LOVING DAHLIA ( ᴘᴀɪɢᴇ ʙᴜᴇᴄᴋᴇʀs) (ON HOLD)

Chapter 9: The Night of the Game

The week had passed in a blur, and Friday night had finally arrived. The excitement in the air was palpable as Dahlia and Sadie made their way to the stadium for the UConn vs. Villanova soccer game. Dahlia held Sadie's tiny hand as they climbed the steps to their seats, Sadie bouncing with excitement as she looked around, her eyes wide with curiosity.

As the soccer girls warmed up on the field, Sadie tugged on her mother's sleeve. "Mommy, Mommy, look! It's Aunty Carla!" Sadie pointed across the field, where Carla stood talking to Coach Bobby.

Dahlia smiled and leaned down to whisper to Sadie, "Why don't you call her?"

With all the enthusiasm a four-year-old could muster, Sadie cupped her hands around her mouth and called out, "Aunty Carla!"

Carla's head whipped around at the sound of her name, and when she spotted Dahlia and Sadie, a huge smile lit up her face. She broke into a run, heading straight toward them. Reaching Sadie, she scooped her goddaughter up in her arms and spun her around. "Hey, champ! I missed you!" she said, her voice full of affection.

Sadie giggled and hugged Carla tightly. "I missed you too, Aunty Carla!"

Dahlia watched the heartwarming scene unfold, her heart swelling with happiness at the bond between her daughter and Carla. But then, as she looked across the stadium, her breath caught in her throat. Paige was walking in with Nika, Caroline, and KK, and Dahlia couldn't take her eyes off her. Paige was wearing glasses, something Dahlia hadn't seen before, and the sight of her in them made her seem irresistible to Dahlia.

She didn't realize she was staring until she felt a sharp elbow jab her in the side. "Ouch!" Dahlia yelped, rubbing her side as she turned to look at the culprit-Carla, of course.

"You're staring," Carla sassed with a knowing smirk.

"No, I'm not!" Dahlia denied, her cheeks flushing slightly.

Carla just rolled her eyes. "Sure, whatever you say."

Across the field, Paige finally spotted Dahlia. She noticed her talking to a woman beside her, who Paige guessed must be Carla. With a quick nudge to her teammates, Paige led the group over to where Dahlia and Carla stood.

"Hey, Dahlia!" Kk was the first to greet her with a hug, followed by the rest of the girls cooing over Sadie, who basked in the attention. Paige, however, lingered behind, watching the scene with a smile.

"Guys, this is my best friend, Carla," Dahlia said, introducing her to the group. "And, of course, you know Sadie."

The girls greeted Carla warmly, all smiles-except for Nika, whose jaw had practically hit the floor at the sight of Carla. She stared at Carla in stunned silence, clearly captivated by her beauty.

Paige nudged her twin with a smirk. "Nika, stop staring."

Nika's face flushed red, and everyone burst out laughing at her reaction. She gave Paige a playful glare but couldn't hide her embarrassment.

As the laughter died down, the game finally started. The atmosphere was electric as the UConn and Villanova players battled it out on the field. But while everyone else was focused on the game, Paige couldn't keep her eyes off Dahlia. She loved watching her expressions-how she would cheer for Carla, whisper excitedly to Sadie, and share small, affectionate smiles with her daughter. There was something so captivating about the way Dahlia moved through the world, and Paige couldn't help but be drawn to her more and more.

By the time the final whistle blew, UConn had won the game. Dahlia was on her feet, cheering with Sadie in her arms, while Carla celebrated with her teammates on the field. Paige watched the whole thing with a soft smile, her attention fully on Dahlia rather than the victory.

After the game, while the girls headed to the locker room, Nika kept sneaking glances at Carla, who was heading off to shower and change. Paige rolled her eyes at her twin's obvious crush but couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips.

Once the game ended, Paige caught up with Dahlia as she was packing up to leave. "So, what are you and Sadie up to after this?" Paige asked casually, though her heart raced in anticipation.

Dahlia smiled. "We're just going home to watch a movie, maybe order in some dinner."

Paige's eyes lit up with an idea. "How about we all go to Cane's to celebrate the win? You, Sadie, Carla, me, and the girls? It'd be fun."

Dahlia glanced at Sadie, who immediately perked up at the mention of Cane's. She looked back at Paige, her shy smile creeping across her face. "That sounds like a great idea."

Paige's heart fluttered at the sight of Dahlia's smile. "Awesome. Let's do it."

After Carla finished changing, they all piled into their respective cars-Dahlia, Sadie, and Carla in one, and Paige with her teammates in another. As they drove to Cane's, Paige couldn't help but feel like this night was just the beginning of something special between her and Dahlia.

Guys we're getting to the best part soon don't worry, I know everyone loves a jealous Paige Bueckers 🤭, Ouuu did you guys see Nika's reaction to Carla I wonder what will happen between those two, plus this book is gonna be slowburn and I'm planning a plot twist.

Do we ship Nika with Carla 🤔😏😉

THANK YOU FOR ALL THE LOVE AND SUPPORT 🥹 🫶 ❤️

XoXo V  ❤️❤️❤️