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My phone buzzes in my back pocket, and my heart pulses like a livewire when I read the caller ID. It’s my brother, and he never calls.
When I pick up, he blurts, “What on earth are you doing at Wembley?”
“What?” Sticking a finger in my ear to block the noise, I squint to focus. “Liam? Is Dad okay?”
“Of course he’s okay, Chubs. He’s just wondering what his daughter is doing in a football stadium.”
Damn it. Taking a few steps back, I turn around to face the stands. “Well, what do you think? I came to watch the game.”
He makes a gurgling sound, like he just spat back in his drink.
I add, “How do you even know I’m here?”
“We saw you on TV.” He says it as if it’s the most blatant thing in the world.
I flit my gaze around the stadium, wondering if they can see me now. But the venue is slowly emptying. I’m pretty sure the broadcast is already over.
“Chubs, what’s going on?” he presses.
I bite my lip. “Fine, you win. I’m dating a player, okay? No big deal.”
“A player? As in a player from one of the teams?”
“Yes.”
“The Regents?” he squeals.
“Uh-huh.”
“Who?”
“Wade Hun—”
“What?” He snickers into the phone. “My sister is dating Wade Hunter? Is that some kind of joke?”
My gut reaction—ouch. Thanks for finding the idea of me dating Wade that hilarious. Like there’s no way he would ever be interested in me. But then, I remember. He’s absolutely right. This is a joke. The realisation hurts more than it should, making my heart twist painfully in my chest.
“Listen, Liam. I’ve got to go. Talk to you soon, okay?”
“Rox—” he starts, but I hang up.
Lina ambles up to me. “How did that go?” she asks with a grimace.
“Exactly how I expected. Which is why I didn’t want him to find out in the first place. He’s going to pester me with this forever.”
Wade seems to appear out of nowhere. He’s still wearing his athletic shorts, but only a white undershirt clings to his sculpted, sweaty torso, leaving just enough to the imagination. All I want is to tear it off.
“Hey!” he calls, jogging toward us as a large smile grows on his face.
His beaming grin, combined with the twinkle in his eyes and that damn shirt, sends my heart into freefall. Suddenly, it’s as if I’m the one who just ran for over an hour on the pitch.
He marches toward us, and my body acts with a mind of its own. I leap into his arms, taking comfort in the way his arms immediately wrap around the small of my back. Like they’re meant to be there. “You were brilliant.”
His dazed eyes travel to my lips, and for a second, I think he’s going to kiss me. Instead, he gently lowers me down. “Thanks,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck.
After introducing him to Lina, I steady my breathing as we chat about the game.
“Sounds like you enjoyed your first football game, then?” he asks, an eyebrow arched.
