"She's right here. Number seven taught me how to live and it feels damn good."

"Kiss me."

I follow his order sealing our lips together. He pulls back quickly.

"What's wrong, State?"

"That." He nods his head towards his mother and Tia.

"Fuck them," I say with joy.

"Jesus, what has football done to you?"

"Turned me into a tiger." I giggle feeling high on life.

"Simmer down, tiger."

He sets me down, never letting go of my hand, while we walk to his car. Shayne and Ryder pile in with us using an excuse of their cars being too far away. It seems her parents bought the story. They're quite oblivious. An astronaut on Mars could detect their chemistry from there. Lip smacking soon fills the backseat.

State cranks up his stereo booming out C'mon Let Me Ride by Skylar Grey. I'm not a college student like the rest of them, but in this moment I sure in the hell feel like one. The night breeze flows through the car with the catchy song. State squeezes my hand tight in his, leaning over to steal a kiss at every stoplight.

I never miss a chance to return it or tell him just how much I love him. We pull up to the same fancy-ass restaurant we dined at the first night with his parents and coach. Again, we walk hand in hand and sit at the same booth, but with one new member, Tia. State doesn't acknowledge her even when his bulldog mother is persistent as hell.

Each time she tries to get State tangled in a conversation with Tia, Shayne stomps on my foot. Jesus, I'm going to have broken toes by the end of the night.

"What do you want to eat?" State whisper to me.

"You." I send him a devilish smile.

"Behave," he growls.

"I'm not too hungry. Can I just eat off your plate?"

He nods. "I'll order an extra garden salad and I'll eat all the vegetables from it that you don't like."

"Perfect." I kiss his lips.

State orders the biggest steak, mashed potatoes, a bake potato, and two dinner salads. Once the waitress leaves I feel the evil glare from his mother.

"Not hungry for a sandwich, dear?" She asks me.

"No, I ate at the stadium," I reply with a tight smile.

"Oh, that's right we interrupted you pigging down on it."

"Mother." State slaps his palm down on the table.

I grip his flexed bicep. "No, she's right, baby. I was eating like a hog, but it was so good."

He looks down at me with a question on his face.

"That breakfast you had ordered to your dorm room was nasty. I appreciated the gesture after you left though."

Score: Baylor-one Cuntasaurus- zero He bites down on his bottom lip recognizing my game.

"God, I wish you could stay again."

His voice is loud enough for the whole table to hear.

"Nope, my place tonight!"

If I can't kill them with kindness then sluthood will do. As per usual, the conversation goes right into football like a pissing match over State did not just ensue. Ryder and State tangle into their endless topic of who is better than the other. I've soon realized there's no way to compare their positions, but they seem to love arguing over that shit.

Our salads arrive and I wait patiently for State to pluck the olives, cucumbers, and other vile shit from it. I'm left with a perfect bed of iceberg lettuce drenched in ranch dressing.

"Wait." State stops everyone. "I was going to wait until after dinner, but just can't. My dad helped me with this."

I look over at his dad who is smiling with a huge grin on his face. State turns to me and just as my bitch code courage seems to evaporate. All eyes are on me. I'm about to step on his damn foot, hard.

He pulls a black box from his pocket and I nearly faint. I begin to shake my head from side-to-side. I know I'll marry this man someday, but a proposal like this? No. Really? No.

Yep, he pops open the black box to a ring. A fucking ring with diamonds, yellow damn diamonds.

"I love you, Baylor. You're my forever. Actually, the only person for me. It's been like that since day one of meeting your snotty little ass. I forced you to play football with me and you cheated at UNO like no other. King's brought us together and then tore us apart. Funny thing is, nothing can ever tear us apart now.

This is a promise ring. My promise to you. I promise to love you every single day for the rest of my life. You are the most important person in my life. I'd hang up that number seven jersey just to play UNO with you for the rest of my life."

I wrap my arms around his neck, not caring about our audience.

"Thank you, State. God, thank you!"

When I pull back he slides the ring on my finger. It's quite the statement with the huge yellow diamonds on it. I pull my hand to my chest clutching it. The rest of the dinner is pretty much awkward beyond belief, but the high I'm currently riding is too good to be ruined by anything or anyone.

"I have one for Rowe, too, my little princess."

