Three Touchdowns And You're Mine

The journey back home was different compared to before. Everything has changed in a blink of an eye. The atmosphere around us is not just tense; it's spine-chilling. We both understand the game we're playing. And it's not good for anyone, not for us, nor for our parents.

Leigh desperately wants me, and I can't deny the truth. If I'm honest about what just happened, I know he meant every word he said. And if I'm being fair to myself, I know that there's something inside me that only he can bring to life.

Saying yes to Leigh feels like betraying my mother from behind a mask. She has finally found happiness after years of being alone and using work to mask her pain of rejection from my father. She has moved on with someone she can truly be herself with, and it's clear they are in love. They might even get married soon.

What will we do then? Carry on with an affair behind our married parents? Because I'm certain that Christian and Mum won't accept Leigh and me being together. That's a fact. I can see the reputation they have around here, and I've witnessed people admiring them. It could all change if Leigh and I decide to destroy everything they've built just because we are selfish and driven by our own feelings.

When I got out of Leigh's car, he didn't follow me as I expected. He drove away just like the first time we rode back together. And for some reason, it hurts. I might not say it out loud to him, I might not show it physically, and I might even appear nervous when he touches me. But deep down, I want him too, and I think I want him more than he wants me.

This is a mess. Coming to America is a mess. My life is a mess. Why does this have to happen? Mum is about to start the beautiful life every woman dreams of, and that's when her ungrateful daughter, for whom she sacrificed everything, develops feelings for her fiancé's son—well, it's not like I made a conscious decision because if I had a choice, I wouldn't choose this strange feeling I have for my soon-to-be stepbrother.

Even my shower wasn't the same. I spent almost an hour under the warm water until it turned cold, trying to wash away my sinful intentions. Are my feelings for Leigh a sin? Technically, Mum and Christian aren't married yet, so we can't call it a sin for now. But what if these feelings persist, and I end up saying yes to Leigh? What if we end up together after our parents get married?

I'm unsure of what to do with myself. I'm scrambling for a way out of this complicated and unusual situation. I grab my phone and head down to the kitchen, where I make cereal with warm water and powdered milk, just like before, just like I used to do when Mum was at work. That woman has given me everything, and I can't let her down.

As I sit at the Italian table in the kitchen, I scoop my cereal and I'm certain that if anyone walked in, they would sense that something inside me is hurting like hell. Even without looking in the mirror, I know that I'm emotionally terrified, mentally unstable, and physically miserable—a teenager who has lost her way.

Just as I finish my cereal, my phone rings. I glance over to see Sawyer's video call invitation.

"Hey," I wave at the screen as soon as the connection stabilizes.

She's smiling like she's won the lottery. "Guess what?"

"You know I'm not good at guessing. Just spill the news," I reply, lacking my usual energy for guessing games.

"Just give it a try and stop giving me that boring attitude. I thought you resolved things with your... hmm, living mate, since she's never going to be your stepsister."

"Shush! It's not Lilith," I whisper, even though I'm alone in the house. She shouldn't say things like that. What if Lilith suddenly appears out of nowhere, just like last time? Sawyer still has no idea how stubborn Lilith can be, despite the hour-long audio recording I sent her, explaining everything that happened between Lilith and me during our period of not speaking.

"Then who? Arlen? That guy is hot. I mean, no girl can handle him breaking up with her," Sawyer jumps to a ridiculous and somewhat embarrassed conclusion.

Annoyed by her undermining my dignity, I retort, "No, Sawyer, it's not Arlen, and it has nothing to do with a breakup. Please just tell me the news you were excited about a few seconds ago, before you turned into someone unrecognizable. Maleficent "

Laughing, Sawyer runs her hand through her hair, making it messy. "Maleficent, really? Maybe you should start watching better TV so you know whom to compare me to. Anyways, the news is coming, so open your ears." Sawyer brings her fist to her mouth and bites her knuckle, as if trying to keep the good news to herself. I recognize that smile; I know it means something good. "I'll be in Las Vegas in three weeks," she reveals.

"Shut up!" I nearly scream, overwhelmed with excitement.

"I'm so excited," she bursts into laughter upon witnessing my enthusiastic surprise.

"I can't wait to see you. It's going to be amazing. You'll be here just before Halloween, and we can experience it together and dress up as characters from Frozen," I rush my words, filled with joy.

