The other team won the toss, giving them the ball first. Both teams played similar lineups, two forwards up front, four players in the middle, and four players in the back. Reye’s strategy was basic, get the ball to their leading and only scorer, Eric. Soccer at this age level usually consisted of having one or two good players on each team, and those players scored. Most kids were still growing into their bodies, and only a small few managed to grasp any more complicated soccer concepts. Lightning wasn’t any different. Eric was their main scorer with the other team members feeding the ball to him, and, as expected, he received and moved the ball down the field, headed toward the goal. The opposing team wasn’t so fortunate in their lineup, so Eric had scored four goals by the end of the first half.
Her halftime speech was short and sweet, and after conferring with Sam, she moved Eric to the midfield, so as not to run up the score. She hated teams that did that, and was rewarded as the other team scored two goals in the second half, but Lightning won! They gathered around her jumping up and down. “Great game, you guys. Way to play. I am so proud of you.”
The parents had lined up on the field, two lines, London bridge style waiting for the kids to run underneath their arms, and they did, screaming and shouting all the way, receiving and giving high fives to each other and their parents. They left with their parents soon after, all but Shane. Joe had called her earlier, informing her that he wouldn’t make it to the first game because he had work commitments that he couldn’t reschedule, but he assured her he would be attending the remaining games. They’d previously exchanged cell numbers in case of an emergency with Shane.
“Great job coaching today, Reye,” Sam said.
“Why thank you, Samuel, you were great assisting the new and magnificent coach.”
Laughing, he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a hug. “I’m sorry Stephen missed watching you coach.”
“It’s not a big deal,” she said, feeling emotional all of a sudden, and not just because of the game. She felt lately that Stephen was putting distance between them and pulling away from her. She stayed in Sam’s arms for a second more and then stepped away.
“I’ve got to drop Shane off at home. I’ll see you later,” she said. She picked up her bag of soccer gear and took it and Shane to her truck before Sam could see her tears.
* * *
Reye walked Shane to his front door and waited while he rooted around in his backpack for his key. The door opened before he found it, startling them both. Joe stood there, his eyes landing on Shane, before moving over to Reye, who couldn’t read his expression.
“How was the game, Shane?” he asked, his eyes returning to Shane and giving him a smile, ruffling his hair as he entered the house.
“Great, Uncle Joe. I had two assists, didn’t I, Ms. Reye? We won!”
“Yes, you did, you were great,” Reye said into Shane’s beaming face.
“I’m sorry I missed it, I had work today, but Ms. Reye gave me the schedule for the season and I’ll plan on making the rest of them, okay, dude?”
“Okay, Uncle Joe,” Shane said as his arms locked around Joe’s waist in a tight hug.
“Well, I’ll see you two after spring break. You guys have a good week, okay,” Reye said.
“Okay. See ya, Ms. Reye.”
“Reye, wait.” Joe turned to Shane. “Let me talk to your coach for a second. I’ll be right back, okay?”
“Sure,” Shane said, skipping away.
Joe stepped out of the house and stood next to Reye. He was taller than she was, about the same height as Stephen. Reye joked that Stephen and Henri belonged to a fraternity filled with handsome men, and Joe fit in easily, too. He had shoulder-length blond hair, grey eyes, and a slim and athletic build. At this moment, he was also uncomfortable. It was written into his stance as his hands were shoved into his pockets and he trained his eyes to a spot above her head. She heard him take a deep breath. “I wanted to thank you for all that you are doing for Shane. He and I both appreciate it,” he said.
Surprised and pleased, she responded. “You’re welcome. He’s a great kid. Have you heard from your sister?”
“No, not yet.” He pushed a big breath out again. “I’m not finished. I also wanted to apologize to you for the things I said to you at the party and about you after that soccer game. I was just angry, have been that way for a while. The things I said were really directed at Stephen and were less about you. I don’t like your boyfriend.” He moved his eyes from hers to look off toward the street.
“My life hasn’t been easy, getting through school, going on to college. Navigating through the foster care system left me really angry. I resent Stephen and those like him that are given so much, receive so much, without much effort, just lucky at birth. He even has you,” he said, giving her a smile.
“Stephen’s had to work hard, too, you know. He couldn’t help who his parents are.”
“You know what I mean,” he countered, giving her another smile, smaller this time, a smile not perfect, but disarming nevertheless. “Defending him, huh, must be love, I can tell.” He paused, looking at her intently now, his voice quiet and serious. “I’m only telling you this because of what you’ve done for Shane, and, indirectly, for me. I’m starting to like you.”
“Tell me what?” she asked, fearing what he would say, but unable to resist knowing, like passing by an accident on the road and looking for something gruesome.
“He won’t be there for you in the end. You do know that, don’t you?”
“I’d better get going,” Reye said.
“I don’t mean to make you angry, and this isn’t an attack on him. He’s just not tough enough for you. He won’t be strong enough in the end to stand up to the pressure from his parents. That’s all.”
“Thanks for the apology, but I really do need to get going.” She walked down the steps to her car, getting away from something she’d begun to suspect.
“Yeah, see ya.” His eyes followed her until she was gone.
