Page 51 of The Way the Heart Breaks: Jade’s Story

“That one’s fair,” I admit. Brooks shakes his head. “None of us from Stoneville wanted a change, but it wasn’t up to us. Now we’re here and want to make the best of it.”

“Then maybe don’t eye fuck the Ross girls,” someone murmurs.

“Would have been nice to have a team, but you and I will do what we need to.” Lucas grabs his shirt and hat. “Let’s go.”

Someone mutters, “They’re fucking pricks.”

“Pricks with a passing game,” Lucas reminds them.

Pissed, I turn and point to Alex, “You invited us.”

“Thanks for coming,” Alex states with no emotion.

Lucas whirls and steps closer like he’s about to fire something back, but I grab his shoulder first. Not hard. Just enough. “Play nice, Links.”

His jaw shifts once before he smirks again. “I am being nice.”

I chuckle, “Proud of you, man.” I wave my hand in front of me, “After you.”

“Such a gentleman.”

“That I am.” I grin.

“Eye fucking.” Lucas huffs.

“Gonna have to add that to my play list.”

He smirks but only for a second before he goes back to pissed as we walk up the hill toward his car. “I have no fucking clue what Coach Saville was thinking.”

“Doesn’t matter where we are, what field we’re on. We’re together playing a game like no one else can.” The trucks behind us roar to life, and I joke, “Think they’re going to try to run us over?”

“They do, and I’ll rally hard enough to kick their asses before I drop dead,” he snarls.

A truck pulls up ahead of us, and Alex leans over the side, “Hop in, we’ll give you a ride up the hill.”

“We’ll take an appolo —”

Lucas cuts me off, “We’ll pass.”

Alex just looks at us as Brooks hits the top of the truck's cab. “Let’s roll.”

We keep walking in silence until we reach the crest of the hill. “You think⁠—”

“I think you’re about to piss off half the team when you start putting the moves on the brunette Ross, so why bother?”

I lift a shoulder, “You have a point.”’

They’re at the top of the hill when we get there.

Alex is standing there, arms crossed. “Shit can’t happen. We’re⁠—”

“We just bonded.”

“We’re still bonding,” Alex states.

“Appreciate that,” Lucas says sarcastically.

“Nah, man, you’re gonna put Blue Valley football on the map,” Smith gushes.