Page 92 of Look What You Made Me Do

Ella favored him with a steady stare. “Annihilate him.”

“I love it when you talk dirty,” he whispered, flicking a towel at her butt as he followed the team out.

Ella stayed until she was the only one left in the room, taking a moment to center herself, thinking about all that had got them to this point and the game ahead. She supposed others might have prayed but she didn’t think it was appropriate to ask for divine assistance in something as frivolous – compared to real life horrors – as a football game.

Or Tony Winchester’s demise, for that matter.

Instead, she wished for things to be right, then stepped out into the cool darkness of the tunnel that led from the locker rooms to the field.

“Ella?”

“Cam?” She frowned. “Everything okay?”

“Yes.” The scrape of his boot against the concrete floor echoed around the tunnel as he shuffled his feet.

“Shouldn’t you be on the field?”

“I just want to… I’d like to talk to you for a moment.”

Ella peered over his shoulder, satisfied to see the game hadn’t yet started. “Okay.”

Taking a deep breath, he looked at his sister. “I’m sorry for being such a jerk.”

Ella blinked, completely taken aback by his apology, the only one she’d ever heard come from his mouth. “About our argument a few weeks ago?”

“No. Well, yes… that too. But I mean, just generally. I know I haven’t been very easy to get along with. It’s just… growing up in Trently was hard, you know?”

“Yeah.” She knew.

“And I dreamed for years my big sister would come and rescue me and when you didn’t it was easier to… hate you.”

Tears needled Ella’s eyes. “Oh, Cam! I would have, if I’d known, I would have.”

She took a step toward him but he took a step back and held out his hand to pause her movement. “I know that now. I do. And I didn’t hate you, not really. Miranda reckons I’m lucky to have such a cool big sister. And so do I.”

His voice cracked a little and Ella’s tears threatened to spill. A lump in her throat grew bigger, stretching to painful proportions. Maybe the counseling she’d insisted upon was making bigger inroads than she thought?

“I love you, Cam,” she whispered. “We may not have been brother and sister for long but we’re part of each other and I love you.”

Cameron’s gaze dropped to his boots. “Same,” he mumbled.

“Cam!”

Ella jumped as Jake’s exasperated command ricocheted around the cavernous tunnel. “What are you doing? It’s twenty seconds to kick-off.”

Cameron looked at Jake then at her. “Go,” she said, giving him a quick, fierce hug. “Go!”

He ran toward the light, his cleats clacking on the cement. Jake slapped him on the back as he passed and ran beside him, accompanying him to the field. Ella followed at a more sedate pace, her mind turning over the things Cam had said and their import. He’d been taking baby steps these past weeks but this was one giant leap.

For the first time she knew they were going to be alright.

The sound of boot hitting ball rang like a shot around the field as Ella emerged into the full light of day. The packed stadium erupted into a hearty cheer, the large contingent of Deluca supporters standing out in their red demon-horn headbands. They looked amazing and she slid hers in place as she hurried to the sideline bench.

Ella noticed a large contingent of press roped off on the opposite side of the field. John Wilmott was right in the middle, a smug look on his face. This game usually got plenty of press attention but it had been significantly elevated since Wilmott’s scandalous exposé on her life.

The story wasn’t about two high school teams anymore. As far as the national media was concerned it was about two old rivals squaring off against each other.

As though the pressure on the Demons wasn’t bad enough.

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