Chapter 9 #2
Amelia thought back to their interaction in the changing room. How she’d done her best to hide her attraction, and had run away, instead of acknowledging it.
Maybe she’s punishing me.
Amelia sighed internally as Keira adjusted her position, gently sliding her strong thigh against Amelia’s.
She’s definitely punishing me.
Clearing her throat, Amelia picked up her drink from the small side table next to the sofa. She glanced to her right as she turned back, looking beyond Keira, and noticed Evie watching her instead of the game. Evie gave her a knowing smile. Amelia glared back; we’ll talk about this later.
At halftime, Amelia practically sprang out of her seat, excusing herself to use the bathroom.
The copious amount of fluid she’d been nervously drinking had advantages.
She used the toilet, washed her hands, then bent over the sink to splash water on her face in an attempt to slow the pounding of her heart.
She gripped the edge of the basin and looked at herself in the mirror.
Cheeks flushed, she scolded herself for acting like a teenager with a crush.
When she re-entered the living room, Michael was placing a large plate of freshly baked cookies on the table, and the rest of the team gathered around him like vultures. In recent Blizzards’ history, Michael’s baking was legendary.
“You’ve got to try these, Keira.” Lucy picked up a cookie and shoved it in Keira’s direction with one hand. With her other hand, Lucy grabbed three cookies for herself.
“Salted caramel mocha cookies,” Michael said proudly, standing back and watching the team happily chomp down on the gooey chocolate deliciousness.
Jenna stood next to him and gave him an affectionate side hug.
His beige apron, with a Blizzards’ logo and ‘team Dad’ printed on it, was smeared with butter and chocolate.
“Can you help me grab more drinks from the kitchen?” Evie asked, somehow popping up beside Amelia despite the throng around the coffee table.
“Uh, yeah, sure,” she said, looking longingly at the cookies before walking away.
“There’s more in the kitchen,” Michael whispered as she passed. He perched on the arm of the sofa to catch up with all of his adopted basketball children.
Once in the kitchen, Amelia made a beeline for the pop bottles. She went to pick one up, but Evie put her hand on top of it, preventing her. Evie raised an eyebrow, and Amelia rolled her eyes.
“What now?” Amelia asked.
“You and Keira are looking pretty cosy.”
“Yeah, probably because that’s how you planned it.” Amelia called Evie out on her scheming.
“I don’t know what you mean,” Evie said, sounding innocent. Amelia scoffed. “Fine, I just…know what you’re like. I thought you could do with a little push in the right direction.”
“Right, according to you,“ she scolded. “Not necessarily what’s right for me. She’s on the team. I’m the captain. Feelings can’t happen.”
“So you admit there are feelings?” Evie prodded.
Amelia turned to face her fully and ran her hands down her face.
“Why are you pushing this?”
Evie took Amelia’s hands in her own and squeezed them gently.
“Because I love you and I want you to be happy. And sometimes…” she paused, as if trying to come up with the right words. “I think you get in your own way. Plus, I was right about Jenna and Hayley, and I’m aiming for two for two.”
A retort built up in her throat, but Amelia bit her tongue.
Evie was one of her closest friends; she knew her better than anyone else.
Her words deserved at least some consideration.
Her memory betrayed her at that moment, deciding to call up examples of when she had put rules and expectations before her own happiness.
She had nearly specialised in a different field because of what her parents expected.
She’d applied for a place at the university her father went to, despite hating the idea of living in London.
She’d found her way to her own happiness eventually, right?
Even if it took months of anxiety and self-doubt.
Amelia squeezed Evie’s hands back, then let them go.
“Just…keep an open mind, okay?” Evie asked, smiling softly at her.
“Okay.” Amelia exhaled deeply. “But stop pressuring me, okay? I’m a big girl, I can take care of myself.”
“Deal.” Evie nodded. “C’mon, let’s get back.” Evie grabbed some of the drinks and left the kitchen.
Amelia gave herself a minute — long enough to eat a couple of the leftover cookies — then followed.
The half-time entertainment was visible on the television screen, while the Blizzards sat around discussing the various WNBA teams and who they were supporting.
Their animated voices bounced off the walls with theories and predictions.
Amelia carefully stepped over some of them to deposit more drinks on the table and swiped another cookie.
Then she returned to the sofa, which was currently empty.
Evie and TJ were doing the rounds with a bin bag and a sweeping brush.
Amelia had no idea where Keira had gone.
Her seat seemed colder without her there.
She has been a die hard Suns fan for years.
She had covered her university accommodation in orange and navy blue, sticking homemade posters of her favourite players to the walls, despite the rules against sticky tack.
Most of the rest of the team were neutral, just happy to be watching high-quality basketball.
