Page 38 of Matched Up

And it was only then I remembered he’d been talking to Zoe.I couldn’t ask what they were talking about, how could I?I’d sound ridiculously jealous.Which I wasn’t …

On the way home I didn’t even care that Niall was giving me the silent treatment.In fact, I was happy about it.

And just as we were getting out of the car, he said the most beautiful words I’d ever heard.

‘I’m going to Megan’s this weekend.So don’t be running to tell Mum and Dad.’Megan’s parents weren’t even away.They didn’t mind having Niall sleeping over, even though Megan preferred our house.They were taking Niall and Megan up the coast.I guess I was kind of jealous how easy it was for him.

‘Whatever,’ I said, using his favourite word against him.I forced my face to hide the fireworks, the butterflies and the very best kind of racing heartbeat at the thought of Shane coming over.

‘Why are you being so helpful?’Niall asked me with atonein the house later on.I’d been helping Mum pack for her trip to Sweden, suggesting clothes that looked good on her.And now I was upstairs, looking for my Chanel bag to lend her, which meant I had had to walk past him gaming.

‘Why are you still playingRoblox?You know how cringe that is?Isn’t that like P5 stuff?’

‘It’s ironic.’

‘You don’t even know what ironic means.’

‘Can’t wait to go to Meg’s this weekend.Make sure the serial killer doesn’t get you,’ Niall replied.He didn’t take hiseyes off the screen once.And that was a new thing.Well, a since-Megan thing.A few months ago, I would have sat down beside him, and he’d have handed me the controller to take over.But now he barely looked at me.

‘Dick.’He knew I had a thing about serial killers.We shared a bedroom until we were ten because I was convinced that a serial killer would come and get me in the middle of the night.I made Niall sleep in the bed closest to the door, so they’d kill him first when they got there, in the hope that I’d have time to escape while he just lay there in a heap, soaking the thousand-pound carpet in blood.

‘I can’t wait for you to go to Meg’s either.’I sighed, taking my bag downstairs to Mum.

‘Thanks, love,’ Mum said as she packed.‘Do you think I’ve enough?’She looked genuinely worried, even though she’d packed enough clothes for two weeks.

‘I think you’ll be OK, Mum.’I picked a jumper out of her suitcase.One I hadn’t seen before, wool, Fair Isle.Not Mum’s styleat all.

‘Do you like it?Like Sarah Lund fromThe Killing.’She smiled.‘ButThe Killingis Danish …’ She tailed off in thought.‘Never mind.I’ve also been practising my Swedish on Duolingo.’

‘What can you say?’I asked, actually interested.

‘Hej.Tack.God morgon.Hello, thank you, good morning.Oh andobduktion!’Mum timed the zip of the suitcase with her new word.

‘What does that mean?’

‘Autopsy.But I learned that one from my shows.’

I laughed.

‘It’s nice to see you so happy, Lex.’Mum put her hand on my shoulder.‘This last couple of years, I don’t know, you haven’t seemed like yourself.But that smile?That’sthe Lexie I know.’She smiled at me warmly.I thought about hugging her, but decided against it.It would be too out of character.

‘Who knows, probably just hormones or something.’I shrugged.‘But I’m away to bed anyway, and you’ll be gone before I wake up, so have an amazing trip!’

‘Thanks, pet.There’s money in the kitchen if you want to order food.And not too much training, promise?’

‘Promise,’ I said, and I was glad I wasn’t lying to her.I wasn’t thinking about training this weekend; I was only thinking about Shane.

I studied for an hour before I went to sleep.I hadn’t been keeping up with my list.Ever since Shane, my head had been all over the place.

I hardly slept.How could I?Tomorrow night there’d be no parents and no Niall.Just me and Shane.

And I couldn’t ignore the fact that I was scared.Would he expect me to dostuff?I’d only got to grips with kissing him.I don’t think I was ready for anything else.

Mum and Dad were already gone by the time I got up.Only Niall was in the kitchen.

‘You know I’ll know if you have a party,’ he said, eating a Pop-Tart.

I poured porridge into a bowl and rolled my eyes at him.‘Not havinga party.’

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