“Nope,” they both say, looking at each other with fond smiles.
“We adapt,” Roxy says. “He stays with my dad on match days so I can still come, but we usually go straight home after.”
“Since it was the first game of the season, we decided to extend our evening out.”
“We’re so lucky you’re gracing us with your presence.” Finn dramatically clutches his heart. “When are you going to start bringing him to matches?”
Roxy winces. “I don’t know. The stadium is so loud. Probably not until next year.”
“Oh, come on,” Cameron says. “We need to start moulding him into a Regents fan.”
“He already is,” Roxy says with a chuckle. “He has the full kit and everything. My dad dresses him up on match day, though he tends to pull off his blue socks.”
“Bet he’s still better at keeping his socks matching than Archie is,” Callum mutters.
“Never change a winning combo,” Archie fires back, grinning. “We won, didn’t we?”
“Oh yeah.” Finn nods. “That’s all thanks to the socks, eh? Nothing to do with us busting our butts on the pitch for an hour and a half.”
Another round of laughter ripples through the room, and I settle deeper into the sofa, my shoulder brushing against Archie’s. I would have never guessed I’d end up here one day, laughing casually with Archie and his friends. Yet, here I am, and weirdly enough, it feels right, almost familiar. I’m not sure what to make of that.
I don’t know how long we stay sprawled on the couches, chatting about everything and anything—I don’t even feel awkward when they ask me about my life and work—but when it’s time to call it a day, I'm surprised to find myself wishing it could go on just a little longer. In the span of less than ten minutes, everyone is gathered by the door, hugging us goodbye.
Archie closes the door behind Finn, and suddenly, I realise how alone we are.
“So, that wasn’t terrible, was it?” He arches an eyebrow.
“Fine,” I say, pretending to inspect my nails. “They were… decent.”
His eyes narrowplayfully. “Decent?”
My façade cracks, and I break into a grin. “I’m kidding. They’re great. Really. I had fun.”
“Yeah.” He rakes a hand through his hair, and it tumbles over his forehead again. “I’m lucky to have them. They feel like family, you know? Especially with my mum living a solid ninety minutes away, and Noah all the way in the States.”
“You seem like a tight-knit group.”
“Finn and I go way back, actually,” he says. “We both went to the Regents academy—a centre where they train us to play pro. We both started at the same time as kids, dreaming of playing for the team one day, and now here we are. It’s crazy we actually made it.”
“You were clearly destined to play football,” I say, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “I saw how natural you were on the pitch, how focused you were. It was impressive.”
“Phew.” He exhales dramatically, splaying a hand on his chest. “At least now you know that those lackluster skills I demonstrated in Uganda were just a temporary glitch.”
“You mean when you almost took off my head?” I cross my arms, raising my eyebrows. “Yeah, I was hoping that wasn’t what got you recruited.”
He laughs, thena silence settles between us. The reminder that we’re alone in his apartment comes rushing to my mind again.
“I’m really glad you came,” he murmurs, his voice lower now. He takes a step closer. “To the match, and then to my place. It’s just… crazy. We were at each other’s throats not that long ago.”
“Yeah,” I say, my mouth suddenly dry. “It feels like ages ago. So much has changed since then.”
His eyes drop to my lips for a half second, then slowly trail back up to meet mine. My heart quickens, and I’m suddenly debating whether I should run away or just throw myself at him. The way his pupils dilate, the smell of his peppermint shampoo, the butterflies swarming in my belly. It’s the perfect setup for a kiss.
Then, my phone buzzes in my pocket, and I freeze.What am I doing?
Clearing my throat, I look away. “Well, I’d better get going. You must be exhausted after that match,” I say with a forced chuckle. “See you around, I guess.”
His eyebrows furrow, then he nods, stepping out of my way. “Sure. See you around, Kat.”