“Figure it out,” Romano sneers. “And make sure you win. If you don’t win, little sister out there won’t win.”
I close my eyes and let out a string of curses as I try to figure out exactly how the fuck this is happening.
Zane
I run down the football field knowing that Jax is going to throw a Hail Mary. We’re down by six and there is only thirty seconds left on the clock. Losing a preseason game is not something that we plan on letting happen.
I run trying to stay ahead of the linebacker that’s on my ass. I turn to see Jax launch the ball. I move faster to make it to the ball and stay away from the damn three-hundred-pound tank coming after me. The ball lands in my hands and I pick up speed heading for the endzone.
I jump into the endzone just as he grabs me. One foot comes down then another. The refs call a touchdown, but it has to go to review. Jax is running down the field to me. “Was it in?” he asks.
I look at him with a smirk. “Of course, it was fucking in motherfucker.”
He grips me around the neck. “Of course, it was fucking in,” he laughs.
A couple of minutes later, the play is confirmed, and we score the PAT, winning our first preseason game of the season.
We head for the locker rooms. I shower and change like my ass if on fire. Jax meets me out a couple of minutes later. “Ready, brother?”
“Yeah. Zoey got the car ready?”
“No, man. She can’t fit behind the steering wheel.”
I burst into a fit of laughter. Jax does too. “What’s so funny?” Anao’I asks.
“My wife can’t fit behind the steering wheel,” Jax huffs.
“Bro don’t laugh about that. Damn sure don’t let her hear.”
“Do you have any idea how fucking awesome it is that she can’t fit behind the wheel?” I ask him.
“I get it, man, but she’ll fucking cry if she hears you laughing.”
“No. No, she won’t,” Jax says leaning over trying to catch his breath. “You don’t understand how fucking happy she is right now. How far she’s come. She laughed this morning when I had to drive the car over here.”
Now Anao’I is laughing just as hard as we are. “I’m happy for you, man,” he slaps Jax on the back then me. “I’m happy for all of you.”
“Thanks, man, but I got a plane to catch.”
We drive toward the airport with me in the back seat. I hate the back seat but there is no way that Zoey would be able to get back here.
“Zane, aren’t you going to be stretching yourself a little thin going right after the game to New York? Shouldn’t you take your day off?”
“I’ll be fine, Zoey. I haven’t seen her in a week, and if I only have a couple of days then I’m going to New York.”
I watch as Zoey’s eyes fill with tears. I kind of panic seeing them there. Jax looks at me through the mirror telling me with his eyes that it’s probably just hormones, but it doesn’t really alleviate the panic I’m feeling. “Zoey, why are you crying?”
“Are you going to move to New York?” she ask wheezing in a breath. Hormones or not, she is on the verge of her own panic attack.
“No! Zoey, why would you think I’m moving to New York?”
“Because you’re in love and Tori lives in New York.”
“Zoey, do you think I can leave you? Or Jay? Or the rest of the crazy ass people here?” I lean forward in the seat to reach for her hand. I bring it to my mouth and kiss it. “And there is no way in hell I’m going to miss out on my little nieces or nephews baking in there.”
Zoey wipes her eyes then tries to lean to me. I laugh at her inability to maneuver. I lean myself further into the front so she can reach me with the kiss to the cheek she’s trying for.
“You know it’s going to be like three in the morning before you get to her apartment, right?” Jax comments.
