Summer's Last Breath

Part 24

The atmosphere in the gym was electric. Being a tournament, the stands were full. I'd been apprehensive when I'd first walked out of the locker room and seen the crowd, but instead of letting all the extra eyes intimidate me, I fed off of it. I was in the zone and nothing could distract me. It felt right. I knew before the warm-up was over this would be the best game of my life. I encouraged my teammates. Yelled the loudest during our pre-game cheers. I was ready. The team was ready.


My mom and dad sat side by side in the stands. Whatever differences they had, they always put them aside in support of me. The guys were here, Lassiter, and Tate, and Ross. Even Donovan, who had pretty much fully recovered. Noah was sprawled out, munching his way through a box of popcorn. The only person missing was Jamie.
I sat on the bench, facing the court, giving myself a mental pep talk. I reached up to readjust my ponytail when a voice coasted over the back of my neck.


"Give'em hell, Shaw."


My head snapped around. I froze as Jamie walked past and climbed the bleachers, taking them two rows at a time to join my cheering section. What was he doing here? I mean, I was glad but I didn't want him getting in trouble with my dad. My dad didn't look surprised to see him though. They shook hands, my dad's greeting reservedly welcome. My mom smiled in response to something Jamie said when my dad introduced them. Jamie plopped down between Noah and Lassiter, making a grab for Noah's box of popcorn. I didn't know how or why it was suddenly okay for Jamie to be here and I didn't care. I was just happy he was. My gaze wandered over to my dad, eyes welling with a big fat thank you. He simply shrugged and gave me a thumbs-up.


"Come on, Erin." Ally looped her arm around my neck. "Quit mooning over Aquaman. We've got a game to win."


"Yeah, we do." I tossed my towel on the bench and followed her onto the court. "And I wasn't mooning."


"You were so mooning," she said, tossing me a ball. We'd won the toss and I was up first to serve. 


Today was nothing like the first time Jamie had watched me play. From the very first serve, my timing was perfect. Every time I went up for the kill shot, it felt like I could fly. I was weightless, defying gravity. And giving the girls on the other side of the net hell. We all were. I never once looked over at Jamie. I heard his voice a few times and it was enough knowing he was here. The game flew by, and before I knew it, the referee was blowing her whistle, signaling the end of the match. We won in straight games.


When I walked out of the locker room after taking a quick shower, my entourage converged on me, offering congratulations and accolades for our performance. I hugged my dad. I hugged my mom.


"Thanks for coming guys," I said as one after the other, the guys either hugged or high-fived me, starting with Tate and ending with Noah, who wrapped his arms around me and picked me up off the ground. I hugged him back, laughing.


"My favorite part was when you beamed that girl right in the head," he said. 


"Noah, that's not nice."


"Well, you didn't hear what she said about you on the bench. She deserved it."


"Her name's Jessica, and she's kind of had it out for me since volleyball camp last summer."


"Well, you certainly showed Jessica." Noah released me, setting me back on my feet.


My dad cleared his throat behind me, and somehow the moment morphed into an awkward one, because the only person who hadn't congratulated or hugged me was Jamie. And I so wanted to hug him, but that didn't feel right with everyone watching after all that had gone down. Whatever truce my dad and the guys and come to with Jamie, I wasn't going to spoil it. I kept my hands to myself and so did he.


We all, more or less as a herd, made our way out the gym's entrance and into the parking lot. I waved my final goodbyes and turned for my Tahoe, wanting to put my gym bag in the back. The team was piling up in Coach's SUV to go eat at Mellowmushroom to celebrate.


And then Jamie was towering over me, bringing the smell of the ocean with him as he threaded my gym bag off my shoulder.
"You don't have to do that," I said, peering at his face, ever aware of the eyes looking our way. So this was what it would feel like to be with Jamie out in public, for people to see us together. I liked walking with Jamie, having him beside me.


"I know. I want to." 


"How is it you're here?" I still suffered from that same sense of awe I felt whenever he was near. Near enough to smell. Near enough to catch the little shoots of silver in his eyes mixed in with the green.


"I asked Marshall at the last minute if it was okay," he explained, a slight blush rising in his cheeks. I'd never seen Jamie blush before. 


"I'm glad." About time my dad came around. I tried not to read too much into it, though, not wanting to get my hopes up. 


"You were great."


"Thanks. The team really came through. It'll be tougher tomorrow though."


"I'm not worried," he said, opening the hatch of my Tahoe after I'd unlocked it. He tossed my bag inside.


My phone buzzed in my hand and I really wanted to ignore it, but I had a feeling it was Ally. I looked down. I was right.


Ally: wipe the drool off your lip. say goodbye to the Hulk and get your ass over here.


Jamie had closed the hatch and we stood nearly toe-to-toe, me straining to look up into his face. 


"I gotta go," I said, wishing I didn't. "The team is going to eat and Coach insists we're all at home in bed by ten.


"Guess, I'll go," he said, neither of us making a move to go anywhere.
"Will you come tomorrow?"


"Wouldn't miss it."