Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

MAX

My head was full of Ivy and her pleading. No matter how hard I tried to focus on my psychology class, I didn't hear a word. This type of behavior was exactly why I didn't need a girl in my life.

It was a distraction.

Swinging my backpack on, I hurried out of the theater-styled classroom where hundreds of students sweated. Being an athlete, my main goal was to go pro, but once I retired or if life didn't want me to end up going pro, I needed a plan B. Sport psychology was my plan B.

As I walked through the busy marble floor corridors, various students nodded at me or mumbled a greeting. I had no clue who most of them were, but I politely acknowledged them, before burying my face into my phone.

I pulled a baseball cap out from my backpack and pushed it on top of my head, covering my eyes. In movies, it worked as a disguise, but in reality, it ruined my hair.

"Max!" a voice shouted my name, making me stop as I was strolling across the street in between buildings. I turned to look behind me, the smell of sunshine and grass filling my nose. Fall was not something that happened in California, which was why playing outside all year round was possible.

My eyes landed on Thalia Henderson, trying to catch up with me. Leaning against the bench, I took in her cropped sweater and jeans mini skirt. Her chestnut hair was bouncing in happy curls around her face, and her makeup was on point. Compared to her, I must have looked like homeless in my faded jeans and Titans sweater.

"I was trying to grab your attention all this time," she scolded me with a smile.

"Now you got it." I flashed her my half smile, pushing my hands in my pockets.

Thalia's eyes fell to my hands, and she moved in closer, expecting a hug.

"What's up?" I asked, maintaining the distance between us.

"I just wanted to congratulate you on the win." She batted her long eyelashes. I still remembered the taste of her lips, how I could taste a full mix of berries on those lush lips.

I hated berries ever since we broke up, and I even refused to put them in my smoothie. I was that petty.

"Thank you, but it was only a friendly game, and we all know the Lions are no match for us."

"You lost against them last year," Thalia mentioned it, reminding me of the only time we lost against them. Maddox and Dex were both out of the game because of a red card, and I was on a verge of an injury pushing myself to play both in NCAA Division I games and USA National Team. The only downside of wanting to do both was that I didn't get paid, just had my costs covered.

"Yeah, that was a tough one." I shrugged, my hands fisting in my pocket. "Anyway… if that's all…"

"I just wanted to see if you wanted to catch up?"

Thalia was toxic, possessive and crazy. I didn't know that freshman year, but since our breakup, I did. She wanted to rekindle our relationship, and I tried to balance the line of remaining polite, but not encouraging her.

"I'm a little bit busy with practice and stuff, but maybe over the weekend I can find some time," I muttered, and even I could hear my voice growing uncertain. "Why don't I text you?"

"You never texted me the last time you promised."

"Must have slipped my mind, sorry."

"You know… my dad…"

"Hey, Cap!" Maddox hugged my neck from behind. "Hey, Thalia."

"Hi," she mumbled, not sparing him a look. "We were in a middle of a conversation."

"Sorry, this is urgent." He winked at her and stepped backward while holding me in a lock.

"I wasn't finished," she shouted after us.

I wanted to turn away and say something comforting, but Maddox held me strong.

"Don't even fucking think about it," he muttered, his smile dropping and his strides becoming longer and quicker. "You should never be alone with her."

"I can't just ignore her. But I should have handled it better."

"Yeah, I heard her start using her dad as an excuse," Maddox bit through clenched teeth. "If you want a career in soccer, create some distance."

I groaned, shaking his arm off me. "Thanks for the save."

"Any time, bro. But let's not make a habit of this. Stick to avoiding her and I don't know… maybe take up that chick on her offer? Fake girlfriend or not… that would stop Thalia's attack."

I sighed, not wanting to think of Ivy at the moment.

"You should have never fucked her." Maddox shook his head, reminding me of my drunken mistake freshman year, as he cut across the courtyard.

"In my defense… he was not the National Team's coach back then." I sighed as I kicked the door of the athletic building open.

I needed to be on the team to put myself in front of the eyes of the world. And I knew that pissing off Thalia could easily cost me that position.

Coming off from a win always meant that practice was more brutal. I warmed up the team as we went through the strategy, making sure every player on the field knew where they needed to be at any point of the game.

"Great work," Coach Parker called to me as the team moved in unison, holding their position as we played against each other. "I think we need to make sure Derek is positioned always to have an opening."

Dex was our forward and he loved being the center of attention and scoring all the goals. He fit into that role well, while Maddox and I worked the ball all the way from the middle up to him. The three of us made the game what it was.

"That's what we are working on," I explained, pointing at the defenders who were posing as the opposing team.

"He moves too much into the goal line," Coach Parker explained, as we approached the rest of the players. "Stallman, don't go too in, if you get the goal pass you might end up being offside losing the goal."

Dex nodded, looking around him to see where he was positioned, before taking two steps toward the middle of the field. "Got it."

"Last year, there were a lot of offsides. We can't make the same mistake this year," Coach went on.

"And a lot of over the goal shots," Marco, our forward, muttered.

Dex groaned quietly, hating when Marco criticized him, but it was true. We made many mistakes last season and we needed to correct them. This year, there was no room for error.

Coach Parker went on, grilling Dex and the defenders, and I zoned out, my mind still spinning around Thalia and the potential of a World Cup waiting for me. I couldn't mess it up with her or upset her when there was a FIFA World Cup taking place next year. And with Sky McCarthy retiring, there was a midfielder spot open for me. Coach McCarthy was my favorite. As assistant coach, he always gave me good advices.

