“Sawyer has demanded your presence at his soccer game tonight.” Wes was standing at my bedroom door, a hopeful expression on his face. “He told me to tell you he, and I quote, ‘he will be very disappointed if you miss another of his matches.’”
‘Oh no, really?”
“Yep.” Wes sounded remarkably positive considering my response.
I’d been avoiding Sawyer’s matches for one very good reason. I didn’t want to watch Noah play. I’d been trying to purge him from my life, and going to his games seemed an unnecessary torture. I was working on moving on now, so it was probably time I stopped using him as an excuse. Still, it was cold this evening, and the idea of freezing my butt off as I sat in a soccer stadium wasn’t that appealing.
“Sawyer won’t even know if I’m there or not. Isn’t the presence of the rest of the school enough for him?”
“His need for adoration knows no bounds.”
I laughed. Sawyer did seem to enjoy soaking up the attention he got during his games. He wasn’t even the star player, but he certainly acted like he was.
“Also, he’s decided you’re his good luck charm. He didn’t play very well at his last game, and since you weren’t there, he’s decided you’re to blame.”
“He can’t be serious. Is he really that superstitious?”
Wes shrugged. “I might be his brother, but not even I understand Sawyer most of the time.”
“I’m not going to his game just because he played like crap last week.”
“He also promised to stop calling you sis if you come.”
“Ugh, he told you about that?”
“Oh yeah. He’s already planning our wedding.”
I groaned. “Please tell me you’re joking.”
Wes grinned. “I am, mostly. He’s very team Wesobel.”
“Oh no, not the couple name. Has he been talking to Cress?”
Wes laughed. “Probably. You’ve got to admit though, Wesobel has kind of a ring to it.”
I glared at him, and he held his hands up in surrender.
“Okay, no couple name. But will you come to the game?”
“I don’t know. It seems like a lot of pressure to be Sawyer’s lucky charm…”
“I’m sure Cress would like you to see her dancing too,” Wes added.
I let out a breath, knowing there was no way I could say no now. If Wes wanted me at the game, he probably should have led with that argument. Cress had mentioned she’d like me to be there earlier today, and I was already feeling guilty about letting her down. I couldn’t avoid Noah’s games forever, so I was just going to have to suck it up and face the cold.
My shoulders slouched. “Okay, fine. You’ve twisted my arm. I’ll come.”
Surprise lit Wes’s eyes as though he hadn’t believed it would be that easy to convince me. “You will?”
“Yeah, I’m not sure I can handle disappointing both Sawyer and Cress.”
“And don’t forget me. I would have been disappointed if you weren’t there too.”
“Well, we couldn’t have that.”
I changed quickly and threw on the same outfit I’d worn to the last soccer game, but I added a sweater, jacket, gloves, beanie, and scarf to keep me warm. I looked like the Michelin Man, but I didn’t care. I just hoped it was enough to keep me warm. There was nothing worse than being stuck outside in the cold when you weren’t wearing enough.
We set off for the stadium, and the moment I was outside, I began to question my decision. It wasn’t just cold this evening; it was freezing. Not even the extra layers I’d put on seemed to be helping.
“It’s not even winter yet. How is it so cold?” I grumbled as the freezing wind cut through my sweater and lashed against my exposed cheeks. There was nothing I hated more than the cold.
Wes chuckled. “I’m surprised you can feel the cold at all given the way you’re bundled up.”
“I’m going to turn into an icicle,”
“You’d make a very adorable icicle.”
I rolled my eyes. “No one cares if they’re adorable or not once they’re frozen, Wesley.”
He kept smiling at me like my response only made me more adorable to him. I nudged him with my shoulder, hoping to distract him enough that he’d stop looking at me that way.
“Come on,” I said. “Let’s walk faster so we can get out of the wind.”
When we reached the stadium, Anna waved us over to some seats she’d saved. “I can’t believe you came,” she said as I sat beside her. “Wes told me he was going to talk to you, but I didn’t think he’d actually be able to convince you. The weather’s foul.”
