Dominance and Defiance

Chapter 33

Amelia's POV:

I pushed through the crowd, kneeling beside him. “Are you okay, Akira?” I asked, my voice trembling with concern.

Akira winced but managed a reassuring smile. “I’m fine, Amelia. Just a bit dizzy.”

The coach called for the school nurse, who arrived quickly with an ice pack. She examined Akira, making sure there were no signs of a concussion. “You should rest for a bit,” she advised. “No more playing today.”

Akira nodded, still holding the ice pack to his head. I could see the frustration in his eyes, both from the unexpected injury and the interruption to the game.

As the crowd began to disperse and the match was called off, I stayed close to Akira, helping him to his feet. Aiden approached us, his expression unapologetic. “Akira,” he said earnestly. “You okay?”

Akira, ever gracious, nodded. “I am, Aiden. It’s alright. Just a freak accident.”

I looked between the two of them, the tension in the air thick. “Let’s get you to the nurse’s office,” I said to Akira, trying to steer the situation back to care and recovery.

As we walked away, I couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. The incident had left a mark, not just on Akira, but on all of us. It was a stark reminder of how quickly things could change and how fragile the balance of our lives could be.

After Akira was taken to the nurse's room, I couldn't contain my anger any longer. I spotted Aiden standing alone, looking too calm for my liking. Without hesitation, I stormed over, grabbed his arm, and dragged him to the back of the grounds where we could have some privacy.

"Are you crazy?" I yelled, my voice echoing off the walls. Aiden's face remained blank, his calmness only fueling my fury.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, his tone annoyingly serene.

"I know you did that on purpose!" I shouted, my voice trembling with emotion. "I know you aimed to hurt him. What's your problem? Are you some kind of psychopath? What if something worse had happened?"

Aiden's eyes flickered with something I couldn't quite identify. "Amelai, first of all lower your voice."

I shook my head, my fists clenched at my sides. "No! you wanted to hurt him. You are a freak. Admit it!"

Aiden’s eyes flickered with something I couldn’t quite identify. "Yes, I did it. Wanna know why?" he asked, his tone suddenly sharp. "I was jealous. I am kind of jealous."

"Jealous? Of what?" I demanded, taken aback.

"Jealous of seeing the two of you together," he admitted, his voice rising. "It's been just a day since he's here and you guys are already sticking around as if stuck by glue. And I hated it. I hated seeing you with someone else other than me. Let alone sticking to that person for an entire day, and it felt like an eternity. I hated it."

I felt a strange sensation in my stomach at his words, but it was quickly overshadowed by the realization of what he had done to treat that jealousy. Anger burned through me, quenching the fleeting butterflies. "And that means you could hurt someone so badly?" I snapped.

"He wasn't hurt that bad," Aiden retorted, his tone dismissive. "I knew what I was doing. I have been playing this game for years. And I know how to kick a ball just right—not with enough force to do serious damage. So stop making a fuss about it."

"Fuss?" I echoed incredulously. "You know what? You are a psychopath, and you will never understand my point."

He stepped closer, his eyes darkening. "I will not get your point until and unless we are together."