Chapter 141: He is Actually Mine.

STEPHEN’S POV:Dating Hayden still didn’t feel real sometimes.Just in that quiet, unexpected way where I’d catch myself looking at him and think, this is actually mine. He’s actually mine.And then I’d have to look away before I started smiling like an idiot.“Why are you staring at me like that?”His voice pulled me out of my head.I blinked, realizing I’d been doing exactly that.“Like what?” I asked, trying and failing to sound casual.Hayden raised an eyebrow, not buying it for a second. “Like you’re thinking about something you’re not saying.”I huffed out a small laugh, shaking my head. “You’re imagining things.”“Mm-hmm.”We were walking side by side down the quiet street, the evening air cooler than it had been all day. Practice had ended earlier than usual, and for once, neither of us had rushed off.It had been Hayden’s idea.“Let’s just go somewhere,” he’d said, shrugging like it wasn’t a big deal. “No pressure or people.”I’d agreed before he even finished the sentence.N

Chapter 142: Perfect Timing

HAYDEN’S POV:The last day before the match didn’t feel like a normal day.It felt heavier, it was like every second mattered more than it should.Practice started earlier than usual, and no one complained, not out loud, anyway. The energy was different.No one wasted time or did unnecessary talking. Just work.“Positions!” Coach called out, his voice cutting clean through the morning air.We moved instantly.I took my place, rolling my shoulders once, trying to loosen the tightness sitting there. It didn’t help much.Across the field, Stephen was already in position.There was something about him today—something quieter than usual, but stronger too. Like everything from the past few weeks had settled into something steady inside him.“Ball in!” Coach shouted.The drill started fast.Pass, Move, call, reaction ,everything had to be better now.I intercepted a pass, redirected it quickly, then sprinted forward, eyes scanning for an opening.“Stephen!” I called.He moved instantly.Per

Chapter 143: I lost Control.

STEPHEN’S POV:Sleep didn’t come easy. It should have. After practice like that, after the kind of exhaustion that settles deep into your bones, sleep is supposed to hit fast and heavy.But my mind wouldn’t shut up.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the field and it was not the calm version from practice, or the controlled drills where everything made sense—but the match.I turned onto my side, staring at the faint light leaking through the curtains. My room felt too quiet, like it was waiting for something.Tomorrow.The word echoed in my head like a warning.I squeezed my eyes shut again, forcing myself to breathe slower in and out.The whistle blew.Suddenly I wasn’t in my room anymore. I was on the field.The stadium was louder than anything I’d ever heard, the kind of noise that vibrates through your chest and makes it hard to think. My heart pounded in sync with it, too fast, too loud.“Stephen!” someone shouted.I turned just in time to see the ball coming toward me.It was th

Chapter 144: The Stadium Wasn't Massive

HAYDEN’S POV:Match day didn’t feel real until we stepped onto the field.Everything before that the early wake up, the quiet bus ride, the way no one joked the way we usually did felt like buildup.But the second my boots hit the grass, it all snapped into place.This was it.The stadium wasn’t massive, but it was loud, louder than I expected. The stands were packed, voices overlapping, rising and falling in waves that made it hard to focus if you let yourself get caught in it.So I didn’t.“Circle up,” I called, my voice cutting through the noise.The team gathered quickly, forming a tight huddle around me. For a second, I just looked at them. Every single one of us had fought to be here.“Hey,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “We’ve done the work. This is just another game.”A few of them nodded, but I could see it, the nerves and pressure.I felt it too.“But we don’t play like it’s ‘just another game,’” I added. “We play like it matters. Because it does.”My eyes flicked to Step

Chapter 145: The Rest Of The Game Was Ours.

HAYDEN’S POV:The locker room was too quiet and it was not the good kind of quiet either. No. This was heavy and filled with frustration. The kind that sat on your chest and made everything feel harder than it should.I shut the door behind us, the click louder than it had any right to be.For a second, no one spoke.Some of the guys dropped onto the benches, heads down. Others paced. A few just stared at the floor like it had personally offended them.I let it sit for exactly three seconds.Then I said “Look at me.”My voice cut through the room sharper than I expected. It worked as heads lifted and eyes found mine.“Is that how we play?” I asked.No answer.“Is that us?”A few shook their heads but it was not enough.“Because from what I just watched out there?” I continued, stepping forward. “That’s not our team.”Now I had them.“They’re good,” I admitted, gesturing vaguely toward the field. “Yeah. Fast and organized. Whatever. But we’re playing like we’ve already decided we lost.

Chapter 146: A Win For All.

STEPHEN’S POV:Winning didn’t feel real at first.Not when the final whistle blew. Not when the crowd erupted so loud it felt like the sound had weight. Not even when my teammates crashed into me, shouting, laughing, grabbing at my shoulders like they needed to make sure I was actually there.It didn’t hit me then. It hit me when I looked at Hayden.He was a few steps away, breathing hard, hands on his hips, sweat dripping down his face and smiling. Not just any smile. That quiet, steady kind that meant everything had finally fallen into place.We did that.No he did that.I walked toward him before I even realized I was moving.“Told you,” he said, like he’d been waiting for me.I let out a short laugh, still catching my breath. “Yeah,” I admitted. “You did.”But that wasn’t enough. It wasn’t even close to enough.Because the truth was, I’d been off in that first half. Not just struggling forcing everything, trying to carry the game on my own like if I didn’t, we’d lose.And he saw i