Page 52 of Matched

I glanced up at the scoreboard. Four minutes, plus whatever added time there was at the end. We could do this. We were going to make it to the semi-finals. One step closer to being southern division cup champions.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl. I was working constantly, keeping the ball away from our goal as Kingston’s team threw everything they had into their attack. My legs were aching, my lungs were burning, but I pushed my body as hard as it would go, kicking the ball away again and again until suddenly, three piercing whistles filled the air.

We’d done it. We were going to the semi-finals.

With the final dregs of my energy, I made my way to the centre of the pitch, where my teammates were already celebrating. Travis pulled me into a hug, and then Ander jumped on my back, throwing his arms around us both.

“We fucking did it!” he screeched in my ear. I couldn’t even be annoyed about the fact that he’d temporarily deafened me because I was filled with euphoria.

“You did a great job, holding them off at the end. You and Finn and Jason. Our last line of defence,” Travis said. “Fucking brilliant work.”

“What about me?”

Travis stepped back, eyeing Ander over my shoulder. “I think it goes without saying that every single member of this team had an important role to play. You did great.”

“Thanks, Dad. We couldn’t have done it without you.” Finally climbing off my back, Ander jogged over to Liam, and I straightened up with a groan.

“Now I can add a back injury to my list of aches and pains after this match.”

Travis laughed. “An ice bath will sort you out.”

I shuddered. No, thanks. “I think I’ll just have a hot shower and some ibuprofen.”

“Suit yourself. Come on, let’s get showered and changed. We need to celebrate. Party at mine tonight.”

“I wouldn’t miss it.”

Number 3, the Mansions, washeaving. The large, double-fronted Victorian terrace was packed to the brim with people celebrating, more spilling out onto the street and onto the front path of the house next door. Number 1, the Mansions. The house where Charlie lived.

He was here, somewhere, I presumed, but I purposely hadn’t texted him aside from a reply to his message of congratulations. I was still wary about being around him after what had happened the last time we’d met up. What had I been thinking? That was right—I hadn’t been thinking.

Whatever, it was time to celebrate now. Leaving the kitchen, tipping my newly acquired beer to my lips, I weaved my way through the crowd towards the lounge. The music was much louder in here. I greeted several of my teammates in passing, finding the small huddle of final-year players at the back of the lounge. These were the guys I generally gravitated towards, having known them the longest.

“Still no girlfriend?”

“Huh?” In the middle of knocking my beer bottle against Jason’s, I glanced over at Omari. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Jason smirked at our teammate. “He means you’re not normally single for this long. It’s gotta be what, a couple of months or something since you ditched Lucy.”

Omari nodded. “Yeah, bro. You don’t stay single for long.”

A shrug of my shoulders just had them giving me identical unimpressed looks, so I elaborated. “There’s no point in starting up something now, is there? I’ll be gone as soon as we’re finished with our degrees. It’s not long now.”

“I can’t wait to get out of London. I fucking hate cities.”

I exchanged glances with Omari. “Jase. Maybe you should’ve considered that, I dunno, back when you applied to a uni in the centre of London?”

“Yeah, yeah.” He swigged from his beer bottle before smacking his lips dramatically. “Whatever. Anyway, back to you. You don’t need a girlfriend. What you need is a one-night stand. Get rid of some of that tension.”

“What tension?” I didn’t have any tension. He was deluded.

“Yeah.” Omari slung his arm across my shoulders. “Be more like me and Jase. Plenty of single women here.”

“Maybe.” The thought wasn’t even slightly appealing. But maybe they were right. A one-night stand could be what I needed, as long as everything was clear up front. No risk of catching feelings, and it might take my mind off a certain green-eyed guy…

As if I’d summoned him, he appeared, walking into the lounge with his housemate Levi and Levi’s boyfriend, Asher. Our gazes connected, and he smiled, soft and small and private.

Fuck.

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