Page 103 of We'll Meet Again

“Couldn’t sleep,” he told her.

She let out a low breath. “Billie?”

He didn’t answer for a long moment. “Yeah.”

“Are you ready to talk about it yet?”

He’d only told his grandmother that he and Billie broke up, but hadn’t shared any of the details with her. Mostly because he was afraid he’d totally break down if he described it. And Betty might tell him he was stupid to let the love of his life go over something like a funeral, and that would only make him feel worse than he already did.

“I don’t wanna keep you up,” he said.

“My feet hit the floor, so I’m up for several hours at least. Might as well talk.”

He started to sigh again, but it all came spilling out of him. He told her everything, from the burned cake to the moment he walked out of Billie’s front door. She listened intently, without once interrupting, and when he was done, he looked uncertainly at her.

“Was I wrong?” he asked, his heart in his throat. He couldn’t discern anything from her expression; if she would take his side or Billie’s.

“No,” she said, and his shoulders sagged with relief. “But neither was Billie.” She paused for a beat. “Which raises the question - why can’t it be fixed?”

He hung his head, eyes finding the outline of his socked feet. “I really hurt her. No matter my reasons, I did end up like every other man in her life. I think if I tried to talk to her now, she’d turn me away. And that’s if I wanted to talk to her in the first place. I’m not sure I do.”

“I think you’re both being stubborn,” she said. “And sometimes, the best way to get an apology is to give one.”

“But I -”

He stopped when his phone chimed. His first thought - a hopeful one - was that it was Billie, but when he looked at the screen, it was not her name attached to the notification. It was Martin. His brow furrowed. Martin was emailing him at this hour?

“Who is it?” Betty asked.

“Martin.”

“At two in the morning?”

“My thoughts exactly.”

“Well, go ahead and see what he wants.”.

He stared down at his phone. If Martin was contacting him now, it had to be important. When he opened the email, he stepped backward right into the railing of the porch.

Betty was beside him in a second, taking his arm.

“What’s it say?”

He shook his head in disbelief. “I’ve…I’ve got an offer.”

“From?”

He met her gaze. “Chelsea.”

“Oh!” she gasped, throwing her arms around his neck. “Oh, Ethan, congratulations!”

He held her close and whispered his thanks into her shoulder. After taking so many hits between the red card, losing Coach Larry, and breaking up with Billie, he finally had some relief. He already knew he would accept it. Not only was Chelsea the club he’d always dreamed of playing for, but it would put more distance between him and Billie. And perhaps that would be enough to move on.

Chapter 29

“BreakingnewsoutofStanmore Football Club - owner Ray Rogers has sacked the club’s head attorney Anthony Corelli. Rogers confirmed the reason for letting Corelli go was the attorney had been hacking phones and emails to stop unwanted offers for players, putting an effective halt on even discussions regarding transfers. Rogers also revealed Corelli allegedly attacked the lower level employee who discovered the hacking, and that employee has since resigned on their own terms. The club released a statement today, reading: We at Stanmore Football Club strive for excellence, and that requires honesty and integrity. We are deeply distressed by the actions of Mr. Corelli, and intend to fully cooperate with law enforcement on the charges brought forth, not only on the club’s behalf, but also on the behalf of one of our team members, for whom we wish nothing but the best in their endeavors moving forward. We also send sincere apolo-”

The TV went black, cutting off the Sky Sports reporter mid flip of her hair. Billie turned her head toward her flatmate.

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