Chapter 39 Then Show Me

Chapter 39 Then Show Me
I stand frozen on the pitch as the jumbotron continues to play the nightmare I’ve been dreading for weeks. The video that has haunted my sleep is now being broadcast in front of hundreds of people, including scouts, my mother, my sister, and Emma. The crowd murmurs in confusion at first, then grows louder as the clip shows a group of guys carrying a girl upstairs.
My stomach twists violently. This cannot be happening. Not here. Not now.
I can’t look away. My eyes stay locked on the screen like I’m watching a crash in slow motion, waiting for the exact second everything shatters.
The camera angle shifts and just as my face is about to come into view, the screen glitches. Then cuts.
And just as suddenly as it started, the screen flips to a completely different scene in a place I do not recognize. It’s a bedroom with dim lighting. Two girls are clearly visible on a large bed with four men. My eyes widen as I instantly recognize Haley and Sarah. They’re in the middle of a full orgy, their bodies entangled, moans filling the stadium speakers before anyone can stop it.
The crowd gasps audibly. Several people stand up. Parents cover their children’s eyes. The dean and other staff members scramble near the control booth, shouting instructions to kill the feed. After a frantic few seconds, the jumbotron finally goes black, but the damage is already done. Whispers spread through the stands like wildfire.
I turn and see Haley manage to slip away from the bench area, her face burning with humiliation as she disappears toward the locker room. Sarah, however, has no choice but to stay. She’s still in uniform, scheduled to play the second half. She's standing near the side-line, her cheeks flushed crimson, refusing to meet anyone’s eyes.
Just then, I turn slowly and spot Cole across the field talking to the dean. As if sensing me, his gaze drifts away from the man and locks directly with mine. For a moment, the noise of the crowd fades and there’s just us. His expression is unreadable, but something passes between us.
Before I can process it, however, one of the scouts approaches me on the field. He’s a tall man in his forties with a clipboard and a professional smile.
“Riley Bennett, right?” he says, extending his hand. “Impressive performance out there today. You read the game well and your passing accuracy is excellent.”
“Thank you, sir.” I say, shaking his hand with a smile. “I’m glad you’re enjoying the game.”
“All because of you, my dear.” He chips in. “So tell me... what are your plans after this season?”
“I want to play at the collegiate level and eventually go professional. That has always been the dream.”
He nods, still smiling. “Keep playing like that and I have a feeling your dreams are about to become a very real possibility very soon.”
Excitement surges through me despite everything. “Thank you, sir. That means a lot.”
He gives me a final nod and walks away.
Shortly after, the whistle blows for the second half. I jog back into position, my mind still reeling from the jumbotron incident, but I force myself to focus. The game resumes at a fast pace. We trade possession for several minutes before I find a gap in their defence. I receive the ball near the midfield, dribble past one defender, and spot the opening. I strike it cleanly, sending the ball curling into the top corner of the net.
The final whistle blows shortly after and the crowd erupts. My teammates rush over, hugging and congratulating me.
Mom, Lena, and Emma run onto the field. Mom reaches me first, pulling me into a tight hug despite still wearing her work clothes.
“You were incredible out there!” she says, beaming. “That last goal was perfect.”
Lena hugs me next. “I’m so proud of you, Ri. You carried the team.”
Emma wraps her arms around both of us. “My little sister is a star. That scout looked impressed.”
I pull back slightly, still catching my breath. “He actually spoke to me. He didn’t make any promises, but he seemed really impressed!”
Mom’s eyes light up. “That is wonderful news, honey! We need to celebrate. Where do you want to go?”
I glance back once toward the side-line and catch Cole watching me from a distance. There is clear pride in his eyes, even from far away and I immediately know what I want.
“Sweet Crumbs,” I say, turning back to Mom. “I’m way too exhausted to head over there right now but I really want some of their cheesecake. Do you guys think you could go get me a couple slices?”
Mom eyes me. “That place is over two and a half hours away.”
“Not if you drive quickly,” I reply lightly.
Mom checks her watch and sighs. “I have to head back to work for a late shift, but I’ll pay for it. You girls go enjoy yourselves. Bring me back a slice.”
“You’re really not coming?” Emma asks me once Mom leaves. “It’ll be fun.”
“I really wish I could, Em, but I’m beat. Long game and all...” I insist. “Think you could drop me home on your way there?”
Emma sighs, but agrees anyway and we head toward her car while they chatter excitedly about the game.
After saying goodbye to Mom, we climb into Emma’s car. Lena takes the front seat while I settle in the back. As we pull out of the parking lot, the earlier anxiety creeps back in. The jumbotron incident plays on repeat in my mind. Haley and Sarah’s sex tape was broadcast instead of mine, but I know that was no coincidence. Cole must have done something, that’s the only explanation. And yet he has barely spoken to me all week. Just when I think I’m beginning to get that man, he finds ways to keep surprising me.
As soon as Emma drops me home, I wait just long enough for her taillights to disappear down the street before I turn and walk the short distance to Cole’s house instead, my heart pounding with each step closer. I climb the steps and knock on his door.
He opens it a moment later, clearly having just stepped out of the shower. His hair is damp, and he's wearing only a pair of grey sweatpants slung low on his hips. Water droplets are still clinging to his shoulders and chest.
He looks so breathtakingly beautiful in this exact moment that for a second, I forget what I came over to say.
Still, I cant help the small smile that tugs at my lips. “You have no idea the wave of déjà vu this just hit me with.”
Cole’s mouth curves slightly, but his eyes stay serious. “What are you doing here? Lena will be back soon.”
I step closer. “I sent Emma and Lena to get cake. It’s over 150 miles each way. We have about a couple of hours before they get back.”
He doesn’t say anything, just keeps studying me, obviously waiting for me to say what I came for.
I clear my throat. “The scout talked to me after the game. I have a feeling he might show up with an offer soon.”
Cole nods. “I know. He met with me first.”
“You know...” I take another step forward. “It wouldn’t have happened without you. If the girls had released that video…”
He exhales slowly. “I know this isn’t what you meant when you told me to handle them. The reason I didn’t go through with it the way you asked is not only because of my code, though that was part of it. But um...” he pauses for a bit. “It’s just that once you cross that line... there’s no going back.”
His voice is quieter now, more personal.
“I wasn’t just thinking about the situation,” he continues. “I was thinking about you. About what you’d have to live with after and I don’t want that for you.”
Something crosses his face quickly – sadness maybe – but he masks it quickly before I can be sure. He cups my face gently with both hands, his thumbs brushing my cheeks.
“Believe me when I say this, Riley,” he murmurs, “I would cross a thousand boundaries and break a million codes if it means keeping you safe.” My breathing stops. He leans in until his forehead is touching mine. “You have no idea how much you mean to me.”
His intense gaze is boring into mine as the words overwhelm me. And that’s it, that’s all it takes. I rise onto my toes and kiss him, pouring everything I feel into it. All the fear. The relief. The adrenaline.
Everything.
He stills for half a second, then responds. His hands slide down to my waist, pulling me flush against him. When I pull just enough to speak, my voice is barely a whisper against his lips.
“Then show me.” I say, pushing him slowly back and stepping past the threshold.
His eyes darken and without breaking eye contact, Cole reaches past me and locks the front door with a soft click. He kisses me back, deeper this time, like he’s done holding back.
And I don’t stop him.