BELONGS TO ME

Chapter 26

Camila

"Harry said this week's game is a big one for them."

I nod, flipping over my flashcard. My shoulders fall.

Wrong again. Damn it.

"Yeah." I drop back in the plastic seat. "Lauren said they lost to this team in overtime last season, and right now, they're tied for first place." Checking the time on my phone, I begin stuffing my materials into my backpack. "Come on, if I don't get an energy drink or a coffee or something, I might die, and they still have forty-five minutes of practice left."

Hailee jumps up, ready to roll. "I wish we could drive out with them. This is the third away game in a row."

"I know and they'll be gone for three days this time. It's a fourteen-hour drive to New Mexico. How miserable is that?"

"Ooh, I almost forgot. Someone might go through quarterback cock withdraws."

"Shut up before I shove something down your throat and push you down the walkway."

Laughing, she leads us down the stadium stairs.

As we get near the final platform, Shawn goes out for a route. It's a quick pass, and Lauren bullets it her way, but it slips through her fingers, bouncing off her knee pad and right into a defender's hands.

The whistle blows the play dead, and Shawn tears his gloves off. Rather than jogging back to the line like the others, he walks.

Lauren holds a hand out for each guy as they come in, and each one slaps their palm against her in passing. Each guy except Shawn.

Instead, Shawn bumps her in the shoulder and gets back into position.

Hailee crosses her arms. "What was that?"

I shake my head, watching as, this time, the receivers run downfield, each guarded by a defender. Shawn breaks left, but he's double-teamed, two defenders on his ass, and Lauren finds her open teammate on the right, so she fires it off, the ball falling right into her intended target's hands.

The whistle is blown and they begin their walk back, so Lauren turns to speak to the lineman, while waiting for the others to jog back for the next drive, and I pull in a breath when Shawn bumps her again, but this time, Lauren's not even looking.

Lauren has to jump up to avoid tripping over one of the guys bent down tying  cleat.

Lauren whips around, and Shawn pushes his hands into his captain's.

People shout, and Lauren puts her hand on Shawn's chest to keep him back, but Shawn slaps it away.

Lauren tears her helmet off then, jerking forward and pointing her hand down the field, but Shawn screams back.

Not even a minute later, Shawn shoves her, and then the entire team is on their feet, screaming at Shawn as Lauren tries to calm them down, but Shawn won't shut up.

Rule number one on the field is never touch the quarterback.

What the hell is he thinking?

"Let's go." I frown, turning into the tunnel that leads to the parking lot.

"Mila, really!" Hailee calls behind me, falling in line beside me a moment later. "You don't want to wait and see what happens?"

"No."

Without another word, Hailee and I leave the stadium, and it's not until we're stepping into the campus coffee shop that she turns to me.

"In case you're refusing to acknowledge what just happened, I'll do it for you." She slips her thumbs through the loops of her backpack. "After last weekend, it would be pretty hard to pretend it wasn't obvious you and Lauren are hooking up."