Chapter Nine
Jamie
Jamie hadn’t seen Maya since Friday night. Not in the cafeteria, nor around campus, nor about the town. Her sudden disappearance didn’t really surprise her, though. From what she’d gathered about her captain so far, it seemed she’d do anything to avoid addressing what was going on between them.
Kissing her hadn’t been part of Jamie’s plan, but she couldn’t deny she found Maya attractive—she was a human with functioning eyesight, after all—and Jamie was curious.
Getting the inside scoop and being able to see her perform from this end of the field was impressive in a whole other manner. Jamie had only known Maya’s grumpy, serious side, but when she’d caught glimpses of her with her guard down, her real smile lit something in the pit of Jamie’s stomach that made her feel like a teenager again.
No, Jamie shouldn’t be focusing on the fuzzy feelings in her chest, but after the shitshow last season, she deserved a bit of excitement, and Maya supplied that in buckets.
Maya was also possibly the most stubborn person Jamie had ever met, which was really saying something after playing with some of the Harriers.
But even with her stubbornness, she surely couldn’t deny the fact that she’d kissed her back. The memory of her warm mouth brushing across Jamie’s lips rolled her stomach. She replayed it again and again. The tantalising smell of her perfume, the taste of her tongue, the way Maya’s eyes dipped.
She didn’t know the best way to get Maya to listen to her, but finding the woman seemed like a good start. Luckily, today, she knew exactly where she’d be.
It was the first game of the season, so as soon as her lecture finished, Jamie headed straight to the sports building, distant cheers from the practice fields echoing in the air. She pushed through the door into the home changing rooms, greeted immediately by the unique aroma of liniment, deodorant, and old socks.
Maya stood with her back to her, long brown hair tied back in a ponytail. She glanced over her shoulder, and when they locked eyes, Jamie’s heart pinched. She swallowed, finding her words lost somewhere in Maya’s fiery stare and clenched jaw.
“Have you been avoiding me?” she finally asked.
Smooth, Jamie. Smooth.
Maya sighed, waiting a few seconds before turning around. Her gaze roamed over Jamie’s black Millton University tracksuit, and Jamie wondered what she saw. Her stoic face and squashed mouth made her very hard to read. She’d make a killer at poker.
Maya bent down to fish a blue shirt out of the bag by her feet and slotted it over a hanger. “I don’t think we should have this conversation now,” she said.
At least she acknowledged that there was something to talk about.
“So, you have been avoiding me.” Jamie watched as she unpacked the contents of her kit bag. Shin pads. Her white Adidas football boots that she’d worn all three seasons Jamie played against her.
“I’ve just been busy. It’s not purposeful.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Where you are or aren’t is of no concern to me.”
That statement hit Jamie square in the face. “Why are you being like this?” She took a step towards Maya, begging her to stop pretending to do things. “Look at me.”
Maya shook her head defiantly, but then her dark eyes flicked to hers.
Jamie inhaled. That feeling swept around her once more as Maya’s eyes moved across her face and rested on her mouth. She wanted to kiss her again but wasn’t convinced she wouldn’t receive a fist to the face. That wouldn’t be the best way to start the season.
But she knew how soft Maya’s lips were, how hungry and passionate she was if she would only let herself go. She knew how it sounded when a moan rumbled in her throat, and she wanted to be the reason for it again.
The memory started a pulse between her legs.
But something flashed across Maya’s features, and her wall flew back up, her face hardening. “What is it?” she snapped.
Jamie held her palms up. “Look, I knew you might be a bit frosty after what happened the other night, but I didn’t think you’d be like this.”
Maya squashed her mouth into a line. “That was a mistake.”
“You kissed me back.” Jamie took another step closer, pinning her with her eyes in a challenge to deny it.
“It doesn’t matter.” She swallowed, and Jamie followed the movement. “Not when it can jeopardise the team.”
Her eyebrows pinched together. “The team?”
“Don’t act stupid. Whatever it is you and Leah have going on. I don’t want to get involved. I’m not being a pawn in one of your games, and it’s not fair—”
Leah? What is she talking about?
The muffled sound of voices drifted down the hallway, and they both turned their heads to the door .
“Maya, please. I want to talk about this—”
“Not right now. We can’t let the team down—I won’t.” She grabbed the water-bottle carrier from the floor. “It might not mean anything to you, but it does to me, and it does to these players. So, please, just leave it.”
And with that, she walked out the door.
* * *
As a striker, it was Jamie’s job to put the ball in the back of the net. Cravenview had a handful of quick players and liked to keep possession. If Millton were going to beat them, they had to take advantage of the ball on the break. Coach had drilled it into them at training—it was crucial to get the win and a good start in the league.
And Jamie had a point to prove.
The conversation with Maya before the game hadn’t helped her pre-game nerves, but she couldn’t use that excuse for the rest of the team. None of them were playing particularly well. The November sun was surprisingly bright overhead, which could explain a couple of the bad passes and off-shots, but it wasn’t an excuse for their sluggishness. They’d barely had any possession.
The thud of the ball echoed across the field as the opposition passed between themselves, mixed with encouraging shouts from the sidelines, but without any service, all Jamie could do was jog up and down the line, trying to free up space. They needed to be better .
After a bollocking from Coach, and a slight change of formation, Millton started the second half on the front foot. Jamie hit the post from a corner, and then Noodle, one of the midfielders with beautiful blonde ringlets, hit the crossbar. Coach’s decision to go three at the back seemed to be paying off. They were so close to getting a goal…until Cravenview’s speedy midfielder picked up a loose ball in the centre of the field. Despite Maya shouting for their midfield players to get back—and Coach screaming the same—they were caught out, leaving Maya and the two others at the back unguarded and open for attack.
