“Why?”
“Because,” I said softly, “if I don’t, I’m not sure how much longer I can keep up my indifferent façade.”
She kissed my cheek and snuggled back into me, rubbing my arm. “You’ll be right, Oz, you’ll be right.”
Chapter Fifteen
Saturday dawned bright and chilly, and we were entirely ready for the first match of the Netherfield and Military College clash.
I hadn’t spoken to Austin all week and I hadn’t been surprised to hear he’d missed class because he was hungover the day before. Not that it mattered to me, because it didn’t.
Gemma and Kate dragged me, Anne, Marie and Charlie to the soccer pitch well early. When we got there, the Military College boys were warming up at one end and our Netherfield boys were warming up at the other.
I was surprised when I saw Jax and Austin. Or, was it Austin and Jax? Both wore long-sleeved tops, and one could easily have been a reflection of the other; Jax’s hair had grown out a bit since I’d first met them and Austin had cut his to match his brother’s. After a moment, one of them laughed and I could quite easily tell them apart again. At least some things didn’t change.
“There’s Liam!” Kate squealed, elbowing me in the boob and I turned to where she was pointing; Liam was warming up with Dane.
“Jesus, Katie. Calm the hell down,” I said, rubbing my sore chest gingerly.
My gaze wandered back over the field and I noticed Austin staring at me. I then realised I was rubbing my boob while he stared at me.
“Oh, shit…” I mumbled, my hand dropping, and I turned around.
I saw Liam waving, so I smiled and waved back, ignoring the snobbish manwhore at the opposite end of the pitch to the very nice guy waving at me. Liam jogged over and hugged me.
“I’m glad you’re here,” he said, kissing my cheek.
I smiled. “Where else would I be early on a Saturday morning?”
“In bed,” he replied, winking.
I laughed. “Maybe next weekend.”
He grinned. Someone called his name and he bowed. “I hope we can talk about that later, but my team calls.”
“Liam!” Kate cried, throwing herself on him.
He smiled at her and gently pulled out of her arms. “I’ll see you lovely ladies after we give these boys a right kicking. I hope you’re barracking for us.”
“Of course!” Kate giggled.
I folded my arms. “I’m not sure I can justify barracking against my home team. It’d be like going for…is it the Demons against…the…Crows?” I asked slowly.
Liam put a hand to his heart and mock-swooned. “A lady who knows her football.”
“Oh, no. I’m totally guessing on that,” I laughed.
“What kind of football teams are they?” Charlie asked.
“Aussie Rules. Not Soccer,” Liam explained.
Anne smiled. “That’s right; you call it soccer on your side of the world.”
Charlie nodded and pulled his phone out. Knowing him, he was Googling it all and learning everything he could. I watched him with a smile. He was such a computer nerd; he was already a programming genius and I was pretty sure he’d have the ability to sell a game and make millions before he was twenty… If he was slightly less content with just pottering around on his computer.
“Anders!” we heard someone call and Liam gave us an apologetic smile.
“Sorry, gotta run.”
“Go on then, and good luck,” I said.
“No kiss for luck?” he asked.
Kate giggled and threw herself on him again, kissing his cheek.
“Lily?” he winked.
“I can’t risk giving you too much luck.” I smiled.
He clutched his heart in mock-pain.
I laughed. “I might make it up to you later.”
His eyes flashed with something I recognised well. It was more feral and darker than I’d seen in Austin’s eyes, but everything else about Liam was lighter and kinder.
“Anders, for feck’s sake!” his teammate – it was Dane – called out.
“I’m coming!” he yelled back, before he bowed again and jogged off.
“So, how does this game actually work?” Kate asked.
“Are you kidding me right now?” I asked, my voice clearly insinuating I knew everything about the fantastic sport.
Of course, Austin has to play a sport I love…but, then so does Liam…
“Do you guys even have proper football in Australia?” Gemma asked.
