Elliot and Gus started out strong. They won the first game by a landslide, but the second one was tougher. Their opponents hit to their weak side or specifically targeted Gus who tossed a few impossible passes to Elliot. He dug deep and rescued a few but couldn’t jump up fast enough to guard the net.
They were tied at one game each; the score was nineteen to twenty in the third. Elliot’s serve. He popped the ball between his hands and scanned the crowd before pumping the ball in the air. He spiked it across the net so hard and fast that the other team didn’t have a shot.
Ace.
Elliot put a hand to his ear, grinning like a fool when the crowd screamed his name. Ell-iot, Ell-iot! He was a great showman. He’d revved up the audience with goofy antics and impromptu dance moves through the series, but he was at peak form now. This was what he meant when he said he wanted the game to speak for itself. Play hard, win, and then celebrate.
The point turned into a mega rally. I lost track of how many digs, dives, and saves there were. It was exciting as fuck. Everyone was on their feet, cheering both sides. I couldn’t even hear Karma above the roar. Finally, the ball arced high in the air toward the far right corner. Gus chased it and passed it to Elliot, who jumped like a kangaroo with a jet pack and spiked the hell out of the ball to win the point.
“Holy crap,” I murmured, giving Tucker a high five.
I let out a long rush of air as Gus and Elliot switched sides on the court and paused to talk strategy. The noise returned to a normal level while the players prepared.
“This is it,” Karma said. “Win or lose, it’s almost time for my sign.”
I nodded absently.
It was Elliot’s serve…match point. And when he tossed the ball and leaped into the air, I knew he had it. He hit the ball with a roar and drove it into the sand at a wicked angle that was impossible to return.
“They won! Way to go, baby!” Karma screamed at the top of her lungs.
Elliot raised his arms victoriously, then fell to his knees. He collapsed dramatically onto his back, making angels in the sand before jumping up to shake hands with Gus and the other team. I chuckled at his hijinks as I slapped high-fives with Tucker, Colby, Anna, and Sophie.
Sophie threw herself into my arms. “I’m so glad you’re here. Even though my theme got squashed, I think everything turned out okay.”
“Of course it did. They fuckin’ won. Move it, Soph.” Karma inserted herself between us and shoved a roll of paper into my hands. “That’s for you. Elliot made it himself. The words are his, the glitter is mine.”
She kissed my cheek and moved on to hug Tucker and Colby, leaving me with a roll of paper and a curious friend.
“Open it,” Sophie said, reaching for the roll.
I raised it out of her reach and shook my head. “Sorry. It’s private.”
I moved to the side and started to unfurl the edge when someone snatched it out of my hands.
“Hey. I think that’s mine.” Elliot grinned.
“I heard it was for me.”
“It is, but I’d rather just tell you what it says.” He glanced over his shoulder at Gus and a group of friends and fans hovering nearby, then turned to me and blurted, “I love you.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, or maybe it says Elliot loves Braden. I’m warning you, there’s glitter all over that thing. Whatever you do, don’t open it in your car or—”
I cupped the back of his neck and crashed my mouth over his, pouring everything I had into the connection as I breathed in the scent of sweat, sunshine, and my man. After a moment, I inched away and smiled, propping his Ray-Bans on his head so I could see his expression.
“I love you too.”
He rubbed his thumb along my jaw and met my gaze. “You’re my center. You’re my place, my home, my person. Fuck, I love you so much, Bray. And I’m pretty sure everyone saw that kiss, so I’m hoping that means you don’t mind if I tell the whole damn world that you’re mine.”
I grinned. “I don’t mind at all.”
Elliot pulled me against his chest and held me close. I tuned out the cheers, wolf whistles, and catcalls and let the moment take over. I went with the flow and listened to my heart. There was something incredibly special about coming out on the serve…and winning.
Epilogue
“But where there is true friendship, there needs none.”—William Shakespeare, Timon of Athens
Braden
There were crumbs on the counter. Actual crumbs. The origin was uncertain, but they were most likely of the bagel variety. And they appeared to trail from the general area of the toaster to the island, which meant there were probably crumbs on the floor. The newly mopped floor.