Page 26 of Spring Awakening

(Don’t call me a stalker—it was in one of your drive-home infodumps.)

See you after, bro.

Zach.

(P.S. I peeled the orange so you didn’t get peel under your nails, not bc I think you can’t do that.)

(Me again. I like it when you infodump. Do it more)

Zach. Still.

Blyke sent two representatives, and Mali is still thinking about the note from Zach. They’re wearing bodywarmers, bootcut jeans, and bright white trainers, and she’s still thinking about the note from Zach. They’re so rich, and all she can think about is Zach.

Thankfully, the fact the rich guys are with Blyke isn’t common knowledge. They aren’t handing out business cards, and the logos on their jackets are too small for the team to see from the field.

The good thing about the meeting so far, despite the fact they’re pushing hard for Zach, is that they see potential in the grounds. They’re seeing things their sponsorship would be able to fix. They’re seeing things that would be good for their image, even if the Titans don’t get promoted next season. Mali’s pretty sure they will, and Blyke are keen to agree, if the practice they’re currently watching is anything to go by.

Everyone is on top form. Zach is faster than he’s ever been. Ezra is knocking people down with an ease that comes only from being as strong a lorry. Toby lifts Kai into the air like they’redancers. It’s all incredibly impressive. Mali needs to get them inside before it all implodes.

Zach and Toby have been close—too close for their current relationship and this morning’s bust up. It’s upsetting that she needs to get them inside, because Zach looks sexy when he’s furious. He frowns, and his chest hits Toby’s with every step, and macho men don’t do anything for her, but if Zach headbutted him, she might think about it for the rest of her life.

Blyke might think they’re just fired up now, but it can all change in an instant.

“Would you like to see the facilities inside?” Mali asks, and they’re all too happy to oblige. It’s fucking freezing.

“With the funding—”

“Medic!” Frankie shouts, her voice frantic. Mali spins, desperately looking for whoever needs help.Don’t be Zach.There’s nothing she can do, no matter who it is, but she needs it to not be Zach.

Please don’t be Zach.

She sees him moments later. He’s flat out, eyes closed, arms limp. Ezra is yanking players aside.

“Oh God,” she whispers.

“You can check on him,” one of the reps says. “He’s kind of the main guy.”

“Right,” Mali replies, even though she wants to tell them they should care about him for more reasons than he can score tries. He’s a good guy. He doesn’t even want them, but she can’t tell them that right now because it feels like she might be sick. Rugby is such a bizarre game. The people are huge. They’re built to take a shoulder in the stomach and get right back up. Some of them break their noses against someone’s thigh three minutes into a game and keep playing. But something to the head, something that makes them get knocked out…

It’s too traumatising to think about.

Zach sit up, his face groggy as he realises he was knocked out. She hears him grumble, and she wonders if her running over is a good idea at all.

To the protest of everyone around him, Zach stands. He ignores medical advice, like a fool. Finally, Frankie tells him to go and sit down. There’s a steady stream of blood running from his eyebrow, and he blinks it out of his eye. Mali closes her eyes tightly. She’s not going to vomit. She’s not going to pass out. She stops in place until her head stops spinning. When she opens her eyes again, Zach is pulling his mouthguard out, and it’s truly a wonder she hasn’t been sentenced to scientific trials for how everything he does turns her on.

He sits down and rotates his arm, and even from where she’s standing, Mali hears his shoulder click back into place. He’s fine, and she’ll need to get better at dealing with people being hurt. Usually, the sight of that much blood would have her rendered useless on the ground. It’s like her body knew she needed to know he was okay. Mali didn’t pay great attention in science class, but that’s probably factual. She can check up on Zach after. When she turns back to Blyke with a smile, she wonders if it’s possible she regrets not checking on him already.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The rain drips downthe side of Zach’s face, and he curses at the way his car fucks up his phone signal. If his mood could get any worse, it would. Alas, he’s already hit rock bottom, so the way his jumper sticks to his back is nothing.

Zach had to stay late after practice because the entire team was ecstatic Mali is so close to getting the Blyke contract. The atmosphere was electric, and usually Zach wouldn’t care, but he’s trying to be a better member of the team, and it has nothing to do with him and everything to do with Mali telling him he should be a better member of the team. Well, she was kinder than that. She just said it would help her get this contract, and he wants her to have whatever she wants.

He knew this would be good for her, and even better for the team. He wishes he helped her out more. She keeps doing videos with players in the office, and she says it’s to improve their social media presence. Every day since she started, he’s made sure he looks good, but she hasn’t asked him once. Kai has done three of them. Zach wonders if Mali knows Kai flirts with her. He wonders if that’s why she keeps asking him back. He wonders ifhe’ll break something like a Neanderthal if it’s true. She’s even done one with Toby, and yet, Zach walks past her, and she smiles only.

Zach isn’t supposed to be trying to make friends anyway, which is good, because Mali doesn’t want to be his friend. She smiles at him in the office, and she looked somewhat concerned when he got knocked out, but she didn’t even come over. He’s not sure he’s allowed to want her to, considering he’d have pushed her away anyway. Still, there’s a part of him that hoped she would, but he sat on the bench, holding the gauze to his face, alone. As he is now.

It’s just after five, and Mali hasn’t left the office, and it’s raining, so he’s here, ignoring the texts from his agent because his agent is a knob, and desperately trying not shout at Devon. Zach hasn’t had any time to see his mum, which was supposed to be fine because Devon got out of jail at the weekend and is supposed to be staying with her. It’s part of his licence, and while Zach’s not going to rat on him, he needs to be able to trust him. Him being out is supposed to be helpful. Instead, it’s just another thing for Zach to worry about.

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