“We don’t need proper football in Australia, we have access to an ingenious thing call the internet,” I said, sticking my tongue out at her. “But, for your information, yes, we do.”
A whistle blew and they were off amidst cheers. Liam and Jax were both centres.
The Cooper boys were good, there was no other way to look at it. They weaved in and out of players, passing between each other like they read each other’s mind. And, it wasn’t just them, they seemed to be able to read the whole team. With Jax’s face in serious-mode, it sometimes took a second look to determine who was who since Austin played in front as well. As I watched them, though, I knew which Cooper was which; Jax, though good, couldn’t quite match up to his brother’s superior footwork.
After Netherfield’s first goal, about half-way through the first half, Liam shoved Jax as he passed with the ball. I saw Austin go red and run straight for Liam. Austin slid into him, pushing the ball to Williams and taking Liam down in a tangle of legs. The referee blew his whistle and awarded Liam a free. Austin got in Liam’s face, then yelled at the referee.
At about forty minutes, Austin went at Liam again.
“Shit, he’s going to get himself carded,” I muttered.
“What’s the story with them?” Anne asked.
I shrugged.
“It’s just further proof Austin’s a wanker. Here’s Liam, a perfectly nice guy and Austin’s just being a self-centred arsehole,” Kate said, crossing her arms.
I watched as the referee blew the half time whistle on a one-all draw. Jax was holding Austin away from Liam while Austin pointed a finger and yelled. I couldn’t hear the words from where we stood, but it didn’t look like he was congratulating him on his technique.
“Is that Austin Cooper yelling at that other player?”
Kate, Gemma, Anne and I shared a sigh as we turned to see Seb behind us.
“Yes, it is,” Kate huffed. “He’s a seriously wacked out guy. Liam didn’t even do anything.”
“He did shove Jax,” Anne said slowly.
Seb’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked out towards where Jax had been joined by Williams and Cass to restrain Austin.
“God, we’re going to be decimated if we fall a man down…” I said as I watched Austin dragged away.
Liam watched him go, but I couldn’t see his face from that distance. He said something to Dane, clapped him on the back and they ran to their huddle.
“Jax was good though, wasn’t he?” Anne turned to me.
I laughed. “You don’t need to sound so unsure.”
“Oh, come on. I’m really not a sports girl.”
“No, but you’re a Jax girl,” I said, taking her arm.
“Are you dating Jackson Cooper?” Seb asked.
Anne opened her mouth but I nudged her silent. Kate answered before I had a chance.
“She may as well be. They’ll be making it official soon, he may as well just propose already.” She smiled.
Seb’s lips pursed, then he turned to me, a new look in his eye… The way he had previously been looking at Anne.
Just great… I said to myself.
“Can I get you a drink before the next half starts…Lily?” he asked, as though he’d forgotten my name.
I wanted to say no, but a) I could really use coffee and b) if it got him out of the way for a while then that would be great.
“Sure, coffee, white, no sugar, thanks Seb.” I tried my hardest to smile.
Seb
thought for a moment, nodded, then hurried off.
“It’ll take him like ten minutes just to walk to the coffee shop from here.” Anne smiled.
I shrugged. “So, I’ve given myself about twenty minutes before he’ll be back.”
“Was he making eyes at you, Lil?” Kate asked.
I shuddered. “It’s better than him making eyes at Anne.”
Anne jumped. “What?”
I laughed, shaking my head. “Only you would be so oblivious that a guy was interested in you.” I squeezed her arm and we turned back to the pitch where the guys were jogging back on.
The second half started. As it got more tense, both teams trying to pull ahead, I found myself yelling at them.
“Watch out for your side! On him! Bloody hell, Williams, stop hogging the ball!”
Williams heard that one and kicked the ball off; he turned to me with a smile as he slowed down.
“You a football fanatic, Lil?” he asked.
“What can I say?” I smiled.
He chuckled as he ran off.
