by L A Cotton
It had already been almost a month though.
One month of practice and working my ass off for a team who still refused to give me a fair shot.
I slammed my locker shut and let out a frustrated breath.
“Jeez, who pissed you off?” Lindsey appeared, dressed in her cheer outfit. Her long hair was pulled into two braids over her shoulders and all I could think about was what Lily had confided in me by the lake.
Lindsey had stood by while her friend had hacked my girl’s hair off and then spent most of high school treating Lily like a social outcast.
My girl?
The words hit me out of left field.
Lily wasn’t my girl… was she?
I sure as shit wanted her to be. But it wasn’t that simple.
“Kaiden, Earth to Kaiden?” She snapped her fingers in front of my face and I blinked from my reverie.
“I’m not in the mood,” I said, shouldering past her and stalking off down the hall.
“Kaiden, what the hell?” Her hand curved around my arm, slowing my progress. My hard gaze snapped to her face.
“I suggest you get your hand off me.”
“What the hell is your problem?” She glowered at me. “I only wanted to wish you good luck for the game.”
Just then, awareness trickled down my spine and I looked up to find Lily rounding the corner. She froze, glancing between me and Lindsey, honing in on where Lindsey’s hand was wrapped around my arm.
Fuck.
Fuck!
I wanted to shove Lindsey off me and go and explain… but I couldn’t. Not unless I wanted to start the school’s hottest rumor.
The Eagles star quarterback and Coach Ford’s daughter.
Everyone would love that.
Everyone except Coach.
I gave Lindsey my full attention and gritted my teeth. “I said get your fucking hand off me.”
She reared back, indignation burning in her eyes. “Jesus, Kaiden. What crawled up your ass and died?” Storming down the hall, Lindsey walked right past Lily and threw her a derisive look. The second she was gone, Lily seemed to fold into herself.
“Hey,” I approached her casually. “Are you—”
She shook her head, her eyes widening over my shoulder as she began to move around me. Frowning, I glanced back. I’d only wanted to make sure she was okay. But when I looked down the hall, I saw Coach Ford heading in this direction.
Now Lily’s sharp exit made sense, but it didn’t stop it from cutting deep. The rational part of me knew she was only protecting herself—and me—from her father’s wrath. But the other part of me couldn’t help but wonder if it was more than that. If maybe she was ashamed to tell her old man she’d fallen for me. The son of a drunk. A drunk who, once upon a time, had hurt his family.
“Thatcher, my office.” Coach’s voice boomed down the hall, and my spine went rigid.
Did he know?
Oh fuck, he knew.
Aaron’s dad must have told him about the other night. Or maybe Poppy or Peyton had slipped it out to him.
Either way I was about to meet my fate.
Blood roaring in my ears, I followed him down the hall and into the locker room. He didn’t stop until he was in his office.
“Let’s go. I haven’t got all day.”
I slipped inside and dropped into the chair. “What’s up?” I asked.
“How was your night?”
“My night?” I tried to play it cool, but nothing about this was cool. He was feeling me out… getting ready to end my senior season before it even got started, and all because I’d fallen for the wrong girl.
“Yeah, you know those few hours between the end of school and bedtime. You get up to anything good?” He drilled me with a stern look. One I felt all the way to my soul.
“Just hung out with the guys. Nothing exciting.”
“Nothing exciting,” he murmured, steepling his fingers. I braced myself for him to lose his shit… to tell me I had no right to go after his daughter when he’d explicitly told me to stay away from her… but it never came.
He just sat there, studying me like I was a puzzle he couldn’t quite solve.
“I’ve been thinking,” he eventually said, “and maybe I was too hard on you.”
“Coach?” My brows knitted together.
“You’re a good player, Kaiden. One of the best. And I don’t want to be the kind of guy who lets the past cloud things. You deserve a shot, and I wanted you to know I’m going to try my damn hardest to give that to you.”
“Y-you are?”
