My Ex’s Roommates: Chapter 48

Being on the sidelines when my guys charged out of the tunnel and onto the field was exhilarating. The energy in the stadium was wild and the low murmur of the crowd turned into a roar. It felt like everyone in Alabama had shown up to cheer our team on. I jumped in place and screamed along with everyone else as Dylan led the team across the field, helmet in hand, looking like a champion already.

My breath caught as his eyes found me and his lips curved into a wide, beautiful smile. Swoon. After seeing his dominant side the night before, I was feeling extra fluttery over that smile, knowing it was just for me.

“You ready for today, Monroe?” Doctor Jenny studied me and followed my gaze to the field. “None of that heart-eyed shit today, ma’am. I run a tight ship. I agreed to take you under my wing because I know your work ethics but love can make people stupid and if you’re going to be stupid, I need you to be away from my team.”

I straightened my face and stiffened my back. I wasn’t just there for the guys; I was there for me, getting myself one step closer to my dream job. I could focus on my work and forget all about love- Love? Had she said love? She had said love. I wanted to shake her and tell her we weren’t using that word for at least another three to six months, even in my own head, no matter how I felt.

“Monroe?”

I cleared my throat. “I’m good, Doc. I’m ready.”

She motioned to her clipboard. “I need you on Vance today. If his ankle gets stiff, Coach Hogan will pull him out of the game. Anytime he isn’t on the field, I want you working that ankle.”

I nodded and went in search of the giant lineman. The bench was full and the sidelines on both sides of the field were alive with energy. Camera crews, sportscasters, refs, and all the team support staff took up the space not filled with the big players in their big uniforms and pads. It made it hard to get around but I managed to find Vance sitting next to Silas, both of them already covered in sweat with their hair slicked back to their heads.

Ignoring the coin toss happening on the field, I dropped to my knees in front of Vance and smiled as I pointed to his ankle. “I’m your best friend today, buddy. Anytime you aren’t on the field, I’m going to be working your ankle to keep you loose.”

Vance grinned, winking at me. “How do I get you to stick around after the game, too?”

Silas elbowed him. “Watch it.”

“I meant for my ankle!” He laughed. “Mostly.”

I rolled my eyes at both of them. Behind us I heard Coach Hogan shouting orders at our defense. USC got the ball first. My heart sank for a split second, knowing how much a touchdown in the first possession could hit the opposing team’s morale. I didn’t want Jake getting a single advantage.

Silas hooked his finger under my chin and lifted my face so I was looking at him. “We’ve got this.”

The determination in his eyes buoyed my hope. Nodding, I shifted away from Vance as Coach Hogan shouted for him. I got to take the time he was off the bench to just watch as the game started and I knew that no matter what happened, the few hours I spent on the turf that day were going to be some of the best of my life. I couldn’t even look at the other sideline because the energy from our team was primal. Dylan was in charge of his team and it showed.

Carter, who never managed to stay very far from me during practices and was seemingly going to keep up his habit during a game, stood next to me and leaned over so I could hear him. “Watch. Dylan took everything you said about Jake to heart. We’re going to destroy him.”

I held my breath as the two teams faced off after the punt return. Our defense was solid and as I watched the ball get snapped to Jake I saw Vance sidestep one of their guys. Gripping Carter’s arm, I screamed with everyone else when Vance sacked the shit out of Jake. Jumping up and down like I’d lost my mind, I looked around for Dylan and saw him grinning back at me. He nodded at me and then got back to business.

Jake was shaken. When he was sacked again before their first possession of the ball was over, it was obvious that he wasn’t handling himself very well. Then it was our turn. We took the punt return to the fifty-yard-line and then Dylan and Carter stepped onto the field. The stadium fell quiet as Dylan took his position and stood behind Ben, who’d learned to snap the ball correctly finally.

“Harper, Forty-Four! Harper, Forty-Four!” Dylan’s strong voice easily reached me on the sidelines and I gasped. The ball was snapped, he stepped back, relaxed into his stance, and then launched the ball down the field to Carter. Carter easily caught the ball and stepped into the endzone, scoring the first touchdown of the game. On a play with my name.

Silas stopped next to me on his trek to the field to kick the field goal. He patted my ass and stole a quick kiss. “For luck.”

Between doing the job I loved by working on Vance’s ankle and watching the game I loved, I was in heaven. When halftime came, I’d already lost my voice from screaming. We were winning. Not just winning, though, we were dominating. Jake was a mess on the field and it wouldn’t have surprised anyone to see his coach take him out of the game. It would’ve been brutal to watch if he hadn’t tried to hurt our team the way he had.

I was tasked with Vance’s ankle during halftime, as well, especially since he’d sacked Jake three times himself. He was a star in everyone’s eyes that night. I knelt next to him at the back of the locker room and felt a wave of excitement as Dylan stood up on a bench to make sure his team was still fired up.

“We’re almost there and we’re not slowing down now. I don’t want us to just beat USC today. I want us to eviscerate them. I want them to shudder whenever they hear our names in the future. They thought they were coming here today to rub our faces in it. Look at them now! Look at us!” He paused as the team roared their pride. “We aren’t going home just winners today, men. We’re going home legends!”

The locker room erupted and I barely got out of the way of Vance jumping up to join the rest of his team as they jumped together in a group in the middle of the room, knocking together and shouting the school’s fight song. It was madness.

“As for our fallen teammate!” Dylan’s grin was dark as he looked out at his team, truly their leader after a rough start. “We’ve taken his team. We’ve taken his pride. We’ve even taken his woman. Tonight, though? Tonight we take his game! Because it’s ours and everyone fucking knows it!”

They got even rougher, knocking each other around as they each shouted and pumped each other up even more than they already were. I quietly slipped out of the room, not wanting to be crushed in the mass of padded bodies. I also had to take a second to swallow the line in Dylan’s speech about taking Jake’s woman. I wasn’t sure I liked being summed up by a single line calling me Jake’s woman.

No, that wasn’t right. I was sure I didn’t like it. I fucking hated it. That was a talk for another day, though. The game came first.