Page 66 of Honey Undone
“I’ll help you in and leave,” I said, just trying to behave as she stood naked in front of me.
“I’m sick, not dying and that tub is massive,” she nodded with a familiar playful smirk that had me stripping from my shirt so fast she giggled at my movements.
I groaned at the hot temperature as my skin hit it but I hid my discomfort, holding my hand out to her. “Come here,” I said, holding her hand as she sank into the water.
“Wait until Kaia finds out that you can cook and run bubble baths,” she moaned as her body lowered beneath the surface in front of mine. “And it’s hot,” she relaxed against my chest, with my legs straddling her and closed her eyes. “Thank you, baby,” she purred, practically falling asleep as I raked my fingers through her scalp, just grateful for her invitation. I’d been missing the way her body fit so perfectly into the shape of mine.
“It’s the least I can do for getting you sick,” I whispered to her and kissed the top of her head.
SARAH
My body was still recovering from being sick but for the first time in a week, my lungs weren’t burning from taking a walk. I pushed through the locker room doors to find most of the girls getting ready for the game. Doechii blasted over the speakers in the corner as everyone pulled into their gear slowly.
At least it was nice out today, the rain had cleared up and the sun returned to dry up all the fields, restoring them to grass instead of the giant mud pits they previously were. I tossed my duffle into my locker and stripped from my tights as Sunday plopped herself down between Rhea’s legs to get her hair done.
The scouts would be here today, they’d be here all week. But I was desperate to make a good impression. Rugby wasn’t just a sport, it was an outlet, a dream, a way of life for me.
I remember the day I saw the forms for the high school team sitting on the teachers desk in the gym office. I had come off the field from track and a little feral voice told me to pick that form up. I brought the form home, maybe hoping it would warrant a reaction, I didn’t really care what kind. Maybe mom would flip out and tell me no or Dad would give me the talk about how dangerous it was.
But instead they floated around me and forgot to sign the forms the night before try outs so I forged their signatures and brought it in.
Coach Gunthry immediately created space for me, he was quick and attentive with every player on the field. He worked hard to help foster our skills and there was never an instance where I felt left behind or forgotten. My brothers made it to two games that year, and even less the following. But even after graduation,the girls from my high school team attended every college game I played. They never missed one.
My parents never attended one.
Rugby wasn’t just a fun way to keep active. It was the family I never had, it was mine and no one else’s and it made me feel unstoppable. Kaia clicked her teeth beside me, “How are you feeling?”
“Better, I can’t believe no one else got sick.” I groaned, shoving my feet into my cleats.
“You just have a sweet baby immune system,” Kaia said, reaching out and pinching my cheek. I swatted her hand away and growled a warning. “Touchy,” she hissed. “I know it’s not your stupid brothers, the only thing that might rattle you is your parents. Are they here?”
“Hah,” I huffed. “Never. Mom would sooner be caught dead than sitting in the stands.”
It was true, even as I got better and started to get noticed for my talent, none of them cared. It was always fake enthusiasm and lack of interest, they were just too busy to pay attention and their lack of attentiveness only made me work harder.
“Okay, well.” She grumbled and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at her. “If that scout is already under your skin, we’re going to lose today.”
“The scout is not under my skin,” I said to her, my eyes never leaving hers, “and we aren’t losing today.”
Kaia scanned my expression and when she determined I was confident in my response she nodded and loosened her grip on my face to tap my cheeks with her fingers. “You hear that, girls?” She raised her voice, her eyes still on mine as a smile formed on her face, “We aren’t losing today!” She surged from the bench and started jumping around the locker room to the music.
The scout was most definitely under my skin.
Today mattered more than any other day.
I rolled out my shoulders, following them out onto the field for warmups and scanned the crowd. It was one of the rare occasions that a Hornet’s game overlapped a Hillcats and my heart sank unexpectedly not seeing him in the stands but I couldn’t let it get to me. We had to win.
Our strengths lied in the fact that the Hurricanes would underestimate our abilities to keep them pinned down but Cosy and Rhea had been running new drills and we were more than ready to shut them down out there. The logical preparations did ease the rampant anxiety that flowed through my chest as the stands rumbled loudly and the team talked amongst themselves.
“Do you see them?” Kaia asked, sinking to the grass beside me. I shook my head. “Okay, you looked once, that's enough. Keep your eyes on the field now, play like they aren’t here.”
“What if I don’t impress them, Kaia?” I asked her, stretching my arm over my chest.
“Why is that even an option in your mind?” She countered, following my motion.
“Because it’s an option rooted in reality. There’s a chance that no matter how hard I play today, they just don’t care. Maybe my style isn’t what they’re looking for…” I could go on but my words died on my tongue. I flipped over, pushing my hips into the ground to get them loose and Kaia mirrored my movement coming face to face with me.
“You’re the fastest girl on the field, Minty.” She said and I narrowed my eyes on her because Kaia Keegan would rather die than admit I was faster. She was being too nice. “I mean it, today I mean it. No teasing, or joking. It’s you, if anyone is going to get to the big leagues,it’s you.”
