22. Kirin
Kirin
“Dude, chill. You’re shaking the entire section with that jiggling leg,” Evan griped from his seat on the other side of their mom while they watched the Montgomery Women’s Soccer team run back and forth along the length of the pitch on Sunday afternoon.
They were most of the way through the game.
Rose had already scored two goals. Montgomery was up by one, but the game wasn’t over.
They still had twenty minutes, plus stoppage time, to play.
Nebraska looked more determined with every minute that passed.
He and Rose had been inseparable since Friday night, broken for a few hours by his game, though she’d been in the stands for that. They’d lost, and Rose had hugged him, making him laugh much sooner than he’d ever managed after a loss.
He hoped he wouldn’t have to return the favor, but he would.
Happily. This was the first of her games he could attend.
It was more stressful than he had expected.
Watching his siblings play was different from watching someone he was falling for.
Maybe that was the problem. He didn’t know how to handle his deepening feelings.
And by the looks his mom was giving him, he wasn’t disguising it very well.
Her eyes were jumping between him and the field as if they were at a tennis match.
When he looked over, it wasn’t just his mom watching him.
It was Professor Bernadette “Birdie” Herondale.
He’d gotten that look plenty as a kid, and even more as a teen.
Mostly when he, Leon, and Harrison climbed the enormous tree in the backyard to spy on Lacey McDaniels and her cheer squad during a sleepover.
Part of him was grateful to know that some things didn’t change, but a larger part was disappointed that he couldn’t seem to escape “the look” even in his twenties.
“Would you stop it?” Evan whined again, earning snickers from his friends, and Kirin threw them a look.
“Leave him be,” his mom chided, rubbing Evan’s shoulders when he rested his elbows on his knees as he watched the game. His mom pointedly addressed him, her bright blue eyes taking him in. “I think the game is stressing him out.”
He tightened his arms, hugging himself as Rose ran back toward the opposing goal. Her face was tight, her attention on the ball. She looked fierce and powerful with the way her hair whipped behind her as she ran, her long legs eating up the field like a warrior crossing a battlefield.
“You’re drooling,” Leon murmured as he tapped Kirin’s chin.
“Am not,” he bit back, but as he self-consciously wiped at his face, Harrison and Leon cackled. He flipped them off as he relaxed back into his seat. “I don’t remember soccer being this stressful.”
“You didn’t care before,” Evan muttered, and Kirin reached around their mom to smack the back of his brother’s head. Harrison and Leon laughed, the latter shoving a protein bar into his mouth.
“I always cared,” he objected.
“Oh, he cares, in a big way,” Harrison commented.
It pulled a choked laugh from Leon, who added, “That’s putting it mildly.”
Kirin ignored his best friends, but Evan just laughed. “Yeah, whatever you say.”
“You are definitely paying more attention,” his mom chirped, and he huffed.
“I always pay attention.” He rubbed a hand over his face, watching Rose run like a bat out of hell before she reared her foot back and kicked it toward the goal.
He was on his feet as it soared through the air, landing in the top left corner, barely slipping in past the goalkeeper’s fingertips as she reached to block it.
“Aldrich-St. James is on fire. That’s like the sixth goal so far this season,” Evan said with a bright smile as the stadium erupted.
The team rushed to Rose, circling her and bouncing together.
His heart soared to see them celebrating her before they dispersed and got back into game mode.
They had ten minutes left, plus stoppage time, and were now up two points.
But the game could turn at any second. The team knew that better than anyone.
“She is on fire,” Kirin agreed as he whistled. It was loud enough that her head snapped toward him, a wide smile taking over her features for a second before she got back to business.
“Ah, so this interest and stress over the game has something to do with Miss Aldrich-St. James?” his mom guessed.
“Aldrich-St. James, nationally ranked at forty-eight out of the top fifty college players straight out of high school. She’s moved up to twenty-seventh over the last few years.
Lo has been bitching about her since freshman year, and that got worse when she broke her nose last year.
She transferred this year after a kick-ass season at Westmont.
There have been a lot of rumors that she transferred because of the ongoing drama at Westmont ever since those allegations came out,” Evan recited as if he were reading a teleprompter without looking away from the game.
Kirin and their mom raised their brows at him, and he looked over a second later, with wide eyes.
Probably feeling the attention. “What? She’s hot. ”
“Ah, there it is,” their mom said with a somber nod.
“Just had to give it a second,” Kirin agreed as Laurel battled for the ball, kicking it out from their opponent and running it back down the field to the goal. He whistled and cheered for his sister.
“Who is she to you?” his mom tried again, her voice softer as she wrapped her arm around his, and he sighed.
“My girlfriend, I think.” He rubbed a hand over his head, watching as Laurel kicked it to Willa Bishop, who protected the ball until she got an opening and kicked it to Rose.
Kirin was on his feet, silently urging her on as she ran down the field like an avenging angel, a look of determination on her face.
Rose kicked the ball over to Bridget a second before one of the opposing midfielders slid in front of her.
When the opposing team took control of the ball, Kirin sat back down.
“You think?” his mom asked. Her hand tightened around his biceps, tugging him closer. “You’re not trying to hide her from your old mom, then?”
“Could I hide anything from you?” he asked, patting her hand as she chuckled. “It’s never worked before, and you know exactly who she is.”
