“You’re the one distracting everyone,” I replied before I could stop myself.
She smiled, despite whatever bad blood was between us. “Well, if I didn’t pit you against my terrible soc...football skills, how else will I beef up your confidence? Now, come on, you’ve only got like twenty minutes left, enough for a practice half.”
“Team change!” Williams yelled pulling off his shirt and throwing it at Lily. She laughed as she missed it. But, wet as it was, it stuck to her and she struggled to pull it off.
I was beside her and helping her before I meant to. She smiled at me in almost sincerity and I felt like the girl in one of those romance novels Jax and I had just been talking about; my stomach fluttered and I couldn’t help but smile at her in return.
“Thanks,” she said, wiping water off her face. She laughed when she realised what she was doing. “Not that it’s going to help! Damn, but this country’s wet.”
“Australia isn’t?”
“It can be, but it can also be damned dry.”
I nodded, then found myself pushed sideways as a half-naked, wet Williams jostled me. “Come on, Tinman, you’re with me! Skins!” And he ran off laughing.
Lily and I shared a smile.
I pulled my top off, grunting as the wet material caught on my skin. I felt Lily’s fingers on me as she helped me out of my shirt. I felt my muscles twitch involuntarily as her hands grazed over them.
“Thanks,” I replied, hoping my voice didn’t sound so unsteady to her.
“It seemed proper to return the favour,” she said, her cheeks flaring pink. Then she blinked. “Are you okay?”
I looked where she pointed, at the stark white bandage on my chest. I put a hand over it self-consciously; I hadn’t intended anyone to see that any time soon.
Bloody idiot.
“Ah, yeah. New tattoo. Still healing, though.”
She raised an eyebrow in question. “Cool. Maybe you’ll show me one day.”
She flushed again and I nodded awkwardly. “Maybe.”
“Tinman!” Williams called.
I smiled apologetically and extricated myself from the awkwardness that was only mounting the longer I stood there.
Lily was never seeing my new tattoo. Hell, no one was going to see my new tattoo if I could help it. It had been a spur of the moment-
“Cooper!” I heard her yell. “Head in game!”
****
“Are you quite ready to talk about it?” Cassandra asked.
“Talk about what?” I responded as I folded my pants.
“Whatever has you being so...weird...” She waved her hand at me and the laundry.
“You know Cass, most people consider doing their laundry normal,” Jax interjected.
“Uh-huh,” she said, looking around, “regardless, I know something’s happened and I demand to know what it is.”
I looked to Jax, who shook his head slightly; he wasn’t going to tell her anything if I didn’t want him to. I smiled my thanks before turning back to my socks.
“Nothing’s happened, Cass. What’s so wrong with trying to live a little?”
“Living is going out into the world, eating, drinking, falling in and out of love,” I was sure I heard her voice tense at that part, “not this being domestic nonsense. You don’t need to do laundry to have lived, Oz,” she finished dramatically.
“No, but it wouldn’t hurt to know how to do things for myself if the occasion ever calls for it.”
Cass scoffed. “What? You’re preparing for the day Celia disowns you? Something drastic has happened!”
“I am doing no such thing. But, maybe I want to be my own man, not have to worry about what I can do for other people or what they do to make my life easier? Maybe I just want to be.”
“Austin Cooper can never just be, cousin. Austin Cooper is the heir to masses of fortune, estates, properties, titles. Oh, hey, speaking of which, are we going to Pemberley for the giant party this year?”
“Cass, are you already planning our party?”
She shrugged. “Pemberley’s perfect for the party, you know it is. And, it’s only your eighteenth!”
“She’s got you there,” Jax said. “Why Dad left it to you and just gave me Huntsford is beyond me.” Jax gave me a wink over Cass’ head.
Huntsford was, in its own right, amazing and almost as big as Pemberley. Jax had also wanted Huntsford when our father had asked us which estate we’d prefer to inherit – although, Jax, at the age of eleven, had chosen Huntsford purely because it had the bigger television at the time. The estates were the only thing that went directly to us on our father’s death, held for us by the attorney rather than Aunt Celia until the twenty-seventh of December when we turned eighteen.
“Because, even at eleven, you failed to realise you could just buy Pemberley a bigger TV!” I smiled.
“Which Oz promptly did, if I do recall.” Cassandra smiled.
“Not one of my finer moments,” I laughed, pleased talk seemed to have shifted from one set of issues I couldn’t discuss to ones I entirely could.
“On the contrary, it just goes to show you are in fact human and capable of selfishness,” Cass said.
Jax burst into laughter. “Oz, selfish? Not likely. Rude, arrogant, loyal, stupid, yes. But, not selfish.”
I glared at Jax, knowing exactly what he was referring to. “Cass, would you mind giving us some privacy please?”
She held up a hand, knowing full well not to get involved when one of us looked at the other like I was now looking at Jax.
“Fine, but, if you kill each other, I’m still having the party at Pemberley!”
She left as I threw a pillow at her retreating form. But, it just bounced off the door she’d closed behind her.
“What’s wrong now?”
“You can’t just go around...saying stuff,” I hissed.
