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“Have you made any progress there?” Tessa asked with some hesitation. She wasn’t sure she would like the answer.

“Not really,” Jamie told her. “He sent me into a panic attack the other day.”

“Shite. Are you alright?”

“I called my therapist, and we worked through it, but there’s a long way to go.”

Tessa deflated. “I see.”

Jamie took her hand. “But there is hope, Tessa. It’s progress that I even want to get to a place where I can stand up to him. And I am working hard to get there. In the meantime, I want to be with you.”

“How can that be?”

Tessa didn’t want to re-hash their argument again, but it would always be an obstacle.

“Have you ever heard of the concept of inviting in?” Jamie asked.

“What, like a vampire?” Tessa replied, wrinkling her nose.

“No,” Jamie chuckled. “It’s something my therapist told me. It’s an alternative to coming out. Instead of telling the whole world at once that I’m gay, I tell a few trusted people.”

“Like who?”

“Like my teammates,” Jamie said. “I want to come out to them. Then whenever we’re all together, we can be a couple. As annoying and mushy as Eliana and Neriah are.”

Tessa let a giggle out. “They are ridiculous, aren’t they?”

“I want to be that ridiculous with you.”

Tessa squeezed Jamie’s hand. “I want that too.”

“It’s not everything, but it’s what I can give you right now. Is that alright?”

“Aye, I’m alright with that.”

With a grin, Jamie leaned in to kiss her. The kiss was everything. Centuries of heartache were put at ease. They were going to compromise. To try. To be together in whatever way was possible, with the hope that would eventually become safe for them to be out in the open. Tessa would put her faith in Jamie, and pray that this time, it wouldn’t end in sorrow.

They parted for air and locked eyes.

“The soulmate thing, we should keep to ourselves,” Jamie suggested.

“Definitely,” Tessa agreed. “Though, we can talk to Billie and Laci and them about it, if you want.”

“I do, but later. Right now, all I want to do is kiss you.”

“By all means.”

Their lips met again, and heat shot through Tessa’s body, from her chest to the ends of her fingers and toes. This was how it was meant to be. When she was about to suggest taking it to the bedroom, the flat door opened.

Tessa and Jamie jumped apart to see Niamh standing at the door with her mouth agape, her eyes flicking between her teammate and flatmate as if they were the ball at Wimbledon. Then she beamed.

“I knew it!” she cried. “Paige owes me twenty quid.”

“Don’t say anything yet,” Jamie requested. “I want to address the team myself.”

Niamh stopped typing on her phone and tucked it into her pocket. “Oh, right. Of course. I’ll leave you both to it, then.”

Giggling, she disappeared into her bedroom.