“Don’t sound so surprised, son.” He smirked. “I have to iron a few things out. But this is my team and I’ll run it accordingly.”
“I don’t know what to say.” This was the last thing I’d expected.
“You could try saying thank you. I know what football means to guys like you, Guys like us…”
Us?
“Thanks, Coach.” I tried to keep my cool.
“Okay, now get out of here before I change my mind.”
Grabbing my bag, I stood. “Can I ask what did make you change your mind?”
“It might feel like you’re an outsider here, but you’re not,” he said cryptically. “You’ve got people in your corner, Kaiden. Now go. I’ve got a shit ton of paperwork to do.” Coach dismissed me, so I left his office more confused than when I’d arrived.
He was going to give me a shot.
After everything, Coach Ford was going to give me a shot.
It was all I’d wanted, but now I had it, I couldn’t help but feel like maybe I didn’t deserve it, after all.
Chapter Twenty-One
Lily
Something was wrong.
Kaiden didn’t text me, and when I’d passed him a note in English, he’d scribbled a lame two-word reply.
By the time the football game rolled around, I had a deep sense of dread in my stomach. Not eased any by the sight of Lindsey fawning over him and Bryan like a bad rash.
“Ugh, would you look at her,” Peyton said. “I know she’s his rally girl, but come on, could you get any more desperate.”
Except, Lindsey didn’t look desperate at all to me. She looked confident. Sexy and seductive. Her cheer outfit fit her curves like a second skin, accentuating her ass and boobs. Bryan lapped it up, laughing and joking with her while Kaiden sat there distracted.
At least he wasn’t paying her any attention. But he barely paid you any attention today either.
God, why was this so hard?
When it was just the two of us, time stopped, and I never wanted it to end. But when we were pretending to be nothing to each other, the walls started to close in around me and the fragile edges of my reality began to shake.
Like earlier, when I’d seen him in the hall with Lindsey. My first thought was they were flirting. She was holding his arm, and he was looking up at her intently. But then I realized he was glowering at her and relief had flooded me.
I didn’t want to be that girl: needy and obsessive. But I couldn’t pretend to be someone I wasn’t either. I got self-conscious, I overanalyzed things and needed reassurance. Because this: opening myself up to someone, trusting my heart to someone, was a big deal.
“So are you ready to tell me why you’ve been hanging out at practice?” I asked Peyton.
“How did you—”
“Aaron let it slip.”
“Traitor.” She pursed her lips. “I don’t know. It helps me think.”
“Watching guys run around a football field helps you think? And here was me thinking it might be because of a certain new assistant coach.”
“No! No, Lil. That isn’t it at all. It isn’t even about the team. I just like the fresh air. It helps clear my mind.”
“I’m worried about you,” I whispered.
“You don’t need to be. I’ll be okay, I promise.”
She rested her head on my shoulder as if those words would placate me. But I knew all about the lies we told oth
ers to make ourselves feel better.
I’m fine.
It’s fine.
Everything is fine.
I’d perfected that particular lie over the last couple of years.
When you were broken inside, you filled the cracks of your soul with half-truths and empty promises, stitching yourself together just enough that those around you wouldn’t notice unless they looked closely enough.
Until the lies became real… and the façade became impenetrable.
Peyton liked to use her issues as armor though. She strapped on a smile and waded into the battlefield, choosing action over inaction, even if her behavior at times was reckless and inappropriate. I preferred to hide behind my armor.
But not with Kaiden.
He’d blasted through my defenses when he’d kissed me that night at Lindsey’s back-to-school party, and now he was burrowed under my skin.
“Oh, here we go,” Ashleigh said, nudging me gently.
I settled in between my best friends and braced myself for the game.
Hoping that tonight was Kaiden’s night to shine.
The Raiders were kicking ass. Their game had been flawless, with Jenson scoring two touchdowns and converting almost every pass. It was the end of the first half, with two minutes left on the clock. Time to pull off another touchdown before the buzzer rang.
