CHAPTER 38
“Broxburgh! Broxburgh! Broxburgh!”
I rubbed the bare skin of my ring finger as Joe McDonald led Twin Knox Town onto the pitch alongside DeShaun Wilkesboro and Broxburgh.
A chant of “Thank you, Joe!” broke out.
I was unperturbed by the reception he received from the home fans, offering appreciation for the job he'd done as he returned for the first time since I'd sacked him.
Eddie Mayne filmed for YouTube from the pitch.
Joe waved his appreciation, then his eyes found mine in the crowd.
So did DeShaun's.
I'd be lying if I said my pulse didn't race a little faster.
“DeShaun, I love you, boo!”
I didn't give his girlfriend the pleasure of looking her way.
“So, Sasha, you never did tell me why you were in Twin Knox that night a couple of weeks ago...”
I looked beside me, to the man I'd brought along for company.
“Y'know, when you were drunk-texting.”
“I was in a bad place,” I said quietly. “I needed to see you, but you wouldn't answer me. And, for some reason, I flirted with the idea of taking my rage out on Joe.”
“Flirted?” he asked.
I felt the word hit me like an accusation. “You came and found me... That's all that matters.”
He was gazing at me.
I was looking to the pitch.
He kept gazing. “I stayed the night, Sasha.”
“Yeah...” My eyes centred on his brother, capturing footage of the crowd. “On my sofa, David.”
“Yeah.” He leaned his lips to my ear. “Then you walked into the living room the next morning... Naked.”
I blushed.
“Don't worry, it was the most perfect sight I've seen in my whole life.”
Eddie spotted us together.
I felt something gnaw at my conscience.
Eddie raised an eyebrow as he surveyed us.
DeShaun tapped him on the elbow, nodding at him to move on so the team could set up for the start.
“You see that, David?” I asked. “Your brother was looking at us.”
“Yup.”
I crossed my arms under my breasts, unable to shake off the feeling I shouldn't be seen in public with another girl's boyfriend. Especially when our relationship had become far from innocent.
DeShaun kicked-off the first half, punting the ball deep into Town's half.
“He must think he's in the NFL,” David remarked.
I said nothing, instead watching closely at how DeShaun ran and how he was able to put weight more confidently on his ankle.
Twin Knox Town settled into a game of holding the ball, forcing the Broxburgh players to come to them as the opening ten minutes passed without a chance for either side.
“That tactic won't work all match,” David said.
A Town defender played a slow pass towards the midfield, as if inviting DeShaun to chase what wasn't even a loose ball. He broke into a run, but was unable to reach it before the midfielder. DeShaun was sweating. Profusely.
I found the back of Dr Mustafa's head amongst the crowd, fifteen or so yards from David and I. His expression was hidden from view. But it was clear his arms were folded, as if in disapproval.
Leo Martin broke rank, forcing the ball out for a Town throw.
“Tell me this isn't gonna have nil-nil written all over it,” David said.
I groaned. “David, haven't you got anything positive to say?”
He looked at me, surprised, then let a half-grin stretch into a fully-fledged one. “I do, actually.”
My eyes flitted between the pitch and his face, until my intrigue peaked and I surrendered my stares to him. “Go on, then.”
“You remember last night I said I'd tell you something today?”
I grimaced. “Yes.”
“It's over,” he said.
“What is?”
“Me and Ashley.”
My jaw dropped. “You're joking!”
He shook his head. “I finished with her, Sasha. I did it for you. To be with you... Please don't make me regret this.”
I placed my hand sensually over his and squeezed. “David, I can't wait to make you happy.”
Broxburgh won the ball in midfield.
“I will make you happy.”
It was played back to McKay in defence.
“Really, really happy.”
McKay found Williamson on the wing.
“I've no doubts about us anymore.”
Williamson sprinted down the left, as Martin and Wilkesboro searched for space in the middle.
“I'm gonna be the best girlfriend I can to you.”
Wilkesboro was slow.
“The best girlfriend you can?” David asked.
Williamson cut inside, dummied a defender, then lay the ball into the supposed path of the forward.
“What exactly does that mean, Sasha?”
Wilkesboro wasn't there.
“Sasha?”
Martin hit it instead.
David turned his hand over.
The ball smashed the outside of the post and went behind for a goal kick.
David took my palm in his, and squeezed. “Answer me, sweetie, please.”
Hilary Duncan was sat next to the coaching staff on the bench, their shoulders haunched and expression unreadable. They knew this was wrong.
I leaned my lips towards David's ear. “I'll start by showing you tonight, lover,” I whispered.
“Tonight?” he asked. “You mean...”
I nodded. “Tonight we finally go all the way to-” I was frozen, staring ahead to the other side of the pitch.
“Sasha, what are you looking at?”
