The following Wednesday, Elena went to a show at the campus theater, leaving the dorm room just Maya's.
The Bourdieu lay open on Maya's desk, notes scattered around it. 7:11 PM. Jake texted: Riley made me watch two hours of film and I'm going insane. Are you home?
Maya looked at the book. Yes. Bring food. I want junk specifically.
He showed up twenty minutes later with a plastic bag full of junk food. He dropped them on her desk. "Elena's not here?"
"She went out."
He sat down in Elena's chair, stretched his legs out, looking entirely comfortable in her dorm.
He glanced at the Bourdieu. "Still working on that paper?"
"Yep."
They ate the snacks. Talked about her brother and whether he'd make it through to spring without another round of skipping. Compared Oregon winters and Ohio winters.
11:47 PM. Maya's phone buzzed. "Elena says she'll be back in twenty," she said.
Jake looked at the wrappers. At the clock. At her. "I should—"
"Yeah."
He cleaned up the wrappers. Got his jacket from the back of the chair.
"Jake."
He turned.
Maya looked at him. Her heart thudding. "I've been meaning to tell you something," she said.
He waited.
"I forgive you. For everything. I was angry for a while, and then..."
She paused. "The past week has been fun."
Jake was still. Then he nodded, slow. "Okay," he said..
"Then I want to ask you something."
He stood at the door, jacket in hand, facing her. "I know you've come to a game before. And you disappeared before I could get to you."
He paused. "Come to Saturday's game. Not just to watch. Wear my jersey."
Maya stared at him. "You want me to wear your jersey."
"Yeah." A small smile tugged at his mouth. "That's what I'm asking."
She stared at him for a beat longer.
"Yes."
He smiled a quiet smile that was just for her.
He crossed the room and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Saturday," he said against her hair.
"Saturday," she said.
He pulled back, looked at her once more, and then left.
On Saturday she was going to wear Jake Thompson's number in the stands. She was nervous as hell.
The jersey was on Maya's desk when she woke up Saturday morning.
She'd been to his games before. Once. She'd left before he could reach her. This time was different.
She was in the bathroom brushing her teeth when Elena came back from her evening run, cheeks pink from the cold. Elena dropped her keys on her desk, pulled off her beanie, and stopped. She was looking at the jersey.
Maya came out of the bathroom.
Elena turned slowly. "Maya."
"Yeah?."
"Is that—" Elena pointed. "Is that his jersey?"
"Yes."
Maya told her everything.
When she finished, Elena was quiet. Which was unusual enough that Maya looked at her.
"I'm so proud of you," Elena said.
"For what?"
"For forgiving him and giving him a second chance." She shook her head.
Maya smiled. Elena crossed the room and sat beside her. "Okay. Put it on."
"Right now?"
"Yeah we need to see it."
Maya picked up the jersey. She pulled it over her head, the jersey was blue and gold. It was large and it settled over her shoulders and fell to mid-thigh.
Elena pressed her hand to her mouth. "What?" Maya asked nervously.
"Nothing." Elena's eyes were bright. "Absolutely nothing. You look—" She stopped. "He's going to lose his mind. You'll be wearing his number in front of the whole school."
"I know."
Elena stopped in front of her. "Are you okay with that?"
"Yes," she said.
Elena smiled. "Good. Let me just shower then we can head out."
Maya walked across campus. People stared. Some pointed. She felt their eyes on her, but she didn't look away.
Elena walked beside her, hand in hand.
The stadium loomed ahead, lights cutting through the grey. The crowd's hum filled the air and Maya's heart sped faster.
The opening kickoff went to the Thunderhawks. The game started. Jake scanned the field, eyes moving fast. He threw a check-down.
"That's not what he wanted," Maya said.
Elena raised an eyebrow. "How do you know?"
"He just has that look, you know."
Elena smiled. "How much do you know about football?"
"Just what Jake told me. That it's about reading the defense."
Elena laughed. "You're going to be annoying to watch games with."
Maya didn't answer. She was watching the field.
The first half dragged. Every time Jake dropped back, the defense shifted. He checked down, scrambled, threw the ball away. Twice he forced throws that went nowhere. The crowd groaned.
14-3 at halftime. Jake jogged off the field without looking up.
Elena touched her arm. "He'll figure it out."
Maya nodded. She wasn't sure.
Halftime
Jake sat in the locker room, helmet at his feet, listening to Coach Miller review the first half. The opposing team's safeties were cheating toward his release side, playing Cover 2. Jake's ribs throbbed from a hit earlier, but the tape was holding up okay.
"The backside is open," Jake said.
Coach looked at him. "You seeing that?"
"Yeah. I'm getting to my second read too late."
Riley leaned in. "Fake a throw to me. Their safety will bite. The other receiver will be wide open."
"Crossing route behind him."
"Tested it twice in Q2. Bit both times."
Jake looked at the board. He saw the opening.
"You good?" Coach asked.
"Yeah."
Coach nodded and moved on.
The team filed out. Jake was last. He thought about Maya watching him play a half that wasn't his best. He was going to fix it.
Second Half
The Thunderhawks came out sharper. Jake took the snap, and the ball was gone before she knew it. Eleven-yard gain.
"There he is!" Elena shouted. "That's our QB!"
Elena pointed. "Him and Riley both. Watch Riley, he's beating this man."
The crowd erupted. 14-10.
