Page 70 of Off the Pitch

“All right,” said Jordan, and I looked up to watch him shrug and sit back on the sofa. “Wait, shit, was that what you wanted to tell us? Is that what you were worried about?”

“Well, yeah,” I said, laughter bubbling up out of me. Of all the reactions I’d pictured, this hadn’t been one of them. Behind me I could hear Lily muttering something under her breath that sounded distinctly likeI told you so.

“Shit, man, that’s cool. Why was you worried?”

“Because, y’know, I play football…”

“That’s bollocks, and you know it.” Jordan’s eyeroll that time could have been seen from space. “Wait, why are you telling us now? Did someone find out?”

“No, well, I mean… I’ve been seeing someone, and I fucked up and pushed them away because I didn’t think we could be together.”

“Shit, really? Who?”

“It’s David, isn’t it?” Liam’s voice was quiet, but there was a wry smile on his face that suggested he’d known all along.

“What? How’d you know? Mate, how could you not tell me?” Jordan gasped in mock outrage, thumping Liam across the chest.

“Because you’d have said something,” Liam shrugged. “And I wasn’t sure. But I’m right, aren’t I?”

“Yes.” I could already feel my face heating. No doubt it was now a lovely shade of pink. “How did you know?”

“Just a hunch.” Liam looked smug, while Jordan looked like he was thinking hard.

“How the fuck did I not notice?” he muttered. “You look at him like this one looks at Ali. Y’know, like he’s hung the fucking moon.”

“It’s sickening, isn’t it?” Lily laughed, while Jordan nodded.

“Kinda, but I don’t blame you. He is pretty fit,” Jordan said while we all stared at him.

“Something you want to tell us?” asked Liam as Jordan’s dark skin flushed.

“Nah, mate. Y’know, he’s just kinda fit. I can think dudes are fit.”

“He is,” I said, stepping in to rescue Jordan before Liam sank his teeth into the issue, and we had a full-on sexuality crisis in my living room. I was not ready to deal with that mess. Apparently, neither was Jordan. “And he’s the best person I’ve ever met, and I need to get him back. I need to tell him I’m sorry.”

“What happened?” Jordan asked.

“It’s a long story,” I started, but Jordan waved me off.

“Nah, man. We need deets. If we’re gonna help you win back the love of your life, I wanna know the details.”

“Agreed,” Liam said, trying to look serious. “And food. We need food too.”

“Yeah, man. Let’s get pizza.”

“Nah, Chinese.”

“Dude,” Jordan argued, already pulling out his phone. “It’s gotta be BBQ pizza, yeah, with chips and chicken dippers too.”

“Agreed,” Lily added. “Don’t forget the garlic pizza bread too.”

“As if I’d ever forget.” Jordan looked almost offended at Lily’s comment.

I watched the three of them argue, a grin creeping across my face and a huge weight lifting off my shoulders. For the first time in my life, I felt like I didn’t have to hide, like I could be myself. I felt free.

“And we gotta get Hugo over here too,” Jordan added, without looking up from his screen.

“Is he even out of hospital?” I asked, internally cringing at the memory of Hugo being carried off the pitch.

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