“She admitted it,” Cerys said, her hand tight on Lia’s waist. “She admitted that she was the player who had the affair with Carol. Why would she do that?”
Why would Hannah do that? She had no reason to. It had been weeks since the article had dropped; disgraced former coach Carol Evans was old news. Even Lia’s social media mentions hadn’t been cluttered with any recent speculation. It had blown over, the scandal forgotten with the dawning of the second half of the Super League season.
But Hannah had dragged it right back onto the front page.
Why?
And why had she handed in a transfer request? The Spanish league was notoriously one-sided and non-competitive, and Real Madrid were always the team coming in second. Why had Hannah left a team in one of the best women’s leagues in the world, where she was competing for trophies, to go there?
“You knew, right?” Adrianna’s eager eyes zeroed in on Lia’s face. “That it was her sleeping with your old coach? That’s why you really left Wanderers, isn’t it?”
“That’s none of your fucking business, Adrianna.” Cerys shifted to put herself between Adrianna and Lia, like she could shield her from the oncoming storm. “And it’s no one else’s business, either. The past is in the past, and what matters is that Lia’s here with us. Not what may or may not have happened to bring her here.”
“I was only asking.” Adrianna’s face turned sullen, lips twisting into a pout. “You don’t need to be a dick about it.”
“The only dickish behaviour I see here is from you, spreading gossip around this team when you should be supportive.”
Adrianna looked like she was going to argue before she shook her head and stalked off, no doubt to find someone who would humour her.
Slowly, Cerys wheeled around to face Lia. “So, how are we feeling about what we just read?”
Shaking her head, Lia leaned back against the wall. “I don’t know how to feel, really. I don’t know why she’d do this when it had all blown over. She’d gotten away with it. And why’s she gone to Spain? She doesn’t even like the sun!”
“I don’t know, Lia.” Cerys rubbed a hand along Lia’s arm. “But on the bright side, unless we face Real Madrid in the Champions League, you won’t have to see her again. That’s something, right?”
“Right.” But Lia was uneasy as she joined the rest of the team for training, trying to ignore the few stares and whispers that were directed her way.
Uneasy because she didn’t understand the decision, uneasy because she was now front and centre again, uneasy because she knew her name was on the lips of every single one of her teammates.
Uneasy enough that when, after training had finished and the rest of the players went into the canteen for lunch, Lia pulled out her phone and hovered over a number she hadn’t called in a long time.
Hannah picked up on the fourth ring. “Can’t say I’m surprised that this caught your attention.”
“What the hell, Hannah? Why are you dredging this all up again? Why now?”
A sigh echoed in Lia’s ear. “Because you were right; it wasn’t fair. Because I got away with it, and you didn’t deserve to have your name dragged into it. But now you won’t anymore. I’m sorry that it’s brought it back to the front of the news cycle, but it’ll die down soon enough.”
“You’re ruining your career.”
“I ruined my career the second I decided to cheat on you, Lia. I knew what I was doing was wrong. I knew there was no coming back from it, but I did it anyway. At least now I’m doing something right. I’ve cleared your name. I’ve given myself a fresh start.”
“In Spain?”
“It’s not so bad. I’ll get used to the weather. And I’ll get to compete against some of the best players in the world. I think I needed this. A reset. Being in that house without you, it didn’t feel right. It was ours until I fucked it all up. Charlie’s settled in Spain already. There’s a river nearby he can play in.”
He was a water baby at heart, having to be persuaded out of rivers, lakes, and seas with a multitude of tasty treats. “And are you settled in?”
“I’ll get there.”
“Is this your way of punishing yourself? Because if you think that’s what I want, then it’s not, Hannah. All I wanted was to move on.”
“And now we both can. This was the best thing I could have done. For the both of us. Now, I’ve taken up enough of your time. I really am sorry, Lia. For everything. I’ll never be able to fix it, but I can give you this. Freedom from having to see me again. At least regularly. I hope you’re able to find happiness. And I hope you continue to thrive at Albion. I’m sorry I couldn’t be who you needed me to be. Who you deserved. I hope there’s someone out there for you who treats you the way I should have. Maybe even one of your new teammates. I bet they’re lining up for a chance with you.”
Unbidden, an image of Erin, back arched and lips parted, flashed through Lia’s mind. She was quick to shake her head. “I think I’ve learned my lesson about that. Getting involved with someone on the same team never seems to end well.”
If only Lia could have remembered that before falling into Erin’s bed. God. She was an idiot. Not even six months on from joining Albion and she was already making mistakes, jeopardising everything all over again. Stupid.
Hannah’s laugh was laced with sadness. “Yeah, I know. I think I’ve learned my lesson about that, too. Look, I’d better go. I’m really glad you called.”
