Page 189 of The Penalty

“The couch stays.”

Disbelief coated Victoria’s face at my declaration. “You hate that couch.”

“I don’t hate it,” I drawled. “It’s unseemly.”

She half coughed, half laughed. “Oh okay. That makes much more sense.”

Snarky Victoria ranked quite high among my favorite Victorias. I chuckled, grabbing one of the last boxes sitting in the foyer.

“Where does this one go?”

“Upstairs. Charlotte’s old room.”

I trotted up the curved staircase to the first room on the right. Placing the box on a chair, I glanced around. We’d repainted the walls and donated most of the furniture. Victoria insisted on keeping the nightstand, which now displays a few photos of her and Charlotte from when they were teenagers. This room will mainly be just a quiet space for Victoria to use when she wants to feel closer to her twin.

“Hey.” She poked her head in the doorway. “I was wrong. The other box goes in here. Would you mind bringing that one down to the living room and the other one up?”

“Do I look like your valet?”

“No. You look like my hot boyfriend who only has a few days to help me finish unpack and get our house set up before training takes you away from me.”

Our house.

I fucking loved the way that sounded.

After I finished what little work needed to be done on this cottage, I sold my house and, well, we live here together now. At least while Victoria’s in England, which will probably be during her off-season.

I also kept my flat in London at her request.

“You win, city princess.” I picked up the box and stopped to kiss her on my way out. “But this is my last week of training. The season ends next Sunday. Then you can boss me around as much as you want.”

“I’d have better luck taming a dragon.”

“Maybe.”

I heard her giggling when I went downstairs.

After we got all the boxes sorted and in the right rooms, we ordered take away from Black Rose and curled up on the couch to watch some TV.

“Does it feel weird knowing this is your last week with the team?” she asked, sopping up the rest of the mayonnaise with her chips.

“Sort of. Don’t think it’ll really hit me until the final whistle blows.”

Announcing my retirement back in February set off a firestorm not just here in England, but around the football world. I was hounded by the media day and night. All of them wanted to know why I’d walk away from a storied twenty year career with the same club.

My responses of it’s time and I’m ready to start the next chapter of my life didn’t satisfy them at all.

Fans were a different story.

I’ve never received this much outpouring of support from every fan base. Players from all the clubs reached out, too. The countless messages and comments on social media from the lads around the league was humbling.

Not to mention the players from the German, Spanish, and Italian leagues, and the ones from as far away as Argentina and Brazil.

I was the most surprised to see the guys from the New York Legends send their congratulations. Noah, Tre, Jax, and Dante all posted photos from their time here in London with messages of support.

“Think you’ll change your mind after the big tournament in Italy?” Victoria brushed crumbs off her leg. She’d thrown on jeans and one of my t-shirts this morning. No makeup or perfectly styled hair. It was tossed up in a messy ponytail. She was still the most stunning creature ever. “I’ve seen it happen. Athletes retire, then they have second thoughts and, poof. They’re back.”

“I won’t change my mind.” My heart rate spiked.

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