Epilogue

 

3 weeks later

FloridaCollege Cup Championship

 

We knew the final game of the season would be our most difficult to date, and it's lived up to that expectation.

Singleton State has been a tough team to crack.

The first 90 minutes of play were aggressive and fast-paced, but ended in a scoreless game. 30 minutes of overtime resulted in dozens of shots on target, more than a few chippy fouls, but still no goals.

Both teams have left everything they've got out on the field. Now it comes down to this.

Penalty kicks.

We're currently gathered in a huddle, prepping for the shots. The boys are worn-out from two hours straight of strenuous effort, but it's not over yet.

Weston steps into the center of the circle, sweat coating his skin. His hazel eyes shimmer with intensity as he takes on the role of hype-man and begins his pep talk.

"All those early morning field sprints. All those two-a-days in the summer heat. All those teams we freakin' demolished on our way to the championship. None of that means shit if we don't see this thing through. Second place? Who the hell wants that?"

A chorus of "Not me" and "Fuck runner-up!" bounce through the huddle as he continues.

"We're the best team in the whole country—let's make damn sure we go home with that title still intact." His mouth lifts into a half-grin. "And I dunno about you guys, but I'm in the mood to fucking celebrate tonight. Who's with me?"

"Let's finish it!" Liam claps multiple times, riling everybody up.

"Warriors on three." Diego holds out an arm, palm down, and the rest of us stack our hands on top of his. He starts jumping up and down, shouting out the count. "One. Two. Three."

"Warriors!"

Numerous teammates pat me on the back as I tug on my gloves. I'm heading towards the goal when Vaughn jogs over.

"Your time to shine, dude," he says as he holds out a closed fist.

"Ready for it." I bump my knuckles to his, adrenaline coursing through my veins. "Let's fuckin' go, Blue."

"We got this." He nods before heading towards the penalty spot to take the first shot. I go with Singleton's keeper in the opposite direction.

I haven't been tested much throughout the playoffs—Weston wasn't exaggerating about demolishing the other teams. We kicked ass in the early rounds, dominated during the quarterfinals, and embarrassed our semi-final opponent so bad their coach got up and left the stadium during the match.

It's been an easy ride thus far, but V's right. This is my time to show my stuff. This is where my role on the squad becomes crucial.

I know if I can save just one or two of the five shots, we've got a good chance of winning.

TWEEET!

The ref blows the whistle and the kicks commence.

The first three shots for both teams go into the net untouched. Vaughn, Liam, and Weston take their kicks with calm confidence. Singleton's three best shooters are equally successful—there's not much I can do to stop their perfectly-placed goals.

Andre's the first to make a mistake. He hits the crossbar, putting us down in the count, but not for long. I choose the right direction for the next shot, knocking the ball over the top of the goal in an impressive save.

Zion is last to shoot for us. He does a little stutter step, then hits the target no problem. His emotionless expression doesn't falter through the entire ordeal.

Singleton's final shooter walks up and I punch my gloves together.

This is it.

If I get a hand on this one, it's game over.

The guy looks nervous, hands shaking as the pressure of the situation weighs down on him. When his eyes continually stray towards one corner of the net, I grin to myself.

He's going left.

Everything that follows is a fast-motion blur. My hands connect with the black-and-white ball, the roar of the crowd fills the stadium, and suddenly I find myself at the center of a dog-pile with my ecstatic teammates.

We fucking won.

We're national champs for the second year running.

Hats reading College Cup Champions! are handed out to us as friends, family, and girlfriends storm the field. I place my cap backwards over my sweaty hair, watching parents hug their sons and couples exchange congratulatory kisses.

"Cam!"

The voice coming from behind me brings a giant grin to my face. I turn around, laughing as Sydney charges at me full-speed. She looks cute as hell in a blue Windhaven crop top, white denim shorts, and a big Go #1! painted on her cheek to represent my jersey number.

"You did it! Holy freaking crap, I can't believe you guys did it!" she shouts as she leaps into my arms.

Her legs wrap around my middle, arms looped behind my neck as I spin her around in celebration. I feel her heart pounding with excitement, an upbeat rhythm vibrating against my chest.

