Page 36 of Falling Into You

Fitz brought his feet down onto the floor with a thud and shut his laptop. He looked like Chad getting caught watching YouTube when he was supposed to be doing his homework—guilty and a little ashamed.

“Sure, Jacob. Come on in.” He set his laptop aside and placed his elbows on the desktop. “What’s on your mind?”

“I’d like to talk about me coming back to the team,” Jacob said, standing in front of Fitz’s desk. He didn’t want to sit. It felt like he’d lose the upper hand, however much of that he had.

“I don’t follow,” Coach Fitz said.

Jacob blinked. He’d expected for Fitz to either be excited to have him back or to throw him out of the office. A blank stare hadn’t even made the list.

“Uh, I mean, I heard Kai’s not doing so great at striker, and the guys are really worried about losing on Friday night. We haven’t had a losing season since before my sisters came through here,” he said. “Sorry if this is egotistical, but I think you need me.”

Coach Fitz sat back in his chair and leaned way back, peering up at Jacob. “My understanding is that you did try out for the cheer squad, and you made it. Am I wrong about that?”

Jacob shrugged. “No.”

“Then how exactly do you propose you rejoin the soccer team? The practices are at the same time. And the cheer squad is actually cheering at our game on Friday night. Are you going to somehow be on the field and on the sidelines at the same time?”

Crap, really? He knew the squad cheered at one soccergame a season, but he hadn’t known that was this week. Ugh, what a nightmare. He was never going to hear the end of it.

“I just figured...”

“What, that you would quit cheerleading?” Coach asked, his expression incredulous. “Without finding someone to replace you? When they have the most important competition of their season in ten days’ time?”

Jacob’s head fell forward, and he suddenly found himself staring at his sneakers.

“Do you really think I want someone on my team who would just bail on another commitment?” Coach asked.

“I don’t understand what you want from me!” Jacob blurted. His palms were sweating, and he wiped them on the back of his pants. This was so unfair. He hadn’t even wanted to come in here. Hewascommitted to cheerleading. For now, at least. He shouldn’t be getting raked over the coals about this.

“Iwantyou to prove to me that you’re a mature young man who can make good decisions,” Coach Fitz said slowly. “And who won’t jump ship on his team at the slightest hiccup.”

Your captain is the one who practically begged me to come here and ask for you to take me back. Which we all knew would mean quitting on Rory. On cheer. Yet you’re totally fine with him being on your team.

“I guess I should go,” Jacob said, his face burning. He adjusted his backpack strap on his shoulder and turned toward the door. “Enjoy your movie.”

Then he ducked out before Coach Fitz could say anything else.

Rory

The squad hit the final pyramid of their halftime routine at practice on Friday, and Rory’s smile was genuine. She stood on Jacob’s broad shoulders with her arms up in a left L, and she knew they had nailed it. They had just done three straight run-throughs without a single mistake or blip. Jacob had really done it. He was ready.

As the flyers hit the ground, the entire squad cheered and hugged. Even Layla was fist-bumping people, which was unusual—for a cheerleader, she could be oddly cheerless.

“That was incredible!” Rory shouted, throwing herself into Jacob’s arms. She was so caught up in the moment she didn’t even consider what she was doing until it was too late to back out.

He swung her around in a circle, her legs flinging out behind her. When he placed her down again, he clapped hishands once and heaved for breath. “It was, right? Damn, who knew a cheerleading routine could be so... satisfying?”

“We did!” Gwen and Maya replied, raising their hands and laughing.

“Fair enough,” Jacob said, grinning at them. Then he turned back to Rory and added, “I don’t know about you, Captain, but I think we’re ready.”

He took a gulp from his water bottle, and Rory marveled at how lighthearted he seemed. When practice had started, it had been clear something was bothering Jacob. He’d barely said hello to anyone and had been sullen and distracted all through warm-ups. It seemed like nailing the routine had really turned his mood around.

“For homecoming, definitely,” she agreed, plucking her own water bottle off the ground. “So now we spend extra time on the routine for regionals.”

A few of the other cheerleaders groaned their exhaustion, but Rory paid them no mind. She was too busy envisioning herself hoisting the trophy at regionals. And maybe getting another huge, twirling hug from Jacob. Had he always smelled that good?

Jacob froze and looked at her, his bottle still raised, a bead of water shimmering on his lower lip. Rory stared at it. What would it be like to kiss that little drop of water off of him? Just one, small, sweet little kiss.