Page 19 of Off the Pitch

“Good thing too,” David said, slumping down next to me and massaging his temples. “Honestly, he’s such a twat. After everything I do for him, he fucking steals my Doritos. They were mine. Asshole!”

“You must really love him if you let him steal your food,” I said with a soft chuckle, trying not to let my jealously show. There was an ache in my chest—a longing I hadn’t felt in a long time—but I didn’t want to look to closely at it because I knew it shouldn’t be there. “I mean, you’d never ever let me have anything off your plate.”

“Wait, what?” David raised an eyebrow at me, head tilted to one side.

“You’re together right?” I said, unsure why he was confused. “You and Kit?”

“Fuck no!” David said, eyes wide. “Why the hell would you think that? I mean, yeah, I love the guy, but more in the way you love a dog or a cat or a weird ginger monkey who never bathes or sleeps and leaves charcoal dust everywhere!”

Oh…

Oh…

My heart felt like it was stuck in place, and I wasn’t sure I could remember how to breathe. All the fears that had been swirling around my head and the jealousy that had filled my heart was washed away in an instant. Suddenly, I was looking at all our interactions in a new light. I mean who spends half the night at their ex-boyfriend’s house if they have a current boyfriend to go home to? Lily was right—I really was dense.

If they weren’t together, did that mean that David had feelings for me?

I wasn’t sure if I could bring myself to ask that question because if he didn’t… well, I didn’t really want to consider that.

“I just thought…” I said, trying to work out how to put into words what I wanted to say. How could I explain how I’d come to that conclusion without looking absurdly jealous? It would just make me look petty and sour. Luckily for me, David seemed to be able to read my mind. He fixed me with a smile that turned my insides to goo, like one of those chocolate lava cakes.

“Look, he’s one of my best friends, and I’ve known him for years, but I’m so, so fucking glad he’s not my boyfriend. I’d probably be in jail by now if he was.”

I grinned, shaking my head. A wave of confidence swept over me, and before I could stop them, the words were out of my mouth. “Well, what do you look for in a boyfriend?”

“Can I be honest?” David said, a shakiness to his voice that hadn’t been there a moment ago. I nodded because I didn’t think I could say anything else, my throat felt like it had closed up.

“You. You’re what I look for, Christian.”

Chapter Nine

STUNNING STRIKE

King penalty sees Greenwich Top Group

The Sun

David

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I wished I hadn’t said them. How could I take them back now? Pretty much declaring your love for someone wasn’t something you could really laugh off as a joke. I was fucked.

I knew I should say something, anything, but my heart was pounding at a million miles per hour, and the words just wouldn’t come. How could I deny it when it was true? He was what I wanted. He was everything to me.

Christian was staring at me, eyes wide. “Oh.”

The sound was so small I thought I’d dreamt it. He looked down at his hands, almost making himself smaller, as if he was embarrassed.

“You… you’re everything I look for too.”

What could I say to that? Every word, every sassy, snarky comeback, every potential joke melted away like midwinter frost under the sun. I had no words. For all the times I’d dreamt of this situation, running it over in my head in case the fantasy became a reality, this was never something I’d imagined happening.

All I had left were actions.

I moved before I could stop myself, reaching for his waist and pulling him towards me, our lips meeting in a kiss that shattered the universe.

Christian’s lips were soft, softer than I remembered. How had I forgotten this? But his kiss was hesitant, unsure even. As if he had forgotten how to be kissed.

Surely someone had loved him during these past six years? Then again, would he have let them?

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