Yes.
This is it.
I spin around and sneak the ball past the goalie.
“Let’s go!” I turn around, expecting my team to congratulate me.
Until Landon’s voice cuts through the excitement. “That was a hard hit, Russo.” He walks toward the defender who checked me. “You trying to take her out the first day?”
Russo holds up his hands on either side of his head. “I was just doing my job.”
My stomach drops.
Fuck.
“Hey, man.” I tap my stick against Russo’s helmet. “That was a clean hit. Gonna have to try harder to stop me though.”
He doesn’t laugh with me, his eyes hard on Landon. “She’s gonna have to take hits if she’s playing with us, Fletcher. You can’t stop us just because she’s your girl.”
Landon’s about to fire back but I step in front of him, yanking on the bars of his helmet to jerk his eyes down to mine. “You told them to go easy on me?”
“Yeah, he did,” Russo says.
My eyes flick between Landon’s, waiting for him to say it.
“That was a rough hit, Ainsley.”
“And I’m a rough player.” I let go of his helmet. “Did you or did you not tell the team not to hit me?”
He spins on his heels and storms toward the center of the field.
You have got to be kidding me.
I whip around. “Coach, you better get your boys in check. I’m not a delicate little flower. This is lacrosse. I can’t have everyone being afraid to touch me.”
“I’d be happy to touch you, Ainsley.” Patrick gyrates his hips from the goal.
“Never in your wildest dreams, Weber.” I flip him off and several of the guys chuckle.
“Stop holding back,” Coach says.
I pop out my hip. “Unless you’re too afraid that your best won’t be good enough to stop me.”
Oh’sripple throughout the players.
The energy on the field changes, and I’m stopped from scoring on the next play. The game comes together, and we start working as a team.
I won’t lie, getting hit by these guys is a bit different from the girls I’ve played with. Still, it doesn’t change a thing. I feel challenged. It’ll make me a better player. I just need to train harder so I’m stronger, and can endure the hard hits.
When practice is over, I wait for Landon to come out of the locker room.
His eyes are on his shoes, not wanting to meet my angry gaze.
I cross my arms over my chest. “You realize you’re making things worse for me by acting like this, right?”
He throws up his hands. “I’m sorry, okay? I just didn’t want you to get hurt.”
I arch a brow. “Do you worry about me when I’m playing with the girls, or is it just now that I’m on the same team as you?”
