Saved By Carli

IX

Sage's POV

Today is the second game against New Zealand and just like last game day the breakfast room is quiet. I'm doing my new game day routine which is listen to music and don't speak unless spoken to. After breakfast I go to the room with Carli and we decide to go to dinner after the game and decide to invite Christen.

Me: Hey Carli and I are going to get a late dinner after the game and we were wondering if would you want to go with us?

Christen: Sure

Me: Awesome.

Carli goes and does her pregame run before lunch so I stay in the room and wait till lunch. Once back in the room after lunch I work on college work while Carli and Christen do their normal game day routines. Around an hour later Mal brings me a drink and sits with me till we have to go. She was really interested in my course work which I found a little funny. After I got done we talked until we had to load the buses to go to the stadium. Once we get to the stadium I sit in the same spot as last time, on the end of the coaches closest to the players, and wait for the game to start. Apparently Carli isn't playing again, something about her club not releasing her to play due to an unknown reason, so she and I get to sit next to each other. The game starts slow, but around the fifteenth minute I get really sad and depressed for some reason, so I take Carli's hand and intertwine our fingers. This act startles her and she leans over to talk to me.

"Hey you okay?" I shake my head vigorously.

"Okay do you want to go to the locker room." I shake my head vigorously again.

"I don't want to cause a scene." She nods and puts her arm around me and I lean into her. We stay like that for the next fifteen minutes. I finally start to calm down and take a deep breath. Carli starts talking "What happened Sage?"

"I don't know I just got really sad all of the sudden."

"Okay well are you worried about anything?"

"Yes, but we shouldn't have that conversation here."

After the 30th minute the game becomes lively. Lindsay scores in the 36th minute. Mal scores in the 44th minute and when she is running back to restart the game she looks at me and I smile at her. Unfortunately Carli notices, "We will talk about that later as well Sage." She says with a smirk. Alex scores within a minute of restarting the second half. Lynn scores in the 55th minute and Alex scores again in the 69th minute to finish off the scoring for the team so they won 5-0. I stopped paying attention in the 72nd minute because Mal is subbed out.

Once back at the hotel Carli and I sit around and wait for Christen to get ready then we head to a Mexican place and order our food and sit down to eat it. We make casual conversation until we are all done. I see Carli looking at me and just like the dinner in Denver I know what this is going to be about.

"So Sage what happened at the game tonight?"

"Umm I don't really know. I just got really sad all of the sudden, so I grabbed your hand."

"Well are you worried about something?"

"Mainly two things. One, is your husband going to like me and two, I'm really stressing about taking Mal on a date next month. But mostly if your husband will like me."

She puts her arm around me "Oh honey of course he will like you. And on the off chance he doesn't like you then he can suck it up because you and I are a package deal now. If he doesn't want you than he never loved me." That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Christen speaks up next, "And you shouldn't be worried about taking Mal on a date . She obviously likes you and she will say yes. And besides Ali and I will help you set it up."

"I already have it planned out and I already have reservations. I just need her to say yes. Oh and also to bring a nice dress, so if you could help on that front then I would be very grateful."

"I think we can help you out there. Where are you taking her?"

"In the afternoon I have us tickets to see a chocolate factory and then we will come back from the tour and get ready for dinner at a nice restaurant."

"Well that sounds like a great first date. Damn I wish I could go to a chocolate factory now." Christen says and Carli nods in agreement. A minute later our check comes and we pay and leave and walk back to the hotel. Once back in the room we all do our nightly routines and go to bed since our flights are early.