Nicky waved her hand at the field. “The refs would interfere before blood started flying.”
“And that’s supposed to make me feel better?” Keeley didn’t want anyone to end up in the emergency room.
“Nothing will happen. They both play offense. When Zach’s on the field, Talon will be on the bench and vice versa.” Thank God for small favors. She couldn’t imagine what would happen if one played on the defensive side. It would be a bloodbath.
“I’m still trying to wrap my head around the whole Claire connection. What are the chances that he’d be the person I switched phones with?”
“Chance or a perfectly orchestrated meeting? It’s the perfect revenge — use Zach’s twin to get back at him for what Zach did with Claire.” Any goodwill Nicky might have felt for Talon had disappeared as soon as she found out about Claire.
“I’m not going to accuse Talon of something based on speculation.”
“At least think about it,” Nicky said. “It could be true — you have to admit that.”
Keeley had to get out of there. Standing up, she said, “I’m going to the bathroom.”
Doubt plagued her as she made her way through the crowd of people and into the bathroom. Did Talon have a master plan all along? Was he pulling the strings on her puppet, using her to hurt her brother?
She didn’t feel played. His words and actions seemed genuine. And their chemistry — God, their chemistry — no one could fake that. Confused and frustrated, she let out a loud groan.
“Is everything okay in there?” a voice said from outside her stall. “I have some Tums if you need ’em, darlin’.”
“U-um … I-I’m good,” Keeley managed to stammer out. Cue the awkward silence. The faucet turned on and Keeley prayed the lady would be quick. The game was minutes away from starting, and if she stayed any longer, she would miss the kickoff. As if to prove her point, her phone buzzed. An onslaught of messages popped up on the screen, first from Zach:
Where are you?! I don’t see you anywhere in the stands.
You said you were going to be there. Was that another lie?
Then Nicky:
Did you fall in the toilet again?
Zach:
Are you on Harrington’s side?! I can’t believe you would do that to me.
Nicky again:
Should I call 911?
“Oh, for God’s sake,” she muttered. Zach wouldn’t even talk to her, and now he was complaining? She knew he was upset, but he should know that if she said she was going to be there, she was going to be there.
What the heck is taking the lady so long? Keeley thought to herself. She was aware of how ridiculous she was, standing in a stall, waiting. What happened to the girl who fearlessly confronted Talon earlier? Why did that girl always fade into the background? She needed to keep her at the surface, but the only way she could do that was by making the conscious choice to do so. If she did that, maybe it would become second nature.
With a firm nod, she lifted the latch and walked out. The lady, who was no more than five feet tall, stood in front of the mirror. From the back, she looked like a high school student. She wore tight jeans, fringed cowboy boots and a Crosswell jersey. Masses of blonde curls were piled precariously on top of her head, looking like they could fall at any minute.
However, when she turned around, Keeley could tell she was older. Not that she was old in any sense. There was a maturity to her face, a knowing that only came with time. She’d seen the same look in her mother. She was absolutely stunning.
“Hi there, suga’,” the lady said.
Something in her voice nagged at Keeley’s memory. She wracked her brain, trying to figure out what it was.
“You doing okay?”
The lady’s eyes danced as she spoke. That’s when it hit her. Those eyes. That accent. This was Talon’s mom, Darlene.
Was this really happening right now? She almost wanted to look around and see if there were hidden cameras. A sharp knock on the bathroom door saved her from having to respond.
“Darlene!” a deep voice called. “You look fine! Stop primping and come out. We’re going to miss the kickoff!”
“Men,” Talon’s mom said, rolling her eyes at Keeley as if letting her in on a secret. Another impatient knock. “I better go before his blood pressure starts to rise. He hates missing one second of our son’s game.”
Keeley watched as she strolled out like a model with those high heel boots. She caught a quick glimpse of Talon’s dad. He was an imposing man, tall, with a fierce scowl. Keeley waited a few minutes before scurrying to her seat and sat down just as the players took the field. The energy around her was electric. Everyone was amped. She could only imagine how Talon and Zach were feeling. “All right,” she whispered as the whistle blew, “here we go.”
The crowd hushed as the players crouched down, getting into position. She could hear Talon’s voice as he yelled, “One. Two. Three. Hut!” The ball flew into his hands. He moved left and then feigned right as he searched for an open player.
She’d be the first to admit that football held no interest for her. There was too much grunting, tackling and huddling. But something about watching Talon play had her mesmerized.
For such a tall guy, he was surprisingly graceful. While Zach was pure power, Talon had finesse. He moved like a panther, zigzagging through the defense, his long legs giving him spurts of energy. He was fearless and nimble and commanding … and all hers. She finally understood why girls pursued football players. Claiming one as your own was a powerful feeling.
Talon’s arm went back and then his wrist snapped forward as he threw. While everyone’s eyes followed the ball, hers remained glued to Talon. His body was tense as he watched, his focus one hundred percent on the hurtling ball. When his teammate captured it, marking the first down, Talon punched the air.
He might complain about his father and the intensity of the game, but underneath all that protest was a talent that couldn’t be denied. He deserved every award he won, even if Zach claimed otherwise. She couldn’t say who was a better player — Zach or Talon — but she knew it was close. Very close.
By halftime, Crosswell was down by seven points. They’d gotten an early lead, but Zach and his teammates made a couple of great plays to put Edgewood ahead on the scoreboard. So far, both teams were behaving. There’d been a couple of hard shoves, but nothing serious. For the first time, Keeley started to relax. Maybe they would make it out of this game unscathed. She pulled out her phone when it vibrated in her pocket.
I could really use a good luck charm, baby doll.
Good luck charm? Like what?
Do you want your ring back?
No. Something much better.
What’s that?
A kiss.
She imagined herself running into his arms and kissing him in front of all these people. But that wasn’t possible so she did the next-best thing. She puckered her lips and took a picture.
Now I’m ready to kick some ass. ?