"Ohhh, I can't wait any longer, Ava. With you as Anna and me as Elsa, it will be perfect," she exclaims, standing up from her bed and wandering around her bedroom.

Sawyer and I have always wanted to experience an American Halloween and dress up as characters from Frozen. With me being the youngest and having darker hair, and Sawyer being tall with blonde hair, we believe we'll make great princesses.

"We'll need to get costumes soon before they sell out. I bet people have already started ordering theirs," I remark.

"Don't worry, my mum will take care of that. She knows your size, unless you've gained weight, which wouldn't surprise me, considering Americans are probably the biggest consumers of fast food," Sawyer teases, calling me out, as she rests her head against the wall near her window.

Well, I believe her. I'm still not accustomed to all the junk food that Christian, Mum, and the girls constantly order. And the thing is, it's not just regular snacks like cheese twists, mini cheddars, or sausage rolls—no, they go for things that are unfamiliar to me, some of which I find delicious and others that I find gross. Fortunately, Mum has been introducing me to various foods for a long time now, and she still respects and follows English traditions, for which I'm immensely grateful.

"I'm pretty sure I've lost weight," I roll my eyes at her comment. Sawyer has no idea about the problems I've burdened myself with. I don't think consuming thousands of calories would change anything in me. The weight of my problems is enough to drain any strength I have left.

"Great, then. So, Arlen is your Kristoff, and maybe that hot 'never your brother,' as you prefer to say, will be my Jack Frost." Just as those words left Sawyer's mouth, something inside me tightened. The urge to protect Leigh from Sawyer or any other girl surged through my veins. Since I shared Leigh's Instagram username with Sawyer, she had been gushing over how perfect and attractive he looks - which I'm aware of. That's what I'm grappling with, something dangerous and torturous.

"He's not interested in anyone; he recently broke up." The thought of Leigh with my cousin almost made me nauseous.

"Don't worry; I will show him how to love again. I'm the one he's been looking for." She deliriously winked at me. And immediately, I realized—I don't want her to come to Las Vegas, hell, I don't want her to come to America at all.

Oh my goodness, I can't believe I'm suddenly having a change of interest about having my cousin here. What if Leigh ends up wanting her? Besides, she's so much prettier. Her mother is a designer, so she has a perfect dressing style, and she cooks better than anyone I've met.

"Why are you coming so early? I thought it was until December or something." I tried to act cool as I asked.

"I know, right? But lucky me, the competition is only three months instead of six. I'll be celebrating Christmas with you and Aunt Susan. I'll be here until after the wedding. I'm so grateful, actually, for the end of the year is truly a wonderful time to experience in America." She excitedly squealed.

Perfect, she's staying here for everything.

"Isn't it like one in the morning there?" She shouldn't be making high pitches by the window at this time.

"I know, right? It's almost one." She turned her back camera on, and the view of the Muswell Hill neighborhood appeared. Immediately, my eyes began to moisten; I didn't know I missed London this much until vivid memories of me on that same street replayed in my head. "It's so quiet already. I guess I should also go to bed." Sawyer sighed softly.

By the time we hung up, I had additional emotions on top of the billions already stored in my system. I knew I was soon crashing, my system corrupting, and it would eventually cause damage. I can't take everything in, honestly. I don't know what to do with Leigh, and I know I don't want him with any other girl; I just know I won't survive it. With everything swirling in my head, I think I need a nap.

And that's precisely what I did. When I woke up, it was already dark. The house seemed busy; the sound of sports commentary echoed from the ground floor as I stepped out of my bedroom and followed the staircase.

"Ava, you're awake? Checked on you like three times when I came back." Christian said. Beside him was Leigh, and on the other couch was Lilith with both AirPods plugged in. There was a great amount of fast food on the table, and I immediately knew Mom wasn't home.

"Where's Mom?" I asked.

"She has a patient, but she'll be back before midnight. I'll make sure of that because I'm leaving soon to go find her at the hospital." Christian joked, or maybe not, because he looked serious. "For now, come get some football skills before Leigh's game." He added with a broad smile and patted the space beside him.

My eyes met Leigh's, who was trying to avoid my gaze, although he failed miserably as he ended up smiling at me. He sure has the best smile I've ever seen.

I politely joined them and grabbed a hamburger before crossing my legs on the couch. "Isn't that rugby?" I asked, confused. "You play football, right?" I leaned over to be able to see Leigh with Christian between us.

