Page 28 of Matched Up

‘Here, you look freezing.’He took off his top and handed it to me.I slid it over my shoulders and breathed in the smell of him.Fabric conditioner, heat.I hugged myself.

‘Won’t you be cold?’

‘I’ll be grand,’ he said.

I didn’t believe him, but he’d already turned away, like he was in a hurry, so I sat back down on the fountain, football at my feet, wrapped his top round me tightly and smiled into the darkness.My heart exploding.

11

It wasn’t long before I heard Megan’s voice, dragging me out of the quiet frozen bliss.

‘Lexie?Are you outside?’She sounded a bit panicked, so I stood up and walked back along the path that I’d shared with Shane thirty minutes ago.

‘Hi,’ I said, emerging from the trees.

‘What the hell are you doing out here?It’s Baltic!’Megan said, shivering.

And the way she looked at me, with genuine concern, was touching.So much that I thought about telling her about Shane.I imagined how excited she’d be for me.I was desperate to share it with someone.Maybe I could just let it go, all that stuff with her and Niall.

‘Just went for a walk with –’

‘Niall’s kind of drunk,’ Megan cut in.

I don’t know why it shocked me.It made sense.They didn’t care about anyone else, just themselves.And I was glad she did it; it made my decision for me.I didn’t need her, and I definitely didn’t need Niall.

‘He’s an idiot,’ I said.

‘Ugh, I know, but he’s freaking out about this new kid and has been really sad.’Megan looked distressed, but it didn’t affect me at all.

‘You mean the one he just told to go back to Ferndale?’I winced at the memory.The vitriol in Niall’s voice.

Megan tried to defend him.‘He didn’t mean it.’

‘He did.Where is he?’

‘In the fancy room.The one with the chaise longue.’

The heat from the kitchen was intense – radiators, bodies pressed against each other – the noise like nails on a blackboard.I wished I could go outside again.Megan grabbed my hand and pulled me through groups of people into the hall and then into the good room.

There was Niall, slumped on a chaise longue, leg hanging off the end.Hunter perched on the edge, drinking a beer.Zoe and Amina on the other seat, whispering to each other.

‘Jesus, Niall,’ I said.‘How much have you had to drink?’

Niall looked up through a mop of blonde hair, eyes glazed.‘Lex, is that you?’

‘Yes, it’s me, you dumbass.’

‘I had too many shots.’He was slurring.

‘You think?’I sat down beside his head.‘Get up.’

He dragged himself up and draped his arm over my shoulder.Megan went to his other side, and he leaned on her too.

‘Here, let me help.’Hunter took the weight of Niall from me.Megan talked to try to keep him awake, but he kept closing his eyes.Hunter looked at me.‘This doesn’t mean you have to leave too, does it?’

‘Yep, designated driver,’ I said, glad of the excuse.

‘That’s a shame,’ he said with a grunt as he heaved a slipping Niall back on to his shoulder.‘I was hoping we could catch up tonight.’

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