tunnels, I dropped my hand to my side.
“Be prepared,” I said as we neared the press tunnel, where I knew people were going to snap pictures of us.
Emerson glanced over at me. “For what?”
I slid my hand into hers and squeezed. She glanced over at me, her eyes wide. “For the cameras,” I whispered as I leaned into her.
Just then, flashes from the press sparkled around us. I nodded in their direction as I ushered Emerson through the tunnel toward the parking lot.
As soon as we were away from the cameras, she dropped my hand. “Is it always like that?” she asked as she blinked a few times.
I shook my head. “Not that intense.” I shrugged. “I think word is getting around. Most of the team congratulated me when I walked into the locker room this morning.”
Emerson’s eyes widened. “Wow. That’s fast.”
“It’s a good thing.”
She frowned as she studied me. “Why do you say that?”
I quickened my pace so I would reach the door before her. I pressed on the release and it swung out. “It means you’ll get discovered quicker.” I paused, not wanting to say the words but needing to. I didn’t want her to feel pressured to stay in this fake relationship longer than she wanted. “And the quicker we can stop fake dating.”
Emerson snapped her gaze to mine. She held it for a moment before she looked away and nodded. “You’re right. The sooner we get the desired result, the better.”
We walked in silence through the parking garage until we got to my motorcycle. Thankfully, I didn’t have to convince her to get on this time. She swung her leg over before extending her expectant hand. I handed her my helmet and leather jacket before climbing on in front of her.
It was torture, feeling her body pressed against mine as I started the engine and took off through the parking lot. But it was a kind of torture that I never wanted to end. She belonged on my bike.
The thought of her like this with another man was enough to make me see red. I needed to convince her that she needed to fake date me forever. I was certain, with our history, she could never fall for me for real. Why would she?
Her family had probably poisoned the water. I knew what they thought about me. They’d made it clear when they promised to help me but shoved me out the door as soon as I wouldn’t give them what they wanted.
This relationship was going to come to an end; I needed to accept that.
I took in a deep breath and straightened as we idled at a red light. Emerson straightened as well, her hands lingering on her thighs as we waited for the light to turn green. I hated how comfortable I’d gotten with touching her. I hated how this felt real.
I pulled into the valet for Burton Steak and turned off the engine. Emerson climbed off, and I followed after her. I handed the key to the valet driver before turning to see that Emerson had pulled off her helmet. The ma?tre d’ was standing at the hostess stand. I walked up and told her the name for the reservation.
She nodded as she offered to take our jackets. Emerson handed her my helmet, and I moved to help her out of my leather jacket. My fingers brushed her skin, and I hated how electricity rushed through my body as a result. I handed the jacket to the expectant ma?tre d’, and she disappeared into the coat closet.
When she returned, she waved for us to follow. Our table was in the back corner of the restaurant. As I made my way through the tables, Emerson slipped her hand into mine. My heart surged as I glanced down to see her nodding at a couple that were obviously staring at us.
I squeezed her hand, which made her glance up at me. I held her gaze, hoping she would see just how much this meant to me—even though it wasn’t supposed to mean anything.
She just smiled and pressed closer to me. “It’s all for the crowd,” she whispered before she turned to wave at an older couple who were trying to sneak a photo of us with their phone.
Her words felt like a dagger to my chest. I knew this was fake. I knew this was going to end. She didn’t want to be with me like I wanted to be with her.
And she hadn’t fallen deeply in love with me like I’d fallen for her. If I didn’t stop myself now, I was never going to be able to come back.
Ever.