Blind Side (Red Zone Rivals, #2)

by Kandi Steiner

mewl

teetering on the edge

And yet, if this was it, if this was the only way I could ever have her… I was thankful.

“I don’t know how you came to be so self-centered, but I hope I can never stomach turning my back on my family the way you have.”

digits

“Oh, yeah, I… I got these for you,” I said lamely, cringing a bit when she took them and surveyed the broken stems and ragged petals still holding on. “They looked a lot better before my walk.”

“I couldn’t eat,” he started, knee still bouncing. “Couldn’t train, couldn’t sleep, couldn’t do anything other than make myself sick thinking about him touching you.”

“I want you,” he repeated on a raspy breath. “And I don’t want to pretend anymore.” I nearly sobbed when those words danced into the shell of my ear, when I realized every aching rip of my heart was one he’d felt, too.

It was real. All of it was real.

drop of dew,

that's a first…

mewled,

ugh

It was enough to drive a sane man out of his mind, to have a girl like Giana open up for me, let me in, trust me with everything that she was, and give herself to me in every way that she could. I wouldn’t take a second of it for granted.

“Come on. We have a game to win,” she said, tossing me my t-shirt. I caught her wrist when she did and pulled her back into me. “I think we already won.”

heheeeheeheh

and I ate that shit up,

And she knew, even without me

That was what fucked me up the most, the fact that even at my worst, she somehow saw through it all to my true heart.

“I don’t care if you don’t want to talk about it. You’re a part of this team, and you’re a big reason why we pulled an L today.

“We’re your friends. We’re family. I know you’re always the one lending the hand, Clay, but we can help you, too.” He paused. “You just have to be willing to let us.”

“It’s okay to love him.” “Even if he doesn’t love me back?” “That’s the thing about love,” he said, kissing my hair. “It doesn’t need to be reciprocated to be real.”

peacoat

Maybe I didn’t get to have him forever. But I’d hold on to every little piece of him that he gave me for the rest of my life. And after, too.

“Stop trying to handle whatever is going on alone,” he said, his voice loud and firm. “Goddamnit, Clay — can’t you see your friends are worried about you? You’ve been there for every single one of us at one point or another,” he continued, and I looked behind him at where Riley and Holden nodded in agreement before my eyes met Zeke’s again. “Let us help you now.”

“You have a right to be happy, Clay,” Riley said softly. “And you do not have to bear everyone else’s burdens. You’ve done enough of that.”

“I… I can’t.” I said. “I fucked this up beyond repair.” “Ugh, you are infuriating,” Riley said,

“You read her books, didn’t you?”

“This is the part where you get the girl, you idiot.”

“The grand gesture,” Zeke added, and my eyebrows shot up as he shrugged me off. “What? I know how to romance,” he said in defense.

He looked out over the hands raised, the people calling out his name, and then pointed to someone near the back. “Clay Johnson,” he said.

“Uh, yeah, I was just wondering,” he said when he was standing on top of the chair fully, and he yelled out the words over the crowd. “Have either of you ever done something really stupid that almost ended your relationship?”

“And you guys have a really great story.” “Aw, thanks Clay,” Riley said, giving Zeke googly eyes as she leaned into him. “But ours is better.” My heart stumbled, stopping altogether for a long breath as Clay’s eyes snapped to mine. “Wait… ours?” someone asked,

“Yes, ours,” Clay confirmed. “Mine and Giana Jones’ story.” “Oh, my God,” I whispered, covering my mouth with shaking hands.

Clay, who was now holding up a small book for everyone to see.

“Blind Side,” he said, showcasing the simple black cover. “The story of how I fake-dated the girl of my dreams and then lost her from being an idiot.”

cue the music....

“I hurt you. I know I did. And I also know that I don’t deserve the chance to explain everything to you, to admit my wrongs and ask for your forgiveness.” His brows folded together. “But I’m going to anyway. Because I love you, Giana Jones.”

“I love you,” he repeated, quieter this time, as if he only wanted me to hear. “I love your smutty books, and your weird documentaries, and your obsession with orange, processed snacks.”

I choked on something between a laugh and a sob.

ugh this hits every time.....

“I love the way you dress, and the way you light up when you talk about the universe, and the way you saw through every wall I tried to put between me and the rest of th...

“I love how you believe in me, and how you burn to prove everyone wrong when they size you up too quickly. I love that you challenge yourself.” He paused. “I love that you challenge me.”

“I love everything about you — big and small, silly and serious. And I’m sorry I was an idiot and tried to end our story before it even had the chance to begin.”

“I know I have a lot to explain, and I promise I’ll tell you everything. But right now, I just need you to know that I might have been good at pretending a lot in our time together, but I never faked the way I felt about you.” His thumb slid across my jaw. “You have owned my heart since the first fake kiss, Kitten.”

i let this dumb nickname slide each time...

Clay waited until I looked at him before he held up the book in his hands. “This baby needs some revision,” he said, trying to smile, though it fell quickly as his eyes searched mine, the same pain I felt reflected in them. “So, what do you say? Want to rewrite it together?”

ooop that was smooth..

“Oh God,” I said, scrambling out of Clay’s arms. “Charlotte, I’m so sorry. I—” “Sorry?” she asked, severe, and then a slow smile spread on her face. “For what? Making us the headline?” I blinked. “I…uh…”

Clay swallowed, nodded, and pulled me into him. “I’m sorry I ever made you doubt my feelings for you. I’m sorry I hurt you the way I did.” “I knew you didn’t want to.” “I know,” he said, shaking his head. “Which is crazy, by the way. How did you know?”

“Because I know you,” I said simply, searching his eyes. “Because I love you, too.”

“You’re too good to me.” “No, you’re just not used to being in a relationship where the love and care is reciprocated.”

“I am a little pissed off at you, though,” I admitted after a moment. “As you should be.” “Not for this whole mess,” I said, waving a hand as if it was on the foot of my bed. “But you’ve known for almost two weeks that you messed up, that you wanted me back, and you waited to tell me?”

he growled

rivulet

And then he kissed me, and for the first time in my life, I felt like the main character. This was my happy ever after.

Our head coach was leaving us.

next book prep…