Jax laughed. “I didn’t say anything she doesn’t already know. Or, did you forget we’ve known Cass since we were born?”
“I’m not having this conversation with you again.” I pointed at him.
“I’m not asking you to.”
“It won’t matter what I say, she won’t come around.”
“Okay, then.”
I threw my arms in the air. “I’ve done everything I can, I just have to accept it and move on.”
“That’s all any of us can do.”
“She’s made her feelings perfectly clear. I can ignore mine if it means she’s happy.”
“As I said, not selfish.”
“Maybe we’ll be friends? She certainly gets along well with Williams.”
“I thought we weren’t having this conversation?”
I looked at him. “I’m sure I’ll get over it, won’t I get over it?”
“You will, time will heal your wounds.”
“I mean, friends isn’t out of the question, we seem to be perfectly able to be civil.”
“Oz, are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?”
I rounded on Jax. “Just leave off it man! I don’t want to talk about it.”
Jax looked at me in confusion. “Well, you sure could have fooled me. You’re still hung up on her, why don’t you just see if she’ll change her mind?”
“That’s rich, coming from you. Talked to Anne lately?”
Jax’s face clouded in one of those rare moments where he looked more like me than I did. “No, like you, brother, the object of my affection doesn’t return my feelings. Unlike you, I’ve actually accepted it. Moving on is rather out of the question, at least for now. But, I still have some dignity that I’m not going to wallow around and make myself miserable!”
I blinked, my mouth opening and closing while I tried to search for the words to say. It was probably better that I froze until the slammed door as he left the room broke me out of it. Anne had returned his affections... But, who knew if she still did after everything I’d put them through?
/>
I went back to doing a piss-poor job of folding my laundry.
I couldn’t very well tell Jax now that Anne had liked him as much as he liked her... Too many things were uncertain. What if she’d changed her mind? Moved on? What if she could never trust his feelings now anyway?
Then there was all the help Cassandra had been.
No, there was very little likelihood that Anne still felt the same way about my brother, especially with Claudine hanging onto him every moment.
Oh, shit...
Fleur and Claudine would be at the game again tomorrow.
Kill me now.
Chapter Thirty-Three: Lily
The last soccer game of the clash. We had this, we so had this.
“Oh, dear God, we don’t have this,” I muttered as I saw Jax and Hunter holding up Austin between them. Austin looked an awful look like he was either unconscious or drunk enough to soon be.
I stopped walking and was about ready to berate someone when I saw Austin look around and stand up, smiling wickedly. He shared a high-five and fist-bump with the boys on either side of him.
Obviously, there was nothing at all the matter with him. Though, what in the hell they were doing, I’m sure I didn’t want to know.
Hunter saw me and beamed before jogging over to me and giving me a quick hug. He pointed back to Austin. “You should have seen it, we-”
“I’m going to stop you right there,” I said, holding up a hand and shaking my head, “I don’t need to know what you guys have been up to now.”
“But, we-”
“Plausible deniability, Hunter,” I said.
He smiled. “All right then, your loss.”
He offered me his elbow.
“You need to be warming up, not taking a turn about the pitch.” I batted him.
He looked over to the twins, then leant in conspiratorially. “Just so you know, Austin thinks I’m flirting with you.”
“Aren’t you?” I whispered back.
An odd look passed over his face for a moment, but he only winked before jogging back to the team laughing.
I shook my head and felt an arm wind through mine. “Charlie and I are totally right,” Anne said.
“You and Charlie have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“We’ve seen the way Hunter is with you.”
“Hunter is like that and worse with others,” I replied.
She laughed. “You could do worse than him.”
I smiled and my eyes alighted on the worse across the pitch; Liam was warming up with his team. “You sound like my dad trying to convince me of Austin.”
“Maybe, but you know what I mean. Hunter is actually a decent guy under all that mock-bravado.”
“He may not be the only one,” I muttered.
“What do you mean?”
I sighed. “It seems Austin Cooper believes himself in love with me.”
“What?” she cried.
I recounted the weekend away – not that she needed much more information about that, Charlie had seen fit to give her the details – the incident in my room, and the letter.
“Maybe there’s some mistake?” Anne said. “It seems we entirely underestimated Austin, but maybe he doesn’t know the whole story about Liam?”
I laughed wryly. “Oh, no, Anne. None of that. You can’t make them both good. You can choose only one. There is only enough in either of them to make one decent guy. I’m starting to think it may be Austin, but you chose whoever you want.”
“Poor Austin. I can only-”
“Lily! Lily!” I turned and groaned as I saw Kate squealing at me as she and Gemma came running across the lawn.
“What is it, dear sister?” I asked.
“You have to convince Liam to stay,” Gemma whined.
“What?”
“The Military boys are leaving tonight.”
“Good,” I said, crossing my arms.
“No, not good. Ask Liam to stay until tomorrow!” Kate demanded.
“How in the hell am I supposed to manage that?” I asked. “More to the point, why the hell would he listen to me?”
“Because he always listens to you!” Gemma said.
I spared a glance with Anne, my eyes rolling. “He’s been much too busy listening to Queenie, I’m sure.”
