Score: A Stepbrother Sports Romance (27 page)

“
U
h
, I’m gonna go…pee, or something.”

“What?”

Roxie nods towards me from the driver’s side of her car with a raise of her eyebrows. “Call me if you need anything, dude.”

Hailey turns, but by the look on her face, I think she knows it’s me before she moves.

“Hi.”

She takes a deep breath, leaning back against the passenger side of Roxie’s beat-up Subaru before blowing it back out. “Hi.”

Any other time, any other girl in the world, any other circumstances, and I’d be rolling my eyes at the thin response.

But I grin.

Hailey’s mouth goes small, and she looks away when I smile at her. “What are you doing here, Dalton?”

“Oh, I felt like driving to Florida to get my
ass
handed to me in front of forty-thousand people by a third-rate team. You?”

She grins, and she quickly looks away again to hide it, but it’s not fast enough.

And right then, it’s those first few times we met. Right here, it’s the blushing, nerdy science chick and the crude, foul-mouthed jock butting heads all over again. Except we’re so much more than that now, and we both know it. We’re so much more than the stupid, played-out stereotypes of ourselves that we’re “supposed” to be.

“The question, darlin, is what are
you
doing here?”

Before, if I took a step towards her like I do right there, it was to get under her skin.

Before, when I caught her gaze with my own and didn’t let it go, it was because I was trying to annoy her.

And before, when I didn’t stop moving toward her until I was practically touching her, with her back against the car, her breath catching in her throat, and her lip drawn between her teeth, it was because I wanted to wind her up.

I don’t want to do any of those things anymore.

Now? Now I just want
her
.

Her cheeks glow a dusky pink and her eyes dart across mine as she swallows thickly. “Dalton-”

“Why are you here tonight, Hailey?”

She blinks quickly. “To support my dad.”

“Bullshit.”

She frowns. “Excuse me?”

“I said
bullshit
.” My pulse roars in my ears, the rush of everything I’ve said and everything I still
need
to say pulsing through me like the rush of a win, or of a jaw-dropping pass. Only ten-thousand times more than that.

“Dalton, I don’t know why else you’d
think
I’d be here-”

“You
know
why I think you’d be here,” I growl. My hand moves up to her face, and her breath catches as I run my fingers across her jawline. “
Tell me
why you’re here, Hails,” I say quietly, my eyes blazing into hers.

“I
told
you-”

“Tell me you’re not here for me. Tell me you’re not here because you missed me even just a
little
bit.” I shake my head, my jaw tight. “Tell me you don’t feel even one
tenth
of what I feel for you, darlin, and I’ll walk away right now. Because if you don’t,” I take a deep breath. “If you don’t tell me any of those things, well, then I’m gonna go ahead and kiss you right here, right now.”

I can see her pulse beating in the soft shallow crevice of her collarbone, see the red heat that creeps into her cheeks, and the way her eyes go wide as they search my face. I see those perfect, pouty lips of hers tremble just a tiny bit, and I want to mash my own against them.

I want to taste her mouth, swallow her moans, take her breath away and tell her I am capable of being
exactly
the man she thinks I can be.

“Dalton, I-” She slowly shakes her head, her eyes seeking mine. “We can’t, Dalton.”

“Yes, we
can
, Hails.”

I can see the tremble in her lips, the rapid dart of her eyes as she blinks away the water brimming at the corners. “Dalton, you’re
you
, and I’m
me
, and in a few months after the wedding, we’re going to be even more.”

“I don’t
care
about all that.”

“Well you should!” She blinks again, looking past me and slowly shaking her head.

“Hailey-”

“No, Dalton.” She looks back at me then, and right there, I read every single thing in that look that words could never say.

Oh, fuck
.

Because right there, I see it.

The timer’s run out, the fans are already leaving the stands, and the concession booth is turning off its lights.

Right there, I see that I’m still playing a game that I’ve already lost.

“Dalton, it’s just…”

She trails off, but I’ve already heard everything she’s about to say. No, screw that, I’ve
said
everything she’s about to say before. ‘It’s not you it’s me’. ‘It’s not the right time’, ‘you’ll only hate me’.

Yeah, been there, and I’ve said them all. And by some horrible twist of karma, it’s coming back to bite me now.

“Dalton, it’s just that-”

“Save it, darlin,” I say quietly. I move back, my hand dropping from her cheek as I nod. “Heard loud and clear.” I shake my head as I start to turn. “Heard loud and clear.”

