Page 8 of Offside Rule

Xavier didn't hesitate, and sat down next to me. "Can I buy you a drink?”

I bit my bottom lip. It was clear he was hitting on me, and participating in his game meant I was breaking two rules. One—he was a football player, and relationships between players and referees were strictly forbidden. Two—he was nineteen, while I was twenty-five.

Everything about him looking at me like that was just wrong. I ignored my pleading heart, begging me to spend just a few more minutes with him, and put on a smile. "I was just leaving.”

"Oh, come on," he urged, "It's just one drink.”

When I didn’t say anything, Xavier took the opportunity to speak again. “There has to be something I can do to thank you.” He tilted his head to the side, his eyes trying to see through me.

I frowned, not understanding at first. Blame it on the way his presence was affecting me. “What for?”

He sucked in a breath, glancing down at his white shoes. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. It was the first time his permanent confidence had faltered, even if it was for just a moment.

“For not suspending me from the championship.”

“Oh,” I breathed out. I still had no idea what had pushed me to do that. Normally, I didn’t accept any kind of violence on the field, yet for him, I’d made the first exception in my career.

“Let me buy you a drink, fire girl, that’s the least I can do.” His smile returned, and it suddenly brought a good mood over me. It was beyond me how he held that kind of power so easily.

“What you can do from now on is stay out of trouble.” I raised a brow, crossing my arms over my chest as his breath fell over me. “I mean it, Xavier. I might not be able to save you next time.”

His eyes sparkled with something I couldn’t decipher. “But you did this time.”

I swallowed. “Yeah. I did.” Because I couldn’t handle the intensity of his gaze anymore, I grabbed the bottle and took a long swig before placing it back on the counter.

“When I was out there …” he started, “I couldn’t find a way out. I was surrounded.”

My head bobbed in a nod. “I know. It was a hard decision to make. It was either find a way out or lose the ball, nothing in between.”

His lips pursed. “The thing is, when I looked at you, you made me keep going. Suddenly, losing the ball wasn’t even an option. That goal was supposed to be for you becauseyoufound me a way out.”

My throat constricted at his confession, though I had somehow picked up on this earlier myself. Hearing him say it out loud was comforting and warming all at once.

I had no idea what to say. I wasn’t even sure if I was supposed to say something. But what I did know was that we’d talked long enough to catch the attention of curious eyes, so I had to head out.

After taking out two euros and leaving them on the counter, I stood up, almost touching noses with Xavier. He dropped the cage around me and took a step back.

“I should go,” I said as I motioned with my thumb toward the exit.

Just as I was about to turn around, Xavier caught my hand. I stiffened at the contact, my skin burning where he touched me. My eyes jumped from his grip to his frowning face.

"Thank you for today," he added.

I swallowed, nodding my head. What else could I say when even I didn't know why I’d given him the easy path out today?

"Goodnight, fire girl," he smiled, his thumb brushing my wrist.

My tongue clicked on the roof of my mouth as I withdrew my hand from his touch. "Goodnight, Xavier."

I turned around, the nickname ringing in my ears. I shook my head with a smile as I stepped out of the bar. Before I left, I turned around—expecting to see him rushing to another girl—but he was standing in the same place I’d left him. His hands were buried in the pockets of his sweatpants, and a huge smile on his lips.

Xavier waved goodbye, and I finally closed the door behind me.

FIVE

ARIANNA

As soon as I stepped foot in our house in Venice, I was welcomed by the all-too-familiar and comforting sound of my daughter’s voice. I heard her giggle and her tiny steps long before she ran around the corner to meet me.

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