Page 65 of Punt

I flicked on the TV and turned it to the local news. I didn't see any photos of myself, thankfully. If they reported on Chase's love life on this network, I didn't see any mention of him. It might have blown over already, in favour of more important, actual newsworthy stuff.

Fortunately, there was no report on some dumbass with a bajillion balloons in the back of his car, or however he got them here. I didn't really care, to be honest.

I finished my dinner and stretched out on the couch to sip my wine. I'd really like a hot bath, but my apartment was too small to fit one. Chase had one big enough to fit several people.

I sighed. I shouldn't be thinking about him. Or his bath. Or the way his hand felt on my cheek when he wiped away my tear. Or the way his lips tasted. Or…

I thought back to the expression in his eyes when we were talking. I knew that look, I had it myself a lot lately. In the mirror in the morning when I remembered how Kris used to look at my reflection over my shoulder. When I touched up my lipstick at work and thought about how he said he liked that colour.

It was the look of hurt, and the fear of being hurt again. What was the saying? Once bitten, twice shy? We both got bitten, hard. The plan we made tangled everything into a messy knot.

Cutting Kris out of that knot once and for all made things easier. For the first time in a long time, I could breathe.

Out of curiosity, I picked up my phone and went to click on Kris' social media profile. It now read 'single.' Most of the photos of us were gone. One disappeared while I sat and watched. Then another.

After a moment, the app bounced me out to my feed. Kris' profile was either gone, or he blocked me.

It should hurt, but I felt relieved. That door was closed forever.

The question was, was it too late to open a new one?

CHAPTER 22

CHASE

I dried off for the second time that day and started to dress. All around me, the guys were almost silent, lost in thought, focusing on the game.

No one ever set up any pranks on important game days like this. If any distractions cost us the game, it would cost the prankster their job, and any endorsements that came with it. No one would risk millions, and the animosity of the guys until the end of time, for a laugh. Not even me.

I nodded at Hawk as we passed each other in the locker room. His brow was lightly creased in a frown. I knew when the man was in the zone, and this was definitely it. There was no point in trying to talk to him right now. He'd respond with one word, if he replied at all.

That was fine, I wasn't much in the mood for talking either. For the most part, my thoughts were on the game. The back of my mind was on Ashley and whether or not she'd come.

Considering I broke rule one into a thousand tiny pieces, it was unlikely she'd ever speak to me again. That might be just as well. She should get on with her life, with Kris or with some other guy. An incredible, smart, gorgeous woman like her shouldhave no trouble finding someone a million times better than me or Kris. Someone who would treat her like a queen.

Strapped and dressed in everything but my helmet, I followed the other guys out for a quick warm up on the field.

The crowd responded with cheers and jeers. Mostly cheers, since this was our home turf.

I offered a vague wave toward the crowd, without really seeing them. I didn't look toward the private box. For my own good, and that of the game, I had to push Ashley out of my head.

I swallowed down a lump of pre-game nerves and concentrated on the feel of the grass under my boots, and the roar of the crowd. A dozen plays ran through my head at the same time.

We'd spent a large part of the week watching replays of our opponents and working out their strengths and… well, lesser strengths.

The Sydney Kookaburras, in spite of their cute name, were tough opponents. If anything would be their downfall, it was their arrogance. They'd creamed every team they'd played this season. That would make them cocky. That said, we'd also won every game, if not by the same margin. Most of us were cocky anyway, but we didn't strut like the Kookaburras did.

I saw a handful of them out ahead of me, also testing out the field. The way they waved at the crowd, anyone would think this was Kookaburra Stadium, instead of Rapids.

We didn't get here without being competitive. I wanted nothing more right now than to wipe the smirks off their faces. My blood got hotter and everything went out of my head except the game. It couldn't start soon enough. When the coach ordered us off the field, I almost protested. We were here now, couldn't we get right to smashing the crap out of the competition?

Of course, like any religion, we had our rituals. One included clearing the field. Only the gods who'd play in the first part of the game would come back out a few minutes later.

Thankfully, that included me. I didn't think I'd be able to stand and watch now. I'd probably chew a hole in the wall or something. Not literally, of course.

Maybe.

"Let's step on some chickens," Hawk said, by way of a pep talk.

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