Chapter 54
CHAPTER
FIFTY-FOUR
“Okay, I know you hate being forced out of the house, but just hear me out, okay?”
Adhira glances up at me, her head resting in my lap as she mutters to herself while playing a numbers game on her phone. She had her first session with her therapist today and has been drained, but I'm proud of her for agreeing to a second session in a couple of days.
“But you’re going to do just that, aren’t you?”
“I mean, if you’re okay with it, that is,” I correct, my neck flushing.
She rolls her eyes and sits up. “Where are we going, and what should I wear?”
A bright smile tugs at my lips. I’d really been anticipating more pushback from her, but the fact that she’s willingly spending more time with me makes my heart squeeze with delight.
“If I told you it was a surprise, would that be pushing my luck?”
“Absolutely.” She rewards me with a lopsided, dimpled smirk, and God, does it feel good.
“Well then, we’re going to meet up with some friends and play a friendly game of football.
” I brought up the idea in the Thick Thigh Family group chat, the combination of my friends and Adhira’s.
I know she’s missed playing, but that doesn’t mean the suggestion hasn't filled me with worry, leaving a small tendril of regret for bringing it up in the first place. She could get hurt.
“As long as no one plans to go easy on me, I can be ready in five,” she says, and I don’t miss the way her voice hitches higher with hidden excitement.
That alone is enough to push my fears aside and resign myself to the fact that I can’t protect her from everything all the time. It also doesn’t mean I won’t still try.
“You’ve got a deal. Get dressed, and feel free to steal one of my cut-off tops this time instead of all my full-length ones,” I tease. She shows no remorse, cutting me a look over her shoulder before playfully stomping off to her room.
The wind tastes like cold grass and late autumn, and I’m trying not to look at her too much.
She’s tightening her cleats with that little focused crease in her brow, cheeks flushed from the walk here, bundled in my hoodie like she doesn’t know it kills me every time she wears my clothes, but in the best way possible.
She glances up, catches me staring, and smirks like she always does when she knows she’s got me.
“You sure you’re up for this?” I ask, keeping my voice casual, like I’m not picturing every possible way she could injure herself. And it would be all my fault because I’m the dumbass who suggested this idea in the first place.
She grins. “I’m not made of glass, you know.”
“No,” I say, my heart fully in my throat. “You’re far more like a diamond than glass. I’m just not sure I am.”
Her smile flickers at the edges.
She doesn’t say it out loud, but it’s there, thick in the air between us.
We don’t know yet. If the treatment worked. If she’s in remission. If this whole chapter is finally behind her or just catching its breath before the next swing. Until we do, I’m not sure I’ll be able to take a full breath or enjoy a night free of the nightmares that haunt me.
“My little Lijah!” Nakoa barks out, rushing towards me and drawing me out of my spiralling thoughts. He drops low, winding his arms around my hips and hauling me up, spinning me around.
A smile overtakes my face, my spine straightening for a split second at the feel of a firm smack to my arse. Jelani’s wide grin meets my own, and warmth travels through me.
“You know, you could just say hello,” I tell Jay with a small shake of my head. Nakoa finally sets me down, gripping my shoulder firmly.
“Don’t expect that kind of greeting from me,” Rafa says, arms crossed, but the twinkle in his eyes and lopsided smirk give him away despite the gruffness of his voice.
For the first time in my life, I feel really, truly wanted.
These people have become my friends, and in some ways, my family too.
They want me around for no reason other than me being me.
There is nothing they need from me. All they want is my presence, and that seems to be enough.
“Oh, come on, Cap.” I open my arms wide, taking a step towards him. “Bring it in.”
He releases an exasperated huff and accepts my hug, smacking me firmly on the back before breaking away.
Elise smiles widely, climbing onto her tiptoes to whisper in my ear, “You didn’t hear it from me, but that man is a softy. He practically fucking purrs for a good cuddle session. Just be patient with him.”
“I don’t know what she said, but whatever it is, it’s a lie,” Rafa grumbles, leaning up against the goal post in the centre of the public field.
“Quit flirting with my flatmate,” Adhira tuts, shuffling the ball between her feet. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think she was jealous. Of Rafael? My lips twitch, Elise’s eyes glittering. Chelsea’s mouth opens, but her words die on her tongue when Letty snaps a hand out to cover her lips.
“Alright, team up, everyone,” Letty bites out, pinning Chelsea with a look I can’t even begin to read. Chelsea mimes zipping her lips shut and throwing away the key.
“Elijah’s on my team,” Adhira announces, and when seven heads swivel her way, she rolls her eyes. “He’s the most likely to go easy on me. I have to keep him close so that can’t happen.” She knows me far too well for my poor, pathetic heart.
“Rafa, Nakoa, and Chels on my team, Jelani and Letty on yours, then,” Elise calls out, and we all break off, Letty and Rafael taking their spots in front of the goal posts.
