In Striking Distance

Chapter Nine | Corner

THEA TOOK A look at the man sprawled across the sofa. His blond hair was sticking up at different angles and even in his sleep, the light eyebrows were scrunched up. His legs were off the sofa, too small for his larger frame. He had been in the exact position a few weeks ago.

Thea shook her head; she'd been naïve to think they had made progress. It hurt her, seeing him like this.

Someone who had once been so bright, filled with laughter and in tune with her emotions, was compressing his feelings and sucking everything in like a blackhole. Orson seemed determined to take her down along with him as well. Some days, she thought it might be easier to just cave, and give up on life like he had.

But she didn't get the luxury that he did.

He hadn't come to her room last night. She wasn't sure if she was grateful or missed his presence. Her bed felt emptier last night, and she didn't need to rustle back her blankets in a game of tug of war they often played in the midst of their slumber. But she found herself still curling on the right side, accustomed to his presence on the left.

She tipped toed to her kitchen, not wanting to wake him up—and deal with whatever attitude he would have this morning. Her fingers skimmed the envelopes she'd brought back from the lobby yesterday.

Thea ripped open the familiar brown envelope, glancing at her latest student loan payment. She sighed; it was never ending. It had been years since she graduated, yet she was still riddled with debt. Sometimes, she wondered if she would ever be debt free.

She tossed the paper in the recycling bin and carefully tucked the letter back in her kitchen drawer where other bills remained. Thea would deal with the student loan payment after, but right now, she had a game to play.

⚽⚽⚽

Thea's face was drenched with sweat but there was a huge smile on her face as the referee blew the whistle twice, signaling the end of the game.

They had actually won a fucking game. She ran to the other girls huddled in a group and joined them. They all had ear splitting grins as they hugged and cheered before waving to the crowd.

While it was sparse, and nothing compared to the crowds she saw at her brother's game she noted the overzealous fan section filled with little boys and girls. Her heart warmed at that, seeing their excitement and joy and their faces and the relief in their parents. She could imagine it was hard to explain a loss to a child once, but to do it for nearly the season was another story.

Someone placed their hands on her shoulders, and she spun to see Lauren grinning, "Come on, the faster we can get out of here, the faster we can make it to our dinner."

Thea let her captain lead her through the tunnel, "You were phenomenal today, especially that last goal? Where did that come from?"

Lauren shrugged her shoulders casually, "To be frankly honest, neither do I. But something just felt lighter after the goal. Whatever voodoo seemed to be following me around has disappeared."

Thea laughed; the grandmother would have a heart attacked if she heard them talking about voodoo. Her grandmother was utterly religious and called anything or anyone to do with voodoo devil worshippers.

They entered the locker room and 90s hip-hop was blaring through the speakers. Some of the girls were dancing while they put away their equipment, and Thea was taken back by the quick change in atmosphere. Well, one win did make a huge difference apparently. Even she felt lighter, even thought it hadn't been her best game by a long mile.

Kendra entered the room and Jess elbowed one of the girls to shut of the music. Her coach surprisingly had a smile on her face. "Good game ladies. I'm proud of the way you played tonight. While our passes became sloppier in the second half, and we missed a few wide-open nets, a win is still a win. Enjoy this and take the momentum to help us finish out the rest of the season."