Lilith paused from tapping her phone as she laughed at me. Leigh looked amused at my confusion, and Christian, the only adult here, explained to me. "Well, that's what Leigh plays. What you call football is mostly referred to as soccer here."

"I should start learning more American words then. I've always thought he's playing the Premier League type of football... So he plays rugby," I said to Christian.

Christian laughed at me and began to demonstrate and highlight the differences between the two games since I'm not familiar with sports. It felt like hours, but I picked up some points, like how both games have different numbers of players, and in football, a player can only run with or pass the ball, while in rugby, it can be kicked too. The explanation continued until I started to realize that rugby is generally a safer game than what Leigh is playing. By ten, Christian proved his words by calling a cab and heading to Mom's workplace.

Leaving me sharing a couch with Leigh, the only person who made my body react even with the distance between us. It's uneasy feeling this way when Leigh's sister is in the same room, although she seems more interested in her phone and whatever she's listening to. I'm sure she's still mad at Leigh.

The most uncomfortable feeling is having Leigh staring at me—like there's something on my face that sets me apart from others.

To not make this any more awkward, I forced myself to start a conversation. "So, you're a striker?"

"What?" He asked, confused.

Focusing my eyes on the screen, I watched the opponents of some team tackle a huge man down. It made me cringe as if I were the one on the field.

"Your playing position in the team," I explained.

When I turned to face Leigh, he was smiling faintly. "Uh, quarterback."

"That's what it's called," I said to myself under my breath, not intending for Leigh to hear, but he did.

"Yes," he softly answered, along with a nervous nod.

Staring at the smart telly—another man was down, looking terribly hurt, and that scared me even more. "If there's no teammate ahead of you, you only have to reach the winning end, and if you fail, those giant people crush you down?" I asked Leigh, terrified at the game.

How safe is it for Leigh to play football? That's what keeps playing over and over in my mind. Like right now, with him close to me, his decent and scrumptious scent taking over every breath I inhale, I can't imagine seeing him hurt. Maybe I should call Arlen and let him know I can't attend the game. I know I won't stand seeing Leigh hurt.

Leigh couldn't resist laughing as he said, "First, you have to be a fast runner and strong for both defense and offense. Know the rules of the game and remember, teamwork makes the win. And no one will crush you."

"Are you the captain of the team?" I curiously asked the guy next to me, feeling so much admiration for him.

"No, why?" He smiled but furrowed his brow.

Having my answer, I declined to give him further explanations. "Is it safe to play?" I continued asking.

His eyes narrowed at the change of questions, and he refused to reply. He leaned back onto the couch, smiled, and then pretended to concentrate on the game.

Annoyed by his sudden muteness, I tossed the half-finished hamburger onto the table in the center of the living room and pretended to focus on my phone until I heard the entrance door click open.

"You should rest," I heard Christian say.

"I don't know," Mom replied before appearing before us with her warm smile.

"Hello, glad to see you've eaten. I'll pack and then do my assignment," Mom kindly announced, beginning to tidy up the scattered rubbish around the living room.

"I will do it," Leigh quickly offered. "You should go do your thing."

The way Christian's eyes glistened with pride, I immediately understood the need for Leigh to be obedient around his father or elders.

"I will go to bed," Lilith exhaled deeply and stretched as she got to her feet.

"Want me to make your coffee, honey?" Mom asked her.

Lilith shook her head and stalked away. "What about you? Do you want some tea?" Mom turned to me with her politeness, even when she looked faint.

"Mom, go and rest seriously. I will make myself some tea," I reassured her with an understanding smile.

Christian gently tugged her away when she continued asking Leigh and me about our day and what we'd eaten, which Leigh clearly found amusing.

"You're so much like your mom," he said when we finished cleaning the living room. Leigh held a black bag of rubbish in his hand and followed the direction to the kitchen to dispose of it in the recycling bin, with me trailing behind to make myself some tea.

When Leigh said he ran into some Twinings, I thought he grabbed two or three, but I found out he had brought over twenty packs of Twinings. It surprised me and made me happy, knowing I wouldn't have to worry about tea anytime soon.

"So, you steep the tea for five minutes before garnishing it with what you desire. It takes patience," Leigh said while standing by the worktop sink opposite me.

"Yes," I agreed. "Before, I wouldn't wait, but my aunt made sure I learned to."

Leigh remained silent, and I could feel his eyes on me, but I tried to avoid his gaze and focused on breathing and stirring my tea. "What makes you happy?" The question took me by surprise, causing me to inhale sharply.

