Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
ELLA
Charity Flag Football Game
The wind picked up. I shivered and dusted my gloved hands together.
Something invisible gripped my stomach and lifted it toward my ribcage, only to let it drop again.
I raised one thermal-legging covered knee, pulling it into a stretch.
My heart thudded as I surveyed the field—nine players on each side. Kanami motioned people into position.
Maddox gave me a lopsided grin. "Wide receiver? Hope you can catch more than a softball." His eyes locked on mine.
I tried to shake off the electric shivers in my veins, and mumbled something that was meant to be, "Damned right I can catch," but I wasn't sure it made it into actual words.
My cleats squished into a patch of mud as I found my starting position. I groaned. The mud's going to be so cold. Why on earth is this my Valentine's Day?
Tomorrow, I'll think of a way to get you back, Kanami.
The shrill wail of a whistle split the air. My heart leapt into my throat. The freshman team formed a line on the other side of the field. Lena Valdoza, the top women's soccer recruit, ran toward the ball, booting it straight at us.
It tumbled and bounced. Danny scooped it up, sprinting into the crowd of freshmen. After a few seconds, someone cheered, holding up a flag.
Mick pulled us into a huddle. "We'll run the ball. Kanami, I’ll hand off to you, you head up the left side of the field. Red, you and Danny run right. Kurt, short center. Sato—"
"Let me guess, block?" He scowled and shook his head. "Man, there ain't no contact in this sport."
"Still, they gotta run around you. You're slowing them down." Kurt, a real wide receiver, patted our giant on the shoulder.
"On this half of the field, we should use you guys to our advantage, right?" I glanced at Maddox. "I'm sure one of us could manage to throw, Mick."
The weight of so many pairs of eyes fell on my skin.
His were softer than the rest. He shrugged. "Let's see how it goes." His mouth curved into that crooked half smile. "You've got this."
We broke the huddle and took our places. Maddox yelled, “Hut! Hut!” and we all took off running. Kanami moved left, snagging the handoff like a pro. She kept going, but not for long.
A freshman basketball player threw a shoulder at the same time she snagged Kanami’s flag.
“I’m assuming that wasn’t good.” Quinn, a junior on the basketball team crossed her arms and let out a sigh.
“In normal football terms, that’s called ‘tripped up in the backfield.’ And no, we didn’t make any progress.” Unless "progress" was Kanami being flattened and dirty.
“No contact, huh?” Dark eyes glanced my way.
I shrugged.
“The way they pushed her to the ground.” She moved her fleece headband to cover her ears. “Yeah, we’re done playing around.”
If we thought we’d get to come out here and play for exercise and a bit of fun? Well, after Kanami lost yards, that dream died.
Liesl caught the ball and got thrown into the mud. For my turn, I was shoved out of bounds—barely missing the bench as I stumbled around it—a yard short of first down.
On fourth down, we huddled up and decided to go for it. Maddox’s hand found my shoulder as we broke. "Was a little too rough, that play. You all right?"
"Perfectly fine." I shrugged him off. It's not like you care, I reminded myself.
He nodded, that tight look still pulled at his features. "Hey, you can throw, right?"
"Seriously?" I scowled up at him.
"Football's different."
"My brother, remember?"
His eyebrows lifted. "Right, he coaches. "
"Would’ve been disowned by now if I couldn't throw a damned football."
His mouth slid into a smug grin. "Warm up the arm."
"Gee, Mick, when you ask so nicely, how can a girl say no?" I threw him a look, but he just chuckled.
"Glad you're ok," he said.
"I hear I'm stronger than I look."
After our initial offensive drive down the field, the game became grudge match central. Which had fun moments, like Danny flipping a lateral pass to Kurt, who then threw to Liesl to keep our offense alive. Mick faking a run play before throwing long.
It’d been so exciting. Add in the cheers from the crowd, and a few hints of sun, and the day really came to life.
During a short water break, Kurt gave us a quick tutorial on marking, so we could maybe not-completely-suck at playing defense. He looked like he was enjoying the opportunity to stand close to Quinn. She hip checked him off balance, and we all got a good laugh.