All Jamie could do was watch Cravenview’s tall and nimble striker as she sprinted towards Maya, anticipating the long ball from her midfielder over the top of the defence. Maya wasn’t big for a centre-back, but she had speed—Jamie remembered their contests well. The ball left their midfielder’s foot, soaring through the air in a perfect trajectory. The Cravenview striker controlled it at her feet, but before she could look up or even think about trying to pass her, Maya put in a strong tackle, winning the ball and driving forward.
This is my chance.
Jamie called for the ball, jockeyed left to lose her marker, then sprinted forward. Maya slotted the ball through the gap in the Cravenview defenders, and Jamie collected it with ease, shifting onto her left foot to smash the ball into the bottom corner. Yes!
Nothing beat the feeling of the ball rippling the back of the net.
She spun, searching for Maya’s eyes. She caught them for a second, her face breaking into a huge grin before her teammates jumped on her. She soaked in their excitement.
Moments like this reminded her why she loved football so much. Taking in the cheers from the supporters on the touchline and the celebrations of her team rejuvenated her. If it feels this good now, imagine in a big stadium.
That was her goal; she needed to remember that. Whatever was going on with her and Maya had to come second. Jamie needed to be careful. She didn’t want to feed any rumours from last season—she was nothing like her dad.
“Thomas!” Coach waved her long arms about frantically, trying to get Maya’s attention. “Keep them bloody going!”
They quickly scored another. Aiysha’s cross met Noodle’s head, and the ball soared into the top left. The second goal riled Cravenview up, and their tackles were coming in late and more frequently.
Harriet sent an arching pass from the left wing to the right, a long ball for Leah to chase on to. She played the ball to Jamie, but before Jamie could turn, a Cravenview defender swiped her legs out from under her.
Fuck! She landed on the floor, and pain throbbed in her ankle, pulsing up her calf. She grabbed it, rolling on the grass and cursing under her breath.
“Ref, that’s the second time in the last ten minutes.” Someone crouched next to her, and she opened her eyes to find Maya assessing the damage. She must have sprinted the whole way up the pitch. “Are you okay?” she asked.
Jamie gritted her teeth and rolled onto her side. “My ankle.”
Maya put her hands over hers, brushing off a big clump of dirt. Jamie’s whole body reacted.
“Let me have a look.”
She let Maya move her hand out of the way.
“Did you roll it?” Maya asked. “Or was it the impact? Did you hear a crunch at all?”
“I think it’ll be fine. Just a bad bruise.” Their eyes met, and Jamie let out a breath. “I thought you didn’t care, anyway.”
Maya’s hands stilled on her ankle. “I didn’t say that.”
“So, you do?”
Her eyes flicked away. “Like a captain does, yeah.”
Jamie inhaled, faking a wince. “Ooh, now that stings more than my ankle.”
They both let out a small laugh as Coach came over with the team’s physio, the red first-aid bag in her hand. Coach puffed out her cheeks, out of breath from the run.
“Is it bad, Mellor?” she asked.
Maya helped Jamie sit up as the physio checked her over.
She flexed her ankle, feeling a little sore but nothing severe. “I’ll survive, Coach.”
“Thomas? What do you think?” Coach asked .
“Take her off and see how she feels,” Maya said. “I wouldn’t take any chances.”
What? “No, I’ll be fine.”
Coach eyed the physio. “Anna. Thoughts?”
“It’ll be a nasty bruise, but nothing to be concerned about.”
Coach glanced at Maya and then Jamie. “It’s the first game of the season, Mellor. No risks.”
Despite Jamie’s protests, Coach subbed her off the field. Maya was going to get an earful about that later.
After a few more intense minutes, and a Cravenview free kick that sailed over the bar, the referee blew his whistle, and a sigh of relief echoed across the grass. Even though Jamie hated being subbed off, the first win in the bag felt freaking amazing.
While the teams shook hands, she took a big swig from one of the water bottles by the touchline. They’d warmed a little under the sun, leaving a strange taste in her mouth. She collected high-fives as the rest of the Millton players strolled over, unable to shake the smile from her face. Any apprehension she’d had over joining the team had already dissipated. They weren’t like the Harriers. She just had to figure out the captain now. Then it would be plain sailing to win the championship. I can do that.
She found her packing the balls into the bag and strolled over. “I said I was fine. Why did you tell Coach to sub me off?”
Maya didn’t look up. “It wasn’t worth the risk. ”
The rest of the team were making their way inside, their conversations buzzing with the win.
Jamie picked up the last ball and dropped it in the bag, zipping it up. She forced herself to look at Maya, her pulse quickening, despite her better judgement. “Are you still talking about the game?”
Maya lifted the bag up onto her shoulder and nodded at the empty water bottles. “Can you carry those?”
“Yeah. My ankle is fine.” They followed the rest of the team to the changing rooms, walking in silence for a bit until Jamie cleared her throat. “Can we just have fifteen minutes where we talk, and you don’t bite my head off?”
They walked for a bit more, until Maya sighed. “Fine. Where do you want to go?”
The first win of the season must have softened her. Jamie would take whatever she could get.
“You need a lift home?” she asked.
Maya glanced at her as they stepped inside the corridor to the changing rooms, and victory music to the sound of Dua Lipa started pumping from the home end. “Okay, fine. But fifteen minutes is all you get.”
Jamie smiled. “Deal.”