"What?" I asked, caught off guard.

"What makes you happy?" he repeated.

I didn't even know, and with the need to answer the question at that moment, I swallowed and tried to reason with my thoughts. "Reading fictional novels, I believe, and definitely tea." I laughed at my somewhat ridiculous response. "But honestly, my mom. We haven't spent a lot of time together, so now I feel grateful to see her almost every time I wake up and go to sleep."

Leigh remained silent for a while, and the silence around us grew deeper, sharp as a blade. "What do you want so badly that you can't get?" he asked, yet another unexpected question.

I transported myself back to London, recalling some of the historical places I had visited. "A tattoo of the nine planets around my waist," I replied with a smile. It was something I had wanted for a long while, but I knew my mom would never approve of it.

"What's your biggest fear?" he asked once again.

I stared at him in silence, lowering my gaze to the floor. "Losing someone from my life."

Leigh slowly stepped towards me, his hands shoved in his jogger pockets. When he stopped half a foot away, my body felt disconnected from my soul, succumbing to the usual effect he had on me. His fingers lifted my chin, locking our gaze, and his thumb ran across my lips slowly and tenderly, quickening my breathing.

"Won't you ask me what makes me happy, what I want so badly that I can't have?" His gaze was filled with trust and a sense of connection that my body couldn't resist.

"What makes you happy, Leigh?" I whispered, my lips trembling.

"You," he simply answered, as if it were a fact. Like it was an easy answer, just like a child reciting the alphabet. "Your smile, your obsession with tea, the way you smile at your books in the library or concentrate on a lecture with a pen between your lips, the way you navigate tight spaces instead of uttering a simple excuse to the person blocking your way, the way you emphasize eating healthy and avoiding excess, the way you flip your ponytail when you try to walk away from me, oh, and the way leaving your hair down makes you uncomfortable..."

"Okay, okay," I nervously laughed, cutting him off. What were we doing? I was sure no one would walk in on us and consider our position innocent.

But I didn't care; I asked him again. "What do you want that you can't have?"

He swallowed and smiled weakly. "You. I want you more than I want life itself, but I'm afraid I can't have you." His finger expanded and cupped my cheek, and I found myself leaning into it, even though his touch intensified everything inside me, even though those butterflies were fluttering in my stomach once again.

I closed my eyes and let the warmth and movement of his fingers caress my nervousness. "And what's your biggest fear, Leigh Boyce?" I repeated his earlier question.

"For you to say no," he whispered softly yet with deep emotion, slicing my heart in ways I never imagined.

My eyes opened, and I found him staring at me with intense sentimental affection in his glossy eyes. "Our parents will be hurt," I told him.

"They don't have to know," he shook his head.

I smiled faintly at him and succumbed to his soft touch. "I'm out of ideas," I sighed.

"I have one," he smiled at my lost expression. "What if we make it this way? During the homecoming game, if I score three touchdowns, you're mine. It doesn't matter if the team loses. And if I spell your name on my own on the field, you must say yes."

"What? And what are touchdowns?" I asked, feeling clueless about what he was saying, but knowing that I had to say yes or no if he scored three times.

"Don't worry, you'll see," he smirked and slowly released his reddish lip between his teeth. It was the most beautiful thing I had witnessed. It made me want to pull his face towards me and kiss him so badly.

And in that moment, I didn't object to the idea; I didn't care about anything else. I just let myself memorize his beautiful eyes, his warmest and reassuring smile—everything that made him perfect and breathtaking. That's when Christian's voice interrupted us.

***

The following day, I had breakfast with Christian and Lilith at the table while telling them about Sawyer. Mom had driven to check on her patient earlier, before we all woke up. So Christian made our breakfast. I know it's strange how Christian and Mom treat us like we're five, but they really enjoy being the parents.

With a knock on the door, I stood up with my backpack over my shoulder to answer it. Leigh was in the living room when I walked through the hall and opened the door, only to find Embry in a black lace dress and black lipstick. She literally looked like a witch.

She confirmed her witchery with a smirk, ripping my heart apart. "Where's Leigh? The king and queen are driving together to their palace."

When will life stop messing with my emotions?

"Who's there?" Leigh's voice came from behind me, his hand on the door as he peered to see Embry.

"You heard her. She's here to have you," I firmly said to his face before walking away with my heart bleeding.