"Brighton?" he finally whispered. "A Championship club? For me?"
"For you," I confirmed. "They've been watching you all season. They want you, JJ. They believe in you.""
"You've earned it, mate," I said, a proud smile on my face. "You're a hot commodity. But Brighton is the right move. They've got a great academy, a manager in Chris Hughton who believes in young players. It's the perfect place for you."
"But… I thought I was coming with you," he said, his voice small, vulnerable, the voice of a boy rather than the man he was becoming. "To Crystal Palace. You said… you said we'd do this together."
I hadn't said that. Not explicitly. But I'd let him believe it. I'd let him hope. And now I was crushing that hope.
My heart broke.