“I guess Wes can be pretty convincing when he wants to be.”
“It’s a skill,” he agreed with a proud smile. His blond hair was sticking out under the sides of his beanie, and his cheeks were pink from the icy wind. I had no idea how he managed to look so good despite the cold. It didn’t suit me nearly as much.
I kept sniffing because my nose was runny, and the cold had already permeated my jeans and was chilling my legs. I had expected my gloves to at least keep my hands warm, but my fingers were almost numb. I cupped my hands to my mouth and blew into them, hoping to thaw my fingers out a little, but it was useless.
“You look like you’re freezing,” Wes said. “Here.” He didn’t wait for me to respond before he wrapped his arm around me.
I turned rigid as he pulled me in close. I wasn’t sure if cuddling up to Wes at a soccer game was really a good idea, but the moment his warmth hit me, all hesitation disappeared. He was practically my own space heater, and I cuddled into him trying to get warmer still. I knew I should have been more cautious, in case this was giving him the wrong idea about us, but I was too cold to care.
The team came out onto the pitch, and I stiffened again slightly in Wes’s grasp as I waited to spot Noah. When I didn’t see him, I managed to relax. Cress had said he was sick, so maybe he wasn’t well enough to play today. I couldn’t help but feel a little relieved.
Wes laughed, and I followed his gaze to his brother who was blowing kisses into the crowd. Actually, he was sending them right at us. I scowled at him, but that only made Sawyer smile brighter.
“I think he’s happy his lucky charm is here,” Wes said.
“I hope he doesn’t actually believe that. I’m really not sure I can handle the pressure.”
Wes gave me a squeeze, and with his lips close to my ear, he whispered, “Maybe we can tell him you’re too busy being my lucky charm instead.”
I swallowed, my body tingling as I felt his breath against my neck. “Yeah, maybe that will work.” I tried to whisper, but my words seemed to become stuck in my throat.
Anna shot me a curious look, and I smiled back at her as innocently as I could. She shrugged and turned away as the girl next to her said something. I let out a breath. Wes was totally getting under my skin right now in all the good ways, and I hoped it wasn’t too obvious.
The game started, and thankfully Wes’s attention moved from my neck to the field. The teams seemed better matched tonight than the last game I’d come to, and Weybridge was finding it difficult to score. I wondered if it was because Noah wasn’t playing. He was a force to be reckoned with both on and off the field, and our guys seemed to be struggling without him.
Sawyer was playing well, but there was only so much he could do on his own. The rest of the team was lagging, and I had a feeling I wasn’t quite as lucky a charm as Sawyer thought.
When the whistle blew for the halftime break, both teams had yet to score. “I was thinking of grabbing a hot chocolate to warm up,” Wes said. “Do you girls want one?”
“That sounds great,” I said.
“Only if it’s spiked with Baileys,” Anna replied.
Wes lifted his eyebrows in reply. “I don’t think the school canteen spikes hot chocolates with Baileys…”
“I’m joking, obviously.” Anna laughed. “Although that would really help warm us up. But yeah, I’ll take a regular hot chocolate. Thanks, Wes.”
He started off down the bleachers, and I watched him go with a smile on my face. Wes could be really sweet.
“You guys should just date already,” Anna said, drawing my attention back to her.
My cheeks flushed. “It’s not like that between us.”
“It should be, and I bet he thinks it is. He’s completely in love with you.”
“No, he’s still getting over Sarah, and I’m just a distraction.”
“He doesn’t exactly look like he’s crying into his pillow at night over her. They might have been together for ages, but they’ve barely spent any time together lately. Even over the summer, they didn’t see each other. To be honest, I think they’ve kind of been over for a while.”
“We’re just friends.”
“The whole snuggling into each other as you watch a soccer game isn’t exactly giving off the just friends vibe.”