Just knowing how thrilled she is for our win, how supportive she's been throughout every single round of the playoffs...it makes my own heart pick up speed.

This victory wouldn't feel half as good without her here.

"You are amazing!" she squeals. "Definitely the man of the match with those two saves." She tucks her head into the crook of my neck and hugs me tight. "How does it feel, Mr. MVP?"

"Pretty damn nice."

I palm her ass with both hands, lifting her up a little higher to plant my lips on hers.

After a lengthy kiss, she pulls back with a soft smile. "You deserve it, Cameron."

"Thanks, baby." I return the grin before shooting her an expectant look. "Vaughn got MVP at last year's tournament...I'll take home the title this year. You know what that means, right?"

"What?"

"Next year's your turn to lead the girls' team to sweet victory," I say. "And when you're lifting that College Cup trophy in the air, receiving your most valuable player award, I'm gonna jump into your arms just like this to celebrate."

"Um, ouch!" Indigo eyes lurch towards the night sky as she chuckles. "I think you would end my soccer career right then and there. I can see the headlines now: Collegiate athlete suffers herniated disc from 6'6'' boyfriend's celebration gone wrong!"

"You better start lifting a little heavier at the gym." I squeeze her butt and smirk. "Get these glutes prepared now."

"I'll get right on that," she jokes before a serious expression overtakes her cheery demeanor. "I'm just glad I'll actually be here next year. Crazy to think a month ago I had one foot out the door, a bunch of transfer applications clogging up my computer, and now everything's totally fine."

"It all worked out." I nod in agreement. "Worked out fucking perfectly."

It really did.

After confronting Julie about the pills, she refused to come clean. Even when I told her we had the whole thing on camera, she still continued with her denials, claiming it would take a lot more than some shaky footage to get her in trouble.

The Dean of Windhaven disagreed.

Once we showed him Crimson's video, he had no hesitation whatsoever expelling Julie's ass. Don't know where she ended up, and Sydney and I couldn't care less.

Good fucking riddance.

The women's soccer coach was next on the list to enlighten. It didn't take long—a quick chat with the athletic director, another screening of the video evidence, and everything was cleared up. Sydney's slate was scrubbed completely clean.

Coach Addy was more than relieved her star player could rejoin the squad. So relieved, in fact, that she put her on scholarship starting this coming Spring and not ending until she graduates.

A guaranteed full-ride for the next seven semesters.

Syd was shell-shocked after that badass news.

And now we're here—finals are through, Christmas break is about to hit full-swing, and the two of us get to enjoy it together. No classes, no practices, no petty drama interrupting our much-needed holiday.

"What a way to end the semester, huh?" I say to the beautiful brunette in my arms. "Winning this game was the icing on the cake."

"Definitely." A mischievous smile tugs at her lips. "But you know it wasn't just skill and talent that led y'all to victory, right?"

I raise a brow. "What do you mean?"

She reaches a hand down, pulling my goalie gloves from my waistband.

When she lifts the bright pink objects in front of my face, I laugh. "I was wondering if you'd notice."

"Where'd you get these?" she teases. "They're super cute."

"Some random hoarder-chick. She told me they were lucky, but I dunno." I grin. "Between you and me, I think the girl was a little out there. Brain not firing on all cylinders, if you catch my drift."

"Sounds like it." Sydney playfully slaps my shoulder with the gloves. "I'm shocked you actually wore them! I figured you'd tossed them in a garbage dump months ago."

"If there was ever a time to break these bad boys out, tonight was it. They did their job." I grab them from her grasp and shove them back in my waistband. "I think I'll keep 'em."

"You will?"

"Yup." I nod before giving her an exaggerated perusal. "And I think I'll keep you, too."

Her eyes roll once more, but she's beaming ear-to-ear as I lean in for another kiss.

We've barely locked lips when a loud whistle pierces the air.

"Y'all gather 'round," Coach hollers, waving the team towards the middle of the field. "I won't keep you long."

Sydney jumps to the ground and we join the crowd making a circle around him. Fans, family, and players alike congregate to hear his post-game words.