Not long after, Austin ran towards Liam again and I could see he was, yet again, in serious risk of getting himself carded. I stepped forward unconsciously.
“Keep it clean, Cooper!” I screamed at him. “We cannot afford unnecessary cards!”
I actually saw him pause and, when he took the tackle, it was clean.
I heard Anne laugh and turned to her.
“What?”
She smiled, shaking her head. “I haven’t seen you this excited the whole time I’ve known you. You really are a fanatic.”
I grinned. “When you love something, you love it. I can’t not get excited about soc…football.”
I turned back to the game just in time to see Austin’s less than clean tackle.
“Austin, you arsehat!” I yelled, knowing the call well before the referee jogged over and pulled the yellow card from his pocket. “You’re bloody lucky that wasn’t in the box, you great numpty!”
Kate and Gemma burst into hysterical giggles.
“Don’t mind her, Sebastian,” I heard Anne say, “she’s in love.”
“What?” Seb and I asked at the same time.
Anne chuckled. “With the game, of course.”
I’d heard Anne’s innuendo, but I ignored it, instead taking the coffee from Seb and turning back to the game. I threw myself into it… Anything not to think of the heart-fluttering that had occurred at Anne’s words, while I watched Austin yelling at Jax.
Netherfield managed one more goal and I was hovering on the boundary line like an absolute nutter, totally freaked out that Austin was going to get carded again and we’d lose if he was sent off.
“No, no, no…” I mumbled, unconsciously pacing back and forth along the line as I followed the play. “Oh, Williams, seriously dude!”
Williams finally passed it off to Jax – recognisable by the slight stumble of his stop – and I saw Liam hurtle towards him.
“Shit, he thinks that’s Austin…” I said, grabbing Anne’s arms and squeezing tight.
“No… He’s not-” Anne was cut off as she watched Liam careen into Jax, who went down hard.
That, though, wasn’t what had me worried. There was another impossibly handsome, stupidly tall, ash-brown-haired body heading straight for Liam.
“Oz, no!” I screamed.
He screeched to a halt and stared at me, totally missing Liam’s fist as it smacked into the side of his head.
“What the hell!” I almost ran onto the pitch, but Anne’s hand steadied me.
Amidst the referee pulling a red card out of his pocket for Liam, Austin’s fist smacked just as impressively into Liam. The referee blew his whistle frantically as the two boys went down. I didn’t know who to feel more for; Liam was kind and sweet, but Austin was on my home team. As Austin’s fist smashed into Liam’s face again, compassion for my countryman won out and all I felt was anger at Austin.
“What the hell is that maniac’s problem?” I muttered, still holding onto Anne’s arm.
I heard Seb ‘tsk’ behind me. “Lady Celia will not be impressed with this.”
Jax, Williams and a couple of other teammates pulled Austin off Liam while the referee waved a red card in his face, and we watched as Liam was pulled away by Dane and his teammates.
“Well, at least it’s still a level playing field,” I said as play resumed. I turned to Seb. “You know much about football, Sebastian?”
“I don’t know much about it, but am more than happy to learn.”
“Good… Pay attention,” I replied before launching into a full on play-by-play, only to be interrupted when the team needed yelling at.
Chapter Sixteen
“Calm the feck down,” Cass said, then slapped me across the cheek.
I, though, could only see red.
“He’s a dead man.”
“Oz, come on. Breathe,” she said.
At her use of my nickname, I again heard Lily screaming my name as I ran to take down that Australian wank-stain.
She’d been a surprise all game, making calls as we played and urging us on. She’d noticed everything I’d missed from her position on the sidelines. I hadn’t heard her that excited about anything since I’d met her and her giant suitcase in the library.
Even Williams had commented on the fact she’d probably do a better job than our coach who, bless him, was a little past his prime – he was kept on purely because we’d always been pretty good at coaching ourselves and the guy was a legend at Netherfield.
“She called me a numpty…” I said slowly.
“What?” Cass said, shaking me.
