Penalty Box: A Second Chance Sports Romance (Love in the Arena Book 1)

by Kayla Tirrell

  Silas cursed under his breath as he paced in the small office.

  No, no, no, no, no. This couldn’t be happening. He refused to believe that this was it. There had to be something he could do to fix it, but he kept drawing a blank.

  He raked his hands through his hair. “I gotta go.”

  He walked out into the parking lot, not sure where he was heading. Maybe he’d get into his car and start driving to South Carolina. He could show up at the MLS office and beg Miriam to take him back.

  His feet stopped as he got close to his car.

  He couldn’t do that to her. As much as Silas wanted Miriam back, he wasn’t going to do it at the expense of her dreams.

  He leaned against the side of his car and closed his eyes. He’d come home to convince Miriam to give him another chance. And while there’d been some moments where he had thought he’d accomplished his goal, he ultimately lost everything.

  Silas’ phone buzzed in his pocket. He reached inside and hit the button to stop it from ringing. There wasn’t anybody he wanted to talk to right now. A minute later, it started buzzing again.

  He didn’t recognize the number. All he knew was that it wasn’t Miriam. He held the phone to his ear. “What?”

  “Can we set aside our differences for, like, two seconds?”

  “Allie?” Did she call to gloat that she’d finally won? Silas rubbed his hand over his face. “What do you want?”

  “Miriam is going to kill me for calling you.”

  He pushed off his car. “What’s going on?”

  There was a brief pause before Allie answered. “She just left for the airport.”

  Why was she going to the airport if she was in South Carolina? “The airport?”

  She sighed into the receiver. “Yeah, it’s the giant place where planes fly people to and from their destinations.”

  “I know what an airport is.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Silas gripped his phone tightly. “What happened to setting aside our differences?”

  “Right. So, she has this interview today, and it’s in South Carolina. The company is flying her up there, and she literally just pulled away from her apartment. You need to chase after her.”

  Harris had led Silas to believe that Miriam already had the job. But according to Allie, the interview hadn’t been conducted yet.

  “Silas, did you hear what I just said?”

  He couldn’t stop the smile from forming on his face. “Yeah, I heard you.”

  “And?”

  Silas looked down at the flowers that were still in his hand. “I’m going to get her before it’s too late.”

  Miriam

  The last time Miriam had been inside an airport was to surprise Silas after a big win two years ago. She’d shown up with green and black balloons and a sign saying she was his biggest fan.

  Now, she was trying to get far away from him.

  She tugged at her pencil skirt that had ridden up on the drive to Tampa and adjusted her purse over her shoulder. Other than the small shoulder bag that held the usual necessities, her hands were empty. There was no need for anything else. The trip was a quick flight up that morning, the interview with the MLS team, maybe lunch, then an evening flight back.

  She’d be back to Florida in no time—possibly with a new job title.

  Now that she was at the airport, the thought caused a pit to form in Miriam’s stomach. She wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to leave Florida. She’d been born and raised here. The heat, humidity, and lack of elevation were comforting in a strange way.

  Moving to South Carolina would be starting over completely. Not only would there be a new job to learn, but she’d also have a whole new city to learn to navigate. Without her friends, she’d be all by herself to find the best place to get tacos or a new outfit or get her hair done.

  The idea of being alone terrified her, and it suddenly became difficult to catch her breath. She hadn’t even made it past security and to the terminals, and she was already getting cold feet.

  She sat down in a seat beneath the screens displaying the arrivals and departures for the day. In through your nose, out through your mouth. It took several tries before she started breathing normally. This was getting ridiculous. An interview didn’t mean that she was going to get the job and getting the job didn’t mean she had to take it.

  Would she take it if the general manager offered it to her? Miriam still wasn’t sure.

  The night before, she’d lain in bed tossing and turning well past midnight as she went over the pros and cons in her head. In the end, the answer still wasn’t obvious.

  There were lots of reasons to take a job in South Carolina, but there were just as many reasons to stay. Unfortunately, one of the biggest ones was Silas. As much as Miriam had tried to convince Allie—and herself—that she was over that frustrating man once and for all, she wasn’t.

  Miriam was still very much in love with him.

  The image of their last moment together was etched in her memory. The way his face had transformed from pure joy after their kiss to pure agony when she’d told him that things were over between them. It broke her heart.

  So much so she could almost hear him saying her name.

  “Miriam!”

  Her eyes snapped toward the very real sound of Silas’ voice. He stood at the entrance of the airport lobby, his eyes searching the giant room. Miriam’s heart beat frantically in her chest. Silas was here. She wasn’t sure what he was doing here—how he even knew she was at the airport—but he looked panic-stricken.

  He quickly walked through the lobby searching every corner, every bench.

  Miriam wanted to slide down in her seat and hide, but she knew if she didn’t make her presence known to him—and fast—he was going to end up tackled to the ground by security for acting like a crazy person.

  She stood and lifted her hand. “Over here.”

  He turned to face her. His eyes widened before he jogged over. He stopped just in front of her. “Thank goodness. I’m not too late.”

