Page 81 of Matched Up

‘Nothing, it doesn’t matter,’ he said.

And then the front door opened.

‘Oh my goodness, Lexie.’Mum’s voice sounded shaky, like she’d been crying.She rushed into the living room and had my face in her hands in seconds.‘What happened?’

‘Calf muscle,’ I said, and fell apart again, feeling about ten years old.‘I tore it.’

‘It’s OK, love, it’ll be OK.It’s just a setback and it’ll force you to have a good rest.’

I shook my head.I didn’t want to rest.I never wanted to rest.

‘We’ll get you better, pet,’ Dad said from the doorway.I could tell he was stressed about something.‘Niall, a word?’He motioned for Niall to step into the hall.

I tried to listen to what he was saying, but I could barely hear over Mum telling me all the things she was going to do to make my recovery as quick as possible.

‘I’m sorry,’ I heard Niall say.‘It was only a few people.’

My blood ran cold.How had he figured it out already?

‘You’ve had too many chances, Niall.I’d hoped by now I could trust you, but it’s clear that I can’t.Get out of my sight.’Dad’s voice was clipped and cold.

I heard Niall disappear up the stairs and my heart sank.

‘How you feeling, love?’Dad came in, his tone immediately warm.

‘OK,’ I said.

‘A party, Georgina.Niall had a party here when we were gone.’He looked at Mum and shook his head in disgust.

‘No, he wouldn’t have.He knows better than that,’ she said.

‘An empty beer can in the plant pot by the door was the first indication.He admitted it when I asked.I haven’t even looked through the rest of the house for damage.’Dad scanned the room, looking for evidence.

‘Lexie, you tell us.What happened?’Mum looked at me, desperate to hear that it was all a lie and we’d actually just sat and watched TV together when they were gone.

But I couldn’t do it to him.Dad’s face.The disgust.I knew how much it must have hurt him.I was touched that he hadn’t thrown me under the bus, but it wasn’t his fault.

‘It wasn’t Niall who had the party.’

Dad looked right at me.‘There’s no point lying, Lexie.He told me everything.’

‘It was me.He didn’t want it.He tried to stop it.’

There was silence.

‘Oh, Lexie,’ Mum said beside me.

And I burst into tears again because I was such a mess.On top of everything else, I was a crap daughter.

‘I didn’t expect this from you,’ Dad said.‘You’ll be paying for any damage to this house, regardless of the injury.’

‘OK,’ I said quietly.

‘OK, let’s just forget about the party for now.We need tofocus on getting you better.’Mum put her arm round me and Dad left the room with another piece of my heart.

‘You know, I’ve been away too much recently.I’m going to stay with you guys from now on.And I don’t want you to worry about the house.Dad is over the top about it.It’s only stuff,’ she said.

‘Thanks, Mum,’ I choked out.

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