“I’m sorry,” he replied. “I guess I was lashing out.”
“And that right there is behaving like a child. You’re having a go at me for wanting to talk about something that’s serious to you. Yet you have no problem telling me that I should come out to my entire family.”
“Well you should. Everyone says so.”
Carmine took a step away. “You seen very entitled to discuss that with everyone. Who the fuck do you think you are?”
“Don’t overreact. I only mean Tito and Jonas. Maybe Udo.”
“Wow. For a man who is so desperate to be seen as an adult, you can really act childish sometimes. I’m going to go.”
“Carmine. Don’t be silly.”
Noah went toward him but Carmine sprang away.
“I mean it, Noah. Why don’t you give me a call when you’re ready to have a serious relationship. One where you talk about things with me, not your friends.”
He grabbed his coat and stormed out of the flat, leaving Noah standing in the centre of the room. It had all happened so fast he didn’t really know what to do.
The part-eaten chocolate bar caught his eye. He grabbed it and threw it across the flat.
“Fuck,” he said. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.”
Noah didn’t hear anything from Carmine for the rest of the night or the next morning. At training it was as though he were living on a different planet.
After he’d missed another pass from Tito which could have easily been converted into a goal, Steven came running over.
“What the bloody hell is the matter with you?” he asked.
“Nothing,” Noah replied.
He heard how sulky he sounded.
“Don’t give me that,” Steven said. “Is it Carmine?”
“I said there’s nothing wrong.”
“Fine. Then get your shit together. Javier is getting seriously pissed off.”
Noah glanced over at their manager, who was watching the pair of them with a steely gaze.
“I’ve got some personal issues,” Noah conceded.
“Don’t we all? We can’t afford for you to lose it. Not now.”
Noah nodded.
“Okay,” Steven shouted. “A ten-minute jog around the touchline. Let’s go.”
Grumbling, they all fell into line. Noah found Edi next to him as they obeyed the assistant coach.
“Are you okay?” Edi asked. “You’re well off the ball today.”
Noah sighed. Why was everyone getting into his business?
“Fucking hell,” he said. “I’ve had a couple of off days. Is that really the end of the world?”
Adam and Udo were in front of them.
