Page 33 of Matched Up

‘When?’

‘In fifteen minutes.’

‘So that leaves … five minutes?’I asked, walking closer to him.

‘For what?’He put his phone down on the grass on top of his hoodie.

‘For this.’I pulled him towards me and kissed him hard, my hands under his shirt, tracing the warm muscle.When I pulled away, I noticed his phone light up.I looked down and saw a message banner with the name ‘Grace’.

My stomach lurched as he picked up his phone and his hoodie.Who was Grace?

We jogged back to the car park, and he kissed me goodbye.I walked to my car, and he walked to the bus.

I reminded myself to go round the back of the house when I got home, pretend I’d been out at our pitch all the time.If Mum knew I was going to the club before sunrise on a Saturday, she’d probably freak out completely.

I ran round the side of the house and slipped in through the back door to see Dad staring at me, a cup of coffee in his hand.

‘Dad!’I said, closing the door behind me.

‘Where were you?’he asked, his tone serious.

‘At the club.Training,’ I said.No eye contact.I walked towards the door.

‘Lexie, nowI’mstarting to worry.This time on a Saturday morning?’He looked at the clock and then back to me.

‘Do you not think Aitana Bonmatí or Simone Magill train this early on a Saturday?’I said defiantly.

‘Just be careful, Alexandra, that’s all I’m saying.’Then he sighed.‘What happened last night?’

I froze.‘What do you mean?Nothing happened last night.’I tried to work out what he meant.

‘Niall.You can smell the drink as soon as you walk up those stairs.Wereyoudrinking last night?’

‘No,’ I said so quickly that it sounded like a lie.‘I was driving.’

‘And Niall?’

And there was that pull.To protect each other.But then I remembered what he’d said in the car before the party.He had his life and I had mine; it wasn’t up to me to make excuses for him.Not any more.And then I remembered what he’d said to Shane.But still, I couldn’t.

‘I didn’t see him that much.I don’t know what he was doing.’

‘Don’t lie to me, Alexandra.’

I think Dad hated lies almost as much as he hated teen drinking.

‘Yeah, he might have had a bit, but everyone was doing it.’I couldn’t help trying to take the edge off the trouble Niall was in.

‘That’s no excuse.’Dad raised his voice, then remembered who he was talking to.The one whodrove.‘Sorry, love, this isn’t to do with you.’

‘I’m just going to …’ I pointed upstairs and he nodded.

I went to my room and lay down on my bed, giving myself permission to lie there and think about Shane and nothing else, forcing myself to push intrusive Grace thoughts out of my head.And as if he was thinking about me too, my phone buzzed.

SHANE: You looked really hot this morning

ME: Thanks Coach x

Then I heard Dad coming up the stairs and flinched when he started shouting at Niall.I felt sick with guilt.I covered my ears and pulled open my laptop.Rosengård vs Barcelona.Aitana, goddess.I put on my headphones and turned the volume right up.

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