Bev's on top of Coach's shoulders, wearing his Championship hat and a wide smile. Erika's got happy tears in her eyes as she pulls Diego and Parker into a motherly hug.

Coach holds up a hand to stop the chatter.

"Just give me a few minutes of your time and I'll let you on your way."

Once silence overtakes the group, he begins his speech.

"This team. This squad of hard-working, resilient men. I can't think of any group of guys more deserving than the ones standing here in front of me. You always give it your all, you never quit or back down from a challenge, and I am so damn proud of each and every one of you. Thank you."

Coach pauses for a sec, waiting out the boisterous applause as he continues.

"I'd also like to address the seniors." His eyes bounce towards me, Vaughn, Weston, and Liam. "The ones who were here four years ago when the team was in a, well, we'll call it a rebuilding phase. Those who stuck it out through that not-so-pretty season and went on to three consecutive College Cup appearances. This—" He holds the silver trophy in the air. It catches the field lights, shining in the night sky. "—is for you. I thank you for your hard work and dedication to this program. For giving your heart and soul to this team from the moment you stepped onto campus to right now—your last game as Windhaven Warriors."

Vaughn cups a hand on my shoulder, a bittersweet smile on his face. I watch as Weston socks Liam on the bicep before giving him a fist bump and bro-hug.

The realization that we've just played our final match together as teammates...damn.

It's the end of an era.

"You are outstanding young men," Coach says, his voice cracking at the end of the sentence. He clears his throat, biting back emotion as he gives us an appreciative nod. "I love you boys like sons. Truly."

"We love you, too, Coach."

Clapping starts again, and suddenly a strange sensation surges through my body.

I feel light as fucking air, lost in a state of pure bliss as I glance around me.

Everything I could ever want, everything I could ever need, is right here, right now.

My teammates—my best friends. My brothers.

Coach and Erika—my family for the past seven years. The two people I owe so fucking much.

And Sydney—the girl of my freaking dreams. My girl.

She's the one piece that's been absent for all these years. I've had my sport, I've had my boys, and I've had my "adopted parents", but she's that missing link. She completes the puzzle.

She makes everything whole.

And I still need to tell her just how much she means to me.

Suddenly, Diego throws his hands in the air.

"Dios mío,Coach. I thought this was supposed to be a happy speech, not a friggin' tear-jerker!"

Laughter rings throughout the stadium as Coach shakes his head in amusement.

"You're right, you're right," he concedes. "Let's end it here. Y'all go celebrate. You deserve it."

As everyone exchanges goodbyes and scatters about, the four seniors and our girlfriends remain put.

"Coach has me feeling some type of way from that spiel," Weston says with a headshake. "Shit."

"It was heartfelt," Lexie agrees.

"So sweet." Ellie wipes underneath her eyes. "I got a little teary there at the end."

Rayne claps her hands together twice. "Okay, what's the plan for the rest of the evening? It's time to celebrate you guys."

"Let's go out for dinner," Ellie suggests. "Just the eight of us."

Vaughn nods. "I'm starving."

"Me too." Weston rubs his stomach dramatically. "Anyone know of any good restaurants around here?"

"There's a seafood place about ten minutes away," Liam says as he thumbs his phone screen. "Looks quite nice, so break out your best trousers and dresses."

"Oh dang...I didn't bring anything fancy," Sydney admits with a grimace. "Everything I brought is beachy and casual."

"No sweat." Weston tips his head towards his girlfriend. "Barbie can lend you something. She brought her whole fucking closet along."

"Guilty as charged," Lex says with a laugh. "I have a bunch of things that would look gorgeous on you, Syd. Let's go!"

She grabs Sydney's hand, tugging her away from my side. Rayne follows behind, jogging to keep up with them. Ellie turns to join the girls, but not before leaving us with one final instruction.

"You boys shower and clean up. Meet us at our hotel in an hour!"

"Alright. Important, major, life-changing decision incoming. Prepare yourself accordingly." Lexie shoves three dresses against my chest and raises a brow. "Sky blue, navy blue, or robin's egg blue?"

We tilt our heads, staring at our reflection in the floor-length mirror when we hear Rayne's voice behind us.

"Hard choice, but I think she should go with the blue one."

