[TIME SKIP: January 3rd, 2019]
William stared at the score board with a look of disbelief in his eyes. 87-34. A fifty-three point difference. They were crushed. His breathing was harsh and heavy, his teammates in the same condition, if not a little better. Their reason was disappointment. His was anger. Anger at himself for not being able to steal the ball. Anger at himself for being unable to score. Frustrated at himself for being so goddamn incompetent.
William finally pickef himself off of the ground and clasped hands with their opponents before he walked away from the group, needing to be alone before he blew up and lost himself to the anger pushing to be released.
Oh no… Oh no, oh no, oh no…
This was not good. William would not be happy. Maybe she should go somewhere else for the night. But maybe she should see how he was handling it first.
Amber woke through the crowd, looking for William. When she found him, she carefully made her way over.
”Damn it!” William hissed, punching the wall as if the pain could take away the fury coursing through him. He’d failed his team. They were relying on him he had let them down. They had practiced and practiced, but it was still not enough. The late night secret training was not enough. They were so close and because he was not talented enough, their victory was snatched from them.
It burned him to the core.
But he felt a presence behind him, a very familiar presence. He didn’t want to see her—he didn’t want her to see him like this.
“Will… How are you doing?” Amber asked softly, sticking her hands in the jacket pockets. She regarded him with a gentle curiosity, her head tilted slightly as she looked at him.
”Fantastic,” William snarled, keeping his back to her. “I let them down. I was meant to take them to victory and I let them down. I failed them. Drew, Parker, Holden—I failed them all.”
“You didn’t fail them, Will…” Amber assured him gently. “Nobody is blaming you.”
William punched the wall again, gritting his teeth. He tried taking deep breaths, but even that didn’t help.
“It was the final match,” he spat out the last words. “We were so close.”
“William… Hun…” Amber breathed, not moving closer but not stepping back either. “C’mon, why don’t we go home. You can shower. Eat something. It might help you feel better.”
She didn’t step closer. Smart girl. She was clever. William wasn’t sure he wouldn’t have hurt her if she had come close.
“Leave,” he breathed out. “I want to be alone. Leave.”
Amber sighed, closing her eyes as she ran a hand over her face. She stuck her hand back in the pocket and looked him over again. “Is that what you really want?”
No.
“Yes,” he answered, clenching his hands into fists despite them aching. “Leave.”
Stay.
“Okay, Will. I’ll leave, then,” Amber said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. She nodded before turning and walking away.
William released a shaky breath, hearing Amber’s footsteps getting quieter as she walked away. He screwed up. Twice. First the match, now Amber.
He let himself lean against the wall, sliding down. He stayed there for a few minutes before he picked himself up, deciding to release his anger by practicing more.
When he returned later that night, with full intentions of apologizing, Amber was not home.
Amber had gone to her friend’s dorm for the night, like she’d thought about doing before. She wasn’t upset, not really, but she knew that William would need his space. If he was better in the morning, she would go back then.
William set himself on the couch, leaning back and closing his eyes. Where was she? Why wasn’t she coming back? He gripped his hair tightly—would she ever come back, or had he lost her because of his explosive anger?
Come back.
Around seven the next morning, Amber was staring down at her phone. She chewed on her lip, lost in thought. The other girls in the dorm maneuvered around her, noticing the look on her face and recognizing it as one that meant she couldn’t be bothered.
A few minutes later, she sighed and pressed ‘call’ on William’s contact. Please be away and in a good mood…
His phone. Where was his bloody phone? William barely slept the night, worried about Amber, worried that she might never come back to him. He finally remembered he could call her. Ask her to come back. Unfortunately, his phone wasn’t on him.
With a deep groan, he realized it was in his jacket. His jacket was with his girlfriend.
As soon as the line started ringing, Amber heard the familiar sound of William’s phone ringing. She groaned and hung up, glaring over at the jacket. She’d just have to go to the dorm herself…
After giving her goodbyes to the girls, she shrugged William’s jacket on and grabbed her things. She started walking to the dorm, which was only a few minutes away on foot. It was a little cold, but not too cold, thankfully. She would not have enjoyed the walk if it was.
William slumped on the couch, leaning forward, massaging his temple. He let out another deep breath. What was he even doing?
“Come home, you idiot,” William muttered, eyes closing, still waiting.
Amber stepped up to the door and sighed, rubbing a hand through her hair. She shook her head as she placed her hand on the handle, pausing before she turned it. He’d better be in a good mood…
“Will?” she called softly as she opened the door and stepped inside. She glanced around and spotted him on the couch, then sighed as she closed the door behind herself. “Are you feeling any better after yesterday…?”
Hearing her voice, William immediately looked up and pulled himself to his feet. He closed the distance between them, grabbing her arm and pulling her closer to him, slamming his lips on hers, kissing her fiercely.
“Did you—have to leave—the entire night?” He growled between kisses, wanting to trap her between the wall and himself and kiss her till she could no longer stand.
Amber felt her face grow hot as he kissed her, and she pulled away slightly. “William… You needed space. I didn’t know when you would calm down,” she explained breathily. “But you are calm now, right?”
“No,” William’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not. I’m not calm, Blue. I thought you’d left. I thought you wouldn’t come back. You told me nothing before you left—not even a note! Do you know how worried I was when I got home and you weren’t there?”
Crap…
“Oh my gosh, Will… I’m so sorry. I didn’t even think— Gosh, I’m sorry. I should have left you a note or something,” Amber apologized, squeezing her eyes shut. She shook her head before reopening them. “I’m sorry, Will.”
William silenced her with a kiss, pulling her closer, tilting his head to get a better access to her mouth.
“No, I’m sorry,” he breathed out. “You have nothing to apologize for. Just don’t run off like that, do you understand?”
“Yeah… Yeah, I understand,” Amber breathed. A moment passed with her just looking up at him before a small smile tugged on her lips. “Okay. You were doing something before I stopped you…?”
William grinned wickedly, leaning down to gently bite down on her throat. “And what was it that I was doing, Blue? Do enlighten me.”
Amber froze, her breath catching in her throat. “William… Gosh, Will…” she muttered, her eyes squeezing shut tightly. “What— What’re you trying to accomplish?”
William kissed the spot he bit, the warm skin pulsing under his touch. “Punishing you,” he murmured, hands on her hips. “For leaving like that. For not going straight home. Why, do you want me to stop?”
“Will… I— I— I can’t go… I can’t go any further than this…” Amber whispered, her breathing growing heavy.
