The Clichéd Love Story

Chapter XI.

My heart was beating for a totally different reason than what it was beating for when I arrived. His team had done it.

I stood and cheered with everyone in the stadium, further clapping as the final whistle blew, confirming that the Lions were the new Rugby Premier champions! The first to win from our continent after two long decades. I smiled as wide as I could as I applauded both teams who went underground, avoiding the temptation to curse various men and women in the suite who were pulling me and hugging me from behind, so excited with the game's results.

The losing team soon reappeared, and made their way to the presentation podium, to receive their medals. Mamello and Danielle both stood next to me and held me close as we watched the winning team ascend the steps, cheering and smiling with the rest of the crowd, now that they were feeling like kings.

Each player received a medal, and I couldn't help the small smile which appeared on my face when I saw his teammates Thabang and Pieter walk past, surprised yet happy to see me, sending me wide smiles as they stood and waited for the trophy.

I couldn't spot him on the stage, but as soon the trophy was handed to the captain, the whole stadium erupted in joy and triumph as they cheered on the new champions. Meanwhile, I kept looking around the team and the podium until I felt a familiar pair of eyes lingering on me.

Turning to the other side of the podium, I found the pair of brown eyes I fell in love with, staring at me in complete disbelief. We stared at each other for a few minutes before I waved at him with a shaky smile, worried that if I spoke, I would break out into sobs.

Without thinking twice, he jumped over the fence dividing the two of us and was now standing right in front of me, looking at me with a look of shocked, mixed with happiness and what I guessed was love. "You came", he whispered, standing as close as he could without overstepping in my space. Always the gentleman.

I nodded and looked down, but he quickly wrapped his arms around me, whispering the same sentence I was about to say in my ear. "Jess...I-" "I love you Lesedi Maditaba. I realized this that morning of my birthday, and I realized how much of a doos I was to let you go, and act the way I did those weeks ago".

I raised my eyebrow in agreement, but I realised he couldn't see me, so I squeezed his shoulders as he spoke on. "I just want you to know how sorry I am, for not putting you first, when you deserved to be, because you're my girlfriend. I really want you back in my arms like this Sedi. Please will you let me continue to be your boyfriend, shower you with love that you deserve, rebuild you're trust in me and celebrate this win. Please?"

I pull away from him and look at his expression. He was basically showing me his emotions through his eyes, tears building, and I was becoming more certain that my feelings for him were only intensifying. "I don't know....", I whisper.

He moves back until he was leaning on the rail, and took off his match shirt, making me laugh and blush at the same time. He had on an undershirt that said 'Forgive me?' with a large heart underneath.

"How did you know I was coming?", I asked with a laugh. He smiled and looked over at his sister, who gave two thumbs up at me alongside her dad who was smiling brightly.

"I love you Lesedi Maditaba", he declared, making me look back at him. "Will you forgive me?"

I froze after he spoke, and kept my eyes on him when I felt the eyes of others on me, all waiting for my response.

Oh fuck me. Just what I needed, more pressure.

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Translation: 'doos' = Idiot in Afrikaans