Page 30 of Matched Up

SHANE: Hey, are you still at the party?

ME: Nope.Niall got drunk so got him home before he started a fight with someone else.Still really sorry about that …

SHANE: It wasn’t your fault.Let’s not talk about him anyway.What are you doing?

ME: Just standing at my bedroom window.You?

SHANE: Just getting into bed

Suddenly the image of Shane taking off his clothes was in my head, and I was glad he couldn’t see the colour of my face.

SHANE: I had a really good time tonight

ME: Same

SHANE: What can you see out the window?

ME: The sea.Our house is on the lough

SHANE: Nice.What’s it like?

ME: Pretty.There’s this one streak of light from the moon that’s made the water all sparkly

It was like magic.

SHANE: I wish I could see it too.My window just looks out on the street and more houses.

ME: You should come over sometime.There’s this bit of the beach that’s not ours, but it’s basically private because it’s so hard to get to from the road

SHANE: I’d like that

I shimmied out of my clothes and put my pyjamas on, trying not to interrupt the flow of conversation.Then I lay down on my bed, phone above my face, jaw aching from smiling.

ME: So what’s the deal then?Do you want to go pro?Do you want to get scouted at Westing?

SHANEis typing

He stopped and started at least three times.

SHANE: I don’t know …

ME: That’s a pretty big thing not to be sure about …

SHANE: I’ve never said it out loud before

ME: Do your family want you to?

SHANE: Sort of.What about you?

ME: I just want to be on the first team.I need to work harder

SHANE: I think you’re pretty great

ME: I will be

SHANE: You know what you’re missing?

Him.I was missinghim.

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