I shook my head. “I need to yell at my baby’s father.” Although seeing Jesse with Nate’s gloves on and getting ready for a corner to be taken against him was entertaining. We had no subs left to use, so an outfield player was having to take Nate’s role.
Genny put a hand on my shoulder. “He was defending himself. Kind of.”
Kind ofwas probably the right way to put it. “He was defending me.”
As I walked down the tunnel the home crowd cheered. Jesse had easily caught the corner. At least we hadn’t conceded.
I found him in my treatment room, sitting on the table, looking like he was waiting for me.
“I’m sorry. If we lose now, it’s my fault.”
“Jesse saved the corner. What did Levi say?” I didn’t want to know really, because I knew it would be cruel, but I didn’t want Nate to keep things from me.
“What you’d expect about cast-offs, and he said something horrible about the baby. I said a few things back. Not going to lie, he started it and he’s been at it all match, but the ref did the right thing – I had to get a red after that. Kids can’t see me hit someone and not get the consequence.” He didn’t look in the least bit sorry.
“You floored him.”
“I have a decent punch. Make sure you tell any of Lib’s or Zara future boyfriends that. In fact, when they come to pick them up, show them that clip.” His eyes were gleaming far too much.
I shook my head. “It needs to stop between you and him. You know some of him being a dick today was because of the last game between us.” When Nate had stirred it.
He grinned. “Levi’s dropping down a division. Everton have released him from his contract – he’s off to Burnley – so we won’t be playing against him next season, unless we tie with them in one of the cups.” He pulled his goalkeeping jersey off, which was clearly a diversion tactic.
“Will this affect your England call-up?”
Nate shook his head, although my eyes were focused on his chest. “No. It’ll get round about what he was saying. His teammates are pretty disgusted with him right now too, so most people will understand why I punched him.”
I wanted to shout at him. To tell him off for jeopardising the game and his reputation for me, but I knew it was pointless. In his own way out there, he’d put me first, something Levi would never have done.
He made me feel like I was worth it.
“I love you.”
The words blurted out of my mouth like badly aimed bullets.
Nate’s grin was enormous. He opened his arms out for me to walk into them, even though he was sweaty and didn’t smell great.
“So to get you to tell me you love me, I have to hit other people. I’m not sure how my career’s going to work out after this.” He kissed the spot on my shoulder that made me shiver.
“Don’t hit anyone again.”
“Will you tell me that again then?”
I managed to climb onto his lap as he sat on my treatment table. “I love you.”
The kiss that followed was the sweetest I’d ever known, even from him. Sweet and tender, with just a little bit of dirt.
“I love you too, and I’ll tell you that every day, if you let me.”
They were possibly the sweetest words I’d ever heard as well.
CHAPTER19
Nate
THIRTY-TWO WEEKS
Beinga goalkeeper meant I’d learned a lot of things outfield players missed. I had patience; being behind a goal could often mean you went long stretches without seeing any of the ball, but you had to be completely focused on the play, because at any point someone could breakaway or send a Hollywood Ball out towards you. I could read people: players about to take a penalty, a lone winger who was coming at me from the halfway line, the mood of my defence – all of this was key to be able to protect my goal. I’d learned to give instructions to my defence, to manage them and motivate them. I learned to see things coming.
