A throat cleared behind me. “Apologies for interrupting this touching reunion, but we need to go through the rehab plan.”
I turned to see a guy seated at the foot of the exam table, watching us with an amused expression. I hadn’t even noticed him when I’d entered the room, too focused on Jude.
“Sorry,” I said for the third time in the space of a minute, sinking into the unoccupied chair next to the exam table.
“Don’t apologise to my physio. He doesn’t deserve it.” Jude grinned at the guy, who rolled his eyes.
“Remind me why I work with footballers again?” Holding up his hand when Jude opened his mouth to reply, he continued speaking. “Moving on to the rehab plan. I want you on complete rest for the first week. No weight-bearing at all. Then we’ll start gentle movements and build up from there. All being well, you should be back in time for the match against Palace.”
Jude nodded. “Sounds manageable.”
“I’ll email you the proposed schedule. If you experience any pain or discomfort, or you feel as if you need more time out, we can adjust it as necessary.” He gave Jude a reassuring smile. “Idon’t envision there being any issues, as long as you stick to the plan.”
“I will. I have Cody to make sure I do.” Jude’s fingers tightened around mine.
“Good. Right. I’d better go and brief the gaffer on your situation.” He climbed to his feet. “Complete rest for the first week, Jude. I mean it.”
When we were alone, I released Jude’s hand and steeled myself. Fixing my gaze on the side of the exam table, I began to speak, my voice cracking with my words. “I think I fucked up. Badly.”
Fingers clasped my jaw, raising my chin so I was forced to meet Jude’s gaze. “Whatever it is, we can work it out.”
My eyes fucking filled again. Pinching my brow, I inhaled, then exhaled. In, then out, until I was no longer at risk of completely breaking down.
“You don’t understand. When you got injured, I—I fucking lost it. I ran onto the pitch trying to get to you. The stewards had to drag me back. And the whole time, I was telling them that I needed to be with you. I told them you were mine.”
His mouth fell open. “Oh. Fuck.”
“Yeah. It gets worse, though. Not only did they kick me out of the stadium—or would have, if it hadn’t been for the intervention of your assistant coach, who managed to sneak me into this building, but there were cameras everywhere. People were recording the whole thing on their phones. I’ve probably just outed our relationship to the entire world.”
My hands began to shake as the full force of what I’d done hit me. All the years of staying away from the media, trying to protect my privacy—it had been for nothing. And this could affect Jude even more badly than me. He was already under the spotlight with his move to Glevum and the interview that hadmentioned his bisexuality. I’d destroyed fuckingeverythingin thirty seconds of pure panic.
Jude was silent for a long moment, processing everything. “It’s okay,” he said finally. “We can deal with this.”
“How? How the fuck are we supposed to explain the fact I was in such a state that I launched a one-man pitch invasion to get to you?”
I thought he’d become angry, or upset, or any number of negative reactions. But he didn’t. No, he laughed. My incredible boyfriend, who I absolutely didn’t deserve,laughed.
And in that moment, my head cleared, and everything clicked into place. Instantly.
“A one-man pitch invasion,” he repeated, still grinning. “Glevum’s PR team can spin it?—”
“No.”
“No?” His smile died away. “What do you mean, no?”
“I mean, no, I don’t want to spin it. I don’t want to lie, or make excuses, or pretend this was something it wasn’t.” My words grew more and more certain, and I realised I believed them with every fibre of my being. “I ran onto the pitch because I was fucking terrified you were seriously hurt, and I couldn’t bear the thought of not being able to get to you. That’s the truth.”
“Cody—”
“I thought my privacy was important. I thought it was better to hide myself away, to keep people at a distance, to avoid any situations that might make me uncomfortable. I thought I was better off alone, the way I have been all my life. But then you came along.”
The words felt like they’d been building inside me for months. Maybe they had. Maybe I’d been too afraid to even think them before. But I wasn’t afraid anymore.
“Me?”
“Yeah. You. What’s that line from that old movie? ‘You had me at hello.’ Well, you had me at ‘huh.’”
“It doesn’t really have the same ring to it.” His voice was joking, but his bottom lip trembled, and his eyes shimmered.
