Page 7 of Scored

“Yeah, two at home and then onto SoFi Stadium for the big game.”

Where the Rams play.

Where Fin sat the bench.

As we drove closer to the private airport, my phone buzzed. I looked down and read the text message from Fin.

“THE TEAM IS ON THE PLANE.”

“YOUR SHOULDER?” I texted back.

“BACK IN THE SOCKET.”

I grimaced. “PAINFUL?”

“NOT AS PAINFUL AS DISLOCATING IT. ARE YOU STILL UPSET WITH ME?”

“YES.”

His response came immediately. “I’LL MAKE IT UP TO YOU.”

“I’M NOT UPSET. THAT WAS MY ANSWER TO YOUR EARLIER QUESTION. YES, I WANT YOU TO MOVE IN.”

Fin sent back a heart emoji.

I sighed.

Leigh jutted her chin toward my phone. “Fin?”

“Yeah. The team is on the plane. They’ll beat us back.”

“How’s his shoulder?”

I inhaled. “He said they got it back in place.”

Leigh scrunched her nose. “Sounds painful.”

I lowered my voice. “Fin is moving in with me.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh my God, Vee,” she shrieked.

We now had the attention of everyone in the car.

“What happened?” Hayden asked, craning his neck toward us.

“Our girl Vee is going to willingly cohabitate.”

I felt the warmth fill my cheeks as I turned to Lip. “I seem to remember a recent conversation where I was told that I’m not getting any younger, and I should embrace what’s right in front of me.”

Lip grinned as he squeezed Chris’s hand. “Solid advice.”

Leigh bumped my shoulder with hers. “You’re going to have to give up your other job.”

“Which one is that?”

“Poster child of commitment issues,” she replied with a giggle.

A sad smile spread across my face as I remembered what Dad said when I told him Leigh thought I had commitment issues. He said he disagreed. Dad said I’m committed to this family and the Coopers. When the right person earned the privilege to be part of that commitment, I’d know.