Adorkable(47)

“You mean, Becks,” I swallowed, feeling the lie stick in my throat. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“Man.” Austin shook his head as play resumed, and Becks made a breakaway. “It’s probably a good thing it didn’t work out between us,” he sighed dramatically. “I could’ve never competed with that.”

I laughed. No one could compete with Becks, at least in my view. “Not a big soccer fan?”

He grinned. “No, I’m more into role playing. Final Fantasy, World of Warcraft, that kind of thing. Actually that’s where I met my girlfriend. She’s right down there, front row, toward the middle.”

I saw where he was pointing and did a double take. The girl was gorgeous, almost as gorgeous as Austin, and that was saying something. Flashing the two of us a grin, she blew him a kiss, and he pretended to catch and tuck it into his pocket.

“Isn’t she great?” he said.

“Great,” I repeated then got serious. “But I thought you said you loved me?”

He blushed, rocked back on his heels. “Well…about that, I—”

“I’m just kidding,” I said, punching him in the shoulder. “I’m glad you found someone. She’s beautiful.”

“Oh, good,” he said, capturing my hand. The twinkle in his eyes was unmistakable as he bent forward. “But you know you’ll always be my first, Sally.” Bowing low, he dropped a quick kiss to my hand and looked up through his lashes, causing us both to laugh.

Someone cleared their throat. Loudly.

Glancing over, I saw Hooker, her boyfriend Will, my mom, Becks’s parents, and all the brothers watching us. Actually, the boys were giving Austin looks that ranged anywhere from dirty to threatening. I guess we’d taken their attention away from the game. Yippee.

I blushed as Austin released my hand and stood upright.

“Guess I’ll see you around,” he said, throwing nervous glances at the Kents.

I felt their stares shift to me. “Okay, I’ll—”

A thousand gasps seemed to ripple through the stadium at once.

I turned my head, heard Mrs. Kent scream as the others rushed by me to get to the stairs—but I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe.

“Sally?”

“Spitz, you okay?”

Austin and Hooker were calling my name, but I couldn’t focus. All my attention was on the chilling scene below.

Becks was on his back, clutching his right leg to his chest, face contorted in agony, as Clayton tried to get him to straighten out.

“No, no, no...”

Was that my voice?

Tripping over my own feet, I was vaguely aware of the hands steadying me down the stairs.

“He’ll be okay.” Hooker’s voice at my ear. “Don’t worry, Spitz. He’ll be fine.”

I barely heard her as two medics jogged onto the field and went to work. Each one of Becks’s groans was amplified to a sonic boom in my ears, loud, deafening.

This can’t be happening, I thought, finally making it to ground level. Becks couldn’t be hurt. He just couldn’t be. Soccer was his passion, what he was made to do. God wouldn’t take that away from him, not now, not ever. It would be too cruel.

Please, don’t take this away from him, I prayed silently.

Eyes stinging, I watched them carry Becks off the field on a stretcher. It was one of those things I’d have nightmares about long after this day.

“Spitz.” I looked to the side and saw Hooker. Guess she’d been there the whole time. “He’ll be fine,” she said with certainty. But how could she know?

“Sally, I’m going to take Mrs. Kent and the boys home,” Mom said, holding Mrs. Kent’s hand, the rest of the boys following close behind. They looked destroyed. “Can Hooker or Clayton take you home?”

“No problem,” Hooker said and led me to the locker room.

My heart sank further as I spotted my dad, blocking the door. Deputy Spitz must’ve gotten called in to work security for the game. He was in uniform and watched impassively as we approached.

“Can we go in?” Hooker asked.

Dad shook his head. “Family and team members only.”

But Becks is my family, I wanted to scream, but my voice had gone mute the minute I saw Becks laid out on that stretcher.

Hooker didn’t seem to have that problem.

“You’re kidding me, right?” she said, eyes narrowed. “You can’t seriously be that heartless to your own daughter. Can’t you see she’s upset?”

Upset didn’t even begin to cover it. Honestly, it was like I was suffocating, dying a little more with every second I was away from Becks. But I was glad Hooker was there. I’d need her strength if I was going to get through this next part.