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Stacia thought she was imagining it or going crazy until Trihn asked, “What the hell is everyone’s problem today?”

“Yeah. Am I missing something?” Bryna asked. “Do I have something in my hair?”

“No, you look great,” Stacia told her. “But I don’t know why people are acting so weird.”

“Well, I’m going to go find out,” Bryna said.

Then, she stomped right over to a football player and put the fear of God in him. He started stammering to her and nodding profusely. She came back a minute later and shrugged.

“He said that the cheerleaders are spreading some kind of rumor that we’re going to fuck the whole team if we win tonight,” Bryna responded dryly.

“How mature,” Trihn grumbled.

“For fuck’s sake,” Maya said, flipping off the cheer squad, who burst into laughter at the gesture.

“Fucking bitches,” Stacia muttered. “Lindsay just needs to let it go.”

“She needs some serious dick to move on,” Bryna said.

“I swear, the girl has
the
largest stick up her ass,” Maya said. “She came up with something so petty, yet it still spreads like wildfire.”

“Well, any of those football players would die to fuck us,” Stacia said. Then, she nodded her head toward the cheer squad. “Unlike them.”

All four girls died laughing. It was their turn to get glares from the cheer squad, as it was obvious that whatever Lindsay had tried to do had backfired.

Stacia decided to just ignore all the strange behavior around her. This was the last football game Pace would ever play in this stadium. She wanted to revel in it. He’d come a long way since transferring in the middle of his senior year of high school to start at LV State. And he had proven himself to be competent in the starting position. She was just happy to be a part of this season.

Last season had been such hell that she hadn’t really gotten to enjoy it. But, now, it was just her and her quarterback.

Everyone cheered through the touchdowns and yelled and cried through the failures. She jumped up and down with the best of them at the incredible runs Boomer and Drayton had. She marveled at Pace’s lightning-sharp throws and quick feet. It was a beautiful game to watch, and by the end, it was bittersweet, knowing that they would have to say good-bye.

Sure, they had bowl games, playoffs, and hopefully the national championship game ahead of them, but nothing could compare to the feeling of winning this one and watching the close of a great season.

“What a game,” Bryna sighed. She wiped at the corner of her eye. “I can’t believe that’s my last home game as a college student.”

Trihn threw her arm over Bryna’s shoulders. “You and me both.”

“Well, I have another year,” Stacia said.

“It won’t be the same,” Bryna said.

“You’re right. It won’t be.”

“Come here,” Trihn said, opening her other arm.

Then, the three best friends hugged as their season came to a close. It was a toast to friendship that had always revolved around a football team and the good times they had shared together.

They came away laughing, and then a football player Stacia had only met briefly approached them.

“Hey. Sorry. Excuse me. Uh…Pace wants to see you,” the guy said.

Stacia’s eyes rounded as she saw Pace standing with Coach Galloway, talking to a few reporters, who were huddled around the team, asking about their stellar season. Pace caught her eye and waved her over.

“I’ll be back,” she told her friends.

Butterflies were fluttering in her stomach, and she was nervous. She didn’t know what was going to happen or why Pace would have asked her to come out onto the field. He couldn’t be doing what she thought he could be doing, could he?

Of course…football players all over the country would propose to their girlfriend after a big game. But she was just being ridiculous, thinking that was what was happening.

Plus…would I even say yes?

Her stomach flipped again at the thought. She didn’t know. No, this couldn’t be it. He just wanted to talk to her. He just wanted to celebrate with her.

She plastered a smile on her face as she took the first step out toward him. Her mind was just doing crazy things. She wasn’t ready for that. He wasn’t ready for that. It definitely was not what their big conversations had been about. She bit her lip as anticipation zipped through her.

“Stacia!” someone called behind her. Then, a hand grabbed her arm.

Stacia looked over in confusion and found Madison holding on to her. “What the fuck, Madison? Leave me alone.”

“We need to talk,” she said, anxiety written on her face.

“No, we don’t. We’ve talked. I don’t want to talk to you again.”

“Not about that.”

“I don’t care. Can’t you hear me? You ratted me out to Lindsay, and then she tried to use those things against me. You have no idea what that’s like, and I don’t need to hear what you have to say. I just had one of the best nights of my life, and I’m going to see my boyfriend. So, leave me alone,” Stacia said.

She yanked her arm away, but Madison held on firmly.

“You have to listen to me. It’s about Pace,” she cried. Then, she nervously glanced around and dropped her voice. “It’s about Pace.”

Stacia sighed in exasperation. “What about Pace?”

“He’s going to break up with you,” Madison said in a rush, as if it were all one word.

Stacia laughed at her. “What? Are you high?”

“No, I’m not. I’m sorry. I didn’t know if I should tell you this, but after what I put you through, I thought you deserved to know the truth.”

“You’re not making any sense.”

“Pace made a bet with the guys on the team that he could get you to fall in love with him, and then he was going to break your heart in front of everyone at the end of the last game,” Madison gasped out.

Stacia froze. “What?”

Her stomach plummeted, and all the butterflies died. No. No way. He would never…could never do something like that.

Stacia knew he was manipulative and conniving, but that had been
years
ago. He’d given up that shit, just like Bryna had. He’d already hurt Stacia enough by sleeping with Madison. There was no way he would do something like this. There was no way he’d go out of his way to use her and humiliate her.

“I’m sorry, S. I hated being the one to tell you, but it would have been worse if I’d let it happen. You’ve been through enough.”

“Stop it!” Stacia cried, finally breaking free of Madison. “Just stop it.”

“Stop what?”

“Lying!” Stacia said. “Pace would
never
do that to me.”

