You got it, boss.
I’m smiling down at my phone like an idiot and nearly jump out of my skin when someone comes behind me on the stairs.
“Your ass looks incredible in those trousers.” I turn to see Aanya leaning against a railing, looking like a Legend herself. She’s wearing Myles’ shirt replica, six sizes too big and belted at the waist. It stops mid-thigh, and she’s paired it with a mesh top underneath, heeled combat boots, and a host of bangles crawling up each arm. Her winged liner is severe, so sharp, it could cut.
“You can’t even see my ass. The jacket covers it.” I laugh.
“I’m using my imagination.”
“Well, thank you. That wasn’t the goal, but it's noted.”
“You-know-who will love it. You look expensive, like you run this place.”
I swat at her arm, looking around yet again to see if anyone’s heard, but there’s luckily no one close enough. “Idorun this place, and will you keep it down? Someone could hear you.”
“I know. It’s so hot.”
“Will you stop hitting on me?”
“Not until you agree to one night.”
I snort, knowing she’s not actually serious. “I don’t think you-know-who is open to sharing.”
“That’s fair. To be honest, I don’t think I could stomachbeing with anyone but Myles at this point.” Her stare is wistful as she looks out to find him on the pitch.
The thought behind her words felt familiar, like they’ve been something floating around in my own head for longer than I was willing to admit.
“Excuse me, can I get through please?” Lottie pushes her way through the aisle, heading in our direction. If not for the slightly limp pink hair, I’m not sure I would have recognized her. She’s wearing dark grey sweatpants and a matching hoodie, completely devoid of the color I’ve come to expect her to wear. She lacks any of her usual cheeriness and is only wearing two necklaces when her base minimum is four. Aanya shoots me a concerned look before reaching over and crushing Lottie in a hug.
“Hey babe, you alright?” Aanya asks.
“Yeah, of course.” Her voice is leeched of life, and the words do the opposite to comfort me. Everything about her right now feels wrong.
Her skin is slightly splotchy, as if she’s been crying. “Are you sure?”
She won’t look either of us in the eye, but it has to be a good sign she’s here right?
“Yes, just a rough couple of weeks, but the match will make me feel better. They always do.” She sits down, wrapping her arms around her waist, almost curling in on herself like she’s trying to shrink away from the attention.
Aanya and I take our seats, instinctively bracketing her as the players take to the pitch. Tieran walks out toward the center line so he can do the coin toss, and I feel like there's a determined set to his shoulders that wasn’t there in previous games.
The coin soars through the air, flipping end over end until the referee catches it and indicates toward Tieran in favor of our team. The stands erupt as our fans cheer at the advantage. He keeps his composure and gets in position just behind the halfway line so he can deliver the first kick of the match.
Tieran places the ball on the field and stands, shoulders back but head bowed. Then, his head turns slightly in our direction, and his eyes find mine from three hundred feet away. The world stops under the weight of that stare. To everyone else, it looks like he’s taking a moment to center himself, but I know he’s looking for me to steady his nerves—to see the one person who will always believe in him. My chin dips in the most infinitesimal motion, and I hope it’s enough to convey to him everything I know to be true.
You can do this.Youare the mountain.Youare the indomitable force. Nothing in this world is strong enough to hold you down. I believe in you enough for the both of us.
Tieran cracks his neck, bouncing on the balls of his feet while mapping out a course in his mind for the trajectory he wants with this kick. The crowd goes eerily silent, waiting on the edge of their seats, as if they too can feel the shift in the air.
I can see him take a steadying breath from where I’m sitting—can already see the sweat start to glisten on his skin, despite the cool breeze curling around us. Then, I see the tension slide off his shoulders, see his lips curving upward, and the divot I love so much pops in his cheek right before he takes two powerful steps back and charges forward, strong thighs flexing with every push against the grass. Tieran’s foot connects with the ball, and I swear, I can feel the thud reverberate throughout my whole body, or maybe that’s just the beat of my heart about to burst out of my chest.
This is different.
His eyes ignite with a blazing inferno as the ball soars through the air, and all the men on the field scatter. All I can see is number ten—the joy on his face as he runs across the field, dodging player after player, shouting to his teammates. I couldn’t tear my gaze away if I tried, and all I feel is an overwhelming sense of pride.
Ekon is the current carrier of the ball when one of theopposition's players takes him out at the calves, men from both teams piling on to try and get the ball from him.
Brighton’s center grabs hold of the ball and makes a run for it, only to be quickly intercepted and flanked by two of the Legends. It’s airborne a moment later in an attempt to get it to a teammate when Tieran materializes out of nowhere, grabbing it out of the air, clutching it to his chest and running in the opposite direction like he’s being chased by a hoard of zombies.