* * *
Spring break in Cancun, really? What had he been thinking? He’d so outgrown the need to drink everything put before him and screw everything in sight a long time ago, since Reye, anyway. He’d gone to a party the first night they were here, but left after about thirty minutes, tiring quickly of the loud, blaring music and girls asking him to dance. He went back to the hotel. Henri and some of his other frat brothers were here having the time of their lives, women everywhere. But he wasn’t interested, choosing instead to spend his days on the beach, his nights in his hotel room. He went snorkeling at XelHa, a little cove about an hour and half away from the hotel, and rotated his time between lying on the beach, swimming and snorkeling, getting in some much needed sleep. It was beautiful here, blue, clear water, white sands . . . he should have brought Reye.
He felt bad about leaving her, about not attending her first soccer game, about not meeting her family, but he didn’t want to promise more than he could give. Going to her game felt dishonest in some way, it would have indicated a commitment that he wasn’t prepared to make. So he’d become a different type of jerk to her instead.
Chapter 13
Two weeks later, between classes and running late, a harried and tired Stephen rushed through the back door of his fraternity’s house. He’d promised to leave a book for a frat brother at the house. The semester was quickly closing in on him, leaving him knee-deep in books with little time to spare. He entered the house, distracted, head down, moving fast, and ran smack into a body. “Sorry dude, my bad.” he said, not aware of who he’d run into. Stephen stopped and looked up into a face made of stone. The face belonged to Joe. Standing next to Joe was an alarmed and wary Henri. He didn’t get why Henri hung out with Joe, but as long as Joe stayed out of his way, he ignored their friendship. “Henri,” he said as acknowledgment, stepping aside to allow room for Joe to pass. He would rather chew off his leg than hold a conversation with Joe. He looked away, hoping Joe would take the hint an
d leave. He didn’t, but rather waited until Stephen’s attention returned to him.
“What?” Stephen asked, not bothering to hide his dislike.
“Dude,” Joe said, distaste marring his face, too. So they both didn’t like each other. “You know if you’re not serious about Reye, you should tell her.”
“What the fuck did you just say to me?” Stephen asked.
“I said, if you’re not serious about Reye, you should tell her. She doesn’t deserve bullshit, she loves you, and you and I both know you’re too much of a pussy to stand up to your parents for her.”
“What the hell do you know about me and Reye?”
“We talk,” Joe said calmly.
“You talk. What the hell does that mean? Are you chasing after my woman now, Joe?”
Joe continued to hold his gaze as Stephen moved in closer. “I know you don’t have the guts to go against Mommy and Daddy for her. You and your easy life, always the smooth and successful one, but you are such a fake!”
“So this is about you being jealous of me?” Stephen angrily jabbed Joe in the chest as he posed the question.
“Are you kidding me? Jealous? Why would I be? You don’t even appreciate what you have. Maybe Reye would be better off with me,” Joe said and sneered.
Stephen stepped closer to him. “You need to back the fuck up, dude!”
“And if I don’t?” Joe asked, moving forward. Henri squeezed in between them, grabbing Joe by the arm.
“That’s enough! Let’s go!” he said, hauling Joe out of the room and out through the back door.
“What are you doing?” Henri asked.
“You know I’m right, don’t you?”
“Leave it alone,” Henri said.
Stephen stood inside, steaming, processing the fact that Joe not only knew Reye, but had been talking to her. Joe had defended her, to him, of all people, and he’d stood there clueless. Reye hadn’t mentioned a word to him. How the hell had that happened? He was angry and hurt. Was Reye interested in Joe? He’d never considered her with anyone but him.
School was forgotten; he needed to talk to Reye, and he needed to do so now. Dropping the books off as promised, he drove immediately over to her house, where he pulled up behind her truck and parked. She opened the door at his banging, surprised to see him angry. She moved to let him in, but he didn’t move, just stood at the entrance.
“How the hell do you know Joe? And I don’t mean from the frat party. You’ve talked to him since then, haven’t you?”
“Are you coming in? I’m not going to have this conversation standing here. Either you come in and talk to me like an adult or you can leave.”
“Answer the question Reye,” he said as he entered her house, reducing the volume of his voice, but not by much.
She closed the door and turned to him. “Remember Shane from my class? Well, he is Joe’s nephew, his sister’s kid. I’ve been taking him home from the center and soccer practice.” She looked at him, puzzled by this anger. “I didn’t tell you because I remembered how you reacted before regarding Joe. I wanted to avoid all that. Anyway, Shane’s mother left him, and Joe’s been taking care of him since then. I took him home one day after soccer practice, because no one had shown up to pick him up. That’s when I found out about Shane’s mother and relationship to Joe. It’s great what he’s doing for Shane, and I wanted to help.”
Silence greeted her explanation.
“So we talk. It’s necessary, since I’m responsible for Shane sometimes. I agreed to bring Shane home, and he’s apologized to me for his behavior at the party and game. I take it you ran into him again,” she said. “What happened?”
“Nothing that I care to share.”
“What do you mean ‘care to share’? Talk to me, Stephen.”
“No. You didn’t tell me about Joe, I don’t have to talk to you about him, either.”