And then I’m walking away.

I’m putting one foot in front of the other and feeling something in my chest tear in fucking two with each step.

But that’s the way it is, that’s the way it’s gotta be.

Hell, sometimes, you win, and sometimes-

I stop in my tracks.

No
.

Hell no.

Sometimes you win, and sometimes you just have to
work harder
to make it happen. Sometimes you’re against the ropes, and sometimes life kicks you while you’re down. Sometimes your dad dies in a fucking senseless car crash when you’re nine years old. Sometimes, you get the shit kicked out of you after practice by third-rate players when you make varsity during your sophomore year of high school.

Sometimes you fall for the last girl on Earth you should fall for, and your whole world shatters.

I’ve already lost? No way.
Fuck
that.

I turn, and when my eyes meet hers, I know the play and see the move like it’s clear as day, because it was there all along.

“I love you.”

Hailey freezes, and her eyes snap to mine. “What?”

I shake my head. I
reject
the idea of losing. And hey, after all…

I’m Dalton Cole.

I don’t lose. At least, not without putting it all on the damn line.

I storm back towards her, and she gasps as I cup her face in my hands. “I said-”

“No.” She’s shaking her head, “Please don’t say that.”

“I’ve
never
said that.”

She’s blinking back the moisture in her eyes as she stares up into my face. “So why say it now?”

“Because it’s true.”

It’s the simplest answer in the world, and it was sitting right in from of me. Hell, it was standing right in front of me that first day, in the backyard when I looked up from that pool and saw her walk out.

“I fucking love you, Hailey,” I murmur, my eyes burning into hers and my lips millimeters away from hers. “And you know what? There’s not a damn thing you can say right now that’s going to stop me from fucking kissing yo-”

She cuts me off with her lips, and then she’s melting against me. I groan as I wrap my arms around her, pulling her tight against me as our mouths bruise together, our breaths catching in time. She moans into me, clutching at me with her fingers and pulling me against her as I burn every single thing I’m feeling for her across those perfectly sweet lips.

“Well! This looks cozy!”

Hailey jerks away at the sound of Meredith’s bubblegum voice, and we both whirl around to see her standing there, grinning.

Oh, fuck
.

She rolls her eyes, shaking her head. “Okay, now this is going to make an
amazing
story.”

“
Story?
” Hailey’s voice is tight, and I turn back to see the look on her face like a deer in headlights.

Meredith chuckles. “Oh, sugar,
this
story. I mean, you and your star of a
stepbrother?
” She laughs, the sound like a fork grating against a plate. “That is
too good
not to write.”

Hailey’s shaking her head side to side, her eyes going wide. “No, you
can’t
write this.”

“Oh, sweetie,” Meredith grins, and I see it even before she says it. “I already did.”

Oh, shit.

“I had my suspicions weeks ago, so I already
did
write it.” Meredith smirks at us, like she’s
won
something and she’s gloating about it. She holds up the little recorder in her hand and clicks a button, turning the little red light off. “And it looks like I was
right
, so yes, it’s going to print. At midnight, actually.”

No
.

“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God…” Hailey’s sucking in breaths, turning to push her fingers through her hair as she shakes her head side to side, like she can’t actually believe what’s happening.

“My dad, he’s-”

“Oh, honey, I can’t
imagine
he’ll be thrilled to hear about his little princess with his golden boy quarterback.”

I can feel my jaw tense as I narrow my eyes at the harpy reporter. I instinctively move in front of Hailey, as if I need to somehow shield her from this bitch. “Get the fuck out of here, Meredith.”

“Oh, honey, you couldn’t
pay
me to spend any more time following around you and your little band of sweaty football players.” She laughs, “You know, they weren’t as much fun to interview as you,
Ten
,” she snickers at me and I can feel Hailey’s hand tighten furiously in mine.

“
But
,” she smiles at us like some sort of wicked fairytale witch. “Some of them were a
lot
more willing to, um,
play ball
with the press than
some
people.” She winks at me, and every muscle in my body tenses.

“And you know what? Some of them were willing to share a
lot
more about what goes on behind the scenes with this team than you were, Dalton.”

She levels her eyes right at me.

“Like all the little friendly
bets
y’all like to make.”

