Page 4 of Take Her On

“Change is inevitable, Maya,” Carly had told her once as they walked to lunch. That sentence stuck with her, echoing through her brain in the cafeteria, ringing in her ears as they ate at the table.

It haunted her now as she tried to suppress the internal meltdown.

Change was inevitable. And that was terrifying.

Change was her best friend moving to another town, her sworn enemy moving in across the street, her grandpa getting sick.

Change was the lurking realisation that this year was her last year at university, with her friends, with Carly. Change was being without Carly’s close proximity to act as a lifeline; once they graduated, Maya night never see her again.

Her pulse throbbed in her neck. Her heart didn’t feel equipped to deal with anything Carly-related right now.

Jamie’s cool blue eyes pierced through her thoughts, and her chest tightened. Of all the people, why did it have to be her moving in? What was she even doing in this part of town? The Millton vs Harriers’ rivalry had gone on for decades. Something didn’t sit right.

Maya pushed those thoughts away and moved to get a glass of orange juice. Hiding in the door of the fridge, and out of the line of Grandma’s pity stare, bought her a few seconds of composure. The cool, sweet taste of orange numbed her throat for a moment, washing away the lump stuck there.

The kitchen hadn’t changed in all the twenty-two years of Maya’s life. The small, square red tiles were the same ones Grandpa had put up when they first bought the house, along with the misplaced couple by the fridge that didn’t match up with the rest of the lines. Grandpa’s DIY skills left a lot to be desired. The yellow walls were faded from the sunlight and had collected various splatters and marks throughout the years.

Maya forced a smile at Grandma, figuring she’d given enough time to prove to her that she wasn’t having a meltdown.

“Anyway, I’m going to do some training,” she said and scooted out the door towards the stairs, noting how the ugly blue carpet clashed with the wallpaper.

Why couldn’t she be like the wonky tiles or the horrible carpet, constant and unmoving, never changing? Grandma and Grandpa obviously weren’t fans of change, so why did everyone expect her to be?

* * *

Maya slipped out the back door, sure to avoid any possible meeting with Jamie Mellor, and set off into a full sprint. Coach Carmichael would scold her for not warming up properly, especially with training for the new season beginning next week, but she just needed to run.

Her feet pounded the ground as she headed up the old country lane and over the wheat fields. The sun blazed overhead, and it wasn’t long until a sheen of sweat covered her face and neck. Good. Her worries were already being left in her trail.

But I can do better.

She pushed herself to her limits, using all the frustration inside to move her feet faster. With every step against the earth, she felt more like herself. It helped her breathe. Ironic really, as her chest pounded against her ribcage, pumping oxygen back into empty lungs. But Maya loved the feeling. The freedom. Nothing could touch her here, not even her own thoughts.

She slowed as she passed a happy Springer Spaniel and its owner—nobody wants nibbled ankles—then picked up the pace, ending up by the river sometime later, her muscles ablaze and heart racing. She splashed her face with the cool water, skipped a few stones, and then decided to take the long journey back, adding in some extra training on the football field.

“Maya…Maya!”

The voice pulled her out of her focus, and she turned to the sight of her mother waving at her from the car park.

What is she doing here?

Her mother’s blonde hair—dyed blonde, she was naturally a brunette, like Maya—fell loosely past her shoulders, and large, oversized sunglasses shielded her eyes like she was hiding from the paparazzi.

Maya reluctantly waved back and finished her circuit before making her way to her mum’s car.

“Look at you,” her mum called as she got closer, curling her lips. “You’re filthy!”

“What’re you doing here?” Maya asked. “I thought you weren’t back until next week.”

“Hunter managed to wrap the case up early, so I have a few extra days.”

Her mum’s eyes practically melted into heart shapes whenever she spoke about her boss. She worked as a paralegal for Hunter Coller, wiping up his dirty work and accompanying him wherever he pleased. The guy thought he was a rock star, sporting brown wavy hair and sunglasses everywhere he went. Maya didn’t understand the power behind his charm; maybe that was because she came out of the womb gayer than King Princess in full pink leather riding a rainbow unicorn.

The smile fell from her mum’s face. “Are you not happy to see me?”

“Of course. It would’ve just been nice for you to call first.” She’d not heard from her mum since she’d left on her trip, only sporadic updates from Grandma.

“Sorry, you know how busy I get, darling. Are you getting in? I have a surprise.”