The idea of his leaving her out there still pissed me off. I didn’t like thinking about how alone she’d been. How no one had been there for her.

“Good game, babe.” I looked up from my own private little world with Maggie to see Raleigh standing there.

“Thanks, but I’m not your babe,” I replied, trying to get her to leave.

Raleigh laughed and bit her bottom lip like she thought that was sexy. “Maybe not right now, but you’re gonna get bored with the mute girl and want some action eventually. I’ll be waiting. I was always there for you when you needed me. I want that back, West. I miss us,” she said in a low voice that sounded pleading.

I hated it when people took potshots at Maggie. I’d planned to be nice to Raleigh while firmly sending her on her way. But she’d gone and said shit to piss me off.

“I can talk. I just choose who I talk to. So stop trying to upset me. It’s not working.”

I stood there staring at Maggie as she spoke so clearly and matter-of-factly to Raleigh.

“So you do talk. Huh. Does Brady know this?” Raleigh asked, and I took a step toward her, putting myself between her and Maggie. But Maggie’s hand touched my arm as she held on to it and moved to stand beside me.

“Yes, he does. Now you can leave,” Maggie said, not backing down.

I stared down at her. Was there nothing about her that wasn’t perfect? She even dealt with my ex-girlfriend without being dramatic.

“God, you can’t even stop looking at her,” Raleigh said in a disgusted tone.

She was right. I couldn’t.

I didn’t look up, but I knew Raleigh had left once Maggie’s shoulders relaxed and she turned to meet my gaze.

“I’ve decided that I need to enter the world again. Engage. Speak. But until I tell my aunt and uncle, I’m not going to talk to anyone else. Except you, of course.”

Except me. I kissed her hard on the lips and tried like hell not to let the fear of losing her take control of me. I wanted her to talk. I wanted her to live her life to the fullest. I just didn’t know if I trusted that I’d be enough for her then. Right now I was her world because she spoke only to me. And my mom.

When she talked to other people and let them in . . . would she still choose to be with me?

I had Maggie’s hand tucked inside mine as we walked toward the guys at the party. Brady was parking his truck up here again now that he didn’t have Maggie hiding out in the dark by herself. Nash was the first one to notice us, and he gave me a tight smile. He still hadn’t warmed up to the idea of me and Maggie. But it wasn’t because he didn’t like her. . . . It was the opposite.

Knowing he’d seen her wearing my jersey all day made the jealous monster inside me stay down. As soon as Nash had met Maggie, he’d recognized something special in her. Same as I had. He’d just not been dealing with shit that made him an idiot. . . .

Lucky for me, she recognized something inside me, too, and overlooked that I was an idiot.

“You ready for this?” I asked her as we got close to the guys.

She tilted her head back to look up at me, and smiled.

That was all I needed.

“Welcome to the family, Maggie,” Ryker said, holding up his beer, a big grin on his face. “’Bout time you joined us.”

I glanced at Brady. It was his fault she’d not been with us from the beginning. He should feel like shit that he’d left her out there alone. But the look on his face eased my anger some. He wasn’t proud of himself, I could see that much.

Ivy was curled up at his side again tonight. I never knew when they were on again or off again. Brady just seemed so detached from her. Like he was letting her stay here because she wanted to. Not because he wanted her here.

“Three games. Three wins. I can taste State already,” Asa said as he walked up to the group and took a seat beside Ivy and Brady on the tailgate.

I didn’t want to share a seat with anyone. Just Maggie. I led her over to the hay bale that was unoccupied, and sat on it before tugging her down to sit on my lap.

I pressed a kiss to her ear then whispered. “You thirsty? I forgot to get you something.”

She shook her head and leaned into me. I held her close, not paying any attention to the others, until I heard Nash say my name. It was hard snapping out of my thoughts about Maggie to respond.

She was just more interesting than he was.

“What?” I asked, turning my attention to Nash.

“You had Tennessee recruiting you. That still a go, or are you holding out for Bama?”

Football. Next year. Something I hadn’t thought about. Didn’t want to think about. Not with Dad gone. Not with Maggie here.

I shrugged because I didn’t know the answer. Yes, Tennessee was watching me. I just didn’t care.

“We all got decisions to make. Let’s wait until football season is over before we make them. Tonight we need to be talking about Gunner’s lightning feet,” Brady said, changing the subject and shutting that down.

Gunner held up his beer. “To me. Because I kick ass!” he yelled, and everyone laughed and held up their cups.

Maggie’s shoulders shook with silent laughter, and she laid her head on my shoulder as she watched them.

And I watched her.

You’re Gonna Own Me

CHAPTER 39

MAGGIE

Listening to West laugh and talk with his friends while he held me in his arms was perfect. It was exactly how I wanted my first real field party experience to be. I couldn’t imagine it any other way now.