“It’s only because I’m cold.”
“Does he know that?”
I fell silent. Maybe Anna had a point. Things had been changing between Wes and I. We had kissed several times now, and he’d been flirting with me all week. We were definitely straying beyond the friendship zone. It was just a few impulsive kisses though. Did that really mean we automatically needed to be more than friends?
Thankfully, the dance team started their halftime performance and brought an end to our conversation. I didn’t have an answer for Anna’s questions. The truth was, I didn’t really know where I stood with Wes. He’d told me he was happy being just friends, but what if he wanted more? What if I wanted more?
“Did I miss much?” Wes asked, returning with the hot chocolates.
“Thanks,” I murmured, taking the drink from him before I shook my head. “Cress and the team only just started.”
“Good.” He settled into his seat, wrapping his arm around me again. He did it without any hesitation, and Anna’s words started rattling around in my head once again. I really liked Wes, and I’d have to be crazy to deny there wasn’t something between us. But Noah was still taking up too much space in my heart, loitering there like some kind of unwanted roommate, and it wouldn’t be fair to Wes to pretend otherwise.
I cheered loudly with Anna when the dance team finished their routine. Cress was waving up into the crowd as she made her way from the field, and her smile widened when she caught sight of me. I immediately felt bad for missing her other performances in my attempts to avoid seeing Noah and vowed to always come to his games even if I hated his guts just so I could make Cress smile that way.
As the teams returned to the field, Anna nudged me with her elbow.
“What?”
She nodded toward the field, and I saw Noah making his way onto the pitch. My stomach tightened at the sight of him. He looked tired, and he must have still been feeling unwell because there were dark bags under his eyes.
“I didn’t think he was playing today,” Anna said. “I thought he was sick.”
“I guess he’s feeling better,” I replied.
“Hopefully,” Anna added. “Someone needs to turn this game around. It’s been too close for my liking so far.”
The whistle blew, and the game kicked off again. As the second half got going, it was clear the Eagles were playing far better with Noah on the field. The other team could barely get hold of the ball, and when they did, Noah would be the one to win it back. Whatever illness had kept him from school, it certainly wasn’t slowing him down tonight. He was barking orders at his teammates, and they seemed to be responding, as every one of them looked more energetic than they had in the first half.
One of the opposing players became frustrated with the Eagles’ sudden dominance. The big, bulky guy with jet-black hair was sprinting around the pitch like a madman, desperately trying to get the ball back. When the ball fell to Noah, I gasped as the guy flew toward him and lunged at him with both feet. Noah didn’t flinch. He simply flicked the ball up and over the player, leaving him in a heap on the floor as he dribbled away. The crowd rose to their feet as Noah passed the ball between two defenders and straight into Sawyer’s path. It was just him and the goalkeeper, and he calmly curled the ball into the net.
The stadium erupted as the Eagles finally got their first goal, and the players all ran to congratulate Sawyer. Noah remained calm, as though it was no big deal, a focused and determined look still etched on his face. The guy with the jet-black hair wasn’t far from him, still on the ground, a furious look in his eyes.
Wes had his fingers in his mouth and was whistling loudly, and I laughed at his enthusiasm. “Stop encouraging Sawyer, or he’ll keep scoring, and I’ll be his lucky charm for life.”
He grinned at me and leaned in close to my ear so I could hear him speak over the cheers in the stadium. “Maybe that’s exactly what I want so I can cuddle you at all his games.”
I swallowed as he pulled back to look me in the eyes. I’d seen that look before, and it certainly wasn’t friendly. I got the feeling he wanted to kiss me again. It was probably a good thing the referee started blowing his whistle loudly and Wes looked away; if we kissed again, the blurry line we’d crossed might disappear entirely.
“Shit,” Anna said. “What’s he doing?”
I glanced at the field and gasped as I saw two players rolling around on the ground fighting. Everyone on the field was rushing toward them, and when they pulled the two players apart, I realized Noah was one of them.
