Sworn Enemies - Rebel Hart Page 0,34

enveloped me when Quinn was already charging toward the other end zone when I was still just on my way back from the five yard line for the other end zone, ninety-five yards away from my starting point. When I finally touched the starting line and turned to head for the other end zone, Quinn was already halfway back. When she passed me, I was just barely able to see the freezing look of determination on her face.

I got back to the starting end zone, finally, and if it weren’t for the pouring sweat soaking the edge of Quinn’s hair and dripping down her body, I wouldn’t know she ran the drill at all. I could barely breathe, but I did my best to pull myself upright when I reached the end zone and to act as aloof as she seemed.

“Took you long enough,” she huffed.

“One of us played a whole football game tonight,” I spat back.

“I had a three-hour practice,” she grumbled, “but use whatever excuse makes you feel better.” I snarled at the use of my own words against me but otherwise ignored it. She took the strap of her sports bra and ran it along her forehead. “What’s next?”

Everything in my body begged me not to do anything else, but I didn’t listen. I pulled off my tank top, used it to wipe some of my sweat away, and then threw it to the side. “Kicks.”

The next hour brought more pain than I had inflicted on my body in quite some time. We ran kicks, jumps, turns, presses, and tosses until every muscle in my body was demanding me to stop. Every time it seemed like one of us was gaining edge over the other, we’d switch drills and the other would come fighting back with all their power. I hated to admit it, but Quinn was one hell of a football player. Knocking her force of will out of her was going to be tougher than I thought.

Quinn did a good job of keeping her cool during the intense drills for a while, but by the time we’d finished throwing, she was starting to look a little worse for wear. We’d emptied the full dispenser of water Tyler had left behind and were relying solely on our bodies to keep us going.

“Next?” she asked, and I nearly collapsed. How had she not given up yet? “Tackles?”

I snickered as best I could through my desperate attempts to catch my breath. “You could never tackle me.” The game we’d played against one another had never given us the opportunity to tackle. I’d seen the way she took down some of the players in her rec game, but she wasn’t ready for someone like me.

She dug her feet into the ground exactly where she was standing and looked like a bull prepared to rush. She was serious. I steeled myself, and when I was settled in my stance, she came bolting toward me. She smashed into me, and all of the wind went flying from my body. It was like I’d been hit by a freight train at top speed. My feet completely left the turf, and I went flying down to my back, slamming my head against the turf and instantly feeling dizzy. She stood to her feet over me, twisted her head to crack her neck, and looked down at me with a smug expression on her face.

The amount of hidden energy I had to pour into getting to my feet was surreal. My head was still buzzing a little, but I was okay apart from being rocked. I was going to call it, but Quinn dug her feet into the turf again and looked at me. She patted her abs a few times and then locked her arms on either side of herself. She meant for me to tackle her back. I said a silent apology to my body and charged. I plowed into her, and to my dissatisfaction, she didn’t go down. I dug my shoulder as deep into her sternum as it could go, curled up turf from the way my cleats were grinding in, and finally, she toppled. Unlike her, though, I didn’t have the energy to get back up. I rolled over to my back next to her, and when she didn’t get up, I knew she’d reached her limit, too.

We stayed there in total silence for what felt like hours. It had been a long time, if ever, since I’d run