GRAYSON

S E N I O R Y E A R

Twenty seconds left in the fourth quarter in the division title game against UCLA, and I was sure we weren't gonna make it. But then Jonah threw a hail mary, and I hauled ass down that field, and by some stroke of luck, caught it.

Ah, screw it. Let's call it what it was. That wasn't luck. That was pure fucking skill.

Jonah ran up to me first, tossing his helmet off with a loud whoop. "Everett!" he bellowed. "I could fucking kiss you right now."

I laughed and returned the giant bear hug that he and the other guy were surrounding me with.

There was only one kiss I wanted right now, but it would have to wait. That catch didn't win the game, only tied it. And now we needed to step it up in overtime.

Breaking free from the guys, I jogged over to the refs, heeding their call for the captains to gather for the coin toss. Jonah trotted up next to me.

"Heads or tails?"

Easy choice.

"Tails."

The coin flicked into the air, and my eyes were matched with the UCLA captain as we watched it spin. And land.

Tails.

I grinned.

There was no skill involved in a coin toss. That I could blame on pure luck, and my lucky charm was in the stands tonight.

"We want to receive," I said, not even needing to glance at Jonah.

We wanted the ball in our hands so we could score as quickly as fucking possible.

The referees nodded, and I marched back onto the field, readying myself to end this game. And to end it fast. I had other shit I needed to do tonight.

We knew the defense would expect a run on the first play and anticipated they would send their safety on a blitz with the linebackers. A sell-out. A fucking gamble, but Nessa was in the stands tonight. Not only Nessa but my moms, too. Lucky charms, all of them.

I ran a post route, and Jonah hit me in stride right where their safety would have been, and then it was off to the races. When I crossed into the end zone, I'd never heard the stadium go off that fucking loud.

Chaos. Absolute chaos. My heart was pounding, but it felt good. Alive. Adrenaline and blood pumping through it just like it was supposed to. Fuck yes, this was the night. This right here was the night we were going to win it all.

The team had fire beneath their feet now. UCLA took possession of the ball, but they never stood a goddamn chance. Within seconds, the quarterback had thrown an interception, and the game was up. It was ours.

Whipping my helmet off, I looked around with what I knew was a ridiculous grin. Because there she was. Tearing away from Beau, Madie, Bren, Collins, and Jules—who had come back to watch my last game—Nessa was running down onto the field. My jersey—number 54–swallowed her whole, her dark hair flying out from beneath a beanie, her smile as big as mine.

I didn't need to beckon her to come greet me anymore. She just did it. Ever since I went back to playing my junior year, she was here. At the beginning of every game and the end of every game.

I loved it. In the year that I'd taken off, it was hard to be away from it all. From the rush of the game, from my friends on the field, from the roar of the crowds.

And admittedly, after Jasper was booted from the team and the campus for his misconduct, it was hard not to return sooner. I felt like I had a duty to the team to step up and fill that spot. But they'd been fine without me. And I was fine without them. Nessa was a big reason for that, for making it through sophomore year at all.

She was a big reason for a lot of things in my life.

"There's my girl," I murmured as Nessa jumped into my arms, and she gave me that kiss I'd been waiting for. I eagerly returned it, parting those perfect lips of hers so I could get a better taste. With my energy already so high, it was so goddamn hard to stay controlled. To keep from carrying her off the field and celebrating in that wild way that I knew we both wanted. But there were thousands of people watching us, and that would have to wait.

"You're giving quite a show to all the scouts who came to watch me tonight," I laughed, forcing myself to pull away from Nessa as she began to nip at my lips.

A gasp. "Scouts?" I set Nessa down. She tried to swat at my arm, but I caught her hands in mine, tangling our fingers together. "You didn't tell me about that."

I shrugged. "I was too nervous to talk about it if I'm honest. The Packers—"

"Grayson, I cannot live in Wisconsin."

"and the Vikings—"

"God, Minnesota is even colder, isn't it?"

"and the Los Angeles Rams—"

"The Rams."

"—all came tonight."

"Definitely the Rams. Much warmer, much closer to home," she definitively.

I chuckled, reaching out to pull her beanie more snug onto her head so it covered her ears. It was cold tonight. "No promises, baby. We'll have to see."

"But you did so well tonight. With that hail mary and post route and all those touchdowns."

God, what did I do to deserve this girl? "It's very cute to hear you spout all these football terms."

Nessa beamed. She was so fucking proud of herself, and it was so goddamn adorable. "I even know what they mean," she said. Eagerly. So cute. A little mischief twinkled in her eyes. "I mean, when you go pro, I can't let the other football wives show me up. Can I?"

A slow grin spread across my face, and I watched as Nessa's eyes grew wide, realizing what she'd said.

My heart, that hard-working organ that was just as stubborn as I was, that pumping, ridiculous thing that kept me alive...it soared. My heart soared. It wasn't broken. Not anymore. Not with her.

A sheepish look overcame her face, but she had nothing to be worried about. Of course she was going to be my wife one day. Fuck yes, she would. She should know that by now. Beau's been hiding her engagement ring in his closet for like three months. I just knew my little Wednesday, and as much as I liked to go fast, she liked to go slow.

One day, she'd be my wife. It was only a matter of time.

"No, baby," I said softly, cupping her face. "No you definitely can't. If I go pro, that is."

"You will," she reassured, picking up my confidence for me. "If you want to, you will."

I did want to. Music would be a love of mine until the end of my days, but with Nessa wanting to go into the industry herself, I knew there would be ways for me to still be involved in it. Besides, football would give me a way to financially support her dreams of being a songwriter.

There was always the off-season, too. I'd already made connections with a few schools in the area that loved having me come into music classes and work with kids, either in groups or individually. I was sure I could keep that up while working in the pros. I'd lose a part of myself if I didn't.

"Thanks, Adler." I gave her a quick peck on the head, noting over the top of her hat that my moms were walking across the field to come meet us. "I love you," I whispered, wanting her to hear it before we got swarmed with attention from other people.

"I love you, too." When I pulled back, her eyes were shinning from the glow of the stadium lights and that pure Nessa energy. She put a delicate hand on my chest and lowered her voice. "How's your heart tonight?"

"Beating wildly for you." I kissed the top of her head one more time. I couldn't help it. "Like always."

T H E E N D

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING.
so much love to you all!
I hope you enjoyed nessa & grayson's story?!

I M P O R T A N T:

please read the author's note on the next page for announcements and questions surrounding future wildfire content

also I can probably be convinced to write more bonus chapters of Nessa and Grayson's future
especially if you tell me what you want to see!

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xoxo amelie