Page 58 of King of Hearts

Andy came and stood tall at my back, surrounding me as he gently pulled me into him. He circled my upper chest, holding me in both a comforting and possessive gesture and I lifted my free hand to hold onto his forearm, leaning into the embrace. He felt warm, but unlike Lucas, he and the rest of the guys were barely sweating, clearly used to far more than a quick playful match.

“Some of those kids were fast, hey?” Jay said.

“Probably the sugar from all the fairy floss.” I answered as Andy reached into my tub of popcorn helping himself.

“Man, Jay ate like three bags of that too. I think you’re just getting slower.” Jack said before he quickly ran behind Andy and me as Jay gave chase.

“Can you two go a minute without arguing?” Andy said around a mouthful of popcorn, sounding more like their parent than their captain.

“Can you go a minute without touching Arna? No offence.” Jay aimed the last bit just at me and I giggled at his grimace.

“You’re just jealous.” Andy retorted before I felt his lips on the top of my head. I leant my head back, smiling at him and he kissed me deeply more for the benefit of his teammates. Happy to oblige, I reciprocated causing both Jay and Jack to groan.

“Can you two get a room, honestly, it’s making me want to throw up.” Jay joked exaggeratedly.

“Happily. We’re heading off, you guys want a ride or are you going with Liam and Greg?” Andy asked, referring to the other Hearts players who came today.

“They already left, but I drove.” Jack replied. “Jay, I’ll drive you home so you don’t have to watch a live porn show on the way.”

“But what if I want to?” He asked and I laughed as Andy glared at him.

“We have to go find Marlee before we leave.” I said, keeping hold of the invisible thread of affection and security I felt when in his arms. “Then we can enjoy the rest of the night.”

Andy held my shoulders, pushing me forward towards Marls, suddenly in a hurry to leave.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Andy

Beyondthe Sport:Unveiling the Humble Heart

of Sydney’s Captain– Andrew Gloss.

In the bustling city, betwixt the cheers ofthe crowds and the flash of cameras, there exists aside to Andrew Gloss, arguably the city’s most celebratedsports star, that very few have been lucky enough tomeet. A side revealing not just extraordinary talent but alsohumble, hardworking qualities and whose commitment to both his sportand his loved ones is as inspiring as his prowesson the field.

Ilocked my phone, throwing it into my locker before heading for the showers. No matter how many times I read the article, part of me was still searching for the hidden maliciousness which usually accompanied anything written about me. The mention of an underlying vanity or a comment on my inability to maintain a relationship despite having access to numerous women. Yet, there was nothing of the sort.

It was everything I secretly hoped for but didn’t give myself the privilege to expect. And after a loss like the one we just copped, reading her heartfelt words eased the pain and disappointment. The weight of losing never got easier to carry, but when you were 900 kilometres from home with a group of men who looked to you to increase their spirits after having your tail handed to you, it was even worse.

He standsunmatched in his leadership – commanding respect and admiration. The epitomeof sportsmanship and devotion, Gloss leaves an irreversible impact onthe lives of fans and fellow athletes alike.

God, her words were intentionally kind. The irony that her feature humbled me in a way that I wouldn’t share with anyone else, was not lost on me. It was also currently the most-read article in Australia, according to Pup, which delighted me – not for myself but for Arna and how this would elevate her career. My challenging relationship with the media always sat behind me like a shadow I couldn’t quite escape. However, for the first time, a release written entirely about me, including details of my family, albeit subtly, didn’t pitch me as a man with an arrogant streak who refused interviews. She spoke of me in the way that Ihopedpeople saw me, yet rarely ever did.

As one delves deeper into the lifeof Mr. Gloss, it becomes an honour to uncover thelayers of his character, and in doing so, one cannothelp but be profoundly inspired by his unwavering work ethic, serving as a beacon of dedication and integrity both onand off the field.There is no denying, his teamfollows his lead - and rightfully so.

The responses from fellow journalists with much less probity were already commenting on the ‘cronyism’ because of the connection between Arna and I and this was another stressor which was responsible for the ache in my muscles. But even that couldn’t overshadow my adoration.

The warm water washed over me as I prolonged getting out. When the last of the crowd exited, I headed back out to the field, punishing myself with another thirty minutes of running, bouncing and kicking. I replayed every missed tackle, every lost goal and every turnover. Consequently, I was the last to leave the change room too and despite it being intentional, it was mainly due to my inability to stop reading her words. I had been in this weird headspace since it dropped two days ago and if one more person I knew sent it to me with a mock headline of their own, I was going to launch my phone. It was hard to stay well-below the radar when an article detailing my life was currently trending.

Turning the water off, I reached for my towel, drying and quickly dressing.

“Oi, Captain Humble, you coming or what?” Jay’s head stuck through the change room door just as I was about to open my phone for the fifteenth time today and lose myself in her writing.

“Fuck off. Is Pup still here?” I packed the rest of my things, taking one last look around the room and following him out the door.

“Nah, he left. We are going to head out for a few drinks, you keen?” Jay was walking ahead, securing his watch on his wrist which he wore every time we went anywhere and I knew that I didn’t really have a choice. This was also part of the role. You were the leader for the good times as well as the bad, and that meant putting on a brave face and showing them there was more to life than playing football.

We would bounce back. We always did.

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