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“Care to fill me in?”
My brows furrowed in surprise. “You don’t know?”
“Gossip’s not really my thing, lad,” he replied with a shake of his head. “And I don’t go to parties, and this right here is about as much socializing as I have time for.” He shrugged before adding, “Besides, I’d rather hear it from the horse’s mouth, not the horse’s shit shoveler.”
“Shit shoveler,” I chuckled. “I haven’t heard that one before.”
He smirked. “So, do you want to tell me what happened?”
“I’d rather not,” I admitted, pushing a hand through my hair. “It’s, ah, it’s just…”
“Fair enough,” my captain cut in, holding his hands up. “We’ll say no more on the matter, lad.”
I arched a brow. “Just like that?”
“What other way would it be?” he replied calmly. “We all have our right to privacy, lad.”
“Yeah,” I replied, feeling really fucking grateful for him in this moment. “I do want you to know that I won’t cause trouble on the team for you.”
“That’s really good to hear, lad,” Johnny replied. “Because the team needs both of ye.”
“Yeah, Cap,” I replied with a nod, swallowing my pride. “I know.”
Liz was sitting on the grassy bank at the edge of the pitch when Coach called it for the day.
Perfect.
I swear I had never walked so fast to get to the changing rooms as I did in this moment.
Ignoring Pierce, who was jogging toward her, I kept my gaze trained ahead and powered on.
“Hugh,” she called out when I passed her, but I pretended not to hear.
I couldn’t control my emotions right now, and I wasn’t about to humiliate myself with her again.
She’d already done enough of that for the both of us.
Wordlessly, Gibs fell into step beside me, blocking my view of her, and for that, I was beyond grateful.
He didn’t crack a joke or throw shade.
He just walked beside me, shielding me with his presence.
DON’T HOLD YOUR BREATH
Hugh
NOVEMBER 8, 2003
WHENIWALKED INTO THE LOUNGE AFTER WORK ONSATURDAY NIGHT, BONE WEARYand ready for bed, I stopped dead in my tracks when my eyes landed on the couch, a.k.a. my makeshift bed since that night.
Holding a finger up to her lips, Mam inclined her head, gesturing for me to come in but didn’t move a muscle from her perch on the couch.
I supposed she couldn’t, not when she had two girls draped over her lap.
Well,Lizwas draped over my mother’s lap, and Claire was draped over Liz’s legs.
It was a whole heap of blond hair and tearstained cheeks.
