Page 90 of Matched Up

‘The whole football thing, it was always for him.He was mad keen on me getting scouted and trying to go pro, that’s why I joined Westing, even though we can barely afford it.’

‘You should tell him,’ I said gently.‘That you’ve gone back to Ferndale.’

‘It’ll break his heart.’

I squeezed Shane’s hands like he’d squeezed mine.I bet his dad would only want him to be happy.

Then a woman came into the cafe.

She was thin with greying hair and was wearing a longdress with a cardigan over it.She looked over at us.‘Shane?He’s awake.He’s asking for you,’ she said.

I could sense him relax beside me.

‘Thank God,’ he whispered.

‘I’ll see you soon?’I asked, standing up.

Shane waited until his mum had walked away before standing up too.He leaned down and kissed me gently on the forehead.

‘Definitely,’ he said.‘And, Lexie?’

‘Yeah?’

‘Thanks.For everything.Can we maybe … try again?’He looked at me like he was scared I was going to say no.

How could I?When he’d come back into my life like sunshine after months of rain.

‘I’ll do better,’ he said.‘I promise.No more secrets.’

‘I’ll do better too,’ I promised.

I was quiet on the way home with Niall.Not in a bad way, just thinking about the logistics of moving to Ferndale United.But the more I thought about it, the better an idea it seemed.

‘You OK?’Niall asked.

I inhaled.‘I was thinking about joining Ferndale United when I’m better.’I liked how it sounded out loud, and I loved the relief that came with it.

‘What?’Niall almost ran a red light.‘Ferndale, are you serious?They’re shite.’

I pushed his arm.‘Hey!’

‘It’s just facts.But why?’

‘I have a feeling it will be way more fun than Westing and, let’s face it, I’m never getting scouted.I’m barely even getting on the team,’ I said.

‘Lex … but … well, maybe itisa good idea.Maybe both of us get too stressed out with football.’

‘I think you’re right,’ I agreed.

‘Do it,’ he said.

32

Six weeks later, my leg was better, and I couldn’t wait to start training at Ferndale with Shane.And because I’d done my exercises religiously, the physio had agreed I could play a match.

Shane’s dad was in hospital for another few weeks, so we hadn’t seen each other.Between school, football and hospital visits, there hadn’t been much time.But Shane had woken something in me.Something I didn’t think I even had.It spurred me on to do my exercises and get back to me.But not the old me.Shane had made me realize that I was more than football.It was like he’d lifted a veil.One I’d been shrouded in for years, one that had stopped me from seeing beyond my obsession with football.But now it was like I could see everything more clearly, and I didn’t have this constant twisting in my chest and an awful voice telling me I was worthless.

We messaged each other every day, morning and afternoon, and we FaceTimed every night before we went to bed.I even talked to Mum and Dad about him.Mum had stopped asking after the night I’d come home upset, obviously putting two and two together.Now she was obsessed with me inviting him for dinner.

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