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I let out a resigned sigh and lead the way to my Aston Martin.
“Bloody hell, that’s a nice car,” Archie gushes, running his hand over the gun-metal silver surface.
“Just get inside,” I grumble, opening my door and settling in the driver’s seat.
He dutifully gets into the passenger seat, reverently?fingering the leather upholstery.
“You know you could get one yourself if you really wanted,” I point out.
“I’d have to learn how to drive first.”
My mouth gapes open. “You don’t know how to drive?”
“I’m a Londoner, mate. Why would I learn how to drive?”
“How the fuck do you get to training?” I ask, and then instantly regret it. If he tells me his mum drops him off it could be the last straw for my sanity.
He shrugs. “The tram. Stops right outside the stadium.”
I just stare at him in shock. “You get thetram?”
He shrugs. “Sure, why not?”
“You’re a professional footballer.”
“And?”
I shake my head. A professional EPL player getting public transport? Yeah, this is going to have to stop before he gets mobbed and causes all of South London to shut down. Deciding I don’t have the energy to deal with that right now, I turn the car on and bring up the GPS app. “Your address?”
He tells me and I key it in before pulling out of the car park and starting the trip across London.
We’re quiet for a few minutes, which I’m completely stunned by. I’m pretty sure this is the longest I’ve ever spent with Archie without him babbling away about something. Strangely, though, the quiet isn’t an uncomfortable one.?
Of course, that merely prompts me to fill it with discomfort anyway.
“I’m gay,” I blurt out, my eyes widening with horror as I realise I’ve just said those words out loud. To someone else. To someone who isn’t Courtney. Bloody hell, I’m not sure I’ve ever actually said the words before. I mean, Courtney and I talk about it a lot, but have I ever actually said those words? Thank god I have the road to focus on so I don’t have to look at Archie right now.
I sense him shifting around in his seat to stare at me. “You’re…”
“No one knows,” I rush on. “I’m not…out.”
“But, you’re tellingme?”he asks, clearly confused.
“Alex said I should throw you a bone.”
“Andthisis the bone you went with?”
“Why has your voice gotten all screechy like that?” I ask, daring a glance to my left to find him sitting back in his seat, hand to his chest as he breathes like he’s trying to fend off a panic attack.
“This is just really unexpected…and big…and secret…”
“You can’t tell anyone,” I growl.
“I know! And could you please watch the road.”
I snap my gaze back to the road, doing my best to ignore Archie’s panic attack. Why the hell is he panicking? I figured if anyone would understand my situation it would be him.
“Wow. You never even pinged my gaydar…” he muses, sounding a lot calmer.
