The Broken Pieces Left Behind

Chapter 16

I had no idea what was going on. I stood in the stands with Erin next to me, who was easily the loudest person there. Her enthusiasm, especially when Scooter had the ball was unmounted. She was definitely a proud girlfriend. She was like a one woman cheer squad. Her spirit was so infectious and it made me smile. I was just there cheering when the crowd did barely following along to what was going on.

What I did know however, was that in the end we won, which was all that really mattered anyway.

After the game, Erin raced down the stands – with me trailing after her – and flung herself into Scooter's arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and giving him a congratulatory kiss. "Congratulations babe," she squealed "You won!"

"We won!" he echoed spinning in a circle with her.

I stood apart watching all the revelry, smiling to myself. They were all really into this. I didn't much get the appeal of the game but I understood all the camaraderie of it all. It was a sort of bonding experience.

"I told you, you'd have fun," breathed an accented voice in my ear. I gasped and took a stumbled away. His hand caught my elbow and steadied me. "Sorry."

Jack had a way of apologizing that didn't seem like apologizing at all. I think he rather liked appearing out of nowhere like he did and startling me.

"So you did," I conceded smiling up at him. He was with us in the stands for most of the game but disappeared just before it had ended. "And you were right."

"Oh! You're actually saying that I was right," he seemed delighted "You hear that guys!" he called loudly and I shushed him embarrassed looking around to see if anyone was paying any attention to us. Luckily no one really was, they were still wrapped up in celebrating. "How did admitting that feel?"

I wrinkled my nose at him "You know I ca--"

"Jack!" shouted a female voice and we both turned to the sound. A blonde girl in a very short skirt made her way over to us. "Jack" she crooned slipping her arm into his barely sparing me a glance "Can we just go? I'm so over this game."

He nervously looked at me and extracted his arm from her grip. My gaze shifted between the pair. "Um, Becca this is May. I saw her just a while ago." So that was why he took so long to come back.

I studied her from head to toe. She had long blonde hair that she pulled into a high ponytail. A black tank top hidden under an oversized jacket and a hot pink mini skirt. On her feet she wobbled in a pair of heels. I mean who wore heels to a football match?

I smiled, but it felt more like a grimace "Hi."

"Oh, Hi," she sniffed at me and I had the urge to claw at her face.

Her eyes flickered over my appearance before she turned back to Jack. Apparently she had decided that I wasn't any real competition. It was awkward. She stood looking up adoringly at Jack, while Jack and I had what was in essence a stare off.

"Victory Pizza!" someone from the team called and the crowd around us erupted in cheers and whoops.

That broke the spell and I took a step back bumping into a wall of solid muscle. A hand landed on my shoulder steadying me. I looked up at the figure and smiled "Donny hi," I said I turning to face him.

"Becca," he returned my smile with an equally bright one of his own "Surprised to see you here. Are you coming with us?"

I caught my lower lip between my teeth. I was going to say no but I nodded instead.

"How about you Jack?"

I turned around and he was still there with May hanging all over him a scowl on his face. Maybe he wasn't going to go and celebrate with the team. Maybe he was going to celebrate privately with her and I just ruined all of his plans. I was going to tell him that he didn't have to drive me back when Erin called out to me, waving her hands for me to join her. Most of the guys were retreating into the locker room, my guess would be to get cleaned up before we went to Dante's.