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She nods, and we get back to our positions. The Gators try to counter, but I intercept the pass, and I start another attack.

I pass to Daisy, who passes back to me. As Rene makes a forward run, I send a long ball to her.

She controls it and passes to Lexa, who’s in the box. She shoots, and it hits the post.

“Shit!” Lexa shouts, kicking the ground in frustration.

I feel her pain. We’re so close, but we can’t seem to score. The Gators are defending well and their goalkeeper is having a great day.

The clock is ticking and the score is still 0–0. We need a moment of magic.

I’m one-on-one with Olivia.

“You sure you want to try to dribble me?” I tease. “You never could, so what makes you think you can do it now?”

“Shut up and play,” she says.

She tries to go past me, but she’s predictable and I block her. She tries again, but I stay with her. She can’t shake me off.

I’m too quick, too strong, too smart for her. We’ve played together for years, and I know her every move, but she doesn’t know mine. She doesn’t know what Raul made us practice, what Lexa and the Breakers taught me. She doesn’t know how I’ve evolved.

I have her stuck on the edge of the field. She’s getting nervous. She’ll make a mistake soon. I know it.

She does. She tries to pass the ball, but I read it and block it with my foot.

The ball rolls to Rosario, and I yell at her to go forward. She does. I follow her. We have a numerical advantage, so we use it. As we pass the ball between us, I see an opening. I take it, running toward the goal.

The goalkeeper comes out to meet me, but I’m not going to shoot. I’m going to pass.

Or that’s what I make her think.

I fake a pass to Lexa, and the keeper falls for it. She dives to her right. I shoot to my left, sending the ball past her and into the net.

I raise my arms in triumph, and my teammates run to me. Lexa reaches me first and hugs me tight. “So fucking hot.”

“As hot as the orgasm we didn’t get this morning?”

She groans. “Don’t remind me.”

We celebrate our goal. We’re finally in the lead.

Once our fans quiet down, a different sound comes from the stands. I listen for a moment, trying to catch the word the Gators fans are chanting.

Traitor.

I look at Raul. “You got this,” he mouths.

I ignore the chants and focus on the match. We have to defend our lead, and we do it well. We don’t let them have a clear shot on goal, we don’t give them any space.

Before the match is over, Lexa scores one more goal, making it 2–0. We’ve beaten them on their home turf.

When the final whistle blows, I approach Olivia. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” she says, shaking my hand. “You were the better team today.”

I smile. “Thanks. That means a lot coming from you.”

“Don’t let it go to your head,” she warns me, smiling. “We’ll meet again, and I’ll be ready for you.”