I looked back at her, and she watched me with that same sharp, cool expression she wore the first time we met. She had her shit together then too, whereas I didn’t, and still don’t.
“You’re right. I’m sorry about what I said before; that wasn’t fair. This means a lot to me and my team.”
“I know,” she replied bluntly. “So, like I was saying… You’ll be traveling for four out of the nine weeks. Those were originally home fixtures, but they’ve been reassigned to keep our schedule clean. But—”
My phone buzzed, interrupting her, and I made the mistake of glancing down at it. The group chat lit up again. The lads had already turned our travel schedule into a bingo card, guessing they all got emails whilst I’ve been here.
Teddy’s voice cuts through, all cool steel. “Oh, I’m sorry, am I keeping you from something vital?”
“Hmm?”
Her nostrils flared. I bit down a smile. She was easy to rile, but now wasn’t the time.
“If you’re going to be distracted, it’d better be for a good reason. Making plans while I’m trying to fix your squad can’t wait?”
Something bristled in me, low and stubborn, unwilling to back down this time. What she wasn’t saying pressed in anyway. “That’s what you think I’m doing? Making plans with someone?”
Controlled as ever, she shrugged. “Doesn’t matter what I think. What matters is that’s clearly more important.”
“Seriously?”
“You want to fix this or not? Because I don’t have time to waste with you. I’ve already missed pitch training today.”
I shook my head. “It was just the guys asking for an update. Relax, Teddy.”
Her jaw tightened, but she didn’t give me the satisfaction of another reaction above that. So, I made it about business again. “What happens when you have away games?”
“The pitch is yours. But if you trash it in any way, I’ll make sure you’re all out on your asses.” She pinned me with a stare that was icy as fuck… I liked that she gave no shits about upsetting me.
“You wound me.” I knew I should rein it in, let it go. But the words were out before I had a chance to stop them.
“I’d like to,” she muttered, and Ilikedit. The annoyed version of her. Unfortunately.
“I’ll take that as progress.”
“You shouldn’t.” She tapped on her phone again, and then my own pinged in my pocket, but I didn’t have the balls to check this time. “That notification, youcancheck. I’ve sent you a request to share a calendar so we know what is happening and when. We’re in blue, you’re in green.”
Fitting, considering those were our team colors. “Alright. We’ll make it work.”
“I know you will.” She leveled me with a look. “Because you need to be on your best behavior all season long, Captain.”
I didn’t hold back the grin at her calling me that. “Duly noted,Captain.”
Teddy’s baby blues didn’t waver from mine, like she was daring me to push my luck.
I kind of wanted to.
4
Teddy
As I walked out of the media room, I inhaled far more than my lungs could handle. I wasn’t great with plans changing at the last minute. My brain was definitely attempting to sabotage me and tell me all the reasons why this was a bad omen for our team. So, deep breathing was necessary.
It wasn’t enough that being around Connor O’Riley already dredged up every unresolved feeling from college—the rivalry, the competition, the way he always seemed to edge me out by an inch, no matter how hard I pushed. We’d both been studying sports therapy and rehab back then, always top of our class, circling each other like two athletes refusing to be second best. And somehow, years later, he still had that same infuriating ability to get under my skin without even trying.
Now, with the Knights crashing into our world and the cameras rolling, it felt like history was threatening to repeat itself—only this time, the stakes were a hell of a lot higher.
“Leave some air for the rest of us, Sloane.” Micah saddled up next to me, nudging my shoulder. I was grateful it was her andnot Coach Emery. Micah and I went through college together, so she knew exactly why I might be off, and then happenstance landed us here on the same team, with her as the assistant coach. But it was good to see a familiar face after all that.
