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Adriana avoids talking to Maeve for the rest of the week at training, still in shock and upset at their inability to understand each other or reconcile.

She feels so guilty that her keeping the secret of Jacob continues to create distance between them, but after her conversation with Jacob in the bar, she doesn’t feel she has a choice.

And it shouldn’t change that she thinks her advice to her friend about being nicer to Kira is still true – yet her friend lashed out, and now there’s clearly no trust between them.

She doesn’t think it’s only her fault or Maeve’s, but what she does hate is that she can’t see a way out of them becoming closer again unless something changes.

It never stops feeling awful. In fact, her chest has started hurting badly when she thinks about Maeve, as if her heart is literally breaking.

When Adriana thinks about it too much, she struggles to breathe.

But she has the best distraction. She has spent every night staying with Jacob.

When it’s just the two of them, everything is okay in the world.

Lying in his soft bed, head on his broad chest, Adriana feels her whole body, mind, soul, completely relax.

Adriana can’t believe how much she has loved doing ‘normal’ domestic things with Jacob.

One night they made dinner together – Jacob is a much better chef than Adriana, thank goodness, but she helped go to the shops and prepare the fresh ingredients, and he makes a simple tomato pasta feel like luxury.

Another night they ordered in a huge takeaway to watch a romcom together – Jacob had teared up when the lovers finally got together, and Adriana had laughed, kissing his adorable wet cheeks.

But then, the morning would come, and they would leave the cocoon of his home, and she would become Adriana the footballer and he would be Jacob the club director, and her chest would start hurting again.

Now, Adriana’s going to have to face the challenge of being ‘Adriana the footballer’ all weekend, because the team have an away match in Liverpool.

The team get in the coach to travel together, Adriana dreading the thought of sitting next to Maeve all journey.

But when she arrives, Maeve has already made some excuse to be at the front on her own, saying she has started getting car sick.

Adriana feels a bit embarrassed, walking past her, to go and sit next to Kira instead.

‘So you guys hate the Swans?’ says Kira, snacking on a huge bag of trail mix. If the Manchester Tigresses have a rival, it’s the Liverpool Swans.

‘Uh huh,’ explains Elisa, leaning over from the nearby seats. ‘They’re so violent.’

‘They could break your arm with their necks,’ says Charlie.

‘That’s not a thing swans do,’ says Elisa.

‘But it’s a thing the Liverpool Swans do,’ says Charlie seriously. ‘Remember when their captain Chloe fouled Maeve right off the bat last year? She slid in a two-footed lunge – late. Nearly broke Maeve’s ankle.’

Kira whistles through her teeth. ‘Ouch. And Maeve’s already prone to ankle injuries.’

Adriana glances at Kira curiously.

‘Wasn’t the captain dating Maeve’s ex?’ chimes in Nat, from behind them.

Adriana feels Kira sit up. ‘Is that so?’ she asks, casually.

Adriana nods. ‘Yeah, Hannah. Hannah’s type is captains of rival teams, I guess…’

Kira’s jaw clenches.

‘Yeah, Maeve was such a trooper about it,’ Nat continues. ‘Barely flinched, all calm while the rest of us were shouting for red cards. Maeve still shook Chloe’s hand at the end of the match and everything.’

‘I’d have spat in her face!’ says Milo. ‘But yeah, Maeve was cool.’

Milo hesitates, looks to the front, at where they can see the back of Maeve’s head at the front of the coach, then mutters, ‘Back when Maeve was cool.’

Adriana glances up at Maeve’s blonde ponytail too, shifting uncomfortably. She wants to put an end to this kind of talk, but it’s a fine balance, not wanting to set herself up as policing her teammates’ behaviour.

‘We’ve all got to look out for the Swan’s nasty tactics today,’ Adriana says, her voice measured. ‘Don’t let their beaks get too near us.’

She directs this at Milo and Nat, who she knows love puns. ‘Let them honk and squawk while we just… swan past them.’

They reward her with generous laughs, and the tension in the coach eases a little.

But when they arrive in Liverpool and file out into the dressing room, Adriana and Maeve seem to keep bumping into each other as they get into their orange kit.

They always used to know what each other was thinking, but now her friend’s anxious face is closed off from her, silent.

And when they’re getting ready for Coach’s speech, Adriana notices that Maeve isn’t using the matching personalised water bottle she got her, instead sipping from a plain grey one.

