Chapter Nine: Distractions
880 Words
Scarlett didn’t sleep well.
Not because she couldn’t.
But because every time she closed her eyes—
She saw him.
Blake.
The way he held her in the rain…
His voice, low and steady.
Those eyes—focused only on her.
She groaned, flipping onto her back.
“This is so annoying,” she muttered.
Why was she thinking about his hair?
The way it fell over his forehead…
Or his voice?
That stupid accent she claimed to hate…
Or worse—
The way he looked at her.
Like she wasn’t just another girl.
Scarlett covered her face with her hands.
“Get a grip,” she whispered.
But deep down—
She knew something had changed.
And she didn’t like how much she didn’t hate it.
Meanwhile—
The locker room was loud.
Energy high.
Laughter bouncing off the walls as Blake sat on the bench, lacing his boots, his teammates crowding around.
“Big game today,” one of them said.
“Try not to miss, yeah?” another joked.
Blake smirked slightly. “I don’t miss.”
“Except when you’re aiming footballs at girls’ heads,” someone added.
Laughter erupted.
Blake shook his head, but a small smile slipped through.
“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered.
Another teammate nudged him. “So… what’s going on with you and Scarlett?”
That got his attention.
Blake leaned back slightly, exhaling.
“Nothing,” he said.
They all groaned.
“Come on, man.”
“We’ve seen the way she looks at you.”
“And the way you look at her,” someone added.
Blake rolled his eyes.
“It’s not like that.”
“Then what is it?”
He hesitated.
Just for a second.
“…I don’t know,” he admitted quietly.
That surprised them.
Blake? Not knowing something?
One of the guys leaned forward, more serious now.
“Look, man… just be careful.”
Blake frowned slightly. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I mean,” the guy shrugged, “Scarlett’s not exactly known for… staying.”
The room quieted a little.
“She doesn’t do commitment,” another added. “Jumps in, gets bored, leaves. That’s her thing.”
Blake’s jaw tightened slightly.
“People talk,” he said flatly.
“Yeah,” the first guy replied, “but sometimes they’re not wrong.”
A pause.
Then Blake shook it off, grabbing his jersey.
“Doesn’t matter,” he said.
But something about those words—
Stuck.
The door opened.
And everything shifted.
Scarlett.
Standing there.
Like she didn’t just walk into a room full of guys.
Like she belonged anywhere she stepped.
A few of them straightened instantly.
“Uh—wrong room?” one muttered.
Blake leaned back slightly, a low chuckle escaping him.
“Well,” he said, eyes locked on her, “you’ve got a lot of nerve walking into a boys’ locker room.”
Scarlett smiled.
That smile.
Soft. Flirty. Dangerous.
She stepped closer, completely unfazed, tucking a strand of her red hair behind her ear.
“I know,” she said lightly. “Kinda bold of me.”
Blake watched her carefully now.
“What do you want?”
Scarlett shrugged slightly, her eyes meeting his.
“I just came to wish you luck.”
Simple.
But the way she said it—
It wasn’t nothing.
For a second, Blake didn’t respond.
Didn’t joke.
Didn’t tease.
He just… looked at her.
Then he smirked slightly, masking whatever just crossed his mind.
“Luck, huh?”
“You’ll need it,” she teased softly.
A few of his teammates exchanged looks.
Yeah… this was definitely something.
Scarlett turned, already heading for the door.
“Don’t lose,” she added over her shoulder.
And just like that—
She was gone.
Blake stared at the door for a second longer than he should have.
Something felt… off.
Not bad.
Just—
Different.
He exhaled slowly, shaking his head.
“Alright,” he muttered. “Focus.”
The game was intense.
Crowd loud.
Pressure high.
But Blake?
Unstoppable.
Every move sharp.
Every shot precise.
Like he had something to prove.
And when the final point was scored—
The crowd erupted.
They won.
Because of him.
Later—
The noise faded.
The excitement died down.
And Blake found himself searching.
For her.
It didn’t take long.
Scarlett was sitting alone, a little away from the crowd, calm as ever.
Like she wasn’t part of the chaos.
Like she didn’t need to be.
Blake walked over, stopping in front of her.
She looked up.
Their eyes met.
“Guess you didn’t need luck after all,” she said softly.
Blake huffed a quiet laugh.
“Maybe I did,” he replied.
A small silence settled between them.
Then—
“…Thanks,” he said.
Scarlett blinked slightly.
“For what?”
“For coming,” he said. “For the… luck.”
Her lips curved just a little.
“You’re welcome.”
Another pause.
Longer this time.
Neither of them looking away.
And in that moment—
Something shifted again.
Not loud.
Not obvious.
But real.
Blake felt it.
That pull.
That interest.
That something he couldn’t explain.
And for the first time—
He didn’t push it away.
- Writer