Lexie whips her head around, a teasing glare on her face. "Not helpful, R!"

"Sorry." Rayne laughs as she pulls on a pair of flats. "But what's with the blue? Why so much?"

"I needed something to complement this." Lexie points to the cobalt stripes in her blonde hair, the color the same shade as the boys' jerseys. She smooths a hand over her matching blue midi-dress and smiles. "I'm a devoted fan and I don't like to clash."

She turns back to me, holding the navy dress a little higher. "Hmm. I don't know. They all look good. Where's Ellie? She'll know. El?" she shouts in the direction of the hotel bathroom. "Come here! Your expertise is needed."

Ellie pops her head out the door, a curling iron in one hand and a mascara wand in the other.

"Robin's egg," she says immediately. "It looks beautiful against her olive skin and dark hair."

Lex nods twice. "Agreed." She tosses the other options behind her back, one landing on top of Rayne's head, before draping the soft blue-green fabric over my shoulder. "You put this on and let us handle the rest."

Over the next thirty minutes, Lexie styles my hair in loose beach waves, Rayne fetches me a pair of pretty sandals, and Ellie shows off her makeup skills, painting my face with a gorgeous cat-eye and shimmery golden highlighter on my cheekbones and eyelids.

When I get a good look at myself in the mirror, I let out a shocked gasp.

"I look so...so..." I'm unable to find the words, but the girls quickly offer their opinions.

"Amazing!" Ellie says.

"Like a model." Rayne gives me a thumbs up.

"You look freaking hot!" Lexie gushes, a bright smile stretching her cheeks. "Cameron's going to lose his shit when he sees you, no doubt."

The thought sends a wave of goosebumps down my back.

Suddenly, a buzzing sound on the nightstand grabs our attention. Lexie snatches her phone, reading the incoming text.

"It's Weston. He says they're waiting for us in the lobby."

It vibrates again and her green eyes roll. "He says hurry up because they're so starving they're practically wasting away."

She's typing out a response when his photogenic face pops up on her phone screen.

"Hello? We're almostready, babe. Like five minutes." She pauses for a moment while he responds, then emits a loud guffaw. "Cannibalism?! Weston, oh my God. You will survive five more minutes. You want us to look cute, don't you?"

After a few final touches, we head down to the lobby to meet the hungry boys. By some miracle, they haven't resorted to eating one another for satiety yet.

When Cameron spots me for the first time, he acts just as Lexie predicted.

He is totally floored at my uncharacteristic appearance.

His eyes are wide as they drag up and down my body, hand rubbing his jaw and an awestruck smile on his face.

"Holy fuck, Baby Blue." He motions for me to twirl for him and I eagerly oblige. "You weren't lying—you do clean up nice. Damn."

"Thanks." I laugh at the compliment. "You don't look so bad yourself."

He looks sexy as sin in a fitted gray button-down, sand-colored pants, and his dirty blonde hair still damp from a shower.

He grins, still unable to tear his gaze away from my curve-hugging dress. "Shit," he mumbles. "Forget dinner. Let's go back to my hotel room and—"

Vaughn loudly clears his throat behind us.

"My bad, V," Cam says before giving me a subtle wink and a whispered, "We'll talk about it later."

My brother grunts, rubs his temples, and walks off to avoid any more crude details.

Sorry, Vaughn!

"We're leaving!" Liam calls out, waving us towards the exit.

We head outside, following Ellie as she leads the way to the restaurant.

Dinner is fantastic.

The dreamy seaside setting, the impeccable food, the rum-heavy drinks.

It's exactly what we had in mind for a celebration meal.

For the majority of the evening, the girls and I are quiet, listening as the guys chat amongst each other. Hilarious conversation, boisterous laughter, and nostalgic memories float about the table as they reminisce on their last four years on the team. Golden candlelight illuminates their jovial expressions, the gentle crash of waves the soundtrack to the unforgettable night.

It's the perfect way for the boys to end their collegiate soccer careers.

Once we're stuffed from the mouthwatering meal, we all go our separate ways. Liam and Ellie are leaving for Disney in the morning, so they've got a long night of packing ahead of them. Weston and Lexie meet up at a trendy club with Weston's older bro, Rhett, who flew in to watch the championship. And Vaughn and Rayne find a glow in the dark mini-golf place to play a few rounds.

