Page 25 of Matched Up

‘It’s not your fault.And don’t worry.I can handle it.Want to sit?’He glanced at the seat behind him.

‘No,’ I replied instantly.

‘No?’He looked confused but was trying not to laugh.

‘I mean, it’s a bit loud in here.Crowded.Do you fancy going out the back for a bit?There must be a football out there.’I hoped there was a football.

‘Sure.’

He stood up and suddenly, I was nervous.

‘I think it’s out here.’I walked towards the only door that could have opened to the back garden.We walked through it and into darkness.Another room.I couldn’t find the light.The sweet floral smell of fabric softener made me think it was a utility room.

I banged into something hard.‘Shit.’

‘Are you OK?’

I felt him touch my waist.Electricity.

‘Yeah, I’m OK,’ I whispered.

Then he was beside me, so close I could feel the heat of his body.

‘I feel terrible,’ I said quietly.

‘Why?’He sounded genuinely curious.

‘Because of Niall.You shouldn’t have come, I should have known it was going to be like this,’ I said, shaking my head.

He tilted my chin up so I was looking at him, even though I couldn’t see him clearly in the dark.

‘Lexie, I came because I wanted to see you.That shit’s just noise.’

Then his mouth was on mine, warm, sweet, slow.I relaxed into him, letting everything go.All the stuff Niall said, swallowed by a cloud of euphoria that exploded when Shane touched me.His body was hot against mine and he found the space between my top and jeans, like he’d done at the pavilion.He grazed my skin gently and I found myself gripping on to his shoulders, like I never wanted to let him go.

Whatever way we moved, Shane banged into something else.He pulled away and laughed.‘Ah,here’sthe garden.’

I moved round him and pushed the handle, and a blast of cold air made me gasp as I walked outside.‘You coming?’I turned towards Shane, who was standing so close to me that the hairs on my neck stood up all over again.Part of me wanted to turn back into him, feel his hands on me and touch the hard muscle of his stomach again, but I’d already committed to the garden.

‘Lead the way,’ he said.

We walked into the January night.I was definitely not wearing enough clothes for this.But, like I said, I’d committed.

‘Jesus, it’s huge,’ Shane said, scanning the property.

Itwasbig and I was embarrassed that I’d barely even noticed.It was separated into different sections by little paths, and evergreen trees everywhere.

‘Yeah, it is.Let’s find a ball.There’s bound to be one somewhere.’I held out my hand to him without thinking.A second of cringe before he took it, lacing his fingers through mine, his smile half covered by the track top that was zipped right up to his chin.We walked down the first path we came to that twisted and turned, lit up by tiny little flower-shaped lights.We walked in silence until we reached a clearing that had a fountain in the middle.

Shane stopped and pulled me back into him, looking down at me in the moonlight.‘This is nice,’ he said.

‘I don’t do this all the time, you know,’ I said, embarrassed.‘In fact, I never do it.’

‘Don’t do what?Take walks in posh gardens at night in January?’He unzipped a few centimetres of his top so I could see his mouth.My stomach flipped as I remembered how those lips had felt on mine.

‘Kiss boys I don’t know,’ I admitted.

‘I don’t kiss boys I don’t know either.’He shrugged and I laughed.

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