Page 85 of Matched Up

‘Thank you,’ I said, my voice quiet.These awards weren’t usually given out until the end of the season.

‘No, thankyou, Lexie.I haven’t come across a player as determined as you for a very long time and it’s given me hope that there are more of you out there somewhere.You are an absolute joy to coach, and we’ll be there when you get back to full health.’

She sounded like she was going to cry.Sadie was not an emotional person.I tried to swallow the lump in my throat.

Mum came in to say hello properly, then she saw the trophy and her face lit up.

‘You’ve got some daughter, Mrs Ryan.’Sadie stood up, getting ready to leave.

‘Don’t I know it.’Mum winked at me, then showed Sadie out the door.

Mum came back in and put the trophy gently on the mantelpiece.

I stared at it and my chest swelled with pride.

‘See, what did I tell you, Lexie?What’s for you won’t pass you.’

I’d been feeling like such a failure, for failing to get a proper place on the team, for pushing myself so hard I got injured … for Shane.And it wasn’t like the award fixed everything, but it coloured in a tiny corner of the black hole I’d been living in.

30

Walking into school with crutches meanta lotof people asking what had happened.And I didn’t mind the questions.I just didn’t want the attention.

Niall and Megan had class at the other side of the school, so I was by myself, and of course the first person I saw was Hunter, on his phone in the doorway.When he saw me, he put his phone away and gave me a grin.

‘Lex!’He came towards me and wrapped me in a hug before I could get away.‘How are you?I wanted to visit, but Niall was being weird about it, so that’s why I didn’t, in case you thought I didn’t care.I was going to bring you flowers and everything.’

I hadn’t actually thought about it at all.I hadn’t been expecting him to visit, and if I had thought about him, it was only brief thoughts of panic that I’d have to see him again after that kiss.

‘I’m fine,’ I said, wriggling out of his hug.‘Where’s Zoe?’

‘Dunno.We’re not together any more.That was short.’He laughed and I screwed up my face.

‘Yeah, because you messed things up.’

‘The heart wants what the heart wants,’ he teased, and I kept my face the way it was.

‘Pretty sure that night was nothing to do with your heart.You really hurt her, you know.’

‘She’ll get over it,’ he scoffed.

‘Yeah?So will you.Fuck off, Hunter,’ I said the words simply, but inside I was burning with rage at how he’d treated Zoe, and how he’d treated me.I couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen it before, but I guess he’d been part of our lives for so long that it was easy to excuse the way he acted as ‘Hunter being Hunter’.

I limped away and ignored him calling after me.

I walked into the corridor and there was Zoe, leaning against a locker and talking to Amina.When I walked over, they stopped talking.

I smiled.‘Hey.’

I watched as Amina looked at Zoe like she was waiting for her reaction.

‘Hey, Lexie.’Zoe smiled back warmly, and Amina looked confused.

‘You have English now, don’t you?Want to walk together?’I asked hopefully.

‘Sure.’

‘Ugh, I have chemistry.Chat later, bitches,’ said Amina, and she walked the other way with a wave.

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