“That did not just happen.” Anna’s eyes were wide. “Tell me that didn’t just happen!”
‘What’s going on?” Wes asked, his expression filled with confusion.
“I missed it too,” I said. “Why was Noah fighting?”
“I have no idea,” Anna said. “But I’m pretty sure number nine started it.”
The referee continued to blow his whistle as he tried to calm the players on both sides. Sawyer and some of his teammates had grabbed Noah and were pulling him away from the scene while a group of players on the other team were complaining to the referee. The guy with the jet-black hair was glaring at Noah, a smug grin on his face.
“That’s the guy he was fighting?” I asked Anna.
“Yeah,” she nodded. “He just ran right up to Noah after the goal, and suddenly they were on the ground throwing punches.”
Once things had calmed down, the referee marched up to both Noah and the opposing player and showed them a red card, ordering them off the field.
“Oh no,” Wes said. “That’s Noah out for the rest of the game.”
Noah trudged off the field, and the rest of the Weybridge team shook their heads. Some of them could barely look at him. They’d played so well since he’d arrived, but now they had to go on without him. When Noah reached the edge of the field with his head hung low, it started to rain.
Thankfully our seats were under cover, but the water fell in hard sheets, quickly soaking the players on the field. Noah didn’t seem to notice. His wet shirt gripped his skin, and his damp hair flopped against his face.
He finally looked up, but it wasn’t to focus on the game as it got back underway. Instead, his eyes went straight to the stands and directly to me. He didn’t even need to search for where I was sitting; it was like he could sense exactly where I was.
The agony in his gaze as he looked at me was hard to endure. And it was only once he broke our stare off and disappeared behind the bleachers that I felt like I could breathe again. He’d just been in a fight that got him kicked out of the game, but I couldn’t help but feel like there was something else behind the pain I saw in his eyes.
“ARE you sure you don’t want to come to Toddy’s?” Wes asked as we left the stadium. The Weybridge Eagles had held on to win the game, despite Noah getting sent off, so it seemed my time as Sawyer’s lucky charm wasn’t over. I’d been secretly hoping the team might lose so he’d fire me from the position.
“I’m sure. I need to have a hot shower to warm up,” I said. “Besides, I’m not that hungry.”
“You aren’t hungry for a Toddy’s burger?” Wes placed a hand against my forehead like he was taking my temperature. “Something must be wrong. Are you feeling okay?”
I swatted his hand away. “Very funny.”
“Yes, I know, I’m hilarious.”
I went to blow warm air into my freezing hands only to realize the reason they were so cold was because I’d left my gloves behind. It probably served me right for taking them off to steal some of Wes’s fries.
“Shit, I’ve left my gloves back at our seats,” I said.
“I’ll go grab them for you,” Wes offered.
“Don’t be silly. You’ve got a date with a Toddy’s burger. You can’t risk being late.”
“It’s no problem,” he said, but I shooed him onward.
“It’s fine. It will take me two minutes to jog back there. I’ll catch you tomorrow.”
“Okay, if you’re sure.” He bent down and brushed a kiss against my cheek. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
As I watched him leave, following the stream of students away from the stadium, I gently touched the place where he’d kissed my skin. He’d done it so naturally, so thoughtlessly. Like giving each other such easy kisses was something we always did. I frowned as I watched him walking away, wondering how I felt about the way things had been changing between us. Our friendship had definitely been developing into something new, and I was trying to decide if I wanted it to change more still.
I walked back to the stadium, passing the few stragglers who were still making their way from the game. It seemed that everyone had left quickly tonight, which was hardly surprising given how cold it was.
I jogged up the stairs to my seat, relieved when I found my gloves waiting for me. I picked them up and put them on before making my way back down the steps. Although everyone had now left the stadium, the floodlights still lit the field. I was just about back to the entrance when I noticed someone alone on the grass, kicking balls into the goal at the far end of the field. It only took me a moment to realize it was Noah, and I stopped to watch him.
