Chapter 28 : The Unreal Feeling.
HAYDEN’S POV:
I didn’t think the title would follow me off the field. But it did.
By lunch, people were clapping me on the back in the hallway. By the end of the day, someone had already posted the final goal on their story with “CAPTAIN HAYDEN” in bold letters.
It felt unreal.
Gerald had been the first to yell about a party.
“Captain needs a proper celebration,” he had announced in the locker room, slinging an arm around Tyler. “Tonight. My place with no excuses.”
Even Stephen had still been there when he said it. He didn’t react. Just kept unlacing his boots like he hadn’t heard.
The silence between us was heavier than the win.
By the time I got home, adrenaline had turned into restless energy. I showered, changed twice, then stared at my phone for a full minute before typing the message.
Party tonight. You coming?
The three dots appeared almost instantly. It was Lilian.
Am I invited? Or is this a “captain only” event?
I smirked. I’m asking you to be my date.
There was a longer pause this time and then she responded.
Pick me up at eight.
I didn’t realize how tight my chest had been until it loosened.
Gerald’s house was already loud when we pulled up. Music thumped through the walls. Cars lined both sides of the street. Someone had strung fairy lights across the backyard.
I glanced at Lilian as she adjusted her jacket. She looked unreal with her soft curls falling over her shoulders, lip gloss catching the porch light.
“You sure you want to be seen with the captain?” I teased.
She rolled her eyes but smiled. “Only if he doesn’t let it get to his head.”
“No promises.” I winked and she giggled.
Inside was chaos in the best way.
Soccer guys in one corner while the cheer team near the kitchen. Someone had already started chanting my name the second I walked in.
“CAPTAIN!”
A cup was shoved into my hand before I could protest.
Lilian leaned close to my ear. “You better not embarrass me.”
“I would never.”
That was a lie.
An hour later, I was definitely drunk but not sloppy drunk. Just warm and loose and buzzing. Music shaking the floorboards. Tyler teaches one of the cheerleaders how to do some ridiculous handshake. Gerald argued loudly about who assisted my final goal.
“It was technically me,” Ethan insisted.
“It deflected off someone’s shoulder,” I shot back.
“Doesn’t matter, Captain.”
Every time someone said it, it hit differently.
Lilian and I ended up outside by the firepit with a few others. She stole my drink at one point and made a face.
“This is terrible.”
“You’re still drinking it.”
“Because it’s free.”
I laughed, pulling her closer when someone stumbled into us. Her head tipped back when she laughed and for a second, everything felt simple.
She grabbed my hand suddenly. “Dance with me.”
“There’s no music out here.” I whispered into her ears.
“It is in my head.”
I didn’t argue.
We danced badly on the grass, laughing, nearly tripping over each other. Someone wolf-whistled calling us the power couple. The Cheer Captain and the Soccer Captain. I didn’t care.
For once, I wasn’t thinking about Stephen but that didn’t last.
I stepped away to grab another drink and cool off. The night air hit my face, sobering me slightly.I rounded the side of the house toward the driveway, mostly for quiet.
Then I heard it, a sharp metallic scrape. At first, my brain didn’t process it. That's when I saw him. It was Stephen and he was standing beside my car with a mey in hand, dragging it slowly along the driver’s side door.
For a second, I just stared.
The sound hit again. It was metal against metal.
“What the hell are you doing?” My voice came out low and dangerous.
He didn’t flinch. Just finished the line and stepped back to admire the damage. It was a long, ugly scratch stretched across the paint.
“Evening, Captain,” he said coolly.
The alcohol in my system turned instantly into fire. “Are you insane?” I shoved him hard in the chest. “That’s my car”
He stumbled back but recovered fast. “Should’ve thought about that before showing off tonight.”
“Showing off?” I laughed, but it wasn’t amusing. “You vandalized my car because you lost?”
His eyes darkened. “I didn’t lose.”
“You did.”
That was it and swung a punch at me first. His fist connected to my jaw, snapping my head sideways. Pain exploded through my face, but adrenaline swallowed it. I lunged back at him, tackling him into the side of the car.
Someone screamed from the yard.
We hit the ground hard. Gravel digging into my palms as we rolled. He punched again, catching my shoulder this time. I shoved him off, scrambling up, but he grabbed my shirt and dragged me back down.
“You think you’re better than me now?” he snarled.
“I think you can’t stand it when I am!” I shot back, landing a punch that split his lip.
Blood smeared across his mouth but he grinned like he liked it.
“You’ve always needed me to push you.”
“At least I don’t fall apart when things don’t go my way!”
He tackled me again and we slammed into the hood of my car and there was more shouting now. The front door flew open.
“What the hell….?”
It was Marcus, his stupid boyfriend of his. He sprinted toward us, shoving between us just as Stephen tried to swing again.
“Stop!” Marcus yelled, grabbing Stephen’s arm. “Are you crazy?”
“Get off me!” Stephen struggled, trying to break free.
I wiped blood from my mouth with the back of my hand. My chest heaved. My car looked worse now. It was scratched and dented.
People were gathering outside and of course they had their phones out.
“Congratulations,” Stephen spat at me over Marcus’s shoulder. “Enjoy your stupid title.”
“At least I earned it!” I shot back.
Marcus tightened his grip. “Stephen. Enough.”
Stephen’s breathing was ragged. His eyes locked onto mine one last time and it wasn't just anger I was seeing, it was like he was wounded.
Then Marcus dragged him toward the house and Stephen didn’t look back.
The crowd buzzed with whispers. Someone asked if I was okay. Someone else cursed about the car.
I didn’t answer. I just stood there, staring at the damage.
The party music had stopped.
Lilian pushed through the crowd, eyes wide. “Hayden, oh my God….”
“I’m fine,” I muttered but I wasn’t because the fight didn't feel like it was about a car or even the captain shit. It felt older than that, like years of competition finally cracking open.
I looked toward the house where Stephen had disappeared.
Winning felt incredible a few hours ago. Now? It felt like the beginning of something worse.
I turned away from the crowd and walked down the street alone, hands shaking slightly.
Behind me, the party slowly started back up.
But something had shifted.
And I had a feeling this wasn’t the last time Stephen and I would bleed over a title.