Jenson jogged into position, checking the field for his players. The whistle blew and Aaron snapped the ball to Jenson as he dropped back and located his wide receiver down field. But one of Levinson’s huge defensive players broke forward, flying at Jenson just as he made the pass. The ball whizzed through the air as the two of them crashed to the ground.
A collective gasp rang out around the stadium as Jenson lay there, writhing in agony.
“Oh shit,” Ashleigh hissed. “He’s hurt.”
The referee stopped the game and medics ran onto the field to attend to Jenson. My dad was right there beside them, ball cap in hand, rubbing his jaw as he watched them transfer his star player onto a gurney and carry him off field. The entire place clapped for their quarterback, the atmosphere somber and tense.
I clutched Peyton’s arm as Dad beckoned Kaiden over and roped his arm around his neck, talking directly to him. Kaiden nodded and then jogged into position.
Everyone knew who number seven was by now. Kaiden Thatcher, the boy from across the river. The son of Jason Ford’s high school nemesis.
A small town like Rixon didn’t forget, it never forgot. But tonight, they had no choice but to applaud their second-string quarterback as he commanded the field.
This time, his teammates didn’t freeze him out. They followed his orders, delivering the perfect play, delivering the ball right into the end zone.
“Touchdooooown.” The announcer yelled over the boom of the crowd. The sheer force of their applause rattled my bones, making me press closer to Ashleigh. I was used to it, knew to expect it even, but it still always caught me off guard.
Everyone around me was out of their seats, cheering and clapping. Even Ashleigh was on her feet. But I wasn’t out of my seat. I wasn’t smiling or silently cheering for Kaiden. Because this wasn’t about football to me. It was about the fact my dad, the first man I’d ever loved, had his arm around Kaiden’s neck and a smile on his face. It should have been a happy moment, your father and the boy you had major feelings for embracing like that, but I couldn’t help but feel jealous. Kaiden wanted football. He wanted to go off to college across the country and pursue a career in football. And my dad could help him make his dreams a reality.
Jenson’s untimely injury was Kaiden’s chance to shine, and he’d be a fool not to take it. So I guess it only made sense that I felt like I was losing him before my very eyes.
“I’m sorry,” Peyton whispered, as if she’d already figured it out.
“I’m happy for him,” I choked out, watching through glassy eyes as my dad and Kaiden walked off the field together.
I was happy for him.
I just wasn’t sure his happiness had room for me.
Kaiden led the Raiders to one of their biggest wins on record. He had been an unstoppable force on the field, throwing perfect pass after perfect pass. He’d led the team with ease, strength, and confidence. We had all witnessed a shift tonight. The moment Kaiden Thatcher shed his status as a Rixon East Eagle and became a fully-fledged Raider.
“Holy shit, that was amazing.”
“Language, young lady,” Aunt Hailee scolded Ashleigh, as we gathered to wait for Aaron and Dad.
“Sorry, Mom.” She rolled her eyes.
“Aaron and Kaiden work so well together,” Poppy added with a look of pride. She adored Aaron, but then, they had practically grown up together with Sofia.
It was nice, having this big extended family. Knowing that no matter what happened or what curveballs life threw at you, you always had someone to share it with.
It was one of the reasons I didn’t feel ready to leave Rixon. Because no matter how much I found their attention suffocating at times, they were my family, and I didn’t want to lose that.
The guys started filing out of the back of the stadium and everyone began clapping. Aaron rushed over to us, accepting hugs from his sister and Poppy before his mom and dad grabbed him and hugged him tight.
I scanned the crowd for Kaiden, spotting him over by the door. Then it hit me; he didn’t have anyone waiting for him.
God, I wanted to go to him. I wanted to go to him so much. But then my dad emerged from the building and headed straight for us.
“How’s Jenson?” Uncle Cam asked.
“He’ll live, but it looks like he’ll be out for the season.”
