This time, Millie hid her surprise better. In fact, if Ele hadn’t known her, she would have appeared completely unfazed.
But with Millie’s ever-efficient ways, by the time Juliana and Ele sat with Harry, Noah, Robert, Millie, and Matthew, the place was stocked with what Ele found out were her sister’s favorites: wings—who knew?—some dips, and beer. Juliana didn’t look at her funny or question the change in the dynamic. Rather, she lapped up the attention and spoiling, feasting on the scraps of Ele’s interest.
“You’ve been Americanized,” Ele teased her.
“I have,” Juliana admitted. “If we make it to round eight though, I think we need to go traditional.”
“Can’t mess with the precedent,” Harry, J
uliana’s assistant, interjected. “If we win today, eating wings, you’ll have to eat them all the way through.”
Ele’s nose wrinkled inadvertently.
Robert must have seen her face because he bit off a smile.
“We’ll be at the match, so we won’t have a choice,” Ele reminded the assembled.
“Here they come,” Juliana said.
Everyone in the room turned to the television to watch the players take the field. The camera panned up, like someone was on their knees with it, over the faces of the team. Ele waited for the shot of Tristan. When he flashed across the screen, she grinned.
She hadn’t seen him since they left each other on the beach. But with her new phone, she’d been able to talk to him almost every night. It was reverse dating. The phone conversations helped with the intimacy. She could say things to him and ask him questions they hadn’t actually had time for yet. The basics really. Questions about his family, his friends. He’d told her about the day he signed with Hartesfield United, and even though she hadn’t been with him, she’d enjoyed every emotion he expressed. His surprise, his complete joy, the realization of his dream.
She knew him better today than she had last week. Not just because of the conversations either. As much as it bothered her, she’d gathered little pieces of him from his social media posts too. And while she could appreciate the knowledge she’d gained, she hated that he’d shared it with the entire world. When over one hundred thousand people knew something about you, it was no longer special. For Ele, with fortified walls and security locks around her heart, the desire to put it all out there bewildered her.
They all stood when the national anthem played, and then the team took to the pitch. Ele, the least knowledgeable in the room, wanted to ask questions, but she didn’t want to interrupt anyone. So, she sat in silence, eyes glued to Tristan.
It was the forty-third minute when it happened. A loud bang sounded discordantly on the TV, reminiscent of a cannon’s boom. Ele jumped, as if a skeleton had popped out at her in a haunted house, with surprise more than fear. As she continued to watch, some people ran onto the pitch. But not familiar enough with the workings of the match, it took her longer than the rest of the spectators in the room to understand that something wasn’t right.
Ele’s focus was solely on Tristan until the camera cut away to the unobstructed side of the field. It was then Ele tuned into the low-level commotion around her. Michael stood to the right of her chair, and Robert stepped out of the room. Noah ducked out after Robert. Ele looked up at Michael, but his gaze remained fixed on the TV, and she knew she wouldn’t get any information out of him.
Juliana met Ele’s gaze when she turned to her. She shrugged. “It’s probably nothing. I mean, the announcers aren’t talking about it.”
“I’m not sure what just happened.”
“Sounded like some kind of explosion or something. Then, some people ran on the field.”
“How …” Ele swung her head back to the TV, but the game had gone to the break. Commercials ran instead of the game or halftime show. “I hardly noticed anything was wrong.”
Juliana tossed her ponytail before grabbing her bottle of beer and taking a long swig. “I’m sure Jamie is fine.”
Ele leaped to her feet. She’d forgotten about Jamie’s attendance at the game. Rushing from the room, she scanned the foyer for Robert. When she didn’t see him, she moved quickly to the door. Before she could open it, Michael stepped in front of her.
“Your Highness,” he warned, “Robert will report back when he has news for you. But until then, you are to remain here.”
She leveled her deadliest stare at Michael. While it typically bounced off Robert, Michael wasn’t quite as immune to it. He held his ground, but Ele could see his discomfort. Ele didn’t feel the familiar stirrings of an impending attack, but her nerves bounced healthily.
Juliana tucked her feet under her and traded her beer for her phone. With everyone around her appearing calm, Ele was forced to push her panic down. She returned to her chair and tried to sit in a relaxed manner, but she was confident it looked like she had a steel rod stuck up her ass.
Juliana walked to where Ele sat and knelt down next to the chair. Holding out her phone, she scrolled through tweets from the game.
Fans on the field.
Women will do anything to get to T-Dav.
Look out, Rowan. Fans a-comin’.
Ele pointed to the last one. “Did someone think they were rhyming?”