Page 23

CHAPTER 23

DYLAN

I read the email for the third time. The words blur for a second, but I already know what they say.

The professional club I trained with? They want me.

Not just as a player. As assistant captain.

The title hits harder than expected.

I expected a contract offer. I didn’t expect a leadership role right out of the gate.

This is better than I hoped for.

Everything I’ve worked for.

Everything I wanted.

And yet something still feels unsettled deep inside me.

I grab my phone, type out my acceptance email.

My finger hovers over the send button.

A moment of hesitation.

For no reason at all.

This is what I wanted. This is why I went to the camp. This is why I’ve been training harder than ever.

One night. No strings. Nothing to do with all of this.

I take a deep breath and press send.

Later, the bar is packed. My teammates surround me, shouting toasts over clinking glasses. The room is loud, buzzing with energy, laughter spilling over the hum of background music.

Someone buys another round. A fresh pint slides into my hand. Cheers ring out as beer sloshes over the rim, foaming and golden.

My teammate, Jess, slings an arm around me, grinning. “Dylan-fucking-Porter, assistant captain! Look at you, climbing the ranks already.”

Another teammate, Liv, raises a brow, smirking. “So? How was the camp? Anyone interesting over there?”

The question catches me mid-sip.

I pause. Just for a fraction of a second.

Kai’s face flashes through my mind. The way he looked at me in the dark. The way his fingers traced lazy circles on my hip like he didn’t even realize he was doing it. The way he smirked like he had me all figured out.

I swallow, forcing a smirk, rolling my eyes. “Other than the best rugby training I’ve ever had? Not much to report.”

Liv watches me for a beat too long, like she’s weighing my answer, trying to decide if she believes me. Then she shrugs, turning back to the conversation. No one pushes. No one asks again.

I let the noise and laughter drown out the memory.

I keep Kai folded away.

A distant thing.

Not a mistake. Not something I regret.

Just… mine.

A night that existed outside of reality. A memory I’ll never share.

The drinks keep coming, and the night stretches on, laughter and celebration a steady pulse around me. My chest swells with something that should be pure pride, untainted by anything else.

This is what I wanted. A future waiting for me. A new team. A new title. And no distractions.

That’s what matters.

Or at least that’s what I tell myself.