I fork a piece of steak from his plate. "She'll love it."

We say our goodbyes and jump in the car.

"State, can I talk to you?" His mom asks before he folds his large frame into the car.

Oh shit! She's about to score.

He's a gentlemen and steps toward the back of the car, leaving the door open. Oh, how I wish like hell he would've shut that door. The most heartbreaking conversation takes place between a mother and son.

"Are you serious about this?" Her voice is nasty.

"Yes, mom. I've told you to accept it or move on."

"Are you fucking serious? We saved you and this is how you respect us."

I bury my head in my lap wishing like hell to not have to hear this.

"What's the God damn problem, Mom? Dad's been on board from day one. You're the only one acting like a bitch."

"She's trash, State. Fucking trash. You deserve better."

"You need to shut the hell up and think about what you're saying. I've never seen you be so nasty, mom."

"It's because I actually love you and care about your future."

"So, you try run the one good thing out of my life by being cruel."

"She's trash. You're so much better."

"We're cut from the same cloth," he growls.

"You were saved. She wasn't. Her way of life will destroy you."

"What in the fuck?" he roars.

"Oh God." I turn back to Ryder.

"Let me handle this, Baylor, stay in the car." He gets out, but their voices keep going.

"Son, you're going to lose everything you've worked for."

"You've lost me, Mother. I'm done with this."

"Don't, State. I'll fight for your future."

"I don't need you or need your shit in my life."

"She's trash."

"So help me God, if you repeat that one more time, I'm going to blow."

"Well, blow and walk away while you still can."

"You're worried about Baylor when you just fucking crushed my heart? My own mother being so cruel and heartless? I don't even recognize the monster you've become."

Ryder must get between the two of them since silence settles around us. My head spins with confusion and mostly hurt for State.

"Baylor, want to drive us back?" Ryder asks.

I scramble from the passenger seat and climb behind the wheel. I catch State slamming his fist into the metal pole before Ryder can get him into the passenger seat. The drive is quiet on the way back to the stadium. Another word isn't spoken when we go to the dorm room to gather our clothes. State doesn't refuse when I drive us back to our house.

"I'm sorry, Baylor," he finally says a few miles from my house.

"Don't be. I feel horrible that she hates me so much."

"I don't get it. I don't get it at all."

"It's okay, baby, I don't want to see you hurt."

"Me hurt?" He yells. "You think I'm fucking hurting to hear her call you that shit?"

"State, you're scaring me." My hands tremble around the steering wheel.

"Sorry, Queen, just know I'm not hurt. I'm fucking pissed. Dad said he'd talk to her."

I pull into the driveway and catch Rowe peeking out the front window with her damn-dangling tooth still in place. I turn to State and hold my ring up.

"You promised me the world and I believe it. That means we share the joy, sorrow, and pain of the world together. I'm here. I'm not leaving."

He drops his forehead to my shoulder. "Jesus, I was so afraid you were going to tell me it's over. That's why I didn't say a word on the way over."

"It's never over; until my last breath."

"I love you," he whispers.

"We better get inside. Rowe practically has the blinds off the wall. I'm betting she conned Miss Tami into letting her stay awake until we got home."

He doesn't miss a beat and morphs back into the strong, solid State I love, before hopping from the car. And just like all the other times when around Rowe, I become an observer to their crazy antics. He has her scooped up in his arms before the door fully opens.

"Shrek! I just knew you were coming home tonight."

I replay her words over and over in my mind. Home. Home. Yes, State is home.

"Hey, princess. I missed you."

"Nice tackles."

He chuckles at her compliment before settling down in my chair. I excuse myself to go wash up. I feel filthy from living it up in the stadium. I rush to the shower and quickly wash off. I hop into some spandex shorts and oversized Cinderella t-shirt. It falls off the shoulder since I have a habit of cutting the collar out of all my t-shirts.

The sparkle of the yellow diamonds on my finger catch my attention. It's simple and beautiful. I lightly kiss it before heading out into the living room. Miss Tami stares at it as I cozy in next to her.

"You like it?" She whispers.

"You knew?"

"Of course, I knew. State and I talk a lot."

That statement warms my heart.

"I'm in love."

She squeezes the top of my kneecap, kisses my temple, and says, "Watch this."