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Chapter 9

Author: M. D. Wilson
last update publish date: 2026-05-29 14:09:18

The next hour passes in a blur of stretches, sun salutations, and the good-natured ribbing Callum expects from a bunch of women in their 60s. Once they call it quits and have a proper cooldown, Maureen directs them to the den for their regularly scheduled time with the telly. Soon, everyone is sprawling across couches with glasses of wine and nibbles from the charcuterie board Doris always brings. Callum feels fantastic. The wine is a hit with everyone—even Doris begrudgingly admits it complime
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  • The Footballer's Secret   Chapter 15

    “Hang on, give us—we need a tick,” Callum manages, standing up as well so he can cough properly and clear his throat. Isaac glances up from where he’s leaning against the wall, his eyes wide with a mixture of surprise and sheer confusion at this revelation. He gestures vaguely toward the kitchen. Callum nods before he follows Isaac into the other room. He feels a bit dizzy, actually, because when did his own brother get a boyfriend?“Bruv, you never told me he was gay!” Isaac hisses. Callum just makes a vague gesture back toward the dining room. “I didn’t know until just now myself!” he whisper-yells back. What the fuck? “Oh my god, no wonder Tad smashed his laptop,” he mutters. He scrubs a hand over his face, muffling a final cough before his throat is finally okay and only a little on fire from swallowing water incorrectly. “... Shit, why’d he say it like I was supposed to know?” he asks. Was he supposed to know? Is his gaydar that shit? “You can be a little spacey, but I don’t th

  • The Footballer's Secret   Chapter 14

    Gerran’s head jerks up in surprise. His blue-green eyes go wide in shock before he shakes his head vehemently. “N-No! I wasn’t—he didn’t break it on purpose! And there wasn’t anything bad for him to see!” he insists, his voice cracking off into silence near the end. Callum lets him yank his hand away. He leans back in his chair so he can observe his baby brother for a moment. “Did he find out you were writing essays for people? He’d probably think that was bad. Isaac and I don’t give a shit about it, though. It’s not your fault you’re all brilliant and others are too stupid to write their own papers,” Callum says. He watches Gerran sink lower into the chair. His shoulders bunch up around his ears. His face is bright red. Isaac leans forward in his chair all of a sudden. “Mate, if he found weird stuff in your search history, it’s fine. Happens to all growing boys at least once, I reckon,” he offers. Callum snorts before he swats at him. “Isaac, you’re not helping,” he says, rolling

  • The Footballer's Secret   Chapter 13

    Only almost, of course, because Isaac’s probably the least subtle person Callum knows. He thinks about that for a moment. Second least subtle person, he amends, because Matthijs is Dutch and wouldn’t know subtlety if it hit him in the face. Isaac glances at Callum.His head tips a little toward Gerran. Think I can get anything from him?Callum frowns, then gives his head a little shake. Leave it be, lad. He’s still a bit shaken up.Isaac’s lips purse into a slight frown. Yeah, no, fair, but shouldn’t I try anyhow?Callum’s eyes flick over to Gerran. … Go ahead, try. “Gerran,” Isaac starts, getting the teen’s attention. Gerran looks up from his curry. The bruise looks sickening under the soft light of the dining room. There isn’t enough gentle lighting in the world to make something like that look less ugly, Callum thinks, shivering a bit. Gerran’s blue-green eyes narrow in slight suspicion when he makes eye contact with Isaac. “... Your mum and dad know you’re out here?” he asks.No

  • The Footballer's Secret   Chapter 12

    “No idea.” Callum wishes he did know, he thinks, pulling his phone away when he hears the muted ding of a text coming through. “Hang on.” He switches to his messages. Gerran: Do you think we could get curry from the place we did last time I was here? Please?Callum grins a bit before he types a response. Callum: yeah, no, sure we can. d’ya want yours spicy or not?Gerran: Spicy, please. Callum: sound. i’ll yell if it gets here before you’re done in the shower. Gerran: Thank you, brawd fawr. Callum: don’t mention it, mate. it’s nothing!Callum moves back to the call before he holds his phone between his shoulder and ear again. “Hang on. I need to place an order for some curry. Reckon if you’re really bored at Dusk without me, you could come over and have some. Maybe help me figure this whole mess out?” He grins when he hears Isaac barrel his way back through the club. “Oi! I’m heading out early, yeah? You twats keep an eye on yourselves. Don’t cause any property damage! Mrs. Les

  • The Footballer's Secret   Chapter 11

    It makes no sense. Gerran’s 17. He’s still got a curfew. Mam and Tad don’t let him work so he can focus on the online courses he’s taking for his A-levels. How the hell did he get the money for the train ticket? Callum frowns before he switches out of his messages and over to his search engine of choice. Train ticket from Cardiff, Wales to Alexandria, EnglandHe stares at his screen while options pop up. The cheapest one he sees now would have been £100, just like he thought, and it would have taken four hours. Where the hell did Gerran get £100 from? How the hell did he manage to slip away from Mam and Tad without them noticing? They’re overprotective as hell. He leaves the search engine and returns to his messages. Still nothing from his family. Just an unread text from Isaac. His heart flutters a bit at that. He taps it. Isaac: everything alright bruv? you were all quiet on the ride back to the training centre. clubbing ain’t as fun without you.There’s a picture, too, Isaac pou

  • The Footballer's Secret   Chapter 10

    “Oh—well, bring the poor thing in, he’s practically wasted away to nothing!” Callum watches Maureen switch into full mother hen mode on a dime, glass and a half of wine be damned. He’s certain that if Gerran wasn’t still cradled to his chest, she’d be trying to fuss over him more physically. “Ah, might be better if I bring him over to mine, actually.” Callum glances back into the foyer, thinking about his duffel with a change of clothes and another bottle of wine stashed inside, just in case. “Hang on, Gerran. Let me grab my bag. We can go back over to mine, and we can…” He looks down at his baby brother. The one that’s trying so hard not to tremble against his chest. The one that’s just barely 17. “Did you come here all the way from Cardiff?” His voice is quiet now, careful, green eyes narrowing a little. Gerran nods. “Mhm. I… I took a train.” Callum does the mental math. Probably close to a four-hour train ride, and probably £100 or so for the ticket, and probably— Gerran’s stoma

  • The Footballer's Secret   Chapter 7

    Callum’s drive home is uneventful. He knows all the shortcuts and backways that can cut his usual 30-minute drive down to a 20-minute one, and he keeps his music loud so he can ignore anything that isn’t the motorway in front of him, and he soon finds himself in his stupidly posh neighborhood, put

  • The Footballer's Secret   Chapter 6

    Callum’s attempt at faking sleep eventually gets him to fall asleep genuinely. He only knows that because he starts awake about an hour later when the coach comes to a complete stop in the private car park for the club. Everyone grumbles while they grab bum bags and carry-ons and fumble for phone ch

  • The Footballer's Secret   Chapter 5

    It’s nearly lunchtime when Callum wakes up, his mouth dry and stale once more. He blearrily accepts the bottle of water Isaac pushes at him. He drinks it before he mumbles a thanks, then leans back in his seat. Most of the other players are in the same sort of sleep Callum was in, heads pillowing a

  • The Footballer's Secret   Chapter 4

    Nathaniel startles when Callum steps up to him. “Oh—Christ!” he chokes out, fumbling with his water bottle before he drops it. Callum’s hand shoots out and grabs it before it can hit the ground. He offers the younger man a lopsided, easy grin while he hands it back to him. “Y’know, it doesn’t do

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