Keira returned and sat back on the sofa. She left a little space between her and Amelia.
“What about you, Keira?” Lucy asked. “Who’s your team?”
“The Liberty,” Keira said instantly. “My best friend plays for them.” Amelia’s head whipped round in surprise.
Suddenly, all eyes in the room were on Keira.
“What?”
“No way!”
“You kept that quiet.” Sofia said.
A proud grin spread across Keira’s face.
“Yeah, Sonia and I played together for a couple of years in college, until she transferred to a better school. She spends most of the time on the bench these days, but I watch whenever I can.”
“Wait. Your best friend is Sonia Munroe?” Sienna almost squealed.
“Yup.”
The team peppered Keira with questions, and she basked in the attention, coming out of her shell more in those five minutes than she had all season.
Amelia leant back in her seat, content. The last of her fears about new teammates upsetting team chemistry drifted away.
She tried to ignore the gnawing in her stomach, reminding her there were other ways that new players could upset team chemistry.
Or, more accurately, other ways one specific new teammate could, if Amelia let her guard down.
She pulled out her phone to give her mind something else to focus on.
She did a quick search on social media. Finding Sonia Munroe’s account, which was full of basketball-related content, she pressed the follow button, joining a few thousand others.
Sonia herself only followed seventy-six.
“What about your team, Amelia?” Sienna asked. Most of the others laughed, causing Sienna and Keira to look around, confused.
“Die hard Suns fan.”
“Suns all the way.”
“Do you even have to ask?” Evie added, waving in the general direction of Amelia’s faded Suns t-shirt before sitting back down on the sofa. Keira shifted a little closer. Amelia pulled at her collar.
“Aren’t they the team where two of the players just got engaged to each other?” Sienna asked.
“That’s the one,” Amelia replied. It had been all over the women’s sports news.
“Imagine the chemistry they must have on court,” Sienna said, her expression looking like she’d just seen a pile of kittens.
“Chemistry can lead to explosive reactions, remember,” Amelia warned. “It could blow up in their faces, too.”
“I guess,” Sienna replied, deflated.
“Yeah, but sport is all about taking risks, right?” Evie added, addressing the room at large.
“Pushing the boundaries more than the other team? That’s how you win.
” She made eye contact with Amelia specifically, before continuing.
“And what are they supposed to do? Put their job above their happiness?”
Amelia shrugged, thankful the game restarting precluded a more detailed response.
Everyone’s attention turned back to the television, but Amelia struggled to focus on the screen.
Her situation was only made worse when TJ rejoined them on the sofa.
Keira shuffled into Amelia again, heat radiating off the seam of their thighs, now pressed together.
She forced herself to concentrate on the game.
When the final buzzer sounded, a few half-hearted cheers went up.
Amelia, however, jumped up in celebration.
The Suns had won. Unfortunately, in the process, she accidentally stood on Keira’s foot.
She lost her balance and tumbled almost in slow motion toward the floor.
Strong arms reached out and steadied her, then guided her gently back to the sofa.
“At least I caught you this time,” Keira whispered, making the skin on the back of Amelia’s neck tingle.
She looked around concerned, but everyone else was too busy dissecting the game or eating more snacks to have noticed their exchange.
Amelia’s leg was half draped over Keira’s; she quickly retracted it.
Amelia could have sworn she saw Keira smirk before turning back to the conversations happening in the rest of the room.
Amelia’s hands were clammy, and she tried to surreptitiously wipe them on her trousers, her chest tight.
If anyone had seen the exchange, none of them reacted.
Most of the team had their phones out, checking their calendars to try to find time to watch another game together, probably once the play-offs started.
Amelia couldn’t tell if she wanted them to pick a day she was working or a day she was free.
Today had been torture. Glorious, wonderful torture.
Keira was one of the first to leave. The room instantly felt a few degrees cooler.
The rest trickled out in dribs and drabs.
Amelia stayed to help Evie clear up. She could feel the desire to pry radiating off Evie, but to her credit, she bit her tongue.
Amelia tried not to think about the way Keira’s voice had whispered, and the way her strong hands had felt around her waist when she caught her.
And the smirks. Oh god, the smirks.
Amelia was glad she had cleaning to distract herself with. Eventually, though, they were done, and Amelia grabbed her things to leave.
“Thank you for a lovely evening,” Amelia said as Evie walked her to the door.
“Text me when you get home?”
“Yes, Mum.” Amelia joked.
Evie opened her mouth again as if to say something else, but seemingly thought better of it.
“Bye, love you.” Amelia said as she walked out the front door and back toward her car. The clear night sky allowed a brilliant view of the moon. Amelia smiled as she looked up at it, just as her phone buzzed in her pocket. She took it out, brow creasing at the notification.
Sonia had followed her back.