Page 24 of Desert Thorns

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We joined the game, and that usual glow returned to Giuliana’s face.

My thoughts changed course when I saw Harley play. She was on the opposing team, proving to be one heck of an offense duo with Jason. Both teams consisted of a keeper and five players rather than the usual eleven.

Harley received a pass from Felix, left two of my teammates in the dirt, then came right at me. I stopped her—or more so, the ball—and she shot past me without it. I kicked the ball forward.

Or wanted to, but Harley had stopped it from behind me, causing me to stumble over it. I fished for the ball with my bare foot, hindering her from moving on.

“You don’t stand a chance.” She rammed into me, trying to shove me away by using hip force. The woman had more strength and competitive edge than I’d expected.

“That so?”

“Watch and learn.” She hip-bumped me several times, then somehow managed to snag the ball off my foot.

I chased after her as she charged toward our goal, her ponytail whipping behind her. About ten yards diagonal to our keeper, she drew her left leg back, her muscles rippling under the tight yoga pants.

Realizing I wouldn’t be able to catch up in time, I went for a slide tackle, aiming for the ball. It cannoned off my foot.

Clang!Hit the left upright so hard the entire goal shook.

It bounced back, and—

Smack!Right in Harley’s face.

Her head snapped back, and she dropped into the grass.

Chapter 9

Harley

Pain exploded in my nose at the same time my head snapped back. Gravity took over, and I collided with the hard ground. Groaning, I rolled over and covered my nose with my hands. Blood gushed from it, tears pricking my eyes. My head spun, and so did the soccer field, my vision blurring into a merry-go-round of green.

Oh, this wasn’t good.

“Harley! You okay?” Kingsley’s voice echoed in the distance, the worry in it unmistakable.

“Yeah.” Still covering my nose, I sat up. The tears that kept coming distorted Kingsley into an unrecognizable form as he crouched before me. I repeatedly wiped a hand under my burning nose. Ugh, it was still spurting blood. And maybe my mouth bled too, because I tasted lead. “That was a pretty hard hit.”

“Didn’t mean to hurt you. Here.” He pulled something over his head, then held fabric to my face.

I grabbed it blindly and pressed it to my nose. That scent . . . It smelled familiar, yet I couldn’t place it.

“You need to pinch your nose.”

I did so and dipped my head back.

A hand cupped the back of my head and nudged it forward again. “Keep your head down, or the blood flows down your throat and into your stomach. That can provoke vomiting.”

“Oh.” I breathed through my mouth, my voice sounding nasally. “How do you know all this?”

“Grew up with four brothers.”

Right. “I bet that was wild. Did you get into trouble a lot?” As an only child, I’d always wished for siblings or cousins or anything, really.

“Miss Harley, are you okay?” Giuliana asked from somewhere beside me.

My eyes had finally stopped watering. I wiped the remaining moisture away and smiled up at her. “Yup, I’m good. Just a nosebleed.”

I met Kingsley’s gaze. He was squatting in front of me, his green eyes grave.