The Wrong Play: A Football Romance (The Wrong Player Series Book 2)
The Wrong Play: Chapter 29

Right before the play, I happened to glance up at Riley, my good luck extraordinaire…and my stomach fucking dropped.

She was running.

Not just moving through the crowd—running. Full speed up the stairs, her blonde hair flying, her shoulders tense, her head snapping over her shoulder like something—someone—was chasing her.

Fear. I could see it, carved into the stiff line of her spine, the way she gripped the railing like she needed something to steady her.

The ball snapped.

I didn’t fucking move.

Didn’t even hear the play happening around me, didn’t register the footsteps pounding against the turf, my teammates shouting, the crowd roaring.

All I saw was her.

And then—she disappeared.

Gone. Vanished into the tunnel at the top of the stairs.

My chest tightened like someone had laced my ribs with barbed wire. My cleats felt glued to the field, my fingers twitching with the need to rip my helmet off and sprint after her.

Someone slammed into me, and I barely registered the hit. A blur of orange shot past me, Parker’s pass landing clean in Chris Jordan’s hands. The crowd erupted as he tore down the field.

None of it mattered.

The second the whistle blew, I was gone.

I ripped off my helmet, tossed it without thinking, and sprinted for the sideline.

“Thatcher!” Coach Everett’s voice boomed from the sideline, pissed as hell. “Where the fuck do you think you’re going?”

I didn’t answer. I didn’t even look at him.

The assistant coach stepped forward, like he thought he could block me, and I shoved past him without a second thought.

“Thatcher, you step off this field, you’re benched for the rest of the season!” Everett bellowed, his voice cutting through the roaring crowd.

But I didn’t hesitate, not for a second. Because Riley was out there somewhere. Terrified.

Nothing else fucking mattered.

The crowd was a blur. A blur of team colors and screaming fans and pounding music. Of bodies pressing in too close as I shoved my way through them, barely seeing anything beyond the frantic need to replace her.

I didn’t have my phone, so I couldn’t track her.

All I had was the memory of her face. That terror, sharp and raw in her wide eyes as she’d looked back over her shoulder.

I cut through the concourse, scanning every doorway, every exit, searching for any sign of her. My pulse was a steady drum in my ears, drowning out the mayhem of the stadium.

The girls’ bathroom.

I didn’t even hesitate.

A few girls squealed when I pushed inside, their eyes going wide at the sight of me storming through the doorway. Someone muttered something about me being lost. Another gasped, clutching her friend’s arm. I ignored them all.

“Riley!” My voice echoed off the tiled walls.

No answer.

I strode deeper, feeling desperate. If she wasn’t in here, I didn’t know what I’d do.

Then, a stall door creaked open.

And there she was.

Her eyes were red, her cheeks damp, her lips trembling as she stared at me like she couldn’t believe I was standing there.

“Jace,” she whispered, shaking her head. “What—why are you here?”

I exhaled sharply, relief flooding through me now that I could see her, touch her. “I saw you running,” I said, my voice softer now, but still laced with the adrenaline thrumming through my veins. “I saw you look back like something was after you. You really think I wouldn’t come for you?”

She swallowed hard, her throat bobbing, but she wouldn’t meet my eyes.

“You need to go back,” she whispered. “You’re—Jace, you’re in the middle of a game. You can’t just⁠—”

I sighed, scrubbing a hand over my face before stepping closer, cupping her jaw, tilting her face up to mine.

“I don’t give a shit about the game right now, Riley.” My voice was firm, steady. “You’re crying in a fucking bathroom, and I need to know why.”

She shook her head again, faster this time, stepping back, arms wrapping around herself.

“I’m fine.” The words were a lie, shaky and weak.

I scoffed. “Yeah. You look real fine.”

Her breath hitched. She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, like she was trying to keep herself from breaking apart.

Fuck that.

I reached for her, pulling her against me, arms locking around her, holding her tight against my chest.

She didn’t fight me.

Didn’t push me away.

She just…collapsed.

A soft, shattered sound escaped her throat as she buried her face in my chest, her hands clutching at my jersey, fingers twisting into the fabric like she needed something solid to hold onto.

I felt her shaking. Felt the way her body trembled against mine, the way her breath stuttered, uneven and ragged.

I wanted to demand answers.

Wanted to tilt her face up, make her look at me, make her tell me who the fuck had done this to her.

But I didn’t.

Not yet.

Instead, I just held her.

Held her like she was the most important thing in the world. Because she was.

And when she cried into my chest, silent and broken, I tightened my arms, pressed a kiss to the top of her head, and made a silent promise.

Whoever had done this?

Whoever had put that fear in her eyes?

They weren’t going to get away with it.

RILEY

I buried my face in Jace’s chest, my fingers fisting in the fabric of his jersey like I could somehow hold onto this moment—hold onto him—forever. His arms were wrapped around me, strong and unyielding, like nothing in the world could touch me as long as he was here. I could feel his heartbeat, steady and sure, against my cheek, feel the warmth of his breath in my hair as he pressed a kiss there.

But then…the roar hit.

It rumbled through the stadium like an earthquake, before surging into a deafening eruption of sound. The kind that sent energy crackling through the air, the kind that made the ground tremble beneath our feet. The kind that told me something big had just happened out there on the field.

I stiffened.

Jace felt it immediately, his grip on me tightening, like he knew exactly where my mind had just gone. But I wasn’t thinking about myself anymore. I wasn’t thinking about Callum or the weight of his threats pressing down on my chest like a vice.

I was thinking about Jace.

About the fact that he wasn’t where he was supposed to be.

I pushed back, my hands flattening against his chest, forcing space between us as I lifted my gaze to his. “Jace.” My voice came out hoarse, but I forced strength into it. “You need to get back out there. Right now.”