  Though she had a sinking suspicion what it was, she asked anyway. “Too late for what?”

  He held up a mangled looking bouquet of flowers that were missing quite a few petals. “To stop you from getting on that plane.”

  “Silas.”

  “Just hear me out.” His eyes pleaded with her to listen to what he had to say.

  She bit her bottom lip. “How did you even know I was here?”

  “Allie told me.”

  Are you freaking kidding me?

  Miriam couldn’t believe her best friend had sold her out. They were going to have a nice, long talk when she got back. She shook her head in disbelief. When she did, a man in uniform caught her eye. He had one hand on his utility belt as he slowly walked over to where they stood.

  The only thing worse than Silas showing up at the airport? The TSA getting involved.

  Miriam caught the man’s eye and gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “Sorry about the scene, officer. You see, we didn’t think we were going to get a chance to say goodbye before my flight left. But it looks like my, uh, boyfriend made it after all.” Miriam gave Silas a tight smile. “Right, dear?”

  “Right.” He wiggled the bouquet in front of him.

  Miriam groaned as several leaves fell to the ground.

  The man’s eyes followed the leaves as they landed against the carpet and went back up to Silas and Miriam. He gave them both a hard look. “Next time, maybe try calling her instead.”

  Silas nodded enthusiastically. “Of course. I was just so excited to see her, I wasn’t thinking.”

  The security guard mumbled something under his breath. Miriam apologized again as he walked off.

  “That was close.” Silas sighed and gave Miriam a small smile. “I thought they might take me to the interrogation room never to be seen again.”

  She smacked his arm. “It would have served you right after the scene you just made. What if he
thought you were a terrorist?”

  “It was a risk I was willing to take to catch you in time.”

  The corners of her mouth turned down into a frown. “Silas, you can’t just show up and tell me not to get on the plane.”

  His face became serious. “But I’m not telling you not to get on that plane. I’m begging you.” He set the flowers on the ground and reached out to grab both of her hands in his. “Please. Don’t go.”

  She pulled her hands back. “What am I supposed to do? Call up the GM and say, ‘Thank you for paying for the flight to come interview, but I’ve decided to stay because my ex-boyfriend asked me not to?’”

  “No. Of course not.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t know what I thought you’d say. But I’m afraid if you get on that plane, I’ll never see you again.”

  “It’s just an interview. It’s not like it’s a one-way ticket.”

  “I know.” He pressed his lips together. “It’s just...I didn’t even know you wanted to work for MLS. I thought you were happy with the Storm.”

  She didn’t know if she wanted to either. And she was happy with the Storm. “Sometimes you don’t know you want to work somewhere else until they offer you the position.”

  The words echoed a similar sentiment to the explanations Silas had given when he left the Storm for the Wolves. After the pain he’d caused with his sudden departure, being able to say this to him should made Miriam feel vindicated.

  But she didn’t feel better. The words tasted like ash on her tongue. She finally had a deeper understanding of how difficult it was to make a tough decision like this, and it was one of the hardest things she’d ever done in her life.

  She was already wavering, and she knew if she stayed talked to Silas any longer, he’d convince her to stay. Even though she still wasn’t sure if she wanted the job in South Carolina, she didn’t want to live with what-ifs forever, either.

  She took a step toward the monorail. “I’ve gotta go.”

  Silas

  “Can we get a round over here, please?”

  Silas had reluctantly asked Finn to meet him at City Bar for a drink after wandering aimlessly around Waterfront all day. The team captain was the closest thing Silas had to a friend, and after watching Miriam board the monorail that led to the terminals at Tampa International, he realized he could really use one right now.

  He’d been relieved that Finn had said yes, even though they hadn’t spoken more than a handful of words to each other since they’d arrived at the sports bar. Silas wasn’t sure where to begin, and Finn wasn’t making it easy on him.

  His knee bounced wildly under their high-top table as his eyes scanned the room. All twenty big screen TVs that hung in various places around City Bar were turned to different sporting events. One of them was a Major League Soccer game. It wasn’t the team Miriam interviewed for today, but it was still painful to see it. He looked away and fixed his eyes on the table in front of him.

  The waitress set two pints of beer on their table before rushing off to get orders from her other customers.

  Silas lifted his glass. “To losing the love of your life.”

  Finn rolled his eyes as he clinked his glass against Silas’. “To not being dramatic.”

  They drank in silence for several minutes, but eventually Finn cleared his throat. “So, do you want to talk about it? Or just wallow in it?”

  Silas glared at him.

  “For what it’s worth,” Finn said, “I thought she was going to forgive you.”

  So had Silas. He took a sip of his drink and looked at Finn. “It’s not the first time you’ve been wrong.”

  Finn lifted his hands. “What are you talking about? I’m never wrong.”

  Silas snorted. “Remember when you told Emmeline that waxing didn’t hurt and that girls were just whining over nothing?”

  “She made me prove it by letting her wax my chest.” Finn groaned, but it soon turned into a hearty laugh. “It was worse than a kick between the legs. I’ll never question a woman’s tolerance for pain again.”

