The room erupts with hoots and hollers, Brady’s loud bark heard above each and every one.
The man goes on about his team, giving praise to them as a unit, sharing some of their trials with those of us who were none the wiser, and then he pauses. The man grabs the edge of the small podium he stands in front of and nods his head, a smile forming on his lips.
“You know, as a coach, there’s only so much I can do and I do it as best as I possibly can, but I know many of my boys cuss me out in their heads on a daily basis. A coach is only a coach.” He nods. “The true hero of this season’s success lies in the heart of the captain.”
People whistle and my stomach swirls. I subconsciously lean forward.
“Now, unfortunately, Noah Riley isn’t here tonight, but if he were, I’d take my hat off to the man. He took a team, built on a third of rookies, and led us to the playoffs in a year we were expected to be at the bottom of our division. He pulled many of you under his wing, and you all might not know this, ‘cause he surely never said a word, but that young man shifted his entire schedule around to be there to train and mentor every one of you who asked. He made us a family.”
The backs of my eyes sting.
“For that reason, he’s, without a doubt, and unanimous in votes from all thirty-nine of you on this roster, this year’s MVP. I’d like to invite Trey Donavon to the stage to accept this award on Noah’s behalf.”
The room erupts with cheers, and Cameron, his date for the night, screams from her seat beside me.
Trey pushes his sleeves a little higher, and a few guys give catcalls, making him smirk in response.
“Hey now, I got a girl, and she’s the jealous type,” he teases, and I playfully swat at Cameron.
He clears his throat, lifts the small trophy and looks it over. “Noah’s been my best friend for three years now, and I know I’ll be able to say the same thing thirty years from now.”
“Hey,” Chase whispers, and I reluctantly glance his way. “Wanna go get a drink? My buddy’s manning the bar.”
I shake my head, facing the stage once more as Trey continues.
“There ain’t a man out there more hard working and deserving of all the good the world has to offer more than him. I, uh, I know Coach asked me to accept this award, but there’s someone else here I’d like to invite up to do it instead.” Trey looks to Cameron behind me, and a frown builds along my face as he tears the mic from its holder and leaps off the stage, headed right for her. But then he says, “Arianna Johnson,” into the mic, and my spine straightens. Trey smiles. “My butterfly’s bestie, you might be thinking I’m crazy right now, and I sort of am, so that’s fine.” He’s in front of me now, and I look to Cameron when he drops to his knee with a wink. “Accept this award for our boy, Noah?”
“Uh…” My mouth opens, but all that comes out is a nervous chuckle, knowing all eyes are on me.
“Come on, please?” He gives me big puppy dog eyes.
I lift my hands, shrugging. “Sure.” I laugh, taking it from him.
The room cheers, and he laughs as he heads back to the stage, tossing the mic up at his coach.
The coach gives out a few other awards, Brady being the only freshman to receive one, and then the lights dim, the music growing a little louder.
Chase turns to me, extends a hand, and nods toward the dance floor.
“No one is dancing yet.”
“So.” His smile is bright. “I want to dance with you, and I don’t want to wait.”
Warmth spreads through me, and I push to my feet. Chase’s grin widens as he takes my hand, leading me to the center of the floor.
He spins me, making me laugh, and a blush rushes to my cheeks as I peek around to find several sets of eyes on us, some not as friendly as I’d have hoped. My muscles tense a bit, and Chase shakes his head.
He leans in, pressing his cheek to my face as he whispers, “Ignore them.” He pulls back, his palm gliding around my body, his right hand clasped with mine, but drawn in at our sides. His soft green eyes hold mine as his lips part, and he presses them against my knuckles. “You’re beautiful, Arianna. So beautiful.” His tone drops even lower and my chest clenches from the sound.
A few others join us on the dance floor, but I don’t pay them any mind.
I stay focused on the man before me.
“I used to dream of things like this,” I admit. “Dancing with you, holding on to you…”
His forehead falls to mine, and my eyes close.