“I know quite a bit about Rose.” She nodded, squeezing his arm again. “But I’d love to hear who she is in your eyes and why this is the first time I’m hearing about her from you.”
He kept his voice low as he said, “Because I have a busy life and we don’t see one another very often?”
Kirin tried to give her an innocent look, but she just scoffed at him. “I text you twice a week and see you at least once.” She leaned closer, those suspicious blue eyes getting narrower. “Is she the reason you were so jumpy on Friday?”
He glanced away. Maya was running down the edge of the pitch, being guarded by Willa. He clapped, watching the two teams clash to guard the ball as best they could. Maya kicked it to Sarah Pham, her black ponytail trailing behind her as she bolted for the box.
His mom’s next questions were quiet—unsure. “Unless you aren’t actually dating? Is she another one of those flings you and Leon are so fond of?”
“Hang on.” Kirin leaped to his feet, cheering as Sarah kicked the ball and it slipped past the two diving players and the goaltender’s outstretched hands with inches to spare.
Half of the stands stood cheering as the team celebrated.
When they dispersed, everyone retook their seats.
He looked back at his mom, brows low. “Why isn’t Harrison included on that list? He sleeps around too.”
The comment came out louder than expected, earning a “hey” from Harrison a few seats away.
His mom raised an eyebrow, and he sighed. Evidently, his mom wasn’t falling for the deflecting technique. “She’s more than a fling.”
She didn’t say anything, just kept watching him, providing that famous mom pressure until he leaned forward and rubbed his face. “We were supposed to be partners for this project, but I think I want more.”
“Okay then.” She sank her teeth into her lower lip, her fingers picking at her cuticles. “Do you think she doesn’t want the same?”
He frowned. “She’s got a lot going on, some understandable trust issues.”
“You should give her the option,” his mom reasoned, and he looked at her.
Her opinion was so different from Laurel’s—though he figured his mom knew plenty about Rose and her background.
“I don’t want to scare her off.” He winced. “I’ve got big feelings. What if she’s not ready?”
“Then she’s not ready. Are you going to walk away if she needs more time?”
“Of course not.” He shook his head.
“Then you have your answer.” She patted his knee twice before squeezing it. “I’m sorry for accusing her of being a fling.”
“Thanks,” he said as he covered her hand.
When she looked back at him, he could tell there were questions running through her mind. And he was grateful when she didn’t ask. “I’d love to meet her in a different capacity when you figure it out.”
“You should bring her to my birthday dinner,” Evan piped up, and his mom clapped.
“That is a great idea! Laurel is cooking.” She nodded enthusiastically, like he would forget Evan’s birthday dinner was the worst option for Rose spending time with his family.
The annual Monopoly night usually ended with someone screaming and another in tears—though it could range from tears of joy to devastation.
“Hell no,” he laughed and pulled back, sending his brother a pointed look. “Did you not hear me just say I don’t want to scare her off? You are feral during Monopoly. She won’t go out with me again if that’s her intro to this family.”
“She knows seventy-five percent of this family,” his mom objected a second before Evan’s head popped around her.
“You’re the hardest one to get past, and if she’s dating you even with Lo being her captain”—Evan shrugged—“seems like she’s got some balls; don’t be a pansy.”
“I’m not being a pansy,” Kirin said to his brother, who chuckled and leaned back, so Kirin looked at his mom, pleading for some support. “He can’t say that to me. It’s not fair.”
His mom pulled him down so she could kiss the side of Kirin’s head like she did when he was a child. “It won’t be half as bad as you think. I promise, kiddo.”
He hummed as the game came to a close. The Nebraska team looked dejected, but they shook hands and held their heads high.
Each team disappeared into its own locker rooms, and the stands emptied.
He found Rose immediately—red cheeks, sweaty face, and mud-covered legs.
She looked exhausted, but happy. He wasn’t sure what made him happier—her smile, the way her team supported her, or the three goals. It was a damn good game.
Kirin stuck his fingers in his mouth and whistled. Several people looked his way, but he only saw Rose, who looked up and smiled wider. He matched it, winking at her, and she winked back, her red cheeks getting impossibly darker. She ducked into the locker room, and he sat down again.
“I’ll ask her about Ev’s birthday. We’re going to do some grocery shopping and get the laundry done today.”
“Good Lord, public shows of support, shopping, and laundry? You really are into this girl,” his mom declared and Evan cackled. Leon and Harrison booed, likely at the mention of laundry.
He leaned past his mom to flick his brother’s baseball hat. Evan waved him off, his attention on the two teams as they shook hands. “Go take your girl to do that domestic shit, but admit it. You don’t want her to see you lose to me for the third year in a row.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” he muttered, and Evan flipped him off, his cheek rising enough to reveal the smirk he tried to hide.
His mom rolled her eyes and shooed him away. “Have fun.”
A quick kiss to his mom’s head and Kirin shuffled his way out of the stands behind his roommates.
“You’d better bring some of those snickerdandies home with you,” Harrison called over his shoulder. “The stash in the freezer is running low.”
“Deal.” He slapped his buddies on the shoulder. “I’ll be home tomorrow night with treats galore.”
“My man.” Leon slapped him back and nodded before they disappeared into the crowd. A shouted, “Tell Rose we said congrats on the win,” trailed behind them.