Another drive. Jake found Riley again—twelve yards, first down. The stadium roared. Then another score. 14-17. The home crowd was on its feet.
Then the hit. The crack of pads echoed through the stadium. Maya jumped up.
"Is he okay?" she asked, her voice tight.
"Good God, I hope he is."
"But he doesn't look okay," Maya said.
Jake got up, hand to his side, and jogged back to the huddle. He called the next play. Maya watched, her heart racing. He took the snap, and threw.
He never asked for help, Maya realised.
Maya sat back down, her eyes fixed on Jake. "That's not a new injury."
Elena looked at her, concern etched on her face.
Maya sighed, turning back to the field.
Jake's ribs had been screaming since the third quarter. He'd managed the pain with controlled breathing.
He looked at Riley in the huddle. "Ready?"
Riley grinned. "Always."
"Same play as third quarter. I'll set the pump fake on the slot, safety commits—"
"Seam route. I'll be there." Riley grinned.
"On two." Jake looked around. "We run this thing clean, we win. That's it."
The huddle broke. Jake stepped under center. The defense was tired. He could see it in the linebacker's stance.
He scanned left, then right. The linebacker shifted. Jake called out a change. The defense adjusted. He changed it again. The linebacker looked annoyed.
Jake took the snap. The ball came out fast – eight yards, first down.
Another play. A run up the middle. Seven more yards.
Third down. He kept it himself, slipped through the edge, got to the marker by two feet. The crowd was loud now.
Forty seconds left. One timeout. Coach signaled. Jake knew what to do.
He dropped back. Pump-faked left. Saw the safety hesitate. Just a half-step.
Riley broke free down the middle.
Jake set his feet. His ribs compressed, pain shot through him, but he threw.
The ball arced through the cold air. Riley was there. Caught it at the six. Fell forward into the end zone.
Touchdown.
The stadium erupted. Jake stood with his arm still extended. His hand was shaking. His ribs were on fire. He let himself feel it – the satisfaction of having trusted what he saw.
Then Riley slammed into him from the side, hugging him hard. Jake's ribs screamed. He laughed anyway. Worth it.
He found section B. Maya was on her feet. Hands pressed to her mouth. Eyes bright. She was wearing his number. She was looking right at him.
They came down from the stands, the crowd filtering around them, making for the field-level exit.
Jake came through the gate still in full uniform – helmet in hand, grass on his cleats, sweat-damp and favoring his right side. He found them immediately. His eyes landed on the jersey – his name across her back, number twelve. He smiled.
He pulled her into a hug. Both arms, helmet bumping her shoulder, pads between them. She pressed her face into his neck and held on.
"Did you see that," he said.
"I did, you were awesome."
She pulled back and looked at him. Exhaustion was written all over his face. He was standing, favouring his right side slightly.
"Your ribs," she said.
"I'm—"
"No you're not."
He closed his mouth. Opened it again.
"It's manageable."
"We're going to the training facility tomorrow morning," she said.
"Maya—"
"That's not negotiable. You played a whole game with an injury. That's so reckless."
He flinched. Just slightly. Then nodded.
"Yeah, maybe," he said after a moment.
Riley appeared behind him, still in full uniform, running on post-win energy. He spotted Maya first.
"Oh my god, you came!" He pulled her into a hug. "Jake wouldn't shut up about it. I thought my ears were going to fall off."
Maya laughed. "Yeah, well—"
"Seriously," Riley said, pulling back. Then he turned to Jake. "That throw, though. You're insane. Absolutely insane."
Jake smiled. "Thanks, man."
They all laughed.
Then Riley's gaze landed on Elena. "Oh, who's this?"
Maya stepped in. "This is Elena, my best friend and roommate. Elena, this is Riley, Jake's best friend."
Riley straightened up, chest out, cocky. "Wide receiver. Number eighty-four. You probably saw me out there making it look easy."
Elena looked at him. "Yea I did see someone drop a pass in the second quarter."
"That was—the defender held my arm—"
"Sure," Elena said.
Jake snorted.
Maya coughed.
Elena turned to Jake, her voice filled with mock hostility. "You. You put my best friend through hell. "
Nobody filled the silence.
"You're right," Jake said. "She was right about who I was in that moment. And I'm sorry, to her and to you. I can't undo it." He paused. "I'm trying to be worth the chance she's giving me."
Elena studied him. "Good," she said. "Don't waste it."
"I won't."
She nodded.
Maya looked at Jake. "How did you know where Riley was going to be? It looked like you threw to empty space."
Riley's face lit up. "Okay so—"
Jake and Maya stepped back as Riley launched into an explanation, hands gesturing animatedly.
Jake's hand found Maya's.
Maya watched them walking ahead – Riley's arms moving through the air, Elena's head tilted to the side.
The campus spread out around them, the post-game noise fading behind as they moved further from the stadium. Ahead, Riley and Elena had unconsciously matched pace, walking in step with each other.
They got to spruce hall. Riley and Elena kept going. Elena wanted coffee and Riley agreed. Jake and Maya stopped outside the dorm
He looked at her, taking in the jersey. "It looks good on you," he said.
"Thanks."
He looked up, his face tired. "Thanks for wearing it."
"You're welcome but it is something I wanted to do ."
"I know." Jake said
"Goodnight, Jake."
"Goodnight, Maya." He kissed her on the forehead.
She went inside. He stood at the door, helmet in hand, ribs aching.