Maddox's POV

"Kane, Where's your head at!"

I lay back on the football field looking up at the stadium ceiling as I try to regain my breath. This practice hasn't exactly been my best. I went home last night pretty fucking irritated with Luke. I woke up this morning to come to practice early but my sister had me help with my niece taking her to dance practice. I got to the dance studio just for some of the moms to look me up and down. I was is in no mood and ended up leaving as soon as I saw she was safe in the class. 

Tyler's head pops into my view as I look up to him. He places his hand out gesturing for me to grab it to help get up. I take it looking at him as he barely glances at me. He pulls me back up before walking away. He's been keeping his distance since last night. I couldn't fully understand his attitude towards me. I look over just as Luke is walking up to me. I have been ignoring him for a good portion of practice. He places his hands on my shoulders making me stop from moving. 

"Look Kane, I know your pissed but listen-"

"Get back to practice!" Coach hollers which makes me put back on my helmet and walk back to the line once again leaving him standing there. 

We set up our line and I get ready. The moment I yell hike, I feel the ball fly into my hands. I look for my opening to Tyler which I find and throw the ball in a perfect spiral to him. He catches with ease. 

"Better! RESET!" 

After another half an hour, coach yells for a break. I go to my bag grabbing a drink before checking my phone seeing a message from my sister. 

Cass (11:49) Hey brother, Macey needs for me a little while so Jackie is going to be dropped off there for you to get her back to mom and dad's. Please and Thank you! LOVE YOU!!!

I roll my eyes and put my phone back in my bag before seeing Luke come over to sit down beside me. I raise a brow at him as he looks hesitant on how to talk to me. 

"Look, I talked to Z last night after you took off." I turn my whole body towards him giving him my full attention. He raises his hands up before continuing. "I apologized to her for my comment and told her that you weren't like that. She shook my hand last night after that seeming to understand my fuck up." 

"She wasn't at the club when I left. Where did you find her?"

"I may or may not have followed Tyler and his friends to find her at the gym." He rubs the back of his neck as the whistle blows for practice to resume. We stand up and he puts his arm in a gesture for a bro hug. I take it and pat him on the back hard earning a grunt from him. 

Practiced resumed for another few hours. Tyler still being stand offish towards me. Practiced wrapped up and I finally got fed up with the zero communication I was getting from Tyler so I decided to confront him on it. 

As coach told us to hit the showers I pulled Tyler over to the side where he nodded but kept his arms crossed. 

"What's going on Tyler?" He doesn't say anything and continues looking at me. I huff getting frustrated. "We're a team and I'm captain. I need to be able to count on you for feedback and right now I'm getting none." 

"Why did you dance with Z?" I knew it. I take a deep breath and give him a confused look. 

"What do you mean?" 

"Just that Kane, Z isn't like most girls. Why did you pick her?"

"So your attitude towards me is because of her." I choose to not answer his question hoping he doesn't catch it. 

"Kane, she has a lot going on. The last thing she needs is a guy messing with her head." I cross my arms feeling slightly pissed off at what I am hearing. "Are just trying to fuck-"

"Watch it." I say pointing a finger at him. "I just asked her to dance... Not to bed Tyler." 

"So you feel nothing for her?" He ask raising an eyebrow at me. I hesitate for a moment feeling my breath catch in my throat. 

"TY!" Our heads snap towards the sound of young girl running towards us. Tyler is quick to step away as the young brunette runs to him. He wraps his arms around her as her frame is engulfed by him. I walk up to them seeing her looking at him frantically. 

"Arabella, calm down. What is wrong?" 

"The security guards won't let Z come through. She has someone hear with her to drop off and the security team is being rough." 

At the word rough my stance changes as does Tyler's. Arabella quickly turns back around while we travel behind her as we are lead to the front of the stadium. I get closer to see the security team has tasers in hand as Z is standing in front of a smaller girl that I am quick to recognize. My blood now boiling, I then see that Z has two guards on the ground at her feet. Tyler is quick to roar when we get within ear shot. 

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU MEN DOING?!?" The four guards that were surrounding Z all snap their heads to us. Jackie pops her head out from behind Z. She sees me and I can see the fright from the men in her eyes. 

"Uncle Kane! They wouldn't let us pass." Jackie says still clutching to Z whose eyes are narrowed to slits looking at the tasers in the guards hands. I see she is visibly tense holding Jackie firmly to her legs. 

"Sir, she didn't tell-"

"SHE DOESN'T SPEAK YOU FUCKING MORON!" Tyler bellows out as he is about to tackle one of them. I am quick to push him back even though I want my own go at them. 

"Regardless she needed a security pass-" I look over to see Z holding up the security pass coach gave her. I then walk up to her causing her to involuntarily take a step back still holding Jackie to her. I walk slower reaching for the security card in her hand. She hands it to me as I turn with a lethal glare at the security guard with it in my hand. 

"Do you mean like this?" I say through gritted teeth. I can see the panic now in his eyes. He is about to retort when we were all interrupted again. 

"What is going on here?" We snap our heads seeing coach coming towards us with Luke behind him. 

"Sir, I was just telling these men that we-"

"Put. Away. The. Tasers. NOW" He says shouting the last word. The guards are quick to listen. Coach walks up slowly to Z as she is as rigid as a board. 

"Z, focus on me." Her eyes visibly locking with his. Her muscles still frozen in place. "That's it. Now let go of Arabella, let her come this way." 

I then get confused looking back to Tyler who is holding Arabella behind him. Tyler's eyes still focused on Z although I can see Arabella looking with teary eyes to Z. I look back to Z seeing her slowly releasing Jackie as Jackie walks over to me. Z's body changing. She looked so hesitant releasing Jackie except I couldn't understand why. The moment Jackie is in my arms I pick her up. I look back and see Z looking at Jackie with teary eyes. She looks at me for a moment before her eyes roll back in her head. Coach is quick to catch her as she collapses in his arms. He picks her up bridal style before taking her away. He turns back to the guards and gives them the most deadly glare I have ever seen from him. 

"You are all fired. Turn in your badges to Luke and get the hell off this property." One of the guards is about to protest however one final word from the coach stops them in their tracks. 

"Be thankful I am not pressing charges on you for using weapons on the minor." 

I follow behind coach with Z still unconscious in his arms. Tyler holding hands with Arabella behind him and then me with Jackie in my arms. Jackie tugs on my arms making look down at her. 

"Uncle Kane, Is Z going to be okay?" I look back at coach's back then back down to my niece. 

"I think she will be." 

"I like her." She pauses playing with my long hair that has fallen near my shoulder. 

"How do you know her?" I ask still walking but looking down at her. She continues playing with my hair. 

"Her and mommy were talking today at mommy's work with Aunt Mace!" I chuckle seeing she has nicknamed Macey. Then a remember what she said. 

"What were her and mommy talking about?" She giggles while looking back at towards where Z is at. 

"You." My heart beat skips and only one word crosses my brain. 

Fuck.