Page 133 of The Deception You Weave
I know he shouldn't be playing but I still expected him to be here. He told me how he's begged Coach to let him out on the field this week after missing the last game. I didn't think he'd give up this easily.
But then the sea of purple parts and all the air rushes out of my lungs as he appears.
I've not seen him on a football field for… a lot of years. I tried to avoid going to Harrow Creek High games but it wasn't always that easy with Zayn playing. But seeing him down there now does weird things to me, not to mention it quadruples my previous nerves.
The minutes fly by as Coach talks to them and they get ready but my heart drops when Kane heads for the bench, the second-string wide receiver starting in his place.
The guys get into position, the whistle blows and the crowd around me goes wild but I remain in my seat watching. Even after all these years supporting Luca and Leon, I still don’t entirely understand why everyone around me shouts and hollers at the times they do, unless of course we score, which sadly doesn't seem to happen all that often.
As I watch Luca bark instructions at his offense, I can see his frustration getting the better of him, especially at whoever the other wide receiver is who seemingly keeps fucking up the plays.
At one point, Leon ends up dragging Luca away from him after he fumbles a pass.
"Calm the fuck down," I mutter, worried that if he carries on he's going to get himself kicked out of the game for fighting with his own freaking team.
The whistle blows for the end of the third quarter and we're down by twenty.
The excitement of those around me is beginning to wane as reality sets in that this isn't going to happen for them today.
"What the fuck happened to them?" I hear someone say behind me. "They fucking killed it last year."
A few others mutter similar comments as I will Luca to get his shit together.
Guilt weighs down on my shoulders that I've not helped with all the pressure he's been feeling this week and I hate that I might have something to do with this potential loss so early in their season.
"Holy shit," Ella gasps, her hand wrapping around my forearm, dragging my eyes up from my lap.
"What?"
"Kane's playing."
My eyes immediately find him pulling his helmet on and getting ready to play the final quarter.
"Shit. I hope he's ready for this."
"He's not stupid, Let. If he wasn't then he wouldn't play. But they need a fucking miracle right now, so I hope he's on form."
I watch Luca as Kane hits the field but he doesn't look as happy as I thought he would at having a replacement on his offense.
Leon, on the other hand, slaps Kane on the shoulder as he heads for his starting position and the two of them share a nod before focusing on the task at hand.
The whistle blows once more and everyone inches forward to the edges of their seats to see if we're able to pull it off at the last minute.
The difference in the team is almost immediately noticeable, even to a football-phobe like me.
Luca might not be happy about his replacement, but I'm beginning to really understand why Kane was gifted the position of starting wide receiver from the beginning because he is really fucking good.
I smile to myself as I watch him run down the field, glad that those who might have been doubting him, thinking that his appearance on the team was purely due to his connections with Victor and the Hawks might just be proven wrong.
Pride swells within me as I watch my three favorite men work together like there might actually be a way for them to co-exist for the next few years without killing each other.
I'm watching but I'm not paying attention to what's actually happening before me when an almighty roar erupts from around me as we make a touchdown.
I stand with the crowd, not wanting to look like the only one not getting excited and clap as Luca rallies the team once more in the hope that there's still time to pull this thing off.
The final few minutes of the game are tense, every single move one of the guys makes causes a gasp or an ooh or an aah to ripple around the stadium.
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