We beat them. The South West Stingrays.
No, weannihilatedthem.
As arms circle around me, pulling me in a bunch of different directions as everyone leaps and bounds in excitement, I track Anya rushing down the steps. I weave in and out of the team as everyone starts spilling onto the field. The place is packed, and there are people everywhere, but all I see is her.
Running towards me, she jumps, and I circle my arm around her waist, yanking her to me. She wraps her legs around my waist, and I dive towards her mouth. My free hand combs her hair from her face as I kiss her passionately, not caring in the slightest that there are probably hundreds of eyes watching us right now.
This is it. This is what I’ve been craving. The longing that’s been building in my chest and climbing up my throat for as long as I remember.
We’re here.
We made it.
Threading her fingers around the back of my neck, she breathlessly pulls back from my lips and presses her forehead against mine.
‘Good game, Captain,’ she purrs, smiling in that slow, sexy way she does so well. She could send me into cardiac arrest with the way my chest feels when I’m around her.
‘Thanks, Blush.’
‘I love you,’ she says, emerald eyes glistening as she blinks up at me under the bright lights of the field.
‘I love you more.’
Setting her on her feet, I let the team drag me back towards them, still celebrating our win.
The next couple hours after the game are a complete blur. We end up back at Christian’s house for a party to celebrate the absolute thrashing we gave the other team. As the new captain, I couldn’t be more thrilled that my first game was that one. Everything went smoothly, we won by a huge amount and the team played together the best they have since I joined.
It hasn’t been a big deal that Anya and I started dating – apparently most people assumed we already were. Since we’re always around each other, that makes sense. Probably no one realises the years of pain we endured, and Zayden’s involvement.
I’m leaning against the wall, sipping my beer and watching Anya as she dances with Cami and Nora. Her long hair cascades down her back as she moves to the beat, her smile lighting up the entire room. With everything that’s happened, seeing her so happy and carefree in this moment feels like breathing in fresh morning air.
‘Yo yo,’ a familiar voice says, and my eyes bounce towards Christian, who strolls over to me. We do the one-armed shake we always do when we see each other.
‘Hey,’ I reply. ‘Your place is awesome.’
‘Thanks. My sister owns it with her husband, but they live out of state,’ he says. ‘I never congratulated you properly, by the way, on becoming captain. Well-deserved, my friend.’
‘Thanks, Christian. Appreciate it.’
‘You’re officially with Anya now, hey?’ He smirks. ‘That was obvious to literally every single person. Ever.’
I roll my eyes. ‘It was not.’
‘Okay. Keep telling yourself that.’
After taking another sip, I lower my voice. ‘Do you know what’s up with Parker?’
Christian shakes his head. ‘Nah. He keeps to himself.’
‘If he didn’t come to practice and the games, I would never see him.’
‘Yeah. I think he works a lot.’
Christian and Parker are the two guys on the team I’d love to hang out with more, but Christian is often away camping on weekends, and Parker is basically a ghost. He has no social media presence, and I don’t even see him on campus or in any of my classes.
Loud cheers break out across the room, and I turn my attention to Zayden and Andy, who are competing for beer funnel records. Zayden has been doing well, considering everything, but he is partying hard these days. He’s always partied hard, but now it seems more frequent and more reckless. Christian makes a sound in the back of his throat and glances at me, as if having read my mind.
‘Is Zayden all good?’ Christian asks, forehead creased as he observes the scene in front of us, much like me.
