The Striker's Forbidden Love

hat showed up before a match that actually mattered, the kind that

acing like that." Priya said, watching Mia lap the sid

warming up." Mia said

ago." Priya said. "This is j

ng harder than the actual warmup justif

inning. "Honesty's goo

d, dropping down onto the grass beside her, legs finall

Did you know my cousin got engaged

not a re

ed love of carnitas." Priya said, entirely serious. "Love finds you i

." Mia said, laughing despite herself, some o

itment." Priya continued, clearly enjoying herself now, warming to the bit.

and immediate, before cracking i

ks. I have a match tomorrow that

ek." Priya said, gentler now, studying her with real concern

n too long before answe

n not to push. "Well. Whatever it is, you've got tomorrow to prove

voice carrying clear and sharp in the cool evening air, completely absorbed in t

g." Priya said

the drill." Mia said, tearing her e

d, deeply skeptical. "Sure

veryone home to rest instead of running them into the ground the night before a match that mattered this much. Mia lingered near

ough not the ki

r tucked under his arm, voice pitched low enough that it wasn't

ia asked, half joking, the last few days having permanent

his tone actually did ease the knot in her stomach t

own of Brantford's defense, their tendencies, the specific g

ia asked, flipping throug

from it most." Daniel said, though something in the way

the careful diagrams, the small handwritten arrows mark

and there was something almost boyish in the way he said it, a crack in the u

ted or slightly unhinged." Mia

be both?"

er now, meaning it more than

nderneath the gruffness that Mia was starting to recognize as simply how he sho

rking lot emptying around them, neither on

" Mia ask

her with honesty. "Not about the match.

ia said.

el said, voice low, steady, the kind of certainty that landed somewhere wa

things like that to me." M

agreed. "I'

nd dangerous and entirely too easy to fall into, right

breaking whatever was about to hap

er account, already bracing for whate

the burn

mily group chat, the one with all three of her brothe

of Mia and some guy going around on the Ir

an forums. Not a burner account this time an actual public forum, actual strangers, actu

asked, watching her f

lly, then caught herself, hand

a public forum now. M

very still

way it had the night of the video, watched the easy warmth from thirty se

id, voice low. "This isn't som

e sounded, hated how fast the ground had shifted underne

season." Daniel said, already thinking three steps ahead, already sounding more like a coach than anything els

fear had settled. She thought about her mother, somewhere at home right now, staring at a gra

l my mom." Mia

Get some sleep if you can manage it. Tomorrow, we s

ucked under one arm and her phone burning a hole in her pocket, the whole d