Leo Hernandez took a snap that should have just been a short run, but he found an opening and bolted, juking every defender who caught up too slowly to do anything but watch him fly past them.

And just like that, we scored a touchdown with mere seconds left on the clock.

It was just enough time for Riley to kick the extra point, and for the Bandits to get one Hail Mary play in that resulted in nothing.

We won.

And I was convinced we were fucking unstoppable.

Even a long, piping hot shower couldn’t thaw my bones after a freezing cold game in the sleet, but I felt marginally better once I was dressed in my sweats. The team was jovial as we showered and dressed and got ready to get on the bus, one that would take us to our hotel for the night. I had no doubt the team would be going out to celebrate.

I, on the other hand, had much different plans.

“So, what shithole bar are we hitting tonight?” Leo asked, towel around his neck as he waggled his brows at me.

“I found one called The Looney Bin,” Riley answered, showing her phone with the reviews she’d been reading. “College bar. Apparently pretty strict on fakes, but that’s never stopped us before.”

“Look at Novo getting in the spirit,” Leo praised.

“After a win like that?” Riley threw a thumb over her shoulder. “We’re essentially guaranteed a bowl.”

“Not just a bowl game,” Zeke added, tossing his arm around her before he kissed her temple. “The bowl game.”

I started bobbing my head, drumming out a beat on the lockers as I did. “Ship. Ship. Ship. Ship.”

I chanted and danced until the rest of the team joined in, and before long, there were hollers and screams ringing out, guys standing on the benches or literally hanging from the rafters. It was absolute chaos in the most incredible way — the way only a team on the brink of greatness truly understood.

I was wrapped up in watching it all unfold when a pair of cool hands covered my eyes.

I smiled, ready to whip around and drag Giana into me for a kiss that I’d been dying to give her since the beginning of the game. But it wasn’t her voice that cooed, “Guess who?”

It was Maliyah’s.

I stiffened, peeling her fingers off me before I turned with a bored expression on my face.

She was freshly showered, her long blonde hair in a wet, messy bun on top of her head, and oversized cheer sweats covering her from neck to toe. Despite my non-enthusiastic greeting, she held a wide smile, bouncing on her toes a bit.

“Great game, babe.”

I grimaced at the nickname, but chose to ignore it as I turned back to my locker and began packing up my bag. “Thanks.”