"At least one of us gets to flirt," Liesl grumbled.
"Down, girl." Kanami patted her on the shoulder. "It's supposed to be for fun."
"And charity." I threw in, shivering as I moved back toward the field. I twisted left and right as I walked. Paused to stretch at my hamstrings. That’s when I caught sight of Mick over my shoulder. He stood alone, hands tucked in the handwarmer at his waist.
Even without his football pads, he cut an imposing figure. At least six foot two and those shoulders definitely checked the box on broad (and mouthwatering), Maddox was sharp angles and dark features. And the most amazing blue eyes.
From the very first moment we met, there was this "pull." I wanted to know him, know more about him. And then being in his arms…
I shook away the thought.
He'd been honest, at least. Can't put me first. Maybe someday, years from now, I'd be able to look back and be thankful he didn't waste any more of my time.
Unlike Ash.
And still, I itched to go to him, wanted to stand beside him. We'd been friends, once, but when he left, I lost that part of him too.
I paced back and forth inside the kitchen as Ash howled my name, slamming his fist against the door.
"He's insane. How many times do I have to tell him to leave?"
"Look at me, Ella." Maddox's deep voice soothed at my frazzled... everything.
I stopped before I collided with him.
He tipped my chin. My whole body vibrated, but his hold on me…
"I'll protect you."
And he had. He'd kept his promises, spent nights on the couch "like a gentleman." How much worse would it've been if we'd slept together, and then he—
A rushed breath caught in my throat. I found him again with my eyes. He stared back.
Did you leave that night because you were protecting me?
Back on the field, Sato found out what "not allowed to block" actually meant, and had to settle for being a glaring, immovable roadblock. The rest of us ran around pulling flags and trying to pick off Seager's throws.
He threw a long ball from the center of the field to Nixie, a freshman basketball player, in the endzone. Their scoring drive inspired banging and cheering from the stands. The sound was tame compared to packed stadium nights, but the fans made a good effort.
"Woo! Heck yeah!" The freshman team bounded around, splashing in the mud and muck. Their girls performed a coordinated touchdown dance.
"Ridic," Liesl groaned.
"Stop delaying the game!" Seager banged his cleats on the metal bench along the sideline. It rattled and clattered and hummed. "Go dance somewhere else. Or do us all a favor and stick to something you’re actually good at."
"Um, he does know that’s his team, right?" Kanami arched an eyebrow.
Quinn shivered. "Maybe if we stood next to him, we could get some of the hot air he’s putting off?"
I couldn’t help but laugh.
"Line up on D, let's go!" Seager stomped on the bench again.
The game continued, our teams evenly matched. We were only down by six points at halftime—an event which held its own spectacle.
Misha led a group from both teams, including her "giant cinnamon roll," in a truly inspired cheer routine.
The large man in the center of the line threw off all aesthetics, and no one could possibly see anyone else.
Just him gyrating, going through the same snappy dance moves as the female stand-in cheer squad.
"Sato can really move his hips with some sass." I sipped from my water jug.
"You’re not dancing?" Maddox’s voice snuck up behind me. It hit that familiar note that reverberated through my ribs—at first warming, then chilling my insides.
I shut my eyes, waiting for the achy fluttering to pass. "I’m not nearly the dancer he is."
"Pretty sure he’s broken laws in several states moving like that."
I snickered. "Maybe just the laws of physics."
"Fair."
I didn’t dare turn around. My senses amped up on high alert, I could've sworn I felt the heat from his skin hovering inches away. My heart hammered, and it was all I could do to stay where I was. Don't look at him.
The halftime show lost its rhythm, morphing into Misha dirty dancing with Sato. Cat calls and shenanigans ensued. I laughed at the group, feeling tension and the still-present ache finally dissipate. I pivoted and almost ran right into Maddox.
He caught my arm before I could walk away. "Can we talk after the game?"
"Funny."
He shook his head. "I wasn't joking."
"You know, you kinda look like this guy I know." My breath came in winded gasps. "But his whole life is football."
"That’s not true." He pulled me backward, my shoulder colliding with his chest. "I shouldn't have left. I'm sorry, Ella."
