As the players lined up, the chatter in the tunnel grew louder. Izan could feel the stares from both sides, but he didn't flinch. Hugo Guillamón, standing behind him, leaned in.
"Your boyfriend's being nice to you," he joked, nodding toward Jude.
"Shut up," Izan muttered, laughing.
Jude caught the exchange and raised an eyebrow. "What's he saying?"
"Nothing," Izan said quickly. Jude looked at the former and nodded before looking ahead.
As the referees called the players to line up, Izan turned to Jude one last time. "Good luck out there," he said.
"You too, superstar," Jude replied, his grin widening. "But don't forget—it's Real Madrid you're facing."
"And it's Valencia you're underestimating," Izan shot back.
Jude chuckled, shaking his head. "Fair enough. Let's see what you've got."
Far away in her Paris studio, Selene watched the campaign's reach grow. She had seen the comments, the headlines, the frenzy.
