I watched Mel leave, and for the first time since I’d been back, I felt like I could breathe, all while her words continued to echo through me. She never had been one for logical thinking, but even I couldn’t deny that, for once, she’d been right. I had to get my shit together and fast. Only that was easier said than done. I was stuck in limbo, waiting on a call that may or may not even happen, while I pretended to play happy families with my arse of a father.

There was a time when I hardly ever saw him from one month to the next. Back when my life had been relatively normal. Now, though, he was home more often than he was away, and I had to keep coming up with excuses as to why I couldn’t make it home on the weekends.

Staying away was the best thing for me. Doing so meant I didn’t have to face him or keep up the never-ending façade. Granted, crashing on my teammate Tanner’s couch wasn’t exactly an ideal situation for a twenty-one-year-old guy, but it was better than facing the shit-show back home.

I threw back the rest of my Jack and Coke and shivered at the thought of being back home for good.

The few times I had gone home for the weekend had been more awkward than I could handle. Forcing conversation as Mum, Dad, Taylor and I sat around the dining table, eating the roast dinner my mum had spent three hours slaving over when it was the last thing she’d wanted to do, wasn’t my idea of fun. Even worse was watching my father paw all over Taylor as if he were the greatest thing to ever grace the Earth. Taylor lapped it up. He’d grown up with that kind of father-son relationship—one where his father took the time to ask how his day was and how he felt about signing a new deal for the season. Tom loved Taylor, and Taylor had once idolised his father. When Taylor and I were kids, his dad was all he ever spoke about. Well, him and football. So when Tom was sent to prison and Taylor’s life spiralled out of control, he had been lost, craving the relationship that he once had. Taylor had taken it hard at first, struggling to understand that we shared the same father. But he quickly fell into the familiar relationship with my dad and they’d been going strong ever since.

I was happy that Taylor had a father in his life again; his real father this time. But did it have to be my father? Even though he was technically his, too, it still seemed unfair to me. That shit was far too fucked up for me to stick around and deal with. When I'd found myself switching off during family dinners, letting the conversation float around me without knowing who was speaking or what was being said, I'd decided that it was better for everyone if I wasn't around. But now, with my future at Winslow F.C. uncertain, I was officially out of excuses that made it okay for me to stay away.

A loud growl cut through the music and reminded me where I was. “I thought you were done with her?” Riley snarled as he watched Melanie push through the doors, out into the open air.

I grumbled some sort of incoherent noise. “We were just talking,” I told him.

He ordered a drink and turned his attention to me, his expression a serious one I knew all too well. He was judging me. And her.

“You’d be sane to keep it that way,” he finally said. “Nothing good ever comes from that. I should know.”

I shot him a look, raising both brows. “Yeah, you should.”

Riley and Melanie had slept together a couple of years back. It had been a one-time thing before he’d gotten serious with Brie—his now very serious girlfriend. When Brie had found out, she’d hit the roof and told him it was over between them. The breakup didn’t last long, though. They were in love, as it turned out.

Ignoring my obvious insinuation, he clasped a hand to my shoulder. “I’m glad you’re back, bro. It ain’t the same around here without you.”

I smirked. “I’m sure you’ve coped just fine,” I said, eyeing the leggy redhead approaching us.

As if sensing her presence, he looked back over his shoulder just as Brie slipped her arms around his waist and leaned in for a kiss. He smiled at the affection she was offering him. Brie’s forehead was damp with sweat, and her cheeks were flushed pink as though she’d been dancing for hours. She most likely had. Then she kissed Riley again, this time longer and with more passion than I was comfortable with.

I shook my head and gestured to the bartender for another Jack and Coke. If I was going to have to deal with all this lovey-dovey shit all night, I needed to at least be on my way to that place where I didn’t care.

“Hey, superstar. Good to have you back. Finally…” Brie beamed, eventually pulling away from Rye. “I was starting to think you’d forgotten all about us while you were out living the dream.”

I grinned. “It’s only been a few months, Brie.”

“I know. It’s just… everything’s different now. Don’t you ever just wish you could go back? Do it all again?” she asked wistfully.

I shrugged. What could I say? Yeah, sure, I wanted to go back to when life was a breeze. When I didn’t have a brother and my father was still very much in my life. I couldn’t tell her that, though. It sounded bad enough in my head.

“We need to do this more often. All of us together again, just like the old days. Speaking of…” she said, twisting her head to the side. “Here they are!” She squealed.

Great. Just fucking great.

I didn’t have to look to know who she was referring to. My stomach instantly dropped when my suspicions were confirmed.

I sank the rest of my drink and tossed a twenty on the counter, swiping my mouth with the back of my hand. “I gotta shoot,” I announced.

“Mate, you ain’t long got here,” Rye said. “And Tay and Lo are here now. You can’t leave.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ve still got to unpack, though, and honestly, bud, I’m knackered. I’ve hardly slept for shit the last few days and I could do with an early night.”

Brie and Riley traded glances, a silent exchange between them. Before they could quiz me, I tucked my wallet in the pocket of my jeans and slipped past them. Only Taylor, having finally fought himself away from his adoring fans, gripped my elbow before I had the chance to escape.

He frowned. “You’re not going, are ya?”

“Sorry, mate. I’m shattered,” I said, hoping it was enough to convince him.

“Don’t be such a pussy. I haven’t seen my brother in months. You didn’t even call to say you were coming home. I had to hear it from Riley. You can’t go.”

I’d kill Riley if I didn’t love the kid so much.

“We’ll catch up tomorrow, I promise.”

“You better,” he said in a tone that said he was serious. I just nodded my head in return and flashed Lola a brief smile before I slipped past them and made my way outside.