He seemed angry as he thumped ball after ball into the net as though he still needed to relieve whatever emotions or aggression had caused him to act out during the game. I hated seeing him like this and wondered if he needed someone to talk to. I stepped onto the field before I could stop myself and started walking across the grass toward him. I was probably the last person he wanted to talk to, but I couldn’t just walk away and pretend I hadn’t seen him.
Noah didn’t notice me as I made my way across the field, but when he struck a ball and it cannoned off the frame of the goal, it bounced back and rolled toward me. He turned to jog after it, but he froze, and his eyes widened with surprise when he saw me.
“You shouldn’t be out here, Isobel.” He quickly regained his composure as he collected the ball and turned back toward the goal.
I tucked my hands into my pockets and came to a stop just a few meters from him. “I just wanted to check on you.”
“Well, you didn’t need to bother. I’m fine.”
People who were fine didn’t get into fights on soccer fields, but I didn’t want to say that. Not when he was already so defensive.
“Should you really be out here practicing when you’ve been out of school sick for days?” I asked.
Noah snorted as he placed the ball on the ground. “If you consider being pulled out of school by your grandfather sick, then sure.”
“Wait, you weren’t sick? But Cress said…”
“Cress covered for me. I don’t need everyone in this place knowing my business.”
I could certainly relate to that. Noah’s absence from school was the least of my concerns right now though. “Noah, what happened tonight?” He shook his head, refusing to answer.
“Look, we may not be together anymore, but you know you can talk to me, right?”
He grunted in reply, his eyes focused on the ball as he kicked it toward the goal. He booted it so hard it soared right over the top, disappearing beyond the fence behind the goal. He ran a hand through his hair, pushing it from his face in clear frustration.
As his hair moved, it revealed a red mark on his forehead. I gasped when I realized it was a gash. It must have been from the fight because the area around it was still pink and swollen.
“Shit, Noah,” I said, rushing closer. When I reached him, I lifted a hand to his face and pushed his hair aside to get a better look. The cut thankfully looked shallow, but it seemed no one had tended to it because it was still slightly oozing blood.
“What are you doing?” he asked, going completely still under my touch.
I pulled my hand away, aware I might have crossed a line. I also took a step back because I was standing far too close. “That looks like it hurts,” I said, nodding at his wound.
He frowned and touched his forehead. He seemed surprised when he pulled his hand back and saw blood on his fingertips.
“Huh,” he muttered.
“You’re bleeding from your head and ‘huh’ is all you’ve got to say?”
He shrugged and wiped his hand on his shorts. “It’s just a cut. I hadn’t even noticed it.”
“Just a cut?” I couldn’t understand how he could act so blasé about the whole thing. “Noah, why did you fight that guy?”
He huffed out a laugh but didn’t answer.
“Noah…”
“He insulted my family,” he said. “And he threw the first punch.”
“So, what, you just punched him back?”
“Why shouldn’t I?” Noah’s eyes flicked to mine, and I could see them burning with emotion. “He wanted a fight just as much as I did. I’ve got my grandfather breathing down my neck, dragging me from school to try and get me in line, and my ex-girlfriend cuddling some other guy in the stands. So, yeah, I punched him. And you know what? I don’t regret it. Hell, with how I feel right now, I’d do it again if I could. What I don’t need is your sympathy. And I don’t need to share my feelings with you. I just need to get this damn ball in the damn goal.”
He emphasized his words by turning and thumping another ball toward the goal, only this one went wide of the target, and Noah swore.
“Well, I’m sorry for bothering you.” I turned to walk away before he could say anything else. I could feel his eyes on me as I left, but he didn’t try to stop me. I didn’t want him to.
I walked back to the dorms, trying my best not to think about how my conversation with Noah had left me so much colder than the chill in the air had all night. I should have just agreed to go to Toddy’s and forgotten about my gloves.
