“Let’s take five,” Coach called after Bastian kicked one last ball at Finn. “Get some water, but don’t let those muscles cool down too much.”
All the guys jogged over to the benches to grab their bottles. Some players pulled out their phones to check their social media. The Brazilian guys started chatting with one another—their cautious English replaced with exuberant Portuguese.
Regardless of what they were doing, there was an underlying feeling of camaraderie between everyone—a camaraderie that wasn’t extended to Silas. He watched his fellow teammates from a safe distance while he drank deeply from his water bottle. A few of the guys continued to pass a ball back and forth, while another practiced his footwork.
Silas observed with interest as Grant Vaughn, one of the new guys, dribbled the ball up behind Bastian, who was on his phone. Silas knew what was going to happen before Grant kicked the ball between Bastian’s open legs.
“Nutmeg.”
Bastian’s head fell back. “Come on, man. I was texting my mom.”
Grant shook his head. “Count it.”
“Seriously?”
“You know it.”
Finn ripped off his gloves—just now joining everyone off to the edge of the field—and ran his hands through his auburn hair. “As captain, I’m going to allow it.”
Bastian shook his head. “That’s a bunch of crap.”
Finn kept his face serious and shrugged. “I call them as I see them.”
Grant gave an arrogant smile and started pointing his finger at everyone. “And I’m gonna get every single one of you this year. So watch your backs.”
But Grant should have been the one watching his back, because while he was enjoying his victory, another player snuck up behind him and kicked the soccer ball between his legs.
“Nutmeg.”
Grant’s head fell to where the ball was still rolling between his legs. He groaned loudly, and everyone started laughing at the rookie.
Even Silas cracked a smile at Grant getting his comeuppance, but he stayed in his spot and focused on his footwork as Coach set up cones for their next drill.
Silas pushed himself hard and quickly lifted his feet in an intricate pattern. Eventually, he’d be part of the team again, but he knew it would take time. Friendships that had once existed between him and his teammates had faded in the two years he spent in Wisconsin. Distance had a way of doing that.
Who was he kidding? It wasn’t really the distance. Guys stayed friends as they signed to new teams all the time. The wedge had developed because Silas had been an idiot. He’d broken off all his relationships when he made the decision to move up north year-round. And the one that mattered most wouldn’t be as easy to repair as the ones with his teammates.
If only busting his butt on the field could get him what he wanted off the field as well.
He felt a strong hand on his shoulder and stopped his footwork.
Coach was looking at him with concern. “I said keep your muscles warmed up, not to keep pushing yourself into an injury. Take a slow lap around the field if you don’t want to join the others, but I don’t need you getting hurt before the season starts because you were unwilling to just chill for a minute.”
Silas didn’t want to ‘just chill,’ but he wasn’t about to argue with Coach either. He picked up his water bottle and started walking the field when he saw a guy and a girl coming from the other side. He stopped and craned his neck to see them better. His breath caught in his chest when he realized who the woman was.
Miriam Taylor.
As she got closer, he could see her hair had grown out quite a bit since the last time he’d seen her, and it fell in blond waves over her shoulders. It was a great look on her, and she looked better than he’d ever seen her. Even in a bright green t-shirt with the Storm logo, she was breathtaking. The ache that always simmered beneath the surface threatened to burst out of him. He turned his gaze away, needing a second to catch his breath, and pulled up short when it landed on the guy walking beside her.
Silas instantly hated him.
He couldn’t put his finger on the exact reason why. It could have been because he was young and relatively attractive—if you liked scrawny dudes with spiky hair that looked like it belonged to a member of a ’90s boy band. Or maybe it was the fact that he was standing a little too close to Miriam considering there was more than ample space on the field to have several feet between them.
It was possible it was plain and simple jealousy. Not that Silas had a right to be jealous—not anymore.
Whatever the reason, every thought about training and soccer left Silas’ head. He was one hundred percent focused on Miriam and the guy walking beside her.
“Miriam,” Finn called out, and Silas could have sworn that her shoulders relaxed as the captain walked over to her. He pulled Miriam in for a hug. A hug? Silas’ fists clenched at his sides.
Finn released her but kept his hands on her shoulders. “How are you doing?”
She smiled and mumbled a response that Silas couldn’t quite make out. He took a couple steps closer to where they stood.
“That’s good,” Finn said. “I was just telling some of the new guys a little about what you do for the team.” He put two fingers in his mouth and whistled. “Grant, Vinny. Why don’t you come over and meet Miriam Taylor, our community outreach manager?”
The new guys jogged over to her. Silas couldn’t help but notice that he was not called over, despite being a new player as well. He watched as they exchanged pleasantries.
Miriam’s face lit up, and she smiled at Vinny and Grant. “Nice to meet you.”
They both shook her hand and responded with equally bright smiles.
Meanwhile, Silas tried to chill.
Finn put his hand on Miriam’s back. “This
