Page 64 of Last Line of Defense

Bruno turns pale, and the worry on his face deepens.

“Alicia… damn. I had no idea it was that serious.”

I shake my head.

“I don’t want pity.”

“It’s not pity,” he insists gently. “It’s just that now I understand why you’d blow up every time someone tried to control you. You’ve had to build walls of stone around yourself just to survive.”

I let out a hollow laugh, one that scratches at my throat.

“Clara’s the only one who’s understood. From the very beginning.”

I feel an iron knot growing in my throat as I think of her. She’s never judged me. She’s accepted my chaos, understood it, and, above all, protected me. I love her. I love her in a way I can no longer—nor do I want to—hide. I’m sick of love feeling like a crime.

“I want to give an interview, Bruno. I need to talk.”

He furrows his brow, surprised.

“Talk? To whom?”

“I want to tell it all. My career, the rumors that have dogged me, the reality of what happens when a female soccer player is no longer ‘convenient’ for a club. And yes, I want to talk about Clara. She deserves it after everything she’s done for me.”

Bruno freezes, processing the bombshell I’ve just dropped.

“Alicia, listen to me. This is huge. The season starts next week. The press is going to tear you apart.”

“Let them try,” I reply with a determination that courses through my body like fire. “This time, I’m the one telling the story. I’m sick and tired of being used to sell a modern image of soccer and then being asked to hide so as not to cause a stir. I’m fed up with the idea that love between two women has to be lived in silence, as if it were something dirty.”

My chest is rising and falling rapidly. I feel anger, yes, but also a freedom I’ve never known before.

“Are you aware of what this could lead to?” he asks, leaning closer to me. “Not just for you. For Clara. For the club.”

“I’m perfectly aware. And that’s exactly why I have to do it. Clara sacrificed her career for me. I’m not going to just sit idly by.”

Bruno rubs his face slowly, deep in thought.

“If we do this, there’s no turning back. You’ll be on every front page; they’ll bombard you with personal questions. There will be people who support you, of course, but others will try to bring you down harder than ever.”

“I’ve been dodging blows my whole life,” I reply. “The difference is that now I’m not going to hide. I want everyone to know the truth. That, apparently, love makes us less professional.”

Bruno lets out a small laugh, a mix of exhaustion and admiration.

“You’re completely crazy.”

“That’s what they say,” I reply with a half smile, the first sincere one I’ve let slip in days.

“And, unfortunately, half the time they’re right,” he adds affectionately. “But if we’re going to get into this mess, we’ll do it right. No trashy talk shows. I’ll find a reputable outlet, a journalist who respects your story. But promise me you’ll think it over one last time tonight.”

I nod, though my mind has already wandered off. I get up; Bruno stands and places a hand on my shoulder in a protective gesture.

“I’ll pull some strings,” he promises. “But, Alicia… do you love her enough to risk everything?”

There’s no irony in his question. He’s worried, and my heart sinks.

“So much. She makes me feel alive. Her hands, her voice, her confidence… the way she looks at me. I can’t keep hiding something this big, and I can’t let them keep pointing fingers at me and ruining my career over past rumors that have nothing to do with reality.”

I leave the office with my heart racing a mile a minute. It’s cold outside, and the wind ruffles my hair as I wander aimlessly down the street. I think of Clara. What she’d say if she knew what I’m about to do. She’d probably get angry, be afraid for me, and try to stop me with a thousand logical arguments. But it’s too late. The problem has never been falling in love; the problem has always been fear. And I’ve spent many years letting fear take the wheel of my life. It’s time for me to take it back.