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Miri smiled.
Gabe squeezed my shoulder. He raised an impressed eyebrow. “Skylar Marshall, though? Really? I didn’t know you had it in you.” He transferred his gaze to Miri. “And you lot put him on that dating app. You needn’t have bothered.” A hint of laughter edged his voice. “The doc’s got game.”
I went to my room and sent a text.
I’m sorry for all of it. I know you don’t want to talk to me, that’s fine, but if you need me at the match for moral support, I’ll be there.
I waited as three blue dots appeared.
Then disappeared.
The minutes ticked on. A chill black silence enveloped me. My throat ached with defeat. She didn’t need me. Then the dots appeared again.
Please come.
Chapter 37
Skylar
Rain lashed in thick sheets as we charged around the pitch. My body ached. My legs threatened to collapse, but we had another ten minutes of play. Neither team had scored. Reece’s eyes burned into me from the sideline. I felt his solid, soothing presence even if I hadn’t dared to stop and drink him in yet. I glanced at him standing stiff and composed next to Gabe, an oasis of calm in the tensest ninety minutes of my life. I tore my eyes away. He was a distraction I couldn’t afford.
Sophie had the ball at her feet, charging to the goal. I got in position for a cross, but an opposition player sliced along the grass, clattering into her. Sophie went down, hard. The ball flew out of play.
Agitation rippled the length of my spine, but also excitement. The tackle had clearly been a foul. That meant we were owed a penalty.
“Ref,” I cried.
I dashed to the referee and the crowd of players that had already gathered, shouting and pleading their case. It could go either way. I knew this ref. She’d made questionable decisions in the past. A sharp elbow dug into my side as the opposition player nudged me out of the way. I fought to stand my ground in the skirmish. Unmoved by our protests, the referee glanced at the chaotic scene where Sophie lay on the floor, grimacing and surrounded by medics. Thankfully, she looked more angry than pained. The referee waved us away to consider and I waited, holding my breath for her decision. It was so late in the game, but if the ref awarded a penalty, we had a chance at winning.
My heart pounded. Adrenaline made every nerve jumpy and raw. I peered over the ref’s shoulder to the sideline. I allowed my gaze to hover on Reece just for a moment. My eyes needed their fix. I couldn’t help but be drawn to him, wherever he was. I swallowed, trying to quell the frustration that gripped my throat. For fuck’s sake. What was taking so long? It had been an aggressive slide tackle. Definitely a foul.
A great shiver ran through me as the sweat evaporated from my arms. A shrill whistle rang out. The referee pointed at the penalty spot. Excitement burst in my chest. That was the signal. She’d awarded the penalty. One goal would end this now. Victory hovered so close I could taste it. I bent down to scoop up the ball, but hands appeared from nowhere and grabbed the ball before I had the chance. Lana’s red ponytail bobbed as she trotted with the ball to the penalty spot. I chased after her.
I grabbed her wrist. “What the fuck are you doing?”
Lana’s fingers shook as she laid the ball down on the penalty spot. She wouldn’t look at me. “Claire told me that if there’s a penalty, she wants me to do it.”
No. I always took penalties. “Are you kidding?”
Lana gave a taut shake of her head. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth. “I’m sorry. I have to do what Claire tells me. I don’t want to do it either. What if I fuck it up?”
A pulse beat in my temple. My body stiffened in shock. I should have been the one to shoulder this responsibility. “Why would Claire do this?”
The stadium’s roar filled my ears like a wild beast.
Lana flattened her lips, but her voice choked. “I told Claire it should be you.”
A knot of despair pulsed in my chest. No point pressuring Lana. It wasn’t her fault. She had to follow the manager’s direction. I’d have to appeal to Claire and hope I had enough time before they restarted play. A huddle of medics crouched next to Sophie with the stretcher. We couldn’t restart play until she was off the pitch, but I wouldn’t have long. Better be quick. I raced to the sideline and planted myself in front of Claire.
Despite my effort to stay calm, anger rippled the length of my spine. “What the fuck, Claire? I always take the penalties.”
Claire’s icy gaze met mine. “It’s not personal. The pressure is high. This is about the team.”
Anger bubbled inside of me like hot lava. I tried to keep the tremor from my voice. “Is this because of what happened before? Because that was a one-off. It won’t happen again.”
Claire’s eyes glinted in the sunlight like two pieces of porcelain. She smiled benignly as if dealing with a toddler. “Let Lana do it. You don’t need the pressure.”
She turned her back on me. The anger that boiled inside of me became a twisting ball of barbed wire in my gut. My team had lost their faith in me and so had my manager. The roar of the crowd became screaming white noise. How could she make this call? I was the best penalty shooter in the team. Apart from that one fuckup, I’d never missed. Everybody knew my stats. I’d messed up last time because of how things had been with Sean. It wouldn’t happen again. I could do this. Couldn’t I?