He hesitated. Conflict flickering in those sharp brown eyes, his jaw clenching.

“Go. You can’t be here. I’m—I’m fine.” I insisted, the lie tasting like ash on my tongue.

His expression hardened, his hands still firm on my waist. “I swear to everything, Riley,” he muttered, his voice low and edged with warning. “If you need me…”

“I’m fine,” I promised, even as my stomach twisted. “I’ll explain everything later.”

He didn’t look convinced.

But there was no time to argue.

“Fine,” he muttered. “I’ll go back out there.”

Relief flickered in my chest…until he smirked.

“But first,” he said, grabbing my hand. “I have a plan.”

Before I could argue, before I could ask what the hell that meant, he was already moving, dragging me through the concourse, past the sea of fans swarming the hallways, past the flashing screens and the beer carts and the murmur of conversations that barely registered in my buzzing brain.

I wiped my face, trying to erase any evidence of my tears as he led me to the suite level, past a security guard who didn’t even blink at our entrance.

“Jace,” I hissed, tugging at his grip. “Where are we⁠—”

He stopped in front of a door, knocked once, then pushed it open.

And suddenly, I was staring at two people I’d never seen before in my life.

A man stood near the floor-to-ceiling windows, hands tucked in the pockets of his jacket, his frame broad and sturdy, like Jace’s but older. His hair was dark brown, peppered with gray at the temples, his jaw strong, his nose slightly crooked like it had been broken once, maybe twice. His eyes were those same striking brown eyes I’d fallen for, and they locked onto me with curiosity, the corners crinkling as he smiled.

Sitting beside him, a woman in a wheelchair turned slightly, her blonde hair falling over one shoulder in thick waves, one of her legs in a bulky, blue cast. She had warm green eyes, and her hands, delicate and graceful, rested in her lap, her fingers adorned with simple silver rings.

They both looked at me.

Then at Jace.

Then back at me.

The woman arched a brow. “Jace…honey, what exactly is going on? Why aren’t you out on the field right now?”

Jace grinned, totally unfazed. “Pops, Mom—meet Riley. She’s the love of my life. My heart. My everything.”

My breath caught. Oh my gosh. What a freaking day to meet his parents. I whipped my head toward him, eyes wide, heart slamming against my ribs. “Jace⁠—”

He ignored me, turning his attention back to his parents.

“I gotta get back out there, but I need you to take care of her while I do. Make sure she’s okay, make sure she’s safe, make sure she doesn’t freak out and try to bolt.” His eyes flicked back to mine, lips quirking. “Because she will. She’s kind of like a jumpy little bunny.”

His mom blinked, clearly trying to catch up. “Honey?”

“I’m serious,” he said, all traces of humor gone. “She means everything to me. Just…please. Make sure she’s okay.”

His dad stepped forward, still looking very concerned as he clapped a hand on Jace’s shoulder. “Of course, son.”

His mom softened, her eyes moving to me, studying me closer now that she knew I was something to her son. “It’s nice to meet you, Riley.”

I opened my mouth, then shut it again, frantically wiping at my face, trying to make myself look at least halfway presentable.

Jace smirked. “She’s really cute when she’s flustered.”

“Jace,” I hissed.

He just laughed, kissed my forehead, then turned and jogged out of the suite, leaving me standing there, still half-wrecked, staring at his worried looking parents while my brain tried to reboot.

They both stared after their son for a moment before his mom finally forced a smile, her fingers anxiously adjusting the blanket in her lap. “Would you like to sit down, sweetheart? I would come and hug you, but as you can see, trying to paint my master bedroom did not go well for me,” she said, pointing to her cast.

I nodded, swallowing thickly, my pulse still erratic.

His dad moved to a mini fridge, cracking open a bottle of water and handing it to me.

“You good, Riley?” he asked, voice calm, steady.

“Yep,” I whispered, feeling incredibly awkward.

Now I was the one forcing a smile, smoothing my palms down Jace’s oversized jersey. “Sorry about that,” I said lightly, like I didn’t have red-rimmed eyes and trembling hands. Like I wasn’t actively spiraling. “Jace should not have done that.”

His mom reached out, placing a gentle hand over mine. “That boy’s had a stubborn streak a mile wide since he could crawl,” she said, her voice warming up as she talked about her son.

His dad didn’t seem to be buying what I was selling, though. His brown eyes stayed on mine, quiet, assessing, like he could see straight through the cracks I was trying to plaster over. “You in some kinda trouble?”

“I—I promise I’m okay,” I lied, pasting on another brittle smile. “I just need to sit for a while. Really.” I looked between them, guilt gnawing at me like acid on my skin. “Jace has enough to focus on right now—he doesn’t need to be worrying about me.”

His mom’s lips pressed together, her sharp gaze flicking over me again, like she could sense the storm raging inside my head. “You sure about that, honey?” she asked quietly, leaning forward and patting my knee, like she really did care what my answer was.

I had an urge to cry again, at the kindness the two of them were showing me when my own parents could show me none.

I nodded, too quickly. “Positive.”

She hesitated. Then, finally, she nodded, too, but I could still feel their eyes on me. Watching. Worrying. Seeing too much.

I sat down next to her. Halftime had just begun, and I could only imagine what Jace was going to get from his coach.

I was already ruining him.

Even without Callum making a move, just knowing I existed in Jace’s world was enough to put a target on his back. Jace had just risked his entire season—his entire future—to chase after me, to make sure I was okay. And his parents? They deserved to watch their son shine. They deserved to see him reach everything he’d worked for, not have it all come crashing down because of me.

The realization settled like a stone in my gut.

I had to go.

I had to leave before I completely wrecked his life.