Adriana doesn’t know why, but this is what really spins her out.

She and Maeve have been together through so much.

They made a pinky promise, that day at the Tigresses’ match, to always support each other.

And now here they are, living their dream of playing for their beloved team, together – but without their friendship.

If little Adriana could see them now, she’d be so disappointed.

Adriana feels breathless, clutches at her chest like she truly might not be able to breathe properly. She knows she can’t keep hiding Jacob from her friend – Maeve deserves to know, she wants her to know, so that they can have a chance to be united again, the way they used to be.

She needs to text Jacob, and tell him she’s going to tell Maeve about them. Surely he will understand that her friendship is too precious to hang in the balance.

So before Coach comes in to give them their pre-game talk, Adriana slips out her phone and sees Jacob has already texted her.

Break a leg out there, Tiger.

Wait, not literally, please.

I mean good luck and have fun out there x (just from me and not in an official capacity)

Adriana’s stomach flutters. She stares at the kiss at the end, which Jacob has never put before. She feels so happy and yet terrified at the same time.

Coach Hoffman enters the changing room, and Adriana only has a few seconds before she’ll be expected to give the team meeting her full attention.

Thank you, truly x she types. Then she sighs, and before she can change her mind, she hastily types out and sends,

Can we find time to talk after the game? There’s got to be another way. I can’t stand lying to Maeve. Please can I tell her about us? xxx

Coach is standing before them, already looking more tired than when she joined a mere few weeks ago.

‘Team, I want to start today’s talk by saying that I know that the last few weeks haven’t been easy for many of you.

You were in a position of a lot of stability, and then there was a lot of sudden and dramatic change.

New ownership, new coach, new leadership.

I’m proud of how you’ve responded so far with two wins out of two. Congratulations.’

Kira leads a ripple of applause, acknowledging their perfect start to the season at home.

‘Today, it’s our first away game and we play the most competitive team in the league,’ Coach continues. ‘Swans are the top of the table on goal difference. This is when we need to pull the stops out and raise our level.’

‘Maeve was our captain in pre-season, Kira for the first two games but I’m going to rotate again while I’m still getting to know you. My choices seem to have caused some confusion, so I have also made some consultations this time.’

Adriana frowns, looking round the room confused at where this is going and who exactly has been consulted. Not her, that’s for sure.

Hoffman turns to Maeve who is standing to attention and Kira, whose arms are folded just as tightly.

‘Maeve,’ says Coach. ‘I’ve heard that your conduct helped you to win that competitive match last season when you played the Swans.

Your calming presence is valued on the pitch.

But I’m still unsure it’s what the team need for this season more broadly.

This is why, I have decided to name you as our vice-captain. ’

Adriana watches her old friend’s face go pale.

Maeve bows her head. Adriana hopes she can find a way to be proud – it shows she’s proved something to Coach in the way she’s trained this week, since Coach took her aside.

Although Adriana is dreading how the team will cope with Kira as captain again, especially working with Maeve as vice, when as far as Adriana has seen, the two still avoid speaking to each other entirely.

Adriana is so busy watching Kira and Maeve trying to understand what their concerned frowns mean, that she barely hears Coach’s next words.

‘I am therefore very pleased to announce that my choice for our team’s captain, for today at least … is Adriana Summers.’

A ripple goes round the room. Charlie and Elisa, standing next to Adriana, clap her on the back.

‘Hey! Congratulations!’ they say quickly in unison, their smiles broad.

But instead of happiness, Adriana’s body just floods with cold, frozen, terror.

Maeve’s eyes are on her, betrayed. Maeve must think that this is why Adriana has been off with her – that Adriana has been waiting for a chance to come up and steal the captaincy from her all along. Kira is frowning, looking at both her then Maeve, fury building.

All Adriana can think is, ‘I didn’t ask for this!’

Okay, sure, if someone had ever asked her if she wanted to be captain – like Jacob had a few days ago, funnily enough – she would have said, in theory, sure.

But being club captain is Maeve’s dream.

Had always been her dream. And it was more important for Adriana to help her friends than to be too big for her own boots. She was there to be a team player.

She remembered how Jacob had replied that’s probably exactly what would make her a good captain.

Adriana’s stomach does a strange somersault.