Page 83 of Playing for Keeps

But our lead was short-lived, with Bannings making a brilliant break and setting their fullback Angus Ross up for a try. We were back to three points down. Shit.

The game turned into a grind where neither side could break through the defense.

Puffing, I glanced at the game clock on the big screen. We were running out of time. Only five minutes to go.

Ethan ran out onto the field to replace Alfie, but even the sight of him didn’t distract me. It just reminded me of what he’d said at halftime. Because he was right. I’d done this so many times in my imagination.

Now I just needed to turn it into reality.

Ethan cleared the ball from a messy ruck, sending it spiraling out through the backline through Isaiah’s hands and then out to me at the forty-meter line.

I hesitated, ball in hand, the Greens defenders charging toward me.

The obvious thing would be to kick for touch in the corner. It would be the safe, sensible option. If I kicked the ball into touch, we’d reset for the lineout and have the chance to get the ball back and for our forwards to drive it over the line. It was what the Greens would expect me to do.

But maybe it was time to take a risk. Do the unexpected.

I did a small chip kick over the top then scrambled after it, but the kick was swallowed up almost instantly by Angus Ross.

Shit. Regret surged. I’d just thrown away our advantage.

But I didn’t stop chasing the ball. I slammed my body into Ross, and the ball popped out of his hands.

I reacted instinctively, scooping it up and darting toward the try line. Tuala was streaking across the field to cover me, but I put on a surge of pace and sprinted over the line to ground the ball.

Try!

I flung the ball up into the air, and then I was surrounded by my ecstatic teammates, all hugging me.

One set of arms was especially familiar and sent my heart racing for a different reason. I hugged Ethan back hard, feeling his body pressed into mine, extending the hug slightly past what was normal for teammates. But in that moment it didn’t matter.

Because for once it felt like anything was possible.

Chapter21

Ethan

We’d won!

It was impossible to describe how I’d felt watching Luke run in the winning try—so much happiness swelling inside me I’d felt as if I was about to burst.

The Marauders fans were going wild in the stands, and the whole team surrounded Luke, celebrating with him.

Luke grinned, a complete, unreserved grin that reeled me in like a fish on a hook. I threw my arms around him.

“You did it!” I whooped into his shoulder, but I wasn’t sure if he heard me over all the congratulatory shouting.

Our hug lasted slightly longer than a standard bro-hug, and the smell of him, sweat and mud and something else so uniquely Luke, caused a pang of want inside me.

He released me and I staggered back.

The team reorganized. Jonesy still had to kick the conversion, but it didn’t really matter. We were up by three points, and only thirty seconds remained on the clock.

Jonesy struck the ball cleanly and it sailed over the goalposts for two more points.

Then the ref blew his whistle to signal the end of the game, and the true celebrations started.

Coach Clark and the rest of the support staff ran onto the field to join the team as we whooped and hugged. Someone produced bottles of champagne and suddenly the sticky liquid was being sprayed everywhere. I tried to catch some on my tongue.