Men could be such kids sometime, she thought.
“You’ve got some nerve,” she said, angry now at being questioned by him in this way, as if he had the right! They were casual the last time she’d checked. She marched over to stand in front of him, once again thankful for the similarities in their heights. She didn’t have to look up to him; she looked him directly in his eyes.
“So I didn’t tell you about Joe, but you keep secrets from me, too, Stephen. Was Beth in Cancun with you?” she asked, inwardly flinching at the initial reaction of recognition and shock that was visible on his face. It was there just for a second.
“Joe told me a lot of things, none of which I believed. He told me that you were seeing someone besides me, someone named Beth. He also told me that you wouldn’t stay with me, that you would never pit yourself against your family for me. That Beth was your family’s choice. Is that true?”
“Beth is an old friend from high school, nothing more. We grew up together in Dallas. Her family and mine are good friends.”
“Did you see her when you went home?”
“Yes, at a couple of parties, but I also saw other friends from high school. She wasn’t in Cancun with me. I went alone, spent the time there alone. There is nothing to this, Reye.”
“There is nothing to Joe, either. He’s Shane’s uncle. Shane had started to miss the sessions after school and soccer practice, and I wanted to prevent him from quitting. He’s come so far.”
Then she asked him again, “Are you seeing someone else beside me?”
“No, Reye, I’m not.” His anger dissipated as he ran his hands through his hair. “You and finishing this last semester are all that I can handle right now, all I want to handle,” he said. He reached for her and drew her to him. She let go of the breath she had been holding. He kissed her, mouth and tongue pressing into hers.
She pulled back. “I love you,” she said.
Silence hung in the air. She hadn’t expected any response, but . . .
“Don’t worry, I wasn’t expecting you to say it back. I just wanted you to know.”
“I know, Reye,” he said. “I don’t know what to say. In spite of what Joe said, I do care about you.”
“I know.”
“Don’t let him bother you,” he said, pulling her in for another kiss.
“Only if you don’t,” she said, leaning in to meet him.
* * *
Reye was just as impressed with Stephen’s apartment complex the second time as she had been the first. She hadn’t seen it since before Thanksgiving. That little fact, a persistent reminder of her place in his life, bothered her. She was going to have to do something about it eventually, but she wasn’t going there now. She would make herself crazy worrying about it. To be fair to him, he’d never said they were exclusive. Never. Never had he promised more than what he’d given. It wasn’t his fault that she wanted more, that she loved him.
She parked her truck in a visitor’s slot near his home, next to a very new and nice Mercedes and not the low-end C class, either. She would only be there a second; she was just stopping by to pick up additional soccer gear that Stephen had given her as a contribution to her team. She walked up to his apartment, knocked in case Henri was home. No answer, so she used the key that Stephen had left for her and opened the door.
“Hello,” she said, walking into the main living room.
“Hello,” she heard in return, surprising her. Stephen hadn’t mentioned that someone would be here. Walking toward the sound of voices, she entered the breakfast area to find two older women sitting at the kitchen table in conversation. They were drinking coffee and eating what looked like cookies. One brunette and one blonde, both looked to be in their late fifties. Both were impeccably dressed, straight from the pages of Town & Country.
They seemed equally surprised to see her.
“Who are you?” The blonde was giving Reye the once-over, clearly displeased with what she saw, her expression reflecting distaste.
“I’m Reye,” she answered as politely as she could, extending her hand for a shake. It was ignored, and Reye with
drew it. She wished she had dressed better, but she was on her way to practice at the soccer fields. She’d taken to wearing the shorts from Stephen’s high school with her t-shirts. She had them on now, St. Anna’s Prep embroidered on the left hem. It was not her best look, but really, it was very comfortable and great for soccer practices.
“I’m Stephen’s mother, and this is Henri’s mother. We drove down yesterday to see the boys,” the blonde said. Henri’s mother gave Reye a warm smile.
“Who are you here to see?” Mrs. Stuart continued. “Oh, I’m not here to see anyone. I needed to pick up something.”
“How do you have a key?”
“I borrowed Stephen’s. It’s your Stephen that I’m friends with, although I know and like Henri, too.”
“And how do you know Stephen?”
“I met him last year on a plane trip back from Dallas.”
“I remember that trip. You’ve known Stephen that long?”
“Yes.”
“He tutored you in school?”
“No,” Reye said, baffled by the question. “Uhm, look, I came by to pick up some soccer balls. Stephen said I could borrow them.”
“Yes, well, help yourself. Do you know where to find them?”
“Yes, I’ll only be a minute.” She moved to Stephen’s room and walked into his closet. She found the balls in the back of his closet stuffed into a mesh bag, just as he had said they would be.
She closed the door to the closet and went back into the main room. Should she say goodbye?
Before she could debate the question, Stephen’s mom entered the room and stood by the door, apparently waiting for her. Mrs. Stuart was looking her over head to toe again. Reye was sure she was equally unimpressed now as she had been during her entry. In turn, Reye was growing equally unimpressed with his mother. So she didn’t like what she saw, but her rudeness was inexcusable.
“I found them,” she said, lifting her hands to indicate the bag of balls she held.
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