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Carter leaned over. “And the fact that I was the team captain that year too?”
“And I still know nothing about football except that the point is to score goals.” Raine gave me a bright smile, making me laugh.
“Wasn’t Preston the top striker that year?” Asher smirked at Kian, who shot him a mock glare.
“Yeah, whatever. I don’t mind sharing the glory with my golden boy. Shame you couldn’t do the same with your boyfriend.”
“We were both captains of our teams, though.Captains. What were you?”
Asher’s smirk turned into a laugh when Kian elbowed him in the side. He turned back to me, still grinning. “I’ll break it down for you, nice and easy. We’re supporting LSU—they’re the ones in the blue kit. I’m sure you won’t have any problem recognising the players. In case you weren’t aware, LSU start at one end, and then after half-time, they swap ends. The team they’re playing today are Watford uni—they’re the ones in red.”
“Okay. Thanks.” I knew about the swapping ends thing—I wasn’t totally clueless about football. I’d been forced to play it on occasion during school P.E. lessons, after all. I’d just never had any interest in it, and still didn’t. I leaned back, kicking my legs up to rest on the top of the empty seat in front of me. If my old school friends could see me now…in fact, if my family could see me now…
Tugging my phone from my pocket, I took a photo of my trainers, with the football pitch and players warming up in the background. After sending it to my family group chat, accompanied by the caption “Guess what I’m doing?” I shoved my phone back into my pocket and turned my attention to the pitch.
Perfect timing. The rest of the players were making their way out. I pushed away the sudden uncomfortable feeling that had come over me, reminding myself yet again that this was nothing like my school days. For a start, I knew at least half of the team by now, and they were decent guys. Guys who were becoming my friends.
And then there washim. The guy I’d become very, very friendly with just last night. The guy who had kissed me goodbye less than an hour ago. I watched as Liam jogged over to the edge of the pitch and began doing a series of stretches that made my mouth dry.
He glanced up, and I saw him do an actual double take, his eyes widening as he took me in. Unsure of how to react, I gave a lame-as-fuck wave-slash-salute thing. It was the right move because his lips kicked up at the corners, and he gave me a proper salute, which made me laugh.
“You sorted out your shit with him?”
It took me a minute to realise that Kian was addressing me. “Huh?” I tore my gaze away from Liam. “Uh, yeah. We talked.” Anything else I said could be incriminating, so I clamped my mouth shut.
He narrowed his eyes, his gaze flicking to Liam, then back to me. A thoughtful expression came over his face. Liam glanced back over at us, like he was making sure I was actually there, and I couldn’t stop my grin from reappearing. Kian shook his head with a small, amused, slightly disbelieving smile. “I see.”
I didn’t even want to know what he was thinking. It was time for a change of subject, and fast. Luck was on my side because suddenly, everyone’s attention swung to the pitch, where the teams were lining up.
Watching football had never interested me, but I’d never seen Liam play before. It wasn’t even just him—watching Preston, Travis, Ander, Levi, and Damon all playing, people that I knew and lived with or lived next door to, was a new experience, and to my complete shock, I found myself invested in the match. I wanted them to do well. I wanted them to win.
And I had Asher, my personal football commentator next to me, who seemed to have taken it upon himself to narrate the entire match. Most of it went over my head, but I couldn’t help the warmth that spread through me as he spoke. This guy I’d only just met, who was training to be a football coach, of all things, had not only welcomed me, but he hadn’t made fun of me for knowing nothing. Just the opposite. He seemed to be happy pointing everything out, peppering his commentary with anecdotes about his time as the captain of his school team, playing against the boys from Alstone High.
It was probably good that I had him there to distract me, otherwise my eyes would’ve been glued to Liam, and I was sure someone would’ve noticed.
The first half passed surprisingly fast. Neither team had scored, but there had been some close calls. Asher was muttering something about the “incompetent ref” when I stood, stretching out my body after being stuck in the cramped seat for forty-five minutes.
My phone buzzed, and I remembered the message I’d sent to my family group chat. I opened it up, and yeah, I had a string of replies from my dad, mum, and each of my twin sisters.
Dad:Football? I’ll make a Chelsea fan of you yet
Mum:Who are you and what have you done with my son?
Layla:boring
Ami:WHERE ARE THE HOT UNI BOYS
Mum:Ami Louise!
Dad:No boys until you’re thirty
Ami:NOAH THEY’RE PICKING ON ME THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT
Layla:yh its your fault Noah
Dad:Don’t you both have homework to do?
Layla:why are you asking us on the group chat when we’re in the same room
