Page 111 of Take Her On

We won? We fucking won?

If the breath hadn’t already been crushed out of her by the tower of teammates, she might have screamed. Was this happening? The pressure on her was released, and Maya was pulled to her feet.

She blinked. Maybe her eyesight had stopped working, as well as her ability to speak and form meaningful sounds.

“You were amazing, love!” Her mum beamed, showing a full lipstick smile before crushing her in a hug. Maya spotted Grandma over her shoulder, who was waving madly.

“Brilliant, Maya. You’re brilliant,” she said as her mum released her. She traced her fingertips over the black captain’s band secured around Maya’s upper arm. “Grandpa would be so proud of you.”

Maya attempted to smile back. Tears pricked behind her eyelids. They’d done it. They’d won the championship. Her mum and Grandma had come to support her. She could barely—

“POT NOODLE CLUB!”

The shout made Maya swivel her head, just in time to be clattered by her friends. Hannah, Maddie, and Alex tangled their limbs around her, buzzing and chattering away.

She was completely overwhelmed in the best possible way. Everyone was here. But where was Jamie? She scanned the crowd that had invaded the pitch, smiling at Noodle and Megan, who were trying—and failing—to lift Coach onto their shoulders. Then Maya spotted her. Jamie shook hands with a man she didn’t recognise, then started to make her way over, the grin on her face bigger than she’d ever seen it. It shouldn’t be humanly possible, but that was Jamie, the epitome of human sunshine.

Maya ran to her, closing the distance, and wrapped her arms around her, melting into her touch, breathing in her familiar scent.

“We did it,” Jamie breathed into her neck, tickling her. “You’re amazing.”

“You did it.” Maya pulled back to look into her eyes, that all-consuming feeling flowing through her. “Who were you talking to?”

“Ah, you know…just a scout from Millton City.”

“What?” She gripped her waist. “What did he say?”

“He’s invited me to a training session.”

“Oh my god! That’s incredible.” Now Maya was the one with the stupidly big smile on her face as she crushed her in another embrace.

Winning the championship and ending her football career on a high had filled Maya with a sense of dreamy wonder, but hearing Jamie getting an opportunity to pursue her dreams felt even better. She deserved it. Especially after everything she’d been through.

“I’m so proud of you,” she said, squeezing her harder.

“Thank you. I’m proud of you too… A whole ninety minutes without getting a red card.”

“Hey!” Maya laughed, but before she could defend herself, Jamie kissed her, fingers curling around her jaw, and everything fell into place. Maya couldn’t quite believe this was her life. Winning the championship? Being in love with Jamie Mellor? Her final year had come up trumps, completely blindsiding her.

Jamie broke the kiss, mischief twinkling. “Don’t forget your promise, either,” she said.

Maya eyed her, wracking her brain. “Promise? What promise?”

“About goals being rewarded?” She leaned in to kiss her again. Twice, in quick succession. “And I want to collect my payment in full.”

Epilogue – One Year Later

Maya

“Any discomfort?” Maya turned Mina’s ankle to the left under the bright lights of the physio room. When she shook her head, she twisted it gently in the other direction. “What about now?”

“Nope.” Mina popped the p, giving Maya a big smile. “So, what do you think?”

Mina had been out for three weeks with a light ankle sprain but had made big progress with her rehabilitation. Maya would like to take credit for it, but quick healing was part and parcel with fifteen-year-old bodies—they just bounced back.

She chewed her lip, making a show of re-examining Mina’s ankle. “I think with a few weeks’ rest and some minor surgery, you’ll be back in no time.”

Mina’s brown eyes bulged. “Minor surgery?”