Page 57 of That Secret Something

Heat blazed in my chest. I loved her strong hands.

Rebecca’s gaze flitted over my face, and then she looked at me pointedly. “So…do you have an answer for—?”

Then I kissed her, as if there would ever be another option.

III

Part Three: One Month Later

Twenty

The sun peeked out from the clouds above, lighting the field in a golden glow. It was the semi-finals for Rebecca’s field hockey team, and March had decided to tease us with the promise of spring.

I didn’t understand the rules much. Rebecca had tried to explain it to me a few times, using a collection of Sausage’s squeaky toys, but it was hard to take it seriously when a reindeer was passing a huge tennis ball to a frog. She even convinced me to watch the national team play on TV, but…well, we may have got distracted.

Rebecca’s team set up for a long corner, and nerves tightened in my belly as Rebecca lifted her head to scan the crowd. Our eyes met, and she raised her stick in a wave, her beautiful smile spreading across her face.

How was this real life?

It’d been a month since Valentine’s Day. A month of us agreeing to date exclusively. Things hadn’t changed much from an outsider’s perspective. We were still keeping it quiet from our families and friends, having decided to wait until after Lily’s wedding before telling people. It still made me anxious, and I missed being able to relax around Lily, but knowing that Rebecca was all-in as much as I was made the bad parts feel a little lighter.

Plus, just look at her!

She sprinted down the field, her orange vest clinging to her tightly. My eye was drawn to her defined muscles and strong legs. Hockey was definitely moving up in my list of favourite sports.

I loved seeing Rebecca play, even though I was nervously scanning the crowd every few moments in case someone recognised me. Being able to watch her was a little shred of normality—something that other couples did. Even better, Rebecca wanted me here. That made my insides all mushy.

The referee blew for a foul, and the crowd erupted in a mix of cheers and boos. Rebecca’s teammate took it quickly, sailing the ball high up the field. The opposing team tried to intercept but missed, and Rebecca collected it and began dribbling the ball towards the goal. The players in blue tried to tackle her, but she weaved skilfully, avoiding the jabs of their hockey sticks.

She swept her stick back.

The couple beside me leaned forward, anticipating the shot. A blue defender barged into her from behind, tripping her over in front of the goal.

The referee pointed for a penalty stroke, and the crowd roared.

Rebecca was pulled up by her teammates, and she dusted herself off. Relief washed over me—she was okay. Then she stepped up to the spot to take it, and my chest tightened again. I glanced up at the clock. Five minutes left to play.

Come on. Come on.

She stretched out her neck, her long brown ponytail swinging against her back. The goalie waved her arms, her giant gloves making the goal seem far too small.

Everybody waited, time standing still. The suspense was killing me. Come on. Come on.

She swung her arm back and connected with the ball, firing it high into the top corner of the goal. I jumped to my feet, celebrating with the couple next to me as applause filled my ears.

Rebecca’s team huddled together, high-fiving and slapping her on the back before taking their places for the centre pass.

I took my seat on the cold bench, my heart racing. Just a few more minutes, and they’d be in the final. I locked onto her, a new sense of admiration blooming in my chest. When the whistle blew, her eyes flicked to mine, and she smiled, making me feel like the only person in the audience.

After the game, Rebecca sang along to the radio in my car, drumming her hands on her knees. The sky grew purple outside, streetlights sparking to life as we manoeuvred the roads back home.

“What a game.” She exhaled, shaking her head. “I’m so glad you were there to see it.”

“Me too. Thanks for inviting me. You played really well.”

“Did you remember all the rules?” she asked, a teasing lilt in her voice.

“Of course. Every single one.”

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