Silent Hearts | 18+

Chapter 4

The sound of my cleats hitting the concrete tunnel echoed in the space around me, steady and deliberate, but it could not drown out the pounding in my head. My muscles ached from practice, my shirt sticking to my back with sweat, but the burn in my lungs felt good. It was the kind of ache that came from pushing your body to its limit. Normally, that was enough to clear my mind. Not today.

The drills had been relentless, possession work, defensive pressing, small-sided games that had every player gasping for air, but no matter how hard I ran, I couldn't outrun the thought of Isla.

Then there'd been that stupid moment with the ketchup on her lip, my thumb brushing it away. It should have meant nothing, but it had followed me through every drill.

I stepped out onto the pitch for the last set of finishing drills, the smell of turf sharp in the air. The rhythm was automatic — trap, pass, sprint, strike — but every break between plays, she was there in my head.

When Coach finally blew the whistle, I headed for the tunnel. The moment I stepped into the locker room, the air thickened. Steam curled from the showers, the clang of metal lockers echoed, and then I heard him.

Jake.

"She's got me waiting like I'm some kind of charity case," he scoffed. "Isla's been playing this whole 'I'm not ready' game for months. I'm done waiting. How much longer am I supposed to put up with this?"

I slowed my steps, staying out of sight.

Another voice joined in, a laugh riding the words. "Yeah, man. You'd think by now she'd be all over you."

Jake laughed too, but it wasn't light. It was calculated, cold. "I've been patient. Played the nice guy. But Bonnie's been eyeing me for weeks, and she knows how to have a good time. Unlike Isla."

The knot in my chest pulled tighter.

"If Isla doesn't get her act together," Jake continued, "maybe she'll figure it out when she sees me with Bonnie. Hell, maybe I'll give her something to be jealous of. Teach her a lesson."

That was it.

I rounded the corner in three long strides. "What the hell did you just say?"

Jake's head snapped toward me, his eyes widening for a split second before his smirk returned. The other guy didn't stick around just slid past me and disappeared, leaving Jake on his own.

He leaned back against the lockers like he wasn't cornered. "Theo. Didn't hear you come in."

Two more strides and I had him by the front of his jersey, slamming him into the lockers hard enough to make the metal shudder. A couple of guys turned to look, but no one stepped in.

"You think this is a joke?" I said, my voice low but sharp. "Talking about Isla like she's some game you get to play?"

Jake tried to push me off, but I shoved him harder into the lockers, closing the distance between us until I could see the flicker of irritation behind his smirk. "Relax. It's just talk. She's my girl, not yours. Why do you care?"

"You don't get to talk about her like that," I snapped, tightening my grip. "You don't get to treat her like she's disposable."

His smirk curled into something nastier. "You're pissed because you can't stand it. She'll always come back to me. You? You're just her backup plan."

The words hit like a strike to the ribs, but the anger burning in me was stronger.

I slammed him again, harder, my voice a growl. "If you think for a second I'm going to let you hurt her, you're dead wrong. She'll see right through you, and when she does, you'll have nothing. And if you ever try to 'teach her a lesson,' I'll end you."

Jake's eyes flickered with fear, just for a second, before he masked it with another sneer. "She won't believe a word you say. She trusts me. Not you. She doesn't see you like that, Dwyers. You're just the guy who's always there, waiting. She'll never choose you."

His words dug deep, sharper than I expected, but the rage inside me only burned hotter. My grip tightened on his shirt, my face inches from his.

"You're asking to be pummelled ," I growled, my voice low and dangerous. "Don't. Piss. Me. Off."

Jake opened his mouth to say something else, but I didn't give him the chance.

I shoved him hard one last time, making the lockers rattle again. Just as I was about to throw another punch, a sharp whistle cut through the tension.

"Hey!" Coach's voice boomed from the entrance. "Break it up!"

I released Jake and stepped back, my chest heaving with barely contained fury. Jake stumbled, adjusting his jersey, and then shot me that same smug grin as Coach stormed over, eyes blazing.

"What the hell is wrong with you two?" Coach growled, glaring between us. His gaze landed on me, narrowing. "Theo, my office. Now."

I didn't say a word, didn't even look back at Jake. But I could feel his eyes on me, that self-satisfied smirk plastered on his face like he'd won. He hadn't. This was far from over.

I stalked toward Coach's office, my pulse still hammering in my ears. The fury that had burned so hot was still simmering just below the surface, but I knew better than to act on it. I had to be smarter than that—for Isla.

Inside Coach's office, I barely registered the buzz of my phone until I looked down and saw the message.

Dad: "Coach called. I'm on my way."

Perfect. Just what I needed.

Minutes later, the door creaked open, and my dad walked in. His face was a mix of concern and frustration, his brow furrowed as he looked at me.

"Theo," he said quietly, stepping inside. "What's going on?"

I ran a hand through my hair, my mind still replaying every second of the fight with Jake. "It's Jake," I bit out. "He's treating Isla like she's nothing. Talking about her like she's some prize, like he's doing her a favor by being with her."

My dad sighed, stepping closer, his expression softening. "I get it, son. I do. But you can't go around getting into fights."

I clenched my fists, still shaking with anger. "So what am I supposed to do? Just let him keep treating her like this? Let him hurt her?"

Dad placed a hand on my shoulder, his grip firm. "You need to trust that Isla's going to figure it out. She's smart, Theo. She's going to see through him, and when she does, she's going to need you. Not to fight her battles, but to be there for her."

I swallowed hard, the frustration still simmering beneath the surface. "I just... I don't want her to get hurt."

He nodded, his voice gentle but steady. "I know. But hurting Jake won't protect her. What will is being the guy she can turn to. The guy she trusts when things fall apart."

I nodded, though the rage was still there, burning low. He was right. I couldn't stop Isla from getting hurt—but I'd be there when it happened. I'd be the one she turned to when Jake finally showed his true colors.

And Jake? He was going to get what was coming to him. He just didn't know it yet.