Tulips & The Daily (UPDATED)

Part eight - You surprised me (Now I understand)

Nora never liked to admit when she was wrong, but maybe—just maybe—she hadn't exactly been right this time. Sure, Matthew might actually be good at football. Or not. Honestly, she had no idea—she'd never even seen him play. What she did know, however, was that he could not work a miracle. And certainly not in the three measly hours they had before their first match. She sighed, rubbing her temples as she glanced over at him. Matthew stood casually with the team, gesturing toward the field as if he had all the time in the world.

"This is fine," she muttered to herself, trying to muster some optimism. "Totally fine."

The sound of bickering drifted over from the group—a mix of arguments about the "right" way to stretch and whether warming up was even necessary. Matthew's voice cut in every so often, trying to redirect them, but it seemed to only add to the noise.

Nora's focus shifted as she spotted Lila heading her way, clipboard tucked under her arm and a twisted smile curling at her lips. It wasn't her usual bright, teasing expression—this one had an edge to it.

"Should I be worried?" Nora asked dryly as Lila reached her.

"I think maybe you should be, but not about me," Lila replied, glancing over at the team, who were still loudly arguing about who should lead the warm-ups. She handed Nora the clipboard with a faint smirk. "Nora, I really don't understand why you wanted this, but I do think it's going to be wildly entertaining."

"Hopefully, I'll make you understand. If not," Nora said, scanning the clipboard, which listed their schedule of matches, "then never mention it to me again."

Lila chuckled softly. "Guess we'll see." She turned to leave but paused, glancing back with a playful grin. "Good luck!" she called out before heading over to join the other organizers.

Nora was busy poring over the clipboard, her fingers tightening around its edges as she scanned the list of matches. The words blurred slightly as her mind raced, trying to form some kind of strategy. The faint rustle of the nearby trees, the chatter of the other teams, and the occasional distant laugh all faded into the background, replaced by the low hum of her thoughts.

"Nora!" Matthew's voice rang out, cutting through the noise.

She glanced up sharply, her grip on the clipboard loosening as she searched for him. He stood at the edge of the makeshift field, one hand shading his eyes against the sun, the other motioning for her to come over.

"You planning on keeping that all to yourself?" he asked, nodding toward the clipboard. His voice was light, but his eyes sparkled with amusement.

Nora felt a small flush creep up her neck and shifted her grip on the board. Of course, he'd need it. "Right, here you go," she said, holding it out to him. "Doesn't seem like the first match should be that hard, but then again..." She trailed off, glancing back toward their team, where someone had just thrown a water bottle in frustration.

Matthew followed her gaze and let out a quiet laugh, the sound low and easy. "Yeah, not exactly a team, are they?" he said, taking the clipboard from her.

Nora crossed her arms and tilted her head slightly, her tone dry. "Not yet, anyway. That's what you're here for, right, Coach?"

His grin widened as he flipped through the clipboard, the casual confidence on his face making it look like he had everything under control. "Oh, don't worry, I've got it all handled," he said, barely glancing up as he spoke.

Nora started to respond, but before the words could form, Matthew's eyes flicked upward, then down, moving slowly, deliberately. He wasn't saying anything, but the weight of his gaze settled heavily as it dragged over her. She could feel it, the way it lingered in places that made her pulse jump.