The sexual tension wafting off the three couples, despite two out of the three pairs swearing they aren’t together, makes it hard to keep my own desires under wraps.
My heart pounds faster at the sight of Adhira tugging my hoodie over her head to reveal my bloody crop top.
One that shows off the smooth bronze strip of skin between the elastic band of her joggers and the bottom of the cut-off top.
It shows off far less of her than it does of me, but the sight of her has my dick twitching all the same. Damn hormones.
As if sensing my eyes on her, she peers over her shoulder, tossing me a knowing wink, and runs to the centre line.
I can tell she’s not completely back to her usual self, but at least out here with all our friends, she doesn’t have the constant reminders of her illness and Archie’s death looming over her like at home. And that’ll have to be enough for now.
Team Chaos: Rafa—goalie, Elise, Nakoa, Chelsea
Team Controlled Chaos: Letty—goalie, Jelani, Adhira, Elijah
Jelani moves with incredible stealth but communicates like a brick wall. Chelsea keeps making no-look passes, which Nakoa misses entirely because he’s too busy staring at her arse.
“For the love of fuck, mark someone, Nakoa!” Elise bellows.
“I am!” he shouts back.
“You’re marking me, and we’re on the same team!”
I intercept a pass from Chelsea, tap it forward to Adhira; she’s already sprinting, hair flying, eyes alive. She’s pretty fast too. Still herself despite not having moved like this in months.
“Watch the step!” I call out instinctively.
She ignores me, of course, faking right past Nakoa and shooting from the edge of the box.
Rafa dives forward, and the ball pings off the post.
Letty loses it. “Are you kidding me? A post shot, Adhira?”
Adhira beams, panting. She looks like she’s just happy that her friends are still giving her the same grief they would if she didn’t have cancer.
“You almost gave me a heart attack,” I say, jogging to her side.
“I thought that was my job,” she says innocently.
My throat tightens. Between the banter and stolen moments with her, I can feel myself falling harder and harder for her, and it’s almost impossible to outrun when she’s like this.
Smiling and happy as if nothing is wrong, and she hadn’t just spent the last week ignoring me and sobbing behind a closed door.
The play resets, and Chelsea intercepts Letty’s goal kick mid-air, passing to Elise, who immediately boots it straight into Jelani’s shin.
“Oops,” Elise says with a shrug.
“Was that payback for that water balloon to the tit?” he asks, referencing a mandatory field day earlier in the year. He shakes his leg out and gets back into position.
“Consider us even,” Elise counters.
The ball rebounds, and Jelani taps it to me. I fake a long cross but cut it to Adhira instead. She takes it with a featherlight touch and barrels towards the goal again, her movements jerky as she slows.
Rafa’s ready this time, happy to take advantage of her exhaustion.
“Come on, sweetheart,” he drawls. “Show me what you’ve got.”
Adhira doesn’t flinch, remaining completely unbothered by his taunting. She shoots.
Rafa dives and misses by a breath.
Letty screams from halfway down the pitch. “Hell fuckin’ yeah! Get absolutely wrecked, Rafa!”
Chelsea jogs back, grinning at Nakoa. “You still breathing?”
“I think I forgot how,” he murmurs.
She ruffles his hair, and he practically combusts under her attention. The moment feels so intimate, I look away, my cheeks heating.
We’re one to zero. The game is heating up. Elise starts tackling like she’s in a Viking raid. Letty pulls off two absolutely outrageous saves in a row, yelling, “Blocked by Chaos Queen!” each time, which Adhira makes sure to tell her is cringy and she should stop.
Nakoa manages a pass to Chelsea, who volleys it clean past Letty.
By the time we’re tied four to four, we’re all exhausted, muddy, and yelling too loud to think.
The tension is delicious. My heart’s still tight, but not from fear anymore, from watching Adhira shine.
She belongs out here. She owns this, looking every bit as beautiful covered in mud and out of breath as she does bundled in my clothes, relaxing beside me on the sofa.
Rafa rolls the ball to Elise. She passes to Nakoa, who shoots me a wink and boots it right into my thigh, throwing his head back in laughter.
I wince but maintain control, tapping to Jelani, who jukes left and flicks it over to Adhira.
She charges down the pitch, stumbling as she approaches Rafa at the goal post. A yelp leaves her throat, and my heart drops to my toes as I sprint after her. Rafael’s eyes grow wide; he takes a step towards her, and she straightens, punting the ball straight into the goal.
I stop dead in my tracks, eyes wide and mouth agape. Silence falls around us.
“Holy shit, did you just fake him out?” Letty hollers behind us, her voice filled with bewilderment.
Chaos and a rush of cheers pour out around us, and I rush towards her, picking her up and swinging her around as I yell back to Letty. “Hell yeah, she did!”
Adhira’s smile is so wide my cheeks ache from matching it, and I can’t help the pull I feel towards her as my hand cups her cheek and I lean down to whisper in her ear, “That’s my girl. Bloody perfect.”