Across the divide

Chapter 10: Breaking the News

The next week, Mateo decided he couldn’t hide it any longer. After practice, while the rest of the team was still on the field, Mateo pulled Liam aside. “I think we should tell them,” he said firmly, though his heart pounded in his chest. “Not the whole school—just our friends. I don’t want to hide this anymore.”

Liam looked at him, surprised by Mateo’s sudden resolve, but he couldn’t deny the relief that came with the idea. “Are you sure?”

Mateo nodded. “Yeah. I don’t want to pretend like you’re just some rival I hate anymore. I want people to know we’re together.”

That evening, they gathered their closest friends—Marco, along with Liam’s best friend, Sarah—and told them the truth. The reaction wasn’t as bad as they’d feared. Marco’s jaw dropped in shock, and Sarah blinked a few times before a slow smile spread across her face.

“So, you two went from trying to destroy each other to… this?” Marco asked, looking between them.

Mateo shrugged with a smirk. “Guess we just needed to work out our feelings.”

Sarah laughed. “I always thought there was something more to the way you two acted around each other.”

By the end of the conversation, their friends accepted it, even if it took them some time to process. And for the first time, Liam and Mateo didn’t feel the need to hide.