Page 65 of Playing the Field
Levi shrugs. ‘Everything, I think, by the end. I really shouldn’t have let myself get so carried away.’
‘What about if we beat Windham Park next Saturday?’
Levi laughs. ‘Then I might be tempted by a Jägerbomb or two.’
Elliot claps him on the shoulder. ‘Better get the headache pills stocked up for next Sunday then.’
It’s a relief to know the Oakhampton defeat hasn’t put them in the mindset where they think they’ll never win. Something else is concerning me though– Ben isn’t here. He always arrives before the last of the players so he can chat to Cassie about her plans for the session before things get underway, but today she’s ready to start and there’s still no sign of him.
I check my watch. It’s not that she’s starting early. She fires a questioning look in my direction and I shrug in response. There’s no message on my phone to say he’s been held up and I know there isn’t much traffic out on the roads.
As Cassie gets the team lined up and ready to begin, I try not to panic, but a creeping sense of dread starts swirling in the pit of my stomach. I try to convince myself he must just have got distracted by something and that he’ll be here soon. But instinct tells me that isn’t the case.
Cassie tells the players she’s intending to step their training up a gear in terms of intensity. ‘I want to see you pushing yourselves harder in our upcoming matches,’ she says. ‘And to make that happen on the pitch it needs to start right here. So let’s get started with our warm-up.’
She sends them off for a faster-than-usual sprint round the field. While they’re gone she comes over and asks me if I’ve heard anything yet.
‘His phone’s going straight to voicemail. I’ve left a message.’
‘Are you okay?’ she asks, hearing the wobble in my voice.
‘It’s not like him.’
She touches my arm. ‘There’ll be an explanation.’ But then the players arrive back at the starting line and she turns her attention back to them.
My phone stays stubbornly silent until the very last minutes of the session, when an apologetic text finally comes through from Ben. I’m almost too scared to read it.
‘So sorry for not replying sooner. I’ve been caught up on a call,’it says.‘Do you want to come here after the session? I can’t believe I’ve missed the whole thing. I’ll apologise to Cassie later.’
I read it twice more before I reply. What kind of call could take up so much time? I don’t think there are many things that would stop him being here– at least that’s what he’s always led me to believe– so whoever called him, it must have been something he couldn’t miss. And the only thing I can think of that fills that criterion is Millford City.
I tell him I’ll be there shortly and pass his apologies on to Cassie before I leave, then try my hardest not to think the worst on the drive over to his house. But when he opens his front door I can tell straight away that something’s not right– his smile is too forced and it doesn’t reach his eyes.
‘What is it?’ I ask, gulping back the icy grip of fear.
‘Let’s get a drink.’ He turns away without kissing me, which he’s never, ever done before. I push the door closed behind me and follow him into the kitchen, my heart pounding in my chest. Is this where he tells me it’s over? Is my heart about to split into pieces?
He turns to face me and his eyes search mine, his brow creased with unfamiliar tension.
‘What?’ My voice sounds weirdly high-pitched and not like my own.
‘I’ve been recalled,’ he says flatly. ‘I’m going back up north.’
It hits like a punch, even though we both knew it was coming. Even though we promised each other that when it came we’d deal with it.
‘When?’ I ask quietly.
‘Tomorrow. I still can’t play in Millford’s next two matches but they want to make sure I’ll be ready for when my suspension lifts.’
It takes every ounce of control to keep my face from crumpling.
He turns away and bangs his fist against the work surface. ‘It wasn’t meant to be this hard.’
I move in behind him and slide my arms round his waist, feeling the need to comfort him despite my own anguish.
‘We’ve talked about this,’ I remind him. ‘We’ll make it work.’
‘There’s more,’ he says, and I wonder if he can feel my body stiffen, pressed against his like this. I back away and pull him back towards me so I can see his face.
