Free Touchdown by Garnet Hart Page B

too far away from them.
    “Let’s go, Miss Graham.”
    The woman pushed her wheelchair before she could say a word. She realized they were heading toward the middle of the field, towards Troy.
    She froze—paralyzed down to her last nerve ending. Was she the one he wanted to introduce to the crowd? What for?
    “Please meet Zoey Graham,” Troy said as she approached him. “She’s the woman I hit along the road, and God knows there wasn’t a day that I didn’t feel sorry for it.”
    The crowd continued to boo him, but he went on.
    The woman stopped pushing her wheel chair, about three yards away from him, and he looked at her.
    She remained paralyzed. What was this prick doing? Was he trying to gain back the people’s respect by presenting her to the public, and by saying he was sorry?
    Foolish. Whoever’s idea this was, it was just plain stupid.
    “So Zoey.” He smiled at her. It pricked something in her heart, but she chose not to react. “I know how much pain I caused you. I know that until now you’re still suffering, so I did everything that you asked me to do.”
    She frowned. She had no idea what he was talking about.
    “My team won the game,” he said, which angered the crowd even more and yelled slandering words at him. “We all did it for you.”
    The Patriots team, who were all lined up behind Troy, yelled and clapped their hands. A conspiracy was happening. They were all up to something, and she wished they didn’t make her a part of it. She didn’t want this. She couldn’t handle it. But what could she do? She couldn’t run away without her crutches.
    “And I scored two touchdown runs,” Troy continued, which finally rang a bell in her ears. “It’s not my game, but I did that too, for you.”
    Fuck! Was he talking about the condition she gave him if he wanted to marry her? That was a bluff! Nothing but a bluff! How could he be so stupid to believe it? Just as how stupid she had been when she believed he’d actually come pick her up at seven the other night.
    “And I did the third one, which I don’t want to mention here.”
    Of course, he wouldn’t, or the fans would kill him. Now, she understood why he made that dumb pass. He wanted Wayne to have the ball, so he could sack him, and his team was all into it. They all helped him accomplish what she thought was impossible for him to do.
    “But that’s just a start. Here comes the real one.” Troy handed the microphone to one of his team mates who, in return, handed him a small, red box. He approached her and fell to his knees before her, with a diamond ring on his hand. “Zoey Graham, will you marry me?”
    Shocked and paralyzed, she gawked at him. She could hear the crowd cheering—a sudden change of atmosphere, but it took a while before she recovered.
    “Are you crazy?” she gritted the words out, hoping no one would hear it.
    He smiled at her. “If that’s how you see it.”
    “Say yes,” his team mates yelled.
    Zoey looked at the crowd. Everyone’s eyes were on her. The giant screen also showed her face, close up. They were all waiting for her answer.
    She knew this was Troy’s strategy to cleanse his rotten name. She had rejected his proposal, but now he’d thought of an elaborate plan to get her to where he wanted her to be—a situation she couldn’t get away from.
    He knew she couldn’t possibly say no to him now and embarrass him in front of the crowd. The clever son of a bitch.
    “Say yes, say yes,” the team went on cheering, and then the crowd followed. For one moment, they were all united, the Jets and Patriots fans alike.
    This was incredible. This asshole’s plan was working. But she could ruin it all for him… if she chose to.
    She stared into his eyes. He was patiently waiting for an answer. She couldn’t say no.
    “Yes,” she nodded.
    “She said yes,” someone yelled over the microphone and the crowd went wild.
    Troy smiled and put the ring on her finger. Suddenly, he held her head and pressed a