Page 43 of Matched Up

‘Oh,’ I said.It was all I could get out because nausea-inducing disappointment was seeping through every single one of my veins like poison.Which was stupid.As if Sadie would ask me to do NI trials.I could feel my hands shaking, so I put them in my hair.

‘It’s on the same day as V-Ball,’ she said.

‘And?’Surely V-Ball wouldn’t even come close to the excitement of this.

‘It’s in Fermanagh, so by the time I get up there, do the trial and get back again, I’ll be wrecked and in no mood to party at all!’

Something snapped.‘Do youknowhow lucky you are?’

She shrugged.‘It’s only lucky if you actually want it.’

I willed the tears to stay behind my eyes.‘Do you know what I would give to go to an NI trial?’

‘Wellyougo then.’Megan seemed to expect me to agree with whatever she said, like usual.But not this.

I narrowed my eyes.‘Anything.I would giveanythingto have been invited.’

‘I told you we shouldn’t have said,’ Megan hissed at Niall.

Niall was staring at us, looking guilty.He changed the subject.‘Lexie, what’s the deal with all the plates?Who’d you have round?’

‘None of your business,’ I said, trying to ignore Megan’s beautifully confused face trying to work it out.

‘Well, it kind of is.It’s my house too,’ he said.

‘It’snoneof your business.OK?’I shouted.

But he was ignoring me, looking at the leftovers.‘Risotto?Where’d you get this.Youcan’t cook.’He snorted.

‘Zoe.It was Zoe.We’ve got kind of friendly lately, so I thought I’d invite her over.’I shrugged.

Megan scrunched up her face.‘Zoe?’

‘What’s wrong with that?She’s really nice.’

‘Since when?’Megan said but didn’t wait for an answer.‘Whatever, I don’t care.’

She was clearly hurt.And the worst part?I was glad.

‘You’re on a date with Zoe?’Niall looked over at me, totally confused.

‘It’s not a date; we were just hanging out.But I want to go to bed, so do you guys have somewhere to be?’I wished they’d leave.

‘Let’s go, Meg.I found it,’ Niall said.

I stayed in the kitchen until they’d left, my hands on the counter, breathing in deeply and trying desperately to get rid of the resentment before I went back up to see Shane.But it hurt how much she didn’t care when all I did was care.And why hadNiall told her to tell me?So he could see me be upset about it?I never thought he could be so cruel.But then I’d seen how he was with Shane.Maybe I didn’t really know him at all.

My phone buzzed.

NIALL: I thought you’d be excited for her

I wanted to tell him that I didn’t care.But I couldn’t type out the lie.So I didn’t write back at all.Niall knew how much football meant to me.He knew how much I wanted to be on the team, to be better, how an NI trial would be a dream come true for me.

I was embarrassed to go back upstairs.Shane would know I was upset.I imagined what it would be like to tell him it was me that Sadie had phoned.How excited he’d be for me, how amazing I’d feel.

But I couldn’t leave him in the bathroom.

‘Shane?’I called when I got into my room.‘They’re away.’

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