Page 129 of Try Line Hearts
He saw Eli next—mud-streaked, breathless, laughing at something off-camera before Lucas entered the frame. Unaware. Open. His face completely unguarded in a way Lucas hadn’t let himself notice in the moment.
The reporter’s question replayed.
Do you want to dedicate this win to anyone special?
Lucas flinched.
He watched his own face change—the subtle pause, the way his gaze slid past the reporter without touching her. He watched himself lookthroughthe lens, searching.
Finding.
The clip cut to a wider angle as he dropped the microphone.
The sound of it hitting the mud echoed far louder in the hotel room than it had in his memory.
Lucas’s breath caught.
He watched himself walk.
Not rush. Not hesitate.
March.
Straight through the frame like a man who had already made peace with what it would cost. The camera struggled to keep up, jostlingas reporters scrambled, the image briefly blurring before snapping back into focus.
Then he was there.
He saw his hands come up—steady, sure—cupping Eli’s face. He watched Eli’s confusion, the flicker of disbelief, the way his eyes searched Lucas’s like he was trying to confirm this wasn’t some cruel trick.
Lucas’s chest tightened painfully.
He hadn’t realized how gentle he’d been.
He saw his mouth move, the words lost under the roar of the stadium, but he knew exactly what he’d said.I love you.
The kiss filled the screen.
Unmistakable. Unavoidable. Slow enough that no one could pretend it was anything else.
Lucas felt heat rush to his face—embarrassment tangled with awe and something dangerously close to grief. He hadn’t known he could look like that. Like someone socertain. Like someone with nothing left to hide.
Beside him, Eli let out a small, breathless laugh; half disbelief, half nerves, and reached for the remote.
The screen went black.
The sudden quiet rang in Lucas’s ears.
“I’m sorry,” Eli said, rubbing at the back of his neck. “Morbid curiosity.”
Lucas shook his head slowly, still staring at the blank screen like it might start playing again on its own.
“It’s okay,” he said, voice low. “I think… I needed to see it once.”
Eli glanced at him. “Yeah?”
Lucas nodded, swallowing hard.
“I don’t remember feeling brave,” he admitted. “I remember being terrified.”
