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For all my talk, I was a nervous wreck as I waited in the tunnel with the rest of my team. My gaze dropped to my feet, and despite my nerves, a small smile tugged at my lips. Every single member of Glevum FC wore rainbow laces today, thanks to the club collaborating with an LGBTQ+ charity to promote inclusiveness in sport.
“D’you think we can wear these every week?” Reuben came up next to me, twisting his foot as he examined the bright colours threaded through his boots.
“I think it’s a one-off.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.” He grinned at me. “That flag I put in the dressing room is here to stay, though.”
“That was you?”
“I told you we needed more colour.” With a shrug, he turned to face the entrance to the pitch, bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet. “You ready for this?”
It was an echo of the question my dad had asked me this morning, and I didn’t have a proper answer. How could I ever be ready for this? How could I prepare for the unknown?
“I hope so.”
My gaze sought Theo’s, and when I found him, I inclined my head. He came to me straight away. “Is everything okay?”
“Just having an attack of nerves,” I told him honestly.
“Me too.” Stepping closer, he lowered his voice. “But whatever happens out there, just remember, it’s you and me.” He repeated the words he’d spoken to me on the day we’d been outed, when everything was falling apart.
“You and me.” I curled my finger around his, squeezing for a moment before I let him go. “Okay. Let’s do this.”
We filed out onto the pitch. Everything was a blur of colour and noise, the roar of the crowds echoing in my ears as we emerged into the open. I blinked, and blinked again, spots dancing in front of my eyes. I would not lose my fucking composure out here in front of everyone. I was a professional.
“Jordan.” Theo’s voice was urgent. “Jordan. Look.”
The stadium finally came into focus, and I. Fucking. Lost. It.
I sank to my knees, right there in the centre of the pitch, tears blurring my vision. From every corner of our stadium, home and away fans were calling our names. Mine and Theo’s. And there were rainbow flags among the crowds, bright bursts of colour, waving and dancing, a visual representation of support, an acceptance, an acknowledgement that love is fucking love.
There were boos and jeers, but they were completely fucking drowned out by the wave of support pouring down on us, the cheers echoing around Barnwood Park stadium, joined by the players, both Glevum and Brighton, clapping us, encouraging the fans to lift us up with even more noise. I’d never, ever experienced anything like it in my life, never even dreamed that anything close to this would ever happen, and all I could do was kneel there on the grass, letting it wash over me, breaking apart and being pieced back together, all at the same time.
A hand reached out to me, and I took it, letting Theo lift me to my feet. He looked deep into my eyes, his own filled with tears.
“Remember what Dean said? Love will triumph over hate.”
I wiped my tears away. “He’s right. Love wins.”
Theo nodded. “Love wins.”
Our team surrounded us.
“Love wins,” Grant said. “Love fucking wins. And you know what? Today, we win. Let’s do this.”
42
JORDAN
“Not so bland and soulless now, is it?” I grinned at Theo, who was still standing in the exact same spot as he had when he’d entered the lounge five minutes earlier.
“Wh— How? When?”
Seeing my boyfriend so gobsmacked made me grin even harder. “I’ve been paying attention. As soon as we agreed that you’d move in here, I started my research. Look.”
I scrolled through my phone until I found the right folder and then held it up so he could see it.
“Your favourite colours. The décor you seemed to like in your flat. Notes from conversations we’ve had.” I paused. “But we can change whatever you want. I want it to be our home, not mine, and that means that you get an equal say. This is the only room I had decorated because we spend a lot of time relaxing in here, and I wanted you to be comfortable when you moved in. We can redo it if you want, and we’ll choose the décor for all the other rooms together.”