“I didn’t want to believe it either.”

“Then, why do you? You don’t think that I see this for what it is? It’s just another ploy by Lindsay to get back at me for being with Pace. Well, it’s not going to work. I give her credit for being creative, but tell her to fuck off for me, will you?”

“Stacia, it’s not Lindsay. I’m dating Brian on the team, and I overheard some of the guys talking about it in the locker room when I was waiting for him,” Madison told her. “I decided to ask him about it. And he said that he’d heard it on good authority from multiple people that Pace said it and was going through with it. That getting you to move in was the first step. And then everything else followed.”

Stacia was shaking now. She just wasn’t sure if it was with fear or anger. This couldn’t be true. It just couldn’t.

“If you don’t believe me, then just ask Pace,” Madison said. “I know you don’t trust me, but I am trying to help.”

Stacia ignored Madison’s last statement and turned her attention back to Pace. She felt sick to her stomach with the possibility. She couldn’t even entertain the thought that it was true, but if it were true…

Fuck.
Her heart cracked at the very thought.

She placed her hand over her aching heart and swore to herself that it couldn’t be true. Madison was playing her. It was another ploy. This couldn’t be her life.

Then, her eyes met Pace’s. He was frozen in place, staring at her with fear written all over his face.

And she knew.

Even without talking to him.

She knew it was true.

She gasped for breath. For something to latch on to. But there was nothing. Just pain and regret and torture and humiliation. She had been a fool. She had known it was too soon. She had known that he was being too good to her. She had known that she should have waited longer and made him try harder.

But she had wanted so desperately to forgive him. She had wanted everything to be back to the way it had been. And he was so convincing, such a good little actor, that she never suspected. She never had any fears.

And she should have. She should have known better. Even Bryna and Trihn had warned her that he was conniving and to be careful. Well, she certainly hadn’t been careful with her heart, and now, it was shattering into a million little pieces with one look from him.

Nothing compared to this. Nothing compared to falling hopelessly and recklessly in love and having it ripped apart at the seams. She felt her entire body splinter and fragment as her heart exploded with raw pain.

It was as if Pace knew just from looking at her that she had found out about his little scheme. He pushed past the reporters anxious to speak with him and darted in her direction. But she couldn’t face this. She couldn’t face him. He had done enough, put her heart through the wringer, and nothing he could say would change that.

She turned and walked calmly away from him. He easily reached her, and she’d known that he would. He was much bigger and much faster than her. But she didn’t slow down or stop.

“Stacia,” he said tentatively, “what’s wrong?”

“Is it true?” she asked, her voice dead.

“Is what true?”

“Just tell me if it’s true.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Pace said, trying to get her to stop, but she moved out of his way. “What’s wrong?”

“I just want to know if it’s true, Pace. I deserve that much.”

“Stacia,” he said soothingly, “look at me.”

Then, everything seemed to click into place for her. The way everyone had been acting at the game. The way people had always treated their relationship, as if it were set in stone. No one had been surprised that they were together. The way all the pieces had just sort of fit into a perfect puzzle. No one had ever said anything about her having been with Marshall and moving on to Pace. And the time he had freaked out and lost the USC game, it was because he had known she was off. It wasn’t about what Woods had told her. Pace had thought she’d heard about the bet. He had lost the biggest game of the year because of his own stupidity. Not hers. She had put all of that on herself. Taken it on like a load she thought she deserved to carry. Now, finding out the truth, she felt like she could strangle herself for not seeing it earlier.

“It all makes sense,” she whispered, still continuing to walk. “That’s why everyone has been weird at the game. That’s why no one was surprised about us being together. That’s why you freaked out at USC when you thought that I knew, and then you were relieved when I still introduced you to my dad.” She turned to glare at him. “Because you knew, if I found out, I would break up with you before giving you a piece of myself.”

Pace’s face paled, turning sheet white. “Pink—”

“No!” she cut him off. “Don’t ever call me that again. We’re through.”

“WE’RE THROUGH?”
Pace exploded. “We can’t be through.”

“Don’t waste your breath. I just broke up with you. So, obviously, we’re through,” Stacia said.

By that time, she had reached the girls. Her friends’ wide eyes said they’d heard her last statement.

“You can’t break up with me!” Pace yelled at her.

“Whoa! What’s going on here?” Bryna asked.

“I broke up with Pace. Can we go get wasted?” Stacia asked, completely ignoring Pace.

“What?” Trihn snapped. “Why?”

“I’m standing right here!” Pace said, trying to get Stacia’s attention. “Talk to me.”

“I asked you if it was true,” she spat at him. “You never answered. Proof enough for me. But if you’d like to answer, then by all means.”

“Stacia,” he groaned.

“Fine. Don’t answer. You’re wasting my time. Go talk to your reporters, get ready to sign those papers for Jude fucking Rose, get drafted, and get out of all our lives.”

Pace moved forward again, but Bryna intercepted him. “Stop it. You’re making a scene.”

“I don’t give a fuck!” Pace all but screamed. “That’s my girlfriend, and she’s breaking up with me. I can’t just walk away.”

Stacia rolled her eyes and started to do just that.

She could hear Bryna trying to calm him down. “Let me talk to her and figure out what is going on. Text me when you get out of here.”

“I can’t leave her, Bri!”

“Text me,” she commanded.

Then, Stacia was out of earshot and walking past the cheerleaders and toward the exit.

Lindsay diverted her with the most disturbing giggle she’d ever heard. “So…Pace is on the market again?”

“Yep. He’s all yours, whore,” Stacia said, devoid of emotion.

Lindsay looked taken aback. “I truly thought him breaking up with you would be a bit more eventful.”