I open my mouth to reply when Brennan glances toward the door, a slow grin spreading across his face. “Well, well, well,” he murmurs. “Look who just walked in.”
I follow his line of sight, and time just stops.
She’s here. Standing in the entrance of the ballroom, bathed under the soft glow of the chandelier. Her blue dress clings to her body like it was made for her. Even from this far back, I can see the necklace I gave her around her neck, sparkling faintly against her collarbone. She’s smiling, not politely, but confidently, like a weight has been lifted from her spine.
She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. And I’m so completely, stupidly in love with her.
I take a step forward, ready to close the distance between us and say everything I’ve been wanting to say for weeks, but before I can, Alan materializes beside her. He leans in and whispers something that makes Addison smile and nod. They drift into a corner for a private conversation, leaving me frozen again, aching for my moment to tell her I’m in love with her. That I want her to stay here, with me. That I don’t want to live a single day without her.
After what feels like ages, Alan moves on from the conversation, and I take a step forward. This is it. My chance.
Before I can so much as breathe her name, someone from the stage picks up a microphone. “If you could all take your seats, we’ll be kicking off the awards!”
Fuck. Of course.
I glance toward Addison again, but she’s already taken a seat next to Alan at a table up front.
Matt sulks at a table across the room, surrounded by his American documentary crew. For once, he doesn’t bother trying to sit near Addison. He doesn’t slide uninvited into conversations. It surprises me. I figured this event would be his self-declared victory lap. Somehow, all our success this year would be because of him, despite never setting foot on the pitch. I half expect him to stroll up on stage and pull a Kanye during the speeches as awards are announced. Instead, he’s just sitting there, rotting in his own ego pit and looking miserable.
And I fucking love it.
Brennan claps a hand on my back, nodding toward the table where Carlos and Sebastian are already seated. “Come on, lover boy. You can pine from your seat.”
“What?” I ask, dumbfounded. Brennan just winks at me, like he’s always known.
I huff out a laugh and follow him, sliding into a chair between him and Carlos as the lights dim.
The first few awards are standard—best young player, community champion, that sort of thing. The lads are rowdy tonight. Half the speeches are jokes, and it’s the most relaxed I’ve seen us in months. It feels good going into the final game of the season—the most important game many of us will ever play—with this kind of positive, comfortable atmosphere.
Eventually, we reach the final two awards of the season—Goal of the Year and Player of the Season.
“And the winner of Goal of the Year goes to Sebastian Leroux!” the emcee shouts excitedly, to the surprise of no one. The room erupts as Sebastian leaps to his feet like he’s just won an Oscar or the Ballon d’Or. He blows a playful kiss to Carlos and accepts the trophy like he’s just been knighted.
He stepsup to the microphone, tapping it like he’s testing the sound system. He launches into typical Sebastian theatrics, declaring himself “magnifique” for scoring so many “fantastique” goals.
I’m still laughing at Sebastian dancing his way offstage when the next award is announced.
“Alright,” the emcee says, voice booming. “We’ve saved the biggest one for last. This is your Rockford FC Player of the Season, voted on by your teammates, the staff, and the fans.”
I lean back in my seat and casually sip my drink. Sebastian shouldn’t have even bothered leaving the stage. In my head, it’s either him, or Harry—who’s been a brick wall in goal. Sebastian’s ego will triple in size if he wins, but he deserves it.
“And your Player of the Season is… Oliver Bradshaw!”
What?
I freeze.
For a second, I think maybe I misheard, but then Brennan shouts beside me. “Oi! Get up there, mate!”
Carlos slaps my back, so hard it nearly knocks the wind out of me.
Even Sebastian is grinning, clapping as he points to the stage.
I stand slowly, my heart thudding in my chest. I feel every eye in the room on me, and for once, it doesn’t make me panic or want to disappear. I just want to find her. I walk up the steps of the stage, still trying to wrap my head around this.
As I reach the podium, Gaffer hands me the trophy.
“Well done, lad,” he whispers in my ear as he shakes my hand.