I clenched my eyes shut and willed the churning whirlwind inside me to stop. Cold air, muddy shoes. Don't listen. He'll just hurt you again. Better to pretend…
"I know I hurt you, and—"
"You're wrong, Mick." I yanked from his grip and stumbled a few steps. "I'm just thankful you left before we made a big mistake." I turned and headed back to the field.
In the last quarter of the game, I took a snap deep in our territory.
"Wildcat formation" was a trick play, freeing Maddox up as a receiver.
I threw a decent spiral, he caught it and made it just past the half line.
Some whoops and hollers rang out as we moved up the field to the new line of scrimmage.
I found myself beside Danny. He gave me some smirky look with an eyebrow waggle. "You two make quite a team."
I shrugged it off like I had no idea what he was talking about. On the next play, I ran my route, turned and got hit in the chest with the football, only to have it bounce out of my hands. Incomplete.
Dammit. I got a couple of, "good try's," and pats on my shoulders. They were being nice, but I didn't want nice. I wanted results. We lined up again, Maddox took the snap. He threw. The ball glanced off my right shoulder.
I gritted my teeth, stormed back to the huddle and pulled him a few feet away from the others. "Are you trying to prove something? Or just get back at me?"
His eyebrows lifted. "No. Or, no?"
"Then what? What do you want from me?"
He leaned down, so close I felt his breath on my cheek. "I want you to catch the ball."
"I don't have to do this." I pushed him away. "I don't even have to be here. Throw to someone else, hand off, or, you know what? I don't care." I turned away. "This whole thing is—"
"You do care," he said quietly. "That's why you're angry."
I wasn't entirely sure we were still talking about football.
"Don't pretend you know me. You lost that privilege." I grabbed the ball from his hand and hugged it.
"I know, but for what it's worth, I've been angry too." I met his gaze. His hand hovered in the air like it meant to touch me.
And this is definitely not about football. So, wait, what does he mean?
"Ref, ever heard of 'delay of game!' Where's the penalty?" Seager stomped two feet on the metal bench. The hollow clang could have awakened the dead. "It doesn't matter how long you stand there, ‘Holiday Barbie’ can't catch the damned ball."
A cold pit hollowed out my insides. I set my jaw and squared my shoulders. "You'd better throw me the best damned touchdown pass this field's ever seen." I shoved the ball at Maddox. "I'm going to make him eat those words."
I think he chuckled, and I heard a, "Yes, ma'am." But, I had a job to do.
I found my position on the line, dusted my gloves together and huffed in the air. Took a few deep breaths and eyed the field ahead.
"Hut hut!"
I ran, faking a move inside, like my previous route, then changed direction to get out wide.
I pivoted, looked at Maddox, and he put it right in the basket of my arms. I pulled it in then took off—sprinting toward the goal line.
I spun and tried not to trip over my own feet as a last hand grabbed for my flag.
And missed.
I crossed the line to the endzone, my heart pumping wildly as a balloon soared in my chest.
"Touchdown!"
Our team celebrated with high fives and fist bumps. Seager threw his hachimaki to the ground. Excitement thrummed through my veins like a drug; not the same kind of high from hitting a home run or stealing home, but it was fun.
It was fun.
I think I was smiling when Maddox came to congratulate me. "Teamwork," I said and with the feel-good rush, it didn't hurt to look at him.
He held my gaze, and it was like everyone else disappeared for a single moment. Just the two of us, with our frosty breaths, the cold biting at the end of my nose.
He stood within arm's reach, cheeks rosy, eyes bright and clear and focused—on me. Only me. His mouth curved into a shy smile.
Hands on my shoulders broke the spell. "I taught her that, you know," Kurt said and pulled me into a side hug that felt a bit like a headlock. "Wide receiver in the house!" He pulled me away to join the rest of the team setting up on defense.
Thunder crashed in the distance, and the mist turned into fine droplets of rain. Fans squealed as they made a run for shelter. Car horns and headlights brought the parking lot to life as small groups with umbrellas huddled in pockets along the sideline.
Then lightning streaked the sky.