Chapter 19: After the Victory
Chapter 19: After the Victory
Sunday, 1 December
The Day After Wrexham victory
The dressing room at Broadfield wasn't buzzing like it had been the night before. The storm had passed. Victory left behind a quieter kind of energy, they were worn out, content, but alert. The fluorescent lights above flickered faintly, casting long shadows over benches now lined with half-zipped jackets and discarded shin pads.
Niels sat alone near the back, slowly pulling off his jacket, his muscles aching from more than just the cold. His body still carried the tension of last night's match, but what weighed heavier was the aftershock, the kind that settled in only once the adrenaline was gone.
Victory wasn't supposed to feel this heavy.
Around the room, the players were recovering in their own ways. Some sprawled across benches, half asleep. Others sat in small groups, talking quietly about moments from the match. The laughter came from a corner, Nate was at the center, laughing with Luka and Dev. His face was flushed, his smile wide. He looked like someone who'd finally stepped out from a shadow.
Just a week ago, Nate was the quiet kid near the end of the bench, afraid to make eye contact. Now, he'd earned his first start. He scored his first goal in his debut and more importantly, he found his place.
Niels watched them for a moment. That brief warmth in his chest flared again. It was not pride., not quite but something deeper, relief maybe.
Then Reece dropped onto the bench beside him, handing over a water bottle without a word.
"Good game," Reece said eventually, his tone as flat as his stare. "You saw what they threw at us."