  “And what about that time we played the Moons in their arena, and you were convinced that one of their fans was making eyes at you?” Silas barely kept the smile from his face as he remembered the way Finn had sworn up and down that she was obsessed with him.

  Finn looked away. “How was I supposed to know she was married to one of their forwards?”

  “I’d think the fact that she was wearing a Moons jersey would be a dead giveaway.”

  “I guess I thought I was charming enough to help her see the error of her ways.”

  They both laughed and finished off the rest of their drinks. Finn lifted his hand to get the waitress’ attention. “Can we get another round?”

  She smiled and gave him a thumbs up. “Sure thing, darling.”

  Finn turned his attention back to Silas. “Look, I’m sorry it didn’t work out with Miriam. And if you decide you want to talk about it, I’m here.”

  Silas was surprised at just how much those words meant. A month ago, he was sure Finn would have rubbed all of Silas’ mistakes in his face. Now, he was offering up a friendly shoulder to lean on, so to speak. “Thanks, man.”

  The waitress dropped off their new drinks.

  Finn thanked her, and Silas went to grab the new glass.

  A delicate hand beat him to it. “Mind if I take a sip?”

  Silas looked up and saw Miriam standing there. She was still wearing the fancy blouse and skirt from earlier, but she’d pulled her hair down from the tight updo. Now, it fell in waves around her shoulders.

  She gave him a small smile. “It’s been a long day.”

  He had a hard time finding his voice, so he nodded instead.

  “Thanks.”

  As she took a sip, Silas stole a quick glance at Finn. He looked equally surprised to see Miriam standing beside their table.

  Finn stood up with his beer in hand. “I’m gonna go watch the, uh,”—he looked up at one of the TVs on the other side of the room—“Lightning game. See ya.”

  Silas watched him walk over to the bar. When he looked back at Miriam, she was pointing at the newly vacant seat. “Can I sit?”

  “Of course.” He still couldn’t believe she was here. “How did you know I was at City Bar?”

  “I didn’t.” She played with the condensation on the Silas’ drink, which was now resting in front of her. “I just wasn’t ready to go home and thought I’d pop in for a minute.”

  “Oh.”

  Uncomfortable silence stretched between them. Silas really didn’t want to ask, but it was killing him not to know. “How did the interview go?”

  Miriam refused to meet his eyes. “They offered me the job.”

  Silas stole his drink back and took a long swallow. “Seriously?”

  “Yep.”

  “Did you take it?”

  Miriam shook her head.

  As much as he didn’t want to see Miriam go, he couldn’t understand her turning down such an amazing opportunity. “Why not?”

  “Once I got there, I realized it wasn’t what I wanted.”

  Silas leaned forward in his seat. “What do you want?” He held his breath as he waited for her answer.

  “You.” Her eyes met his. “I want you, Silas Jenkins.”

  His heart skipped a beat. Was this really happening? He thought so, but he needed to be sure. “You’re saying you want to be with me?”

  “If you still want to be with me, that is.”

  His mouth stretched into a wide grin. “If I still want to be with you? I’ve been trying to convince you to take me back even since I stepped foot in Waterfront. Why would I say no now?”

  She shook her head. “I walked away from us for the chance at a career change.”

  “So did I.”

  Tears pooled in her eyes. “I know, but it’s different.”

  “Of course it’s different. I left for two long years.” Even now, he couldn’t believe what an idiot he
’d been. “You were gone barely a day. If anyone has the right to be mad in this situation, it’s you.”

  She shook her head. “I’m not mad anymore. I think this whole thing helped me understand you better.”

  “Then what’s the problem?” He stood up and walked over to her seat. He rubbed his hands over her arms. “We’ll call it even and move forward.”

  She sniffed. “Just like that?”

  He leaned forward so their faces were almost touching. “Just like that.”

  Miriam closed her eyes and smiled. “I would really love that.”

  “Well, I really love you.”

  Her eyes popped open. They stared deep into his. “You do?”

  “I know I’ve done a pretty terrible job of it. But if you let me, I’d like to spend the rest of my life trying to—”

  Miriam’s mouth pressed against his before he could finish telling her all the ways he planned to prove his love.

  It was okay though. Silas liked proving that he loved her this way too. He smiled against her lips as he kissed her back.

  Miriam

  Miriam cupped her hands over her mouth and leaned over the board separating the soccer field from the box seats. “Let’s go, Storm!”

  The game had just started, and Silas was already driving the ball down the field toward the other team’s goal. As they got close to the goal, he passed to Cardosa.

  “Hey,” a cheery voice said from beside her.

  Miriam turned to see Finn’s younger sister standing beside her. It was always fun watching games with Emmeline. She was one of the only other girls who was as Storm-obsessed as she was, and they always cheered loudly together—though this was the first game she’d been to all season.

  “Where have you been? I’ve missed you.”

  “No you haven’t.” She tipped her head at the field causing her red ponytail to sway. “Finn told me you’ve been pretty occupied with pretty boy out there.”