Page 8 of Matched Up

‘Zoe’s having a party,’ I said too loudly.‘On Friday.’

‘OK,’ he said, looking bemused.

‘She’s on my team.Said to invite the boys’ team too if you want to go or whatever?’I tried to act nonchalant to make up for the embarrassing display of desperation.

‘Where does she live?’he asked.

‘Castle Hill.’

He whistled.‘Nice.But don’t think I’d be very welcome.Not sure the team are too happy I’m here.’He looked back towards the road.‘I really am going to miss the bus.’

‘OK, yeah, well, maybe see you at practice on Thursday then?’I dug my nails into the side of the fence.Mortified.

‘Yeah, cool,’ he said.

Just before he left, he looked at me again, his eyes searing right into my soul, making my heart race faster than it had all night.

And whatever this feeling was, I knew he felt it too.

4

I was dying to talk to Megan about Shane, but Niall was in a total rage the whole way home.

‘Can I come back to yours?’Megan whispered.‘My mum’s out and Dad’s super grumpy at the minute; he’s so busy at work and Marissa’s not even here any more to share the tension.’

‘Sure.Want to practise?’I offered.‘Take your mind off everything?’

She laughed.‘Absolutely not.’

Niall was sitting in the back seat in silence, but as we turned the corner into our street, he started an epic rant.‘He can’t just fucking swan in here and take my position.What the hell was Harrison thinking?He’s not even that good for fuck’s sake.’

‘You’re right,’ agreed Megan and I fired her a look.I’d only seen him play for five minutes and I knew that wasn’t true.

‘And did you see the end of that match, when he didn’t even pass to Ben?Ball-greedy bastard.’

I could feel his angry black cloud closing in on me.

I was so relieved when we pulled into the driveway.There were loads of cars outside the house.Audis mostly, a Range Rover, a Lexus.Mum’s ‘book club’.I wasn’t convinced theyread the books at all; I think they just used it as an excuse to drink wine and gossip, then they’d leave their cars here because they’d all be pissed and doing karaoke by the end of the night.

Niall stormed straight up the stairs, while me and Megan loitered downstairs.I took off my trainers and hung up my bag on autopilot.Megan did the same.And she could have been talking to me, but I didn’t hear her.I was thinking about Shane, about his maybe-black hair and maybe-blue eyes.The easy smile and the way he controlled that ball.My God.

Mum came into the kitchen and leaned on the island.I could already tell she was drunk.‘Hi, ladies.Would you like some champagne?’

‘Mum!’I said.I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.Dadhatedunderage drinking.His friend was killed in a car crash as a teenager, and he was always really strict about me and Niall not drinking until we were eighteen.

‘A little bit won’t do any harm,’ she slurred.‘There’s loads left over.Help yourselves.’She made her way back into what she calls the ‘good room’ and I watched Megan pour herself a glass.

‘You’re not joining me?’She took a sip and scrunched up her face.

‘No thanks,’ I said.

‘Sure you don’t fancy a run?Just a wee one?’I asked.

I needed it.The way I always did when I had to get rid of a feeling.The disappointment of not hearing my name in Sadie’s line-up and Niall’s position under attack.

‘I can’t think of anything I’d like to do less,’ she said, sipping more champagne.‘But why don’t you go?I’ll wait for you inhere, drinking your mum’s expensive alcohol.I can even watch you from the window.’She smiled and held up her glass.

‘I won’t be long, I promise.’

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