Page 63 of Couple Goals

Adriana smiles a little at that. It’s a relief to hear him say it’s a lot for him too.

‘But it’s the things outside of us,’ he says. ‘For us, for you, for me. This is yourcareer. Here I am, having… professional conversations about the lives of your closest friends.’

He closes his eyes and exhales.

‘You said you only want something casual. This? This isn’t casual. It’s not casual to be playing with our careers in this way, and those of people close to us – your teammates, and my family. And…’ he coughs. Takes a deep breath. ‘Addy, I don’t– I don’t feel casually about you. The fact that we have been on, what, two dates? And I am already feeling…’

He shakes his head, smiling at her ruefully. Adriana’s heart swells.

‘I know I’m not a ‘casual’ man in general, arguably I take everything I do too seriously – someone very wise and hot told me that not too long ago –’ Adriana smiles at him, tears forming in her eyes. ‘But evenIam not usually fantasising about the future when I’ve been on two dates with someone. I don’t get excited about people like this. Because I do– I feel so… unbelievably happy around you. I know you must be used to making people feel like that, you’re like a permanent beam of sunshine. But do you understand how rare that is for me? How unexpected? I don’t take it for granted.’

Gently, so gently, he reaches over and traces a finger along Adriana’s thumb.

‘Jacob, I don’t feel casually about you either,’ she admits, her voice breaking a little because she can’t believe she’s doing this. ‘My rules are already out the window with you, and I– I would break them all, for you.’

Jacob tilts her chin gently towards him like she’s the most precious thing he’s ever touched and kisses her. Adriana’s body relaxes into his, and for a moment, it all feels so simple. They feel the same way! Maybe all along, she secretlydidwant to meet someone, someone who would make her feel safe in trusting him with her feelings.

But then, the server delivers their drinks to their booth, and she is jolted back to reality. The very fact that they’re here, sneaking around, within metres of their workplace. She pulls back, biting her lip where she can still feel Jacob’s touch.

He seems to know exactly what she’s thinking.

‘I don’t want to be hiding,’ he says, his voice low. ‘When we should be just able to enjoy this rare thing happening between us,let it grow in its own way. I wish it wasn’t like this.’ He says with a heavy sigh.

‘But itislike this,’ Adriana reminds him. ‘This is the reality of our situation.’

She is surprising herself by being the one to be the reality check. As incredible as she finds Jacob’s confession – and she really does, it’s incredible when the person you have feelings for feels the same. But being with Jacob also allows her to feel safe in bringing out this more serious side of herself. It reminds her of being with Maeve, all those years ago at Football Academy – how it felt like she was the only person who didn’t justlikeher or feel charmed by her, but also reallyrespectedher, and so it had given Adriana permission to start respecting herself. Jacob brings that out in her too.

He nods, never taking his hand from hers.

‘We both want to be with each other,’ she says. ‘But we also both want our careers here with the Tigresses.’

Jacob’s face crumples suddenly, when he realises what she’s getting at. He takes his glasses off, pinching the bridge of his nose, pulling his hand through his hair.

‘It just feels so ironic,’ Jacob mutters. ‘I never even wanted this job. My father…’

His jaw clenches again, as if he’s gone somewhere else. Then his eyes focus on her again, and he sighs.

‘Sorry,’ he says. He reaches for their ignored drinks, toasts a little wryly to the edge of her negroni, then takes a long gulp. He winces again, but his shoulders do seem to loosen a little.

‘You can tell me, if you want to,’ says Adriana softly. ‘I’ll listen. But you don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to share.’

He nods, swallows. ‘You’re right. Thank you. I’m just not used to… talking about this kind of thing.’

He takes another mouthful, then a deep breath.

‘My father is not a nice man. In fact, he’s a bully. That feels like an important thing to say upfront. He is powerful, and successful, and rich, and he is used to getting his way. He surrounds himself with yes men, people who are only looking for money and power too. He wanted me to always work for him, which is why I’ve been thrust into this when I never wanted to be involved in running a football club.’

His whole body is tense now and his hand has slipped from Adriana’s.

‘But that’s my biggest fear. That I’ll follow in his footsteps and become a heartless bully like him because he never listens to anyone else, or cares about their feelings. When you and I saw each other again at the training grounds, and realised who each other were, I was wary, I was defensive. But then it seemed like you were not only confused about how to be with me, but also…’

Jacob’s eyes search hers, then look down, swirling the block of melting ice round his empty glass.

‘It seemed like you were almost scared of me? The fact that you thought I would do something so… so immoral as to punish you for our one-night stand? I think that just freaked me out.’

Jacob’s head is bowed as he speaks, his habitual poker face slipping to show the cracks of vulnerability and pain beneath. He covers his face with his hand, as if trying to hide himself from her. Adriana reaches over and gently takes his cold hand in hers, warming the fingers beneath her own.

‘Jacob, I don’t know your father, but I know you’re nothing like him.’

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