“She called me…” I shook my head. “Never mind.”
Cass looked at me, then I saw her head turn in Lily’s direction. Yes, I knew exactly where she stood in relation to myself, so sue me.
I refused to look in her direction, though. That way lay trouble. I’d seen her standing with some guy dressed all in black. It looked like Sebastian Chambers, but it was hard to tell under the burglar beanie and coat. He stood stupidly close to her and paced behind her as she did.
Okay, I did look in her direction a couple of times…
She was following the play as though she was itching to get on the field herself. I could hear her voice every now and then – though she was usually yelling at Williams about hogging the ball, which he totally did.
She looked fierce, her red hair streaming out behind her as she walked up and down the line.
My face whipped sideways as Cass slapped me again.
“Get your head out of your arse!” she snapped. “You’re bloody lucky Anders got himself red-carded with your little stunt, or we could well have found ourselves with a loss on our first game.”
I whirled to her and saw her flinch slightly. Then, she steeled herself.
“Scowl at me all you want, but precious Aunt Celia won’t like it when she hears you and Anders started throwing punches.”
“If precious Aunt Celia cared so much, perhaps she would deign to come and see some of our games for herself.”
Cass snorted and I smiled slightly. “You’ve got to control yourself, cuz. I am well aware this new hairdo doesn’t have magic powers, but I was under the impression you thought it would make you feel more in control.”
I sighed and, out of habit, raked my hand through my now considerably shorter hair. It felt odd when I ran my fingers through it then it just…ran out. I stretched my neck and turned to watch the game.
“Let’s just say that I think I’m more able to remember why I give up what I give up.”
“What does that mean, Mister Dramatic?”
I watched Jax head for goal, but he was denied. “When I look in the mirror, all I see now is my brother. I see the life I want for him and I see how he’ll get that life. I can focus on that now, not get distracted.”
“And who’s to say he wants the life you want him to have?”
I scoffed. “And, you think he wants th
e life Aunt Celia has planned for us?”
“Well, no… I don’t imagine anyone in their right mind does.”
“So, am I doing the wrong thing by protecting him?”
“That’s not what I said. But, what about his choices? Does he get no say in you throwing away your happiness for his?”
I turned to her and she blinked heavily at whatever she saw on my face.
“He doesn’t get a say, because he’d turn around and yell at me for being an idiot. He’d tell me we can face anything together and we can find a way to both be happy.”
“And your happiness? What would it look like?”
I looked across the pitch to Lily as she jumped up and down while yelling at Williams again. A small, sad smile crossed my face. “It doesn’t matter what it would look like, Cass.” I put my arm around my cousin. “Jax can have anything he wants, anyone he wants, he can be anything he wants. Aunt Celia only needs one heir.”
“So, your happiness doesn’t matter? You’re actually happy giving it all up?”
“My happiness for my brother’s?” I asked, laying my cheek on her head. “That, dear cousin, is no sacrifice at all. You’ve seen Jax’s heart, at its best and its worst-”
“Some worst, he’s a bloody angel, that one.”
I chuckled and gave her a squeeze that she returned. “Jax doesn’t have the strength to be the heir Aunt Celia wants.”
“And you do.” It wasn’t a question.
We stood in silence a moment. I saw her looking across the pitch and followed her gaze to Lily. She was so bloody animated that it made my chest tighten to watch her.
I pulled my eyes away and watched the game.
Jax managed to score, but the Military College’s team weren’t happy about it. Still, we were three-one up with less than twenty minutes to go. It wasn’t unheard of to lose at this point, but it was becoming less likely as time went on.
Without me and Anders on the field, the game was clean and mild. There was an urgency in both teams, though – Netherfield needed to keep their lead and the Military College were desperate to at least equalise. We still had a few more games to play against them while they were here; the more wins we could get, and the bigger the margin, the better.
Netherfield Prep: A Modern Reimagining of Jane Austen's 'Pride & Prejudice' Page 11