It’s like there’s ice-water in my veins as I feel the ground start to shatter beneath my feet. I want to roar at her, or rage or do
something
. But it’s like I’m frozen, or watching this whole horrible crash happen in slow motion through a lens.

“You may have lost the game tonight, but it looks like you’re still a
winner
. Isn’t that right,
Ten
?”

No. Not now, not here, not like this.

“What’s she talking about?”

I turn towards Hailey, and Meredith laughs wickedly behind me. “Oh,
God
, does she still not know?” She clucks her teeth. “The
bet
, honey,” she says curtly, directed right at Hailey.

I whirl at Meredith, my face a frozen snarl. “You shut your mouth,” I growl.

“Oh, I think I should tell her.”

“Tell me what?”

I turn back to Hailey, my mouth opening but nothing at all coming out of it.

Because there’s nothing to say to this.

Nothing.

She furrows her brow, peering into my eyes. “What bet, Dalton?”

“Hailey, it-”

“To get in your pants.” Meredith’s words come like a slap.

“Big Ten here managed to win himself a thousand dollars for sleeping with the Coach’s daughter.”

And right there, the light goes out in her eyes. Right there, I literally watch that little flame I’ve seen in her eyes since the second I met her just snuff out. Her face falls, the color draining from it as that look I love turns to ice in front of me.

“Hailey-”

“Get away from me.”

“Damnit, Hailey, that is
not
what this-”

“Get away!”

“Hailey-”

“Get away from me. Dalton!”

She’s screaming then, the tears starting to roll big and wet down her cheeks as she shoves me back.

“What the fuck is happening over here?”

We both turn to see Roxie storming back over to this scene, her fists balled up.

“Just- can we just go?” Hailey’s yanking open the Subaru door before her friend even answers. “Now? Please?”

Roxie narrows her eyes at me over the roof of the car. “Yeah, get in.” She glares one last dagger look at me before she slides into the car and slams the door as it roars to life.

And then it’s just taillights illuminating the spot where we just stood like some sort of crime scene. The spot where my lips were just on hers, the spot where she was in my arms, and the spot where I left it all on the line.

The place where I said it all.

And then even the red glow fades as the car takes the corner and speeds away into the night.

“
Y
ou sure
you don’t want me to come in with you?”

I shake my head quietly in the dark of the car. “No, I-” I take a breath. “I’ve got this.”

Roxie nods as I open the car door.

Three minutes later, I suck in a big breath of air before I raise my hand and knock on the door to Dad’s office.

“Come on in.”

He stands from the chair behind his desk when I step in, and I can feel every nerve ending in my body buzzing with the same dread I can feel tugging at my face.

“Dad, I-”

“Hey, are you okay?”

I shake my head. “What? Yeah, Dad I’m fine, but there’s something I need to tell you.”

Slowly, he shakes his head. “You don’t, honey.”

“No, Dad-”

“Because Dalton already did.”

I freeze, feeling the ache in my chest ready to drop through the floor.

“What? No, Dad-” I blink. “Wait, he what?”

It’s a whirl of emotion and confusion, and I stagger a step, feeling like I might fall.

“He told me, Hailey - how he felt about you, I mean. After the game tonight.” He shakes his head. “That kid’s got iron guts, I’ll say that.”

Dalton told my dad he loved me?

“That magazine called, by the way,” Dad says slowly. “Wanted a reaction quote for some tabloid junk story they’re running tomorrow.”

Oh, God.

“Dad, it’s not- I mean-” The room is spinning, and I feel like claws are dragging up my chest to clutch at my throat. I take another staggered step, feeling my legs start to go weak before my dad is suddenly there, wrapping his arms around me.

“Hey, I’ve gotcha, kiddo” he says gently, stroking my back as I squeeze my eyes shut and try to keep the tears from falling onto his shoulder.

He pulls back and smiles at me, that sort of parental smile that soothes like a well-worn blanket on a stormy night. “C’mon,” he jerks his head towards the office door. “Let’s take a walk, honey.”

The field is lit this time. The lights bright and searing past the shadows and the secrets I’ve been carrying, as if proving they can be laid bare.

“Damn boosters can’t make up their fool minds about whether or not to light this place at night,” Dad says with a shrug.

We walk in silence down the sideline of the football field.

“I’d like to consider myself a molder of men, Hails,” Dad says after a minute. He nods slowly, as if considering his words, “I knew who Dalton was when I took this job, or when I got involved with Heather for that matter.”

