Page 110 of Out of Bounds
I’ve got to be honest with Colton and find out how he’ll react. I zone out everyone else…
“Quinn, I’ve got to tell you something and I’m just gonna say it because you’re not going to like it but I can’t—Fuck.I— Fuck it. I want to date your sister. I have no fucking idea if it’s what she wants but I hope it is.”
Now my heart isn’t tearing apart, it’s tear-assing like it’s on a racing track. Jackhammering under my ribs so hard it could break through my pads. Quinn stands and pulls on his gloves, watching his hands. I hear indecipherable whispers, sense-held breaths and understand entirely when someone says, “Ohhhhhhh shit.”
I don’t dare look but I know all eyes will be on our scene. Even the staff are as still as The Mustangs of Las Colinas. We all know what went down between Quinn and Auston. We know how fiercely he loves and protects his sister. I’m braced for what comes.
“Are you asking me or telling me?” He clenches his fists in his gloves, staring at them as he does.
I’ve sat back on this, what I want, for months. Drawing in a breath, I stand to face him. “I’m telling you. I love her. I’ve tried not to but I do. I’m crazy about her.”
He finally looks at me, stone-faced in that Quinn way. I brace for impact, then he says, “It’s about fucking time.”
My eyes widen. “You’re not pissed?”
“I’ll be pissed if you hurt her, yeah. But I’ve seen you guys together and I know how much you care about each other. I know how much you care about my nephew. And hell, who am I to talk about falling for someone you shouldn’t, right?”
“Right.”The fuck?!He’s okay with this? Quinn is cool with me making a move on Annie.
So what’s stopping me now?I rake a hand through my sweat-wet hair. “How should I tell her?”
“Come on, man. I’m not telling you how to come on to my sister.”
Finally, the tension in the locker room lifts and there’s laughter among banter and jibes. My lips turn up after what’s felt like a long time of not smiling. “Yeah, that’s fair.”
Quinn holds out his arms, muscles taut. “Now that’s out of the way, can you pull your head out of your ass long enough for us to go win this game?”
I smirk, then hold out my hand to him. He grips mine and smiles. “Let’s do it.”
We did win. We beat Washington thirty-one to twenty-one, despite the Bears’ kickoff and Washington’s first drive of the second half leading to a touchdown. After that, Washington didn’t have much possession. Lamar smoked almost every play. Quinn, Omar and I each scored a touchdown. The crowd was lively. It was one of the best second halves of football I’ve played in.
If we keep it up, maybe this season won’t go entirely to crap.
Now, I’m sitting on the flight home, too wired to sleep, so I’m playing poker with a few of the guys to distract me from overthinking this whole thing with Annie.
When do I tell her? How shit-scared am I about her response? Am I doing the right thing by telling her? Can I take it back if she’s not feeling the same? Did I ruin it anyway at Nelson’s party? Is this the right move for Nelson? I love the kid but am I cut out to be a dad? Does Annie even want to play house with me? Haven’t webeenplaying house for months now?
I swear my head is going to explode.
I was buzzed after blurting everything out in the locker room at half time. Despite how much stick I’ve copped for it from the guys, it felt like a weight was lifted, a huge hurdle surmounted.
“Pace, you’re the big blind.”
I’ve lost another hand. I toss my chip onto the table. God knows how much the guys have rinsed me for on this flight.
“He’s thinking about Quinn’s sister again,” Terry says. “Oh, Annie Quinn, take me to bed.”
“Shut the fuck up, Terry.”
He chuckles. “Sorry, man, it’s just hard to believe that Tanner Pace, legendary keeper of at least one woman’s number in every state, has fallen for someone.”
I swig from my can of club soda. “I didn’t know Annie existed.”
Jad tells me, “That’s because she didn’t, Pace, not until your balls were already dropping.”
“Shut the fuck up, Jad.”
They start taking the piss again, so I finish the game and head to my own seat, cap pulled down over my face, headphones on, chewing over everything some more.
