AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Across the table, Tom is scowling at me. It’s adorable.
I manage to rein my thoughts back before they go wandering down Fantasy Lane again. We’re just mates. He said so himself. It’s been a while since he’s given off the impression that he’d rather shoot himself in the foot than spend time with me. And he even smiles every now and then. These are victories. And even if it’s not exactly the relationship I want, Iamgrateful for it.
For a few minutes all you can hear is the clacking of cutlery and the occasional moan—I’ve always been a tad on the vocal side when it comes to enjoying my food. And then Keegan decides it’s question time again.
“Archie?” he says with his mouth full of eggs.
“Don’t talk with your mouth full, Keegan,” Tom says, giving him the dreaded parent stare.
Oh yeah, that was definitely his ‘Dad voice’ that he used on me earlier.
Keegan quickly swallows down his food. “Sorry, Dad. Archie, if you’re gay does that mean you have a boyfriend?”
“I don’t.” I smile at him.
Glancing up, I catch Tom’s beautiful blue gaze fixed intently on me.
“Why not?” Keegan’s voice pulls my attention back to him. “Do you not have any crushes?”
My lips quirk up in a wry smile. Ididtell the kid he could ask whatever he wanted; I can’t exactly back out now, can I? “I do have a crush but he doesn’t like me back.”
“How do you know?” Keegan asks, brows furrowed in an expression that makes him look like a mini-Tom.
I shrug. “I just know.”
“You should find a new crush,” Keegan says with a shrug of his own.
“That’s not a bad idea,” I say. It’s cute how simple things can be for an eight-year-old, and, to be fair, it’s not bad advice. It’s just not for me.?Wanting to date a closeted teammate is one thing, but I’m a Premier League football player who has just come out. I’m not subjecting myself to a media-frenzied relationship on purpose.
Once again, I can feel Tom’s eyes on me. This time he has a look on his face that I can’t quite decipher.?
Chapter thirteen
Tom
Ihatelosing.Irealise it’s part of the deal when it comes to sport, but I really fucking hate it. And I especially hate losing to Crystal Palace, our South London rivals. I always feel like I’ve let the fans down when we lose to Palace, because it’s such an important game to them. Maybe the most important mid-season match.
Oh well, we’ll get another chance later in the season, and at least that one will be on home turf. Archie won’t have to worry about opposition fans jeering and shouting at him; the Rainbow Brigade will drown them out. That’s the name the media has given to the Pride supporters, who have continued with their anthem of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” at the past three home games. It’s a bit over the top, and it always makes Archie blush furiously, but at least it shuts up all the opposition supporters who might be thinking about calling out anything nasty.
We trudge off the pitch and down into the visiting team’s locker room. My eyes immediately search for Archie, who had a bit of a shocker tonight. And he certainly wasn’t alone there—Palace’s defence was just way too good, and neither of us could get a look in. Their forwards ran Alex, Sean, and Massimo ragged as well, so it was a rough night for everyone. Well, pretty much everyone—the only shining light was Robbie, who somehow managed to score two goals out of the mess.
I spot Archie sitting on the bench in front of his cubby, looking dejected. We’re not at home, so our cubbies aren’t next to each other like they usually are, and for some reason I hesitate to go over to him, even though it’s obvious he needs a mate to buck him up right now.
Fuck that, I know exactly why I’m hesitating. Things have been…a little different between Archie and me ever since he came over for tea a few nights ago.
I’m trying desperately not to over analyse the situation, but in reality the only thing that’s really changed is that he’s taken my request to heart and has stopped with all the over-the-top flirting. There’s no teasing, no innuendo, no blatant comments. And…I miss it.
Yeah, that’s right. I’mthatprick. The one who wants a bloke fawning all over him even if he doesn’t return the interest. Or, at the very least, isn’t prepared to act on any returned interest.
The whole situation is very confusing to be honest. I’m ninety-five per cent sure that all his flirting was only ever to rile me up; because what nineteen-year-old, as gorgeous and fit as Archie would ever be interested in a washed-up old dinosaur like me? But then there’s that other five per cent that still wonders…what if he was genuine?
I give a sharp shake of my head to banish the notion. Even if it is true, it doesn’t matter. He’s way too young, and we’re teammates; it’s a recipe for disaster. Besides, it seems as though he’s found a new focus for his attention lately…
I feel irritation coursing through me as I recall the way Archie and Alex were mucking around at training yesterday, laughing and joking while they ran through the tackling drills they’d been paired up for. Everything seemed so easy and natural between them, and I can’t help wondering if Alex is who Archie was talking about when he told Keegan he had a crush who wasn’t interested. Considering Alex is straight, that would definitely make sense.
While I stand here debating my next move, the decision is taken out of my hands as Captain Fantastic himself—Alex, I mean, not Sir Elton John—drops onto the bench besides Archie.
He places one hand on Archie’s shoulder as he talks quietly to the younger man.?
