Reckless

Chapter 7| Connor Taylor [REWRITTEN]

"Connor."

"Huh?" Reality came back in sharp fragments when Scott called my name from the front seat. "What's going on?"

Scott had turned around in his seat and was watching me with concern. "You've been staring out the window in silence for the past ten minutes. Is everything okay?"

"Oh, uh," I cleared my throat awkwardly, sitting up. "Yeah, sorry. I guess I'm just tired."

"Our game last night was pretty intense." Trent offered from the driver's seat. "Those Aldrich defenders are next level. Maybe it knocked you around a bit."

I laughed in attempt to conceal the fact that I'd been in deep thought. "Yeah, maybe."

Scott turned around in his seat. "We were just asking what you and Anderson were talking about for so long."

"Oh, um," My attention shifted to outside the car. "Nothing really. He was just dissing Northshore to get a reaction out of me. The same as usual."

"Looks like he did," Trent gestured to his own face to indicate my bruised eye.

Scott faced me again, anger spreading through his features. "You're not seriously going to let him get away with that! Who does that bastard think he is?"

"Don't worry." The smirk was rising before I could stop it. "I have my ways of getting back at him."

"Yeah, like kicking his sorry ass on the field!"

"We have to beat Caulfield first." Trent supplied.

"We will."

Trent drove through the suburban estate, coming to a stop behind a red BMW parked at the curb outside my house.

"Your brother's in town?" Scott asked in question to the BMW.

"Yeah," I answered, unclipping my seat belt, "he had a conference in the city all week. It's easier to stay here than a hotel."

Andrew – or Drew – was my twenty-two year old brother who lived upstate. The last time I'd seen him had been Christmas a few months back. He'd moved out three years ago but to say I'd missed him would be an understatement.

Quickly thanking Trent for the lift, I said goodbye to my friends and made my way inside. Laughter sounded from the kitchen as I closed the front door. Heading down the hall, I stopped to lean in the doorway of the kitchen, smiling softly at the sight of my family.

"You're too skinny," Mum was saying as she attempted to force-feed a pecan cookie to my brother, who was making a valiant effort to fend her off. Dad watched them in amusement from the table. "Do they not have food in the breakroom at your company?"

"Mum, stop." Drew laughed, pushing her hand away. "I'm fine. There's a whole street of café's opposite my office. You don't need to worry."

"Oh honey, I'll always worry about my boys."

Drew rolled his eyes playfully and glanced sideways. His smile lit up when he caught sight of me leaning in the doorway. "Connor!"

He bounded over to me, enveloping me in a bear hug. I took no comfort in the fact that he was still at least a foot taller than me. "Hey, baby bro! I see you still haven't grown since the last time I was here."

Pulling out of his embrace, I punched his shoulder and laughed when he winced. "I see you haven't gotten any stronger since the last time I saw you."

"Shut up." Drew laughed, ruffling my hair. "How's school? How's the season?"

"Oh, don't talk about the season." Mum chuckled as she packed cookies into a Tupperware container. "You'll get him all fired up."