"Aarons, you and Linden also need to take more chances." Coach turned toward me, dragging me out of my daydreaming. "Whenever you take a risk and score, it turns out to be good for us, but you always wait till the last minute. You need to step up more."

Could I have taken more risks? Definitely. Both on and off the field.

Maybe dating Ivy would be good for me. Maybe a fake girlfriend would get Thalia off my back, keep my potential World Cup position, and help me focus on my soccer.

"Dude, you are not here." Maddox elbowed me in the ribs, as Coach blew his whistle, dismissing us. "What's gotten into you?"

"I need to sort out the Thalia problem." I lowered my voice, as our teammates scattered from around us, rushing to the changing rooms. "I need her to back off."

"Are you taking Poison Ivy up on her offer?" Dex bumped into me from the other side, joining in on our conversation.

"Maybe that would be helpful… just until they announce the teams… it will also give her enough time with the Ander business… and you know…"

Dex clapped me on the back. "That's the spirit, I would tap it."

"This isn't about sex," I groaned, shaking his hand off me. "This is about getting Thalia to back off and helping Ivy with Ander. It's a two in one… think of it as business."

"Sex is business… it's the best currency to trade in," Dex went on.

I glanced at Maddox. "Do you think it's crazy?"

"I think you should focus on your benefit of it as you don't know how genuine this girl is… she might be tricking you. But she can't trick you if you have your own gains from this arrangement."

"Exactly," Dex agreed as if he wasn't unhelpful moments before. "Plus, I heard she's been getting a lot of shit for being seen with you. Maybe you can go play knight in shining armor and save her from the cruelty of the internet."

"I'm no knight in shining armor."

Laughing, they exchanged an amused look. "Yeah, you are."

"You are the hero in every girl's fairytale, dude."

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks for the not so useful advice."

"Where are you going?" Dex called after me, as I jogged across the field.

"To play the hero."

After a quick shower and a change of my outfit, I jumped into my Range Rover and made my way toward the Westpoint campus. It was Friday afternoon and students were done with their classes. They mingled in the courtyards, lying on the blankets and chatting as I passed. Several curious glances were thrown my way, but I kept my sunglasses fixed in front of my eyes and walked with determination even if I had no idea where Ivy was. I didn't know what major she was to even start walking to any direction. I didn't know anything about her.

Maybe I needed a better plan.

"Max?" A hand landed on my shoulders.

Twisting around, I pasted a casual, sweet smile on my face. "Hi…" Surprise washed over me, and my smile wavered. "Kaia, right?"

"Impressive." Her short blonde hair framed her face. She was wearing a skintight ribbed dress, the caramel color blending in with her skin.

I blinked, unsure where to look as it almost felt like she was naked, so I settled on her eyes.

"Do you know where Ivy is?" I asked, hoping my voice didn't shake from the uncertainty that gripped my throat.

This was the most impulsive thing I've done since hooking up with Thalia.

"Oh…" Kaia blinked. "I think she is on Mill Hill Road. Where the soccer players live."

It was one of the busies college streets where most athletes rented and lived together. Whenever the team was sharing a place to live, it always boosted the teamwork. Usually, freshman had to stay on campus but anyone on the team from sophomore onwards had the option to live in the soccer house.

A sour taste filled my mouth, and I immediately thought I got played.

"They are having a party tonight, and I think she went there to hang out with Daisy… her sister," Kaia explained, as she took in my sad puppy face probably.

"I wanted to talk to her, but it can wait." I shrugged it off, annoyed at myself for even considering it.

"I'm going there… if you want to give me a ride?" Kaia asked. "I won't tell Dex."

Dex wouldn't care even if I was fucking her, but it was cute of her to try.

"I can give you a ride," I agreed. "But I won't go inside."

Her smile grew wider. "You came all the way here just to go back?"

"Technically, it was a ten-minute drive. It wasn't some grand gesture."

"Depends on who you ask." She winked. "Let's go. The sooner you drop me off, the sooner you can pretend this never happened."

It almost felt like Ander was the leader of some weird cult and not the soccer team. People were staring and pointing and even taking sneaky photos, and it was ridiculous.

No wonder Ivy felt pressured. Westpoint was clearly more intense than our school.

I opened the door for Kaia, before I rounded the car and dropped next to her.

"Your school is intense."

"Soccer is a religion here," she answered with a shrug. "Ivy got the worst of it."

"Are you here to take her up on her offer?" she pushed on. "Please say yes!"

I chuckled and shook my head. "I was… but then… I don't know anymore."

"Talk to me and I'll convince you."

"No offense, but I'd rather talk to Ivy." I offered her a curt smile as I drove toward the Westpoint athletic street. "This is between her and me, and I want her to be the one I talk to first. But I'm sure she will fill you in on all the juicy details."

As I passed some of the houses, their sizes and designs were all the same, plain and simple, but the various flags showcased who lived in them. Some had team flags; the others had fraternity chapter flags. I slowed my speed, until it came to a stop in front of a white house with a flag of a lion with a soccer ball.

"You look like you're about to change your mind." Kaia grabbed my arm that rested on top of the steering wheel.

"Just contemplating my life choices," I half-joked.

She smiled. "Let's go in, pretty boy."