Dad takes a deep breath. “Look, Dalton Cole is-”

“Dad, I know,” I cringe, feeling that sinking feeling in my chest. “I know what he is.”

He shakes his head. “No, kiddo, that’s not what I was going to say. He’s more than that, I know. Hell, we’re all more than what shit-kicking tabloid papers say we are. This whole
team
is more than just a win or a loss on a scoreboard or a page, not that the papers want to admit it. I’m more than an “opportunistic high school coach” who proposed to the Dean of this school for a job, believe it or not,” he says with a roll of his eyes.

“And Dalton Cole is more than the caricature they want you to think he is.”

We walk in silence another few yards down the field before Dad stops and blows air out through his lips. “But at the same time, I don’t know how I feel about my daughter with him.” He turns to me, “I never wanted you with a football guy, kiddo.”

I snort. “Me neither.”

He shakes his head. “I guess you’ve been around it for so long, how could you not? I just never thought you’d go for a guy like that.”

“I mean, Mom did.”

Dad grins, “Yeah, she did.”

“Anyways, it’s- there’s nothing there, Dad. Not anymore.”

He smiles at me, reaching out to stroke my hair like I’m a little kid again. “You sure about that?”

No, and that’s the worst part
.

“Some things were said-”

“I heard.” Dad’s voice is suddenly edged. “That reporter gal told me everything, honey.”

I cringe a little as I look away.

“He ever hurt you?”

I shake my head. “No, Dad.”

He sighs again, looking up at the bright stadium lights and running his fingers through his salt and pepper hair.

“Look, boys say some stupid shit in locker rooms, Hails. Hell, look at all the time we spend pretending this
game
we’re playing is anything more than that, just like little kids.” He looks at me wryly, “I don’t know if this sounds sexist or anything, and maybe I’m just old fashioned, but sometimes it takes a woman to show us how to stop being little boys and be the men we’re capable of being.”

I raise a brow at him. “Like Mom?”

“
Just
like Mom, kiddo,” he says quietly with a smile. “He’s not a bad guy, Hails; Dalton, I mean. It takes a man to tell me what he told me earlier tonight, you know. It takes a
real
man to stand up to a girl’s father and tell it straight, I’ll say that much.”

We stop at the far end of the field, and Dad kicks his foot against the base of the goal post. “So you still sure there’s nothing there?”

I shake my head. “There can’t be, Dad.”

“Because you
think
there can’t be or because people tell you there can’t?”

I roll my eyes. “Dad, it’s scandalous.”

He shrugs. “You know how scandalized Harper, Texas was when the daughter of the richest guy in town fell for the wide receiver from the wrong side of the tracks?” Dad grins and shakes his head. “People get over scandals, honey. Because most of the time, they ain’t
nearly
as interesting as people think they are.”

“Dad, you and Heather are getting
married.
I think that makes it more than slightly scandalous.”

“Yeah, that’s true.” He shrugs, “Well, we could call off the wedding.”

“Dad!”

“Kidding,” he says with a wink. “I guess I could legally relinquish parenting rights if that’d help. You’re almost nineteen anyways.”

I make a pout. “You want to
not
be my dad?”

He laughs and throws an arm over my shoulders. “Honey I’m always gonna be your Dad.”

“So what do we do?”

“What you do when people tell you you’re going to lose or that you can’t win or that the other team is bigger and faster, or that it’s impossible.” He grins as he gives me a look. “You prove them wrong, kiddo.”

I frown and look down, kicking at the turf under my feet.

This is real.

“
How?”

“You win.” Dad looks me in the eye, his hand on my shoulder. “I’d like to think I raised you to be a fine young woman, Hails. And if I didn’t trust your intuition, or have faith that you could make good decisions, I’m not sure what kinda father that’d make me.”

He pulls me in for a hug, and I wrap my arms around him.

“Dalton- he’s a project, for sure. But if it’s worth it, it’s worth it.”

“People will talk,” I mumble into his chest.

“Let ‘em,” he shrugs. “People will always talk.” He pulls back to look me in the eye, “Look you’re an adult, kiddo, you don’t need my blessing.” He laughs, “
He
sure as hell does, but you don’t.”

I laugh as I hug my dad again fiercely.

“But you’ve got it anyways. Both of you do.”