“Shit, that’s some bad luck.”
“Tell me about it,” he grumbled. “I’ve already had Jack on the phone demanding answers.”
“It was a bad tackle,” Uncle Cam said.
“Tell that to him.” Dad whipped off his ball cap and ran his hand through his hair. “Thatcher played a good game though.”
I dropped my gaze, listening, but not looking.
“That kid is fire… reminds me of someone I used to know back in the day,” Aaron’s dad said.
“Yeah, well, we’ll see what happens. It’s still early days. Although I’m not sure he’ll see it like that.”
“What do you mean?” Mom asked him.
“I was going to give him a shot, a legitimate shot… and now he’s getting it because Monroe is injured.”
“I’m sure he’s just happy to be playing.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
I was dumbfounded. My dad was going to give Kaiden a shot, and I hadn’t known anything about it.
Why hadn’t Kaiden told me?
You know why, a little voice whispered, but I shut it down. Because it was easy to betray someone who had no faith in you. But to betray someone who was giving you a chance… that was another thing entirely.
The pit in my stomach only grew.
“Are you guys ready to head to the fair?” Aaron asked.
“The fair?” Dad grumbled. “I thought we agreed no fair.”
“No, Dad, you agreed no fair, and me and Mom overruled you.” Poppy chuckled. “We know the rules. Don’t worry, we’ll be safe.” She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.
“You’re going with them, Lil?”
I finally lifted my eyes to his. “Yeah, I said I would.”
“Be careful, okay?”
“We will.” I laced my arm through Peyton’s. But he wasn’t talking to everyone; he was talking directly to me.
“Okay, go, before I change my mind.”
“Let me just grab Cole and the guys—”
“Guys? What guys?” Dad murmured, but Peyton was already dragging me away.
“We love you, Dad. See you later.” Poppy caught up to us, still laughing.
“I swear, one day he’s going to have a heart attack.”
“If he finds out about Lily and Ka—”
“Peyt
on!” I nudged her in the ribs.
“You need to stop doing that,” she said.
“And you need to stop running your mouth.” I snapped.
“I’m sorry. Jeez. It’s only Poppy.”
“Yeah, but we don’t know who’s listening.”
We all congregated at Ashleigh and Aaron’s cars.
“Ladies, looking good.” Bryan joined us. “So, are we doing this or not?”
“We’re doing it.” Aaron grinned. “But whoever doesn’t do the Scare House has to buy everyone else cotton candy.”
“You know I can’t do that one,” I said, heat creeping into my cheeks.
“You don’t count, Lil. I’m talking about these douchebags.” He flicked his head to Bryan and Gav, with no hint of teasing in his voice. He got it. “Hey, where’s Thatcher?”
“I’m here.” He approached us.
“Nice game, QB,” Ashleigh said.
“Yeah, thanks.” He rubbed his jaw, barely making eye contact with anyone.
Especially me.
“What’s going on?” Lindsey walked right into the center of our small gathering and swished her braids, almost whipping me in the face.
“Stupid bitch,” Peyton grumbled.
Lindsey wasn’t interested in us though; she had her sights firmly set on the guys.
“We’re… uh, just deciding what to do,” Aaron mumbled.
“What do you mean? I’m throwing a party. I always throw a party after a game.”
“Yeah, but the county fair is in town and we thought—” Gav elbowed Bryan in the stomach and he spluttered over his words.
“The county fair? Let me get this straight… you’re choosing to go to the county fair over coming to my party?”
“Like you said, you throw a party after every game. We can come to the next one.” Cole shrugged.
“What about you, Kaiden? You’re coming to my party, right? You have to come now you’re the new QB. Everyone will want you there.”
He glared at her, letting out an exasperated breath. “I go where they go.” His eyes went to Bryan and Gav.
“Maybe you should cancel the party and go have a cheer vigil for Monroe,” Aaron suggested. “I bet he’d appreciate that.”