Page 80 of Blood Sport

But tonight is different. Jaylen isn’t playing because of his three-game match ban for the red card he got three weeks ago, so he will be on the sideline while he watches his team play. I’m sure it has been hard for him to take a step back, especially when the Raiders are doing so well this season. I hope the team doesn’t feel too off-put by not having their captain on the field. I know they have won their last two games, so I hope they can keep that momentum heading into tonight’s game.

“So, Evie,” Candie says from beside me. “How are things with your brother?”

I turn to her, the blush on my cheeks obvious from thinking about Jaylen. “He’s good. Why?”

She shakes her head, her bouncy brown curls swishing around her face. “No reason.”

“Does it have anything to do with the fat crush you have on him?” Jaycee interjects from the front seat, turning around. She wiggles her brows suggestively, making Rylee and I laugh. But Candie isn’t too impressed.

“Hey!” she whines, folding her arms over her chest. “That was meant to be a secret.”

“We all knew,” Rylee says from my other side, leaning forward to look past me at Candie. “It’s so obvious.”

I nod. “She’s right, C. Everyone in the house knows.”

Candie’s face pales. “Y-You knew?”

From the first day I moved into the sorority house and Miles helped me move my stuff in, I could see in her eyes the moment she fell for my brother. Her eyes lit up and she had a dreamy look that was obvious to everyone in the room but went unnoticed by her like she didn’t know she was doing it. Candie is a sweet girl, so I didn’t want to bring it up and embarrass her. I know how some sisters are about their friends crushing on their older brothers, but it’s not a problem for me. If anything, I find it sweet that she likes him so much. It seems the sentiment was lost on my brother.

I nod. “Yeah. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I didn’t want to embarrass you or anything. But trust me, I don’t mind that you have a crush on my brother.”

Her eyes widen as she shifts in her seat. “Really?”

“Of course. Maybe if things don’t work out with Cindy, I can put in a good word for you.”

A smile lights up Candie’s face and she reaches over to wrap her arms around my shoulders, resting her cheek against my arm. “You’re the best, Ev.”

I smile and pat her arm just as the stadium comes into view. A mass crowd of fans is already gathering outside in front of the gates, so the taxi driver drives around to the other side of the stadium to avoid the traffic and queue of cars lining up to find a spot in the parking lot across the road. We thank him and make sure to tip extra for driving us in peak traffic.

The four of us make our way to the front gates to get our tickets scanned. Once inside, Rylee and I go find our seats while Jaycee and Candie grab drinks and something to eat. The game is scheduled to start in twenty minutes, which is why I wanted to get here earlier. I can’t stand not being on time to make sure I’m prepared for when the game starts. Otherwise, everything around me feels chaotic and unorganized.

We walk to our section in the lower bowl and find our seats in the fifth row. Being Miles’s sister, he was able to hook me up with the best seats for each home game. We are sitting across from the technical area where the coach, other staff members, and players on the bench sit. And it provides a great view of the entire field.

This is why I love home games.

“I’m sorry about outing Candie earlier,” Rylee says from beside me.

I shrug. “It’s okay. It’s better to have the secret out in the open now so she doesn’t have to hide her feelings around me. I think it’s cute that she has a crush on Miles.”

“I’m convinced every other girl in the house does too,” she jokes. “That or they have a crush on Jaylen. There is no in-between.”

The mention of Jaylen has my stomach rolling with excitement. I have been trying my best to keep my distance from him, but somehow, he manages to draw me right back in without even trying. After what happened at the Halloween party on Monday when Jaylen fucked me senseless in the woods, something flipped between us that I don’t know how to explain or fully understand yet. Something just feels… different. If anything, I’m not going to dwell on it because who knows what it could mean. It could be my imagination for all I know.

“That doesn’t surprise me,” I comment.

I look up to see Jaycee and Candie walking down the aisle to our row, their hands full of Vodka Redbull drinks and hotdogs. My mouth waters at the sight. When they sit down, we fall into small talk over our drinks and food, waiting for the game to start.

Soon enough, everyone in the crowd is on their feet as both teams walk out onto the pitch. I cheer as loud as I can when I see Miles leading the Raiders out as the next person to step in as captain.

My eyes land on Jaylen as he walks beside their coach, his hands shoved into the pockets of his black jeans. His signature black T-shirt hugs the muscles in his chest and arms perfectly, a delicious sight. My eyes roam over the tattoos on his right arm. Every time we’ve been together, I haven’t taken a moment to inspect the ink etched into his skin, looking over the pieces of art attached to him forever. I would love to ask him about them, but we’re always preoccupied doing other things, which I’m not complaining about.

He runs a hand through his messy hair as he walks to stand in front of one of the leather chairs in the technical area that looks like it should be in a race car, waiting for the national anthem to start. His eyebrows are drawn down as he looks at the ground. If I didn’t know any better, I would say he’s disappointed that he’s not out there with his team.

I feel partially responsible considering he was so worked up because I agreed to go out with Kale. But then again, we’re not dating and we’re certainly not in a relationship. So Jaylen’s actions are all on him. But it does warm my heart knowing he would go to such extremes for me, no matter how risky or stupid.

That sounds fucked up, my subconscious tells me.

I shake her out of my head and focus on the pitch as the national anthem comes to a close and the players get into position. I spot Miles on the right side of the field closest to where Jaylen is sitting. As if he can feel me watching him, Miles’s eyes find mine and he waves. I smile and wave in return. He then waves at the girls before the whistle is blown and the game starts. Candie just about passed out next to me from that small interaction with my brother.

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