Cameron and I decide to explore the picturesque streets of the quaint beach town, admiring the mom-and-pop shops.

"I need to buy a souvenir," I tell him as we stroll hand-in-hand. "Something special to remember this trip by."

He nods. "Let's see what we can find."

We visit an art gallery, browse a few clothing stores, and walk through a tourist trap with a plethora of cheap keepsakes.

Nothing feels worthy. Nothing feels right.

I've almost given up, ready to call it a day and buy a pack of generic post cards or a tacky "I love FL" keychain when suddenly I see it.

A storefront across the street that has the ideal memento—one that I'll keep forever.

"There." I point at the establishment. "That's my souvenir."

Cam's brow crinkles as he reads the neon-lit business name. "Nah."

"Yes!" I insist. "It's what I want."

"I dunno, Syd." His words convey his skepticism. "You sure that's not just the mai tais talking?"

"What? No!" I shake my head repeatedly. "I had like, two sips of your drink."

He gives me a pointed look. "And two sips of Lexie's drink, and two sips of Rayne's drink, and—"

I grab his arm. "I promise it's not alcohol-influenced. Come on. We'll just check it out real quick."

Cameron grins as I stubbornly tug him along, forcing him to cross the street with me.

"You're a handful, you know that?"

"So I've been told." I laugh. "But don't worry. Odds are I'll chicken out at the last minute."

"You? Chicken out?" He shakes his head. "Not a fucking chance."

"Oww..."

A few hours later, I've got my painful and permanent souvenir.

It's a small tattoo of a soccer ball, Windhaven's signature W over the top of it. Simple, clean, and more than meaningful. It's perfect.

Although Cam wasn't too keen on the idea, he changed his mind once he saw the impressive design the talented artist sketched out. He liked it so much, he told the guy to give him the same one in the exact same spot I got mine done: the right shoulder blade.

With our new matching ink, we find a secluded stretch of beach to get some privacy. We're walking down the shore, shoes in hand and toes in sand, and my back is starting to sting a bit.

"Remember when you told me tattoos didn't hurt?" I say in accusation. "Well, this totally hurts!"

"I said they didn't hurt me," he corrects with a teasing grin. "Low-pain-tolerance wimps can't handle the needle."

"Ouch." I bend over, picking up a seashell and holding it next to my ear. "Operator? 9-1-1, please. I'd like to report a sick burn."

Cam laughs and snatches the shell-phone from my hand, lifting it to his own ear. "Hello? Yeah, she's gonna have to call you back."

He tosses the shell behind him and tugs me close.

"You know you're not a wimp. You're the last person on this planet I'd call weak, baby." He gently brushes a piece of hair from my face. "You're tough as hell—it's one of the reasons I like you so much."

"I'm glad to hear you like me," I say as I snuggle against his chest. "Maybe then I won't have to cover this tattoo some day."

"You never will."

I tilt my head up, my gaze latching onto his. "Never?"

"Never," he repeats adamantly. He studies me for a second, brows pulled together in deep thought. "I have to tell you something, and I can't believe it's taken me this damn long to say it. Shit, everybody else already knows except you. And you're the one person that truly needs to know."

"What is it?" I ask softly.

"That I'm crazy about you, Baby Blue. Batshit crazy for you, and I always will be." He graces me with that gorgeous smile that never fails to send shivers down my spine. "I love you, Sydney. So fucking much."

My heart swells with joy at those three little words.

A bubble of emotion bursts in my chest as I respond.

"I love you, too, Cameron."

The feelings we've both been harboring for so long...finally finally finally spoken out loud.

He dips his head down, lips meeting mine in a sweet kiss. My eyes flutter shut, my fingers bury in his thick hair, and I drown in his intoxicating touch.

As the tide washes over our bare feet, the salty air surrounding us, I know this is it for me.

Cameron is it for me.

He's the one I want to experience life with. The one I want by my side in every endeavor, in every struggle, in every single moment, good or bad.

And I can't wait to see what the future holds for us.