Page 50 of The Boy I Once Loved

It's a great match and by the end, my voice needs a good rest from all the shouting I did. It also looks like Dylan has beaten his curse as he scored five goals today. The game finishes and Aria stands and tugs me down the stand towards the pitch.

She waves at Connor and he comes over, dragging a reluctant Dylan with him. Aria wraps her arm around Connor’s neck and drops a big kiss on his lips.

“You were great today, baby. Best midfielder there is.”

Connor laughs and drops another kiss on her lips. “You would say that, you are my biggest fan.” Connor looks at me. “What did you think of our man Dylan, here Ella?”

Dylan glances at me and looks away, running a hand through his sweaty hair, which is irritatingly really hot.

“He did good. Looks like the two-goal curse went away.”

That rewards me with a half-smile that he attempts to fight. “I never score less than two now,” he tells me confidently.

“And in even better news,” Aria says, rubbing her hands together. “I won a bet with Ella and now she has to come camping next weekend.”

This makes Dylan laugh aloud. “Ella camping? You are joking, right? This girl is the biggest wimp when it comes to bugs. You remember that time we tried getting her to camp out in the back garden?”

Connor nods and snorts. “Oh, do I. She had her sleeping bag zipped up all around her face, and she had a swimming cap on to make sure no bugs could get in her ears.”

I give them both the fingers. “Yeah, and you arseholes placed a plastic spider in my sleeping bag and I almost wee’d in my pants.”

Connor doubles over, laughing. “I forgot about that part. Now that was funny.”

“Hey, Dylan.” A girl with long brown wavy hair and a tiny figure comes over to Dylan and she leans over the railings. “You played real good today.”

He grins down at her and I see his eyes sweep over her cleavage that is bursting out of her low-cut top. "Thanks, Isla."

“A few of us are going to the lake to have a swim and stuff if you fancy it?” she bats her eyelashes at him, and I try not to roll my eyes.

He looks like he is going to say no, but then looks straight at me and he nods his head. “That sounds fun. Count me in. I’ll meet you down there.”

She grins in triumph and then giving him a wink, she walks back over to where her friends all wait for her.

“So,” Connor coughs, “you’re going to the lake, huh? I thought we were all going back to Caleb’s for a barbeque?”

Dylan shrugs and kicks at the dirt. “I fancy some fun today. I can swing by the barbeque later.”

Connor looks at him exasperated and plastering on a smile he looks at me and Aria. “Looks like I get to have you two beautiful ladies all to myself then.”

I laugh, hiding my disappointment. “Go get showered anyhow, you both stink.” Connor laughs and ruffling Dylan’s hair he takes off jogging backwards and gives Aria a cheeky wink.

“Come on. We’ll wait back on the stands.” We sit back down, and Aria nudges me. “Don’t let Dylan get to you, he’s just being a dick.”

I bat away her comment. “Ah, I’m not bothered. If he wants to be a moody arse let him carry on.”

Connor comes and finds us a short while later, and we pile in Aria’s car and make the short drive to Caleb’s house. Most of the team is already here and the barbeque food is already cooking. Connor steers us over to get drinks. I grab a can of coke whilst Connor helps himself to a water.

"Hey, guys! Where's captain big-bollocks?" Caleb asks as he saunters over to us.

Connor smiles and fist bumps him. “Big-bollocks has gone to the lake.”

“Ah, I see, chasing pussy, huh?”

Connor scratches his head. “Something like that, or avoiding it, depends on which way you look at it.”

Caleb sees me and smiling, he sweeps me up off the floor and throws me over his shoulder making my crutches crash to the floor. “Come on little Ella, while the cats away, we get to play!” His teammates cheer as he carries me through the garden and deposits me on his lap on a garden chair around a fire pit.

“Do you always man-handle girls like this?” I ask him, laughing as I brush my hair out of my face.

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