I could barely wrap my lips around the words. “They're here.”
“Who?”
“Kyle and Drew.” I turned to David in horror. “They're in the crowd... Over there.”
He leaned forward, looking. “In the away end?”
“Yeah.”
He searched for several seconds. “I don't see them, Sash.”
I swallowed, as I clung onto his hand. “They see me, David. They're staring at me right now.”
“But how'd they get tickets?”
I cast my eyes down to the touchline, to the back of Joe's head. “I don't know, David, I really don't-”
Town were suddenly on the counter-attack, with our defence caught out of position.
It was a three-pronged attack racing towards our box, with only McKay and Crawford in with a chance of making a difference.
The player in the middle had the ball. He'd options to either side.
Crawford mistimed a sliding tackle, missing both the ball and the man.
McKay was blocking one pass. The player played the ball to the other.
McQuillan readied himself in the area. The forward took the shot.
I had my mobile out of my purse.
The ball soared past our 'keeper.
I was ready to write a text.
And into our net.
“Fucking hell!” yelled the deafening voice of a fan behind me.
David slipped his arm around my back.
The home crowd roared as the assistant raised the offside flag.
“It's still nil-nil,” David remarked.
I was into my phone.
ME – Kyle and Drew are here. In the away end. You said you owe me. Prove it.
I slipped it back into my purse.
“You reckon you can trust him?” he asked.
“We'll see,” I said quietly, as the knots in my stomach tightened.
Wilkesboro spoke to McQuillan before he took the free-kick, then jogged back up the pitch, briefly exchanging words with McKay as he passed. McKay nodded. McQuillan played out from the back.
“I hate when he does this shit,” said a supporter behind us.
Crawford collected the ball from McQuillan, although he was already being hounded by a Town attacker. He played it quickly to McKay, who laid it out to Williamson again on the wing.
“Alright, he didn't fuck it up that time, but still...”
Williamson's path was blocked. He squared it to Martin. Martin was dispossessed.
Twin Knox Town were on the attack again, and piling forward in numbers.
McKay executed a crunching tackle, winning the ball cleanly yet hitting it so hard it ended up flying out for a throw-in. The referee spoke to him, but his cards remained in his pocket. McKay's face suggested only business, as he fixed the captain's armband on his arm.
Martin tapped Wilkesboro on his back, then asked him something. Perhaps if he was doing okay. Wilkesboro nodded.
Kyle and Drew were laughing.
David gazed ahead. “I see them, yes.” He rubbed my lower back. “Don't let them get to you, sweetie.”
I leaned my head into his shoulder and kissed the fabric of his Broxburgh top.
Joe barked at his players from the touchline.
I wondered how David felt at seeing two of my exes out there in front of him.
His eyes centred on Kyle and Drew.
“Don't worry about them,” I said. “Let's just enjoy the match.”
He slid his fingers under my top and caressed my bare skin.
Milne attacked down the right for Broxburgh.
David's touch was so tender.
A Twin Knox full-back forced the ball out of play.
My skin came out in goosebumps.
Milne took the throw-in quickly, sending the ball long towards Martin, who performed a clever back-heel towards Wilkesboro.
“You've no idea how much I want you, Sasha,” David said.
Wilkesboro swivelled, then swung his weaker leg at the ball.
I purred.
Town's goalkeeper was at full stretch to perform a diving save, landing himself on the ball and smothering it.
Wilkesboro gave Martin and Milne a quick thumbs-up.
“How come DeShaun was able to start?” David asked.
I shrugged, then looked back to Kyle and- I couldn't see Drew. “Hey, where'd Drew-” His long mane flowed in the gentle breeze, as he stood from a crouching position.
“What is it, Sasha?”
“I don't know,” I said. “I think he got something out of a backpack or something.”
David pointed. “What's that in his-”
Drew held a canister high in the air.
Kyle's eyes followed him.
“What's he planning to do with that?” I said aloud.
Drew grinned as he slipped his free hand out of sight.
Kyle said something to him.
Drew produced a lighter.
Kyle seemed taken aback.
“What the fuck?” David snapped.
Drew tilted the canister sideways.
Kyle tried to move back.
Drew was laughing as he brought the lighter towards the lid of the canister.
“Is he gonna start a fucking fire?”
Kyle shielded his face.
Drew started to burn the lid.
“Is it a smoke bomb, David? Is this innocent?”
“I don't know, sweetie. I really don't-”
A huge hand appeared, the arm clothed in a hi vis reflective jacket, and seized hold of the canister, tugging it suddenly out from within Drew's grasp.
Drew turned to see a fist flying towards him, catching him square in the face and sending his lighter flying through the air into another row of the crowd.
Kyle caught Drew.
“He did it, Sash! Willie came through for you!”