“Oh, no, that’s well over. Vile creature, she punched him. Liam is well shot of her,” Kate said.
“More like she is well shot of him.”
“What? No! Liam’s lovely.”
I could tell Kate was stupidly smitten, but she didn’t need to know anything more about Liam. He would be gone tomorrow and Kate could set her mind to some other poor – well, no, rich – unfortunate guy.
I was spared answering her when Liam came over, grinning. I was surprised by the simple change in my reaction to him; his smile was just as charming, but it didn’t affect me at all. I smiled at him pleasantly in answer.
“I’m sorry to say this might be the last time we meet. At least, for now,” Liam said.
Kate and Gemma giggled, but Anne and I only smiled at him.
“Well, the pleasure was great, I’m sure,” I replied, not really hiding the sarcasm and displeasure from my tone. I fully expected Liam had taken a great deal of pleasure while he was at Netherfield.
“Hey, Lil. Lucas-” Hunter jogged up, then stopped as he saw who we were talking to.
It didn’t help matters that Kate and Gemma had attached themselves to both Liam’s arms and were staring up at him as though he was the hottest movie star. I glared at Liam and my sisters, not that any of them were paying me the slightest attention.
“Lucas what?” I asked, turning to Hunter and feeling my smile already more sincere.
“Lucas was hoping Brickwell could start for him, thought he’d get some play at least,” Hunter said slowly, one narrowed eye on Liam.
I put my finger under his chin and titled his face back to me. I waited until he was actually looking at me until I spoke. “Why are you asking me?”
He shrugged. “Coach said ask you.”
I shook my head, baffled by the way these boys were at an utter jumbles one minute, then blindly following orders the next.
“If Brick wants some play, then let him. But, I’m more willing to bet Lucas is running late again?”
Hunter smiled. “He wasn’t...then he got…”
“Distracted?” I asked and Hunter nodded. “Yeah, right... I’ll have words with him later.”
Hunter grinned. “So, I’ll tell Brickwell okay?”
“You do that.”
“Thanks, Lil.”
I gave Hunter a hug and a kiss on his cheek before sending him on his way. Gemma and Kate followed, promising they’d be back in a second.
“You know Williams well?” Liam asked.
I nodded. “He’s become a good friend. He saved me from a potentially terrible dinner last weekend with Austin and Lady Celia.”
Liam watched after him, a strange look on his face before he turned a deceivingly pleasant smile back to us. “Odd he’s so close with Austin. They’re nothing alike.”
“True, they’re different. But, I think Austin’s the sort to grow on you.”
Liam’s eyebrow rose. “Do you mean... Is it his conversation that grows on you? Has he actually become polite? I seriously doubt his personality has improved.”
“Oh, no. His personality, I believe, is very much the same as it ever was,” I replied, smiling. Liam looked at me like he wasn’t sure if I was insulting Austin or there was a hidden meaning to my words. “I only mean that, as you get to know him, you realise he’s not all that bad.”
Liam looked positively shocked now. Anne remained stoically by my side.
“I see. Well, I of all people, am happy to hear he’s a nicer person than the one I dealt with the past few years. I imagine he’s less arrogant when he’s with Celia, for why else would she dote on him so. I can
only imagine it is in part to retain her favour so the match with Fleur van Wilhausen will go ahead.”
I nodded, but gave him no other response. I could only imagine the things he’d go on about if I encouraged him.
Eventually, he cleared his throat. “Well, I should go. The game should start soon.”
“Indeed.” I smiled. “It was nice to have met you Liam. Good luck with everything.”
He bowed his head shortly, giving Anne and me a searching look for a moment, then walked away without another word.
“Well, I’d say that went about as well as it could have,” I said.
“Lily, what did you do? I said we’d be back in a minute. Liam!” Kate called as she and Gemma ran after him.
I shook my head, hiding a smile. The sooner Liam Anders was out of our lives, the better.
The game finally started and Lucas was still nowhere in sight. Anne had left me to go and sit with Marie. I stood slightly apart from the rest of the team, watching the game.
If I’d expected the last game to go smoothly, I’d obviously forgotten who was playing. Austin, for once, behaved himself, no matter how much Liam tried to goad him. But, Liam was still not stupid enough to risk getting himself a card. That didn’t mean there weren’t plenty of free kicks to go around.
“Hunter!” I yelled.
“I know, Lily,” he yelled back.
Brickwell wasn’t doing terribly well, but then that wasn’t a surprise. He was better than I’d ever be, there was no doubt about that, but you couldn’t tell when you saw him next to the rest of his team.
“Gerald, keep to your man!” I called out.
Gerald moved into position, which let Jax and Austin take the ball unhindered through the Military College defence.
“Yes, yes... Come on boys! Go, go.... Agh! So close,” I muttered as the Military College goalie jumped on the ball.
“You know a lot about this game.”
I looked up at the person who’d appeared at my shoulder, and kept on looking. “It’s Fleur, right?”
She looked down at me in a tremendous ‘who do you think you are’ impression.
“There’s no need to look at me like that,” I heard coming out of my mouth before I could stop it. “You came over to me.”
Netherfield Prep (Austen Reimagined: P&P #1) Page 22
