Page 14 of Legend

“What’s up, mate?”

He narrows those gorgeous blue eyes at the endearment, but doesn’t grumble about it like he did yesterday.Progress!

“Look, I wanted to apologise.”

My brows shoot up. “Seriously?”

He lets out an awkward sigh, rubbing a hand through that beautiful golden hair. “Yeah. But you should know I’m a prick to everyone. It had nothing to do with you being gay.”

I blink at him. “Um…okay.” I hadn’t thought he’d been singling me out for any special arseholish attention, so I have to admit this is a little unnerving. And then a thought hits me. “Wait—has someone told you to apologise to me?”

He hits me with a flat look. “Do I seem like the kind of bloke who apologises because someone tells them to?”

I nod. “Fair point.”

“We good?” he asks gruffly.

I shrug. “We already were.”

He just grunts and walks off. “Be on the pitch in half an hour,” he calls back.

“But we’ve already done pitch training,” I shout after him.?

Of course he ignores me.

Of course I do exactly what he asked.?

Thirty minutes later, I’m on the training pitch pissing about with the ball whilst I wait for Tom to show up. I bet he’d rip me a new one if I was late. Not that he’d have to. I’d happily bend over and let him do whatever he wanted to my arsehole.

I can’t help grinning to myself at the thought, but then I sternly?remind myself to get a grip. Pretty sure he’d take back that apology quick smart if he could see into my thoughts.?

I hear a noise behind me and, turning around, I see the entire first team squad pouring onto the field, lining up next to each other one by one. Arms crossed, game faces on. Even Tom is there standing shoulder to shoulder with Alex and Robbie.

Fuck yes.

Nearly every team has an initiation ritual for when new players join the club, and Pride F.C. are famous for making their new signings sing karaoke. That was what I was expecting, but looking at them all now, I’m kind of hoping I’m not about to get my arse kicked.

Robbie steps forward. “Milligan, as the newest member of the Pride, you will be showing us how loud your roar is with karaoke. Tonight.”

I beam at him, throwing my arms out in a flourish. “Hand me a microphone, because I’m here for it. No one sings a Harry Styles song like me. Well, except Harry himself obviously, but I’m assuming you haven’t managed to rope him in for the evening…”

I will fucking own this. I’m not about to pull a Gazza and release a novelty hit, but I’m confident in my singing ability to not make a twat of myself.?

“Unfortunately not. But we’re not going to let you choose your own song, are we boys?” he asks the team, a wicked smile spreading across his pretty face.

He's answered by a chorus of agreement, the players all looking very satisfied with whatever they’ve got in store for me.

Bollocks.They’re going to make me sing something awful like “My Heart Will Go On” or some shit. I mean, I’m here for Jack and Rose and everything, but it’s hard to make that song sexy.

“The theme is nineties girl groups,” Robbie continues. “And you’ll be serenading us with B*Witched.”?

Smirks and smug faces galore.

“What’s B*Witched?” I ask in confusion. Does he mean that really old TV show??

It’s like the opposition team have just scored, with angry shouts breaking out from nearly all of the team. One grumpy “fucking hell” standing out.?

“Only the best Irish girl group ever,” Sean Fisher says, eyes bugging out of his head. “Are you seriously telling me that you’ve never sung along to “C’est La Vie”? Or “Blame It On The Weatherman”? Or “Jesse Hold On”?”