With each loss, Creed’s hatred for me grew. I could feel it. He seemed to pick me out, glaring at me from across the field.
I didn’t want his hate. I never did anything to deserve it, other than playing better than him. That was what I was supposed to do. My coach was always proud of me when I played, as was my dad.
But with every win under my belt against their team there was a strike against me when it came to Creed.
It wasn’t my favorite thing. I only wanted to speak to Kresslee, to show her that no matter how much her brother hated me, I wouldn’t go anywhere.
But that hadn’t happened. Creed had kept Kresslee far from my team. He wouldn’t even come to shake hands with our team when we were done playing.
Every other boy on his team shook hands with us, but Creed always pulled Kresslee away, even when his coach got angry with him.
Creed would lift an eyebrow, refusing to answer the man, then pull Kresslee away.
I could see her look over at me, a look of what I hoped was longing in her eyes, making it take everything I had inside me not to charge over there, punch Creed, and making sure that nothing happened to her again.
It was harder than I thought possible.
I dreamed that she wanted to speak to me, that she longed to let me hold her in my arms as much as I wanted it.
When we were fifteen, I saw her walk into the school, alone, before one of our games.
I knew it was my only chance to speak to her.
I made an excuse to Rhodes that I forgot something in the locker room, rushing after her.
I was grateful to see the school was empty.
I leaned against the wall outside the bathroom, my arms crossed as I waited for Kresslee.
She came out a few seconds later, stopping in her tracks when she saw me.
I stood to my full height, which wasn’t as tall as I knew I was going to be, but I still towered over her.
She bit her lip, then tucked her hair behind her ear, “Hi.”
I smiled at her, “Hi. Kresslee right?”
Her cheeks went pink, and she looked away from me, “Yeah, and you are, um Ridge?”
I grinned, “That’s me.”
“Did you need something?”
I shook my head, “I just wanted to speak to you.”
Her eyes widened, “You did?”
I nodded, “I have seen you around for a while. I just wanted to talk to you.”
She looked down at her shoes, then up at me, “I have seen you around too. You are really good at football.”
My cheeks went hot, “Thank you. You are a great cheerleader. I have never seen one flip like you do.”
She smiled at me, and I finally got to see that her eyes were light gray. I had never seen eyes that color before.
She took my breath away this up close.
She had a tiny sprinkle of freckles across her nose. I wanted to count them all.
