Page 51 of Be My Endgame

Once servers started clearing away the fruit platters, Jeff trundled off to “talk to a girl”, wink wink nudge nudge, Oliver leaving soon after to call his wife.

“And then there were two,” Lee commented idly.

“Seems that way.” Alex’s tiny smile just about broke Lee’s heart. “We should head off too, I suppose.”

As if he’d get even a wink of sleep if they got ready for bed now.

“How about a quick walk first?” Lee suggested, and relief washed over Alex’s features.

“Sounds great.”

“You know…” Lee scooted his chair back and got up. “For someone who comes across as fairly confident, you sure are terrible at asking for things.”

Alex rose as well, sending Lee a small frown. “What do you mean?”

“There’s no shame in saying, ‘Hey, Lee, would you be up for a walk? I need to clear my head and could use the company.’”

“Hey, Lee?” The left side of Alex’s mouth twitched. “Would you be up for a walk? I could use the company.”

“There you go.” Lee shot him a grin. “Wasn’t so hard, now was it?”

“Six out of ten, I’d say.” While Alex grinned back, it faded rather too soon.

They headed for the pool, turquoise water shimmering in the quickly fading light, the crunch of gravel under their feet mixing with the soft, repetitive whistles of an owl.

“So,” Lee asked after a minute had passed in silence, “want to tell me what’s wrong?”

Alex exhaled, running his fingers through brown, wavy hair that fell over his forehead. “I talked to my parents, and it’s like… They’re hosting a dinner party next week, and the way they’re talking, it’s like they fully expect me to be back by then.” Even just at the mention of his parents, his enunciation got crisper. “As though we’re guaranteed to lose tomorrow.”

Lee scoffed. “Right, sure—because they’ve become overnight football experts.”

“They might be right, though.”

“They won’t be.” Lee made sure to wrap the words in certainty, for his own sake as much as Alex’s. “We didn’t win against Japan because we got complacent. We won’t make that mistake again.”

Alex glanced over, the light that illuminated the pool edging his features in blue. “You really think we’ll make it?”

Lee straightened his spine. “We will. You can dress me in a suit and tie if we lose, which, you know—even the idea is painful. But not a problem because we’llwin.”

“I think you just gave me an incentive for losing.” Alex’s soft chuckle blended in with the rising darkness. “But seriously, growing up like you did, how the hell did you turn into an optimist?”

“Well, hey.” Lee aimed for a cheesy tone. “I’m part of the glitter brigade. Why would I want to paint things black?”

“Because The Rolling Stones told you to, and their word is law?”

“You make a valid point.” Lee paused, and when he continued, he did so much more quietly. “Really, though—not many boys get the chance to actually live their dream of becoming a professional footballer. You and I are bloody lucky, and I don’t want to forget that, ever.”

For a heavy beat, Alex simply looked at Lee, shadows softening the details of his expression. When he smiled, it was sudden and real. “You know, I’m really glad we’re friends.”

Fuck, he didn’t make it easy to stay away, now did he?

Lee ignored the way Alex’s dimples pressed deep craters into his cheeks, also ignored how nicely Alex’s shirt hugged his torso, how his tailored jeans clung to his legs. “Me too,” Lee told him.

It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth either. For years, Lee had built Alex up into this mythical guy, the one who’d rejected Lee right when he’d been at his most vulnerable—and while Lee had resented him, he also hadn’t been able to fully shake the instinctive flare of attraction each time he’d come across Alex’s name in the papers, each time he’d caught sight of him during a post-match interview on the telly.

But Alex wasn’t that mythical guy. Once you peeled away the persona he presented to the public, he was much quieter than Lee had expected, less secure, his innate charm genuine rather than polished. And Lee liked him all the more for it.

“Hey,” Alex said right into that thought. “Can I ask you something? In the interest of honesty.” There was something secretive tucked into his voice, a tinge of anticipation that had Lee narrow his eyes.

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