Page 17

Then there he was. Standing in his tracksuit. One I’d seen before but one he looked so good in.

‘Lex. You look …’ He exhaled and pushed back his dark hair. ‘I didn’t know we were dressing up. I should have worn something … I mean, it’s not like I have anything fancy … You look, incredible.’ He scanned my body and I laughed at his reaction.

I reached into the freezing night and pulled him in by the hand, planting a kiss on his lips. ‘You don’t need to dress up. And anyway, I have a serious thing for tracksuits.’ I smiled and turned, leading him into the kitchen.

‘Your house is insane,’ he said, looking around.

‘Yeah, it’s a bit ridiculous. It’s too big,’ I said. Embarrassed.

‘It’s amazing.’ Shane slid a backpack off his shoulders and opened the zip. I moved to his side of the island to look inside, but before I even got close, I could smell it.

‘I hope you like risotto,’ he said, pulling out a container.

‘Oh my God, I love it.’ It smelled incredible.

‘Are you vegetarian? Because there are mushrooms in it, but scallops too. I can take out the scallops if you don’t eat fish.’ He was rushing his words as he pulled out container after container.

‘I’m not vegetarian and, sorry, what? You cooked scallops?’

‘Yeah,’ he said quietly. ‘And chocolate pudding for dessert.’ He pointed at another container.

I could not stop smiling. ‘This is perfect.’

And it was. We sat beside each other at the island, legs pressed together, eating the beautiful food that Shane had made. I had to make myself slow down. It was so good, and I’d forgotten to eat all day because I was so excited about seeing him.

I asked him questions in between mouthfuls.

‘So tell me about you. Was that your mum who came to the match last week?’ I asked.

He hesitated. ‘That was my aunt actually.’

‘Oh, that’s so nice; she must be so proud of you!’

‘She is. Loves football. She’s my dad’s sister and they were both mad into it growing up.’

He smiled when he mentioned his dad.

‘She’s from Liverpool too then? Does she live here?’

‘Yeah, she moved over when … when I was wee.’

‘That must be nice. Your dad couldn’t come to the match?’ I asked, reaching over to touch his hand that was resting beside his plate.

‘Nah, couldn’t make it. But, you know, my dad had a trial for Liverpool when he was nineteen.’

‘What the hell?’ I let go of his hand and turned round so I was facing him properly. ‘Are you serious?’

He laughed. ‘Yeah, he was an amazing footballer. Didn’t get there in the end, but I’ve always been so impressed. He’s brilliant, my dad.’

‘And that’s obviously where you got your talent. Oh my God, Shane, I’d be shouting that from the rooftops if I were you. So cool. What does he do now?’

Shane swallowed some risotto and took a drink of the Coke I’d left out. ‘Ah, loads of stuff. What does your dad do again?’ he asked, gazing around the kitchen.

‘I don’t actually know, you know. Some tech thing.’ I hoped he wouldn’t ask any more questions and we could go back to talking about his dad.

‘So did your dad teach you everything you know?’

‘I guess he did.’

‘Can I meet him sometime?’

Shane looked at me, a flash of panic taking over his face.

I put my hand over my mouth. ‘Oh Jesus, I didn’t mean it like that. It’s too soon. It’s just the Liverpool trial thing is unbelievable.’

‘I’m sure he’d love to meet you,’ he said, then got up and opened another box that he’d brought. ‘Dessert?’

The chocolate pudding was amazing, the perfect balance of sweet and chocolatey. ‘Where did you learn to cook?’ I asked. ‘Wait, don’t tell me, your dad too?’

He laughed. ‘I guess you could say that, yeah.’

‘I’m sorry, Shane, but you’ve told me too much, I’m running away with your dad.’

He laughed. ‘Will you show me the beach? The one you talked about the other night on the phone?’ Shane looked at me, his blue eyes twinkling in the candlelight.

‘Of course,’ I said softly. I found his hand and twisted my fingers into his. ‘I’m so glad you came to Westing.’

‘Me too.’

As soon as we walked out the back door, Shane saw the football pitch.

‘Are you serious?’ He looked at me, open-mouthed.

‘Yeah, they built it for me and Niall so we could practise,’ I said, feeling stupid.

‘Are those actual floodlights?’

‘Maybe,’ I said and pulled him in the other direction, down the garden and towards the beach.

The wind was strong, and the waves curled into wild peaks before collapsing with a hiss to the shore.

‘This is so cool,’ he said, helping me balance on the rocks.

‘Me and Niall used to come down here and make boats from all the rubbish that had washed up.’ I smiled at the memory.

‘That sounds fun,’ he said. ‘My dad would love it here.’ He stopped and I leaned into his side.

We both looked up at the moon. ‘He had depression a couple of years ago. It was really tough, on everyone, but eventually he came out of it. Mum says it was the sea air that fixed him, but I think it was just a coincidence that we’d gone up the coast and it was the first time we’d seen him smile in a really long time. But anyway, he loves the sea.’

‘Oh, Shane, that must have been so hard,’ I said. ‘I’m sorry you had to go through that.’

‘It was. But he’s been OK for ages now, so fingers crossed it won’t come back, but it’s not his fault, so if it does, we’ll just deal with it again.’

I squeezed his hand and then he broke the moon’s gaze to look down at me. ‘Aren’t you cold?’ I hugged myself, wishing I’d worn something more than a cardigan and a summer dress.

‘Wee bit,’ I lied, my chattering teeth giving me away.

‘You can have my clothes,’ he said.

‘What do you mean?’

Shane stepped back from me and took off his shirt. He threw it into my arms.

I laughed. ‘What are you doing?’

He didn’t answer, just smiled, then bent down to take off his shoes, socks and trousers until he was standing on the beach in his boxers.

I hugged his warm clothes. ‘What the hell! Are you crazy?’

‘Come with me.’ He held out his hand.

‘What? In there? No chance. It’s Baltic.’ I shook my head. ‘No, nope. No way!’

‘You’re missing out.’

He jogged towards the water and inhaled deeply as it splashed around him. But he kept walking until it was up to his waist. The moonlight caught all his angles, the smooth dips of his abdomen and the sharp set of his jawline.

‘Shane!! What are you doing?’ I shouted, still laughing.

‘Lexie, come in. It’s warm, I promise.’ He turned and held out his hands, trying and failing to hide the fact that he was gasping for breath.

‘Liar!’ I shouted. Then: ‘Fuck it.’ I put down his clothes, dropped my cardigan and pulled my dress over my head, thanking myself silently for my choice of underwear.

I squealed from the cold and ran towards the lough, towards Shane, and even though I knew it would be freezing, the temperature still shocked me.

This wasn’t me. I didn’t do stuff like this, not without planning.

It was Shane, pulling me willingly out of the cage I locked myself in.

My feet were numb, and my skin was covered in goosebumps. I was almost beside him.

‘I can’t, I can’t, I need to get out,’ I said, turning back towards the shore.

‘Wait,’ Shane said.

Then I felt his hand on my arm pulling me back. He put his arms round me as the waves swelled around us.

‘This is insane,’ I said.

‘Doesn’t it make you feel alive?’ he shouted into the night.

I leaned against his shaking chest and looked up at him, how happy he seemed. And it was contagious.

‘You make me feel free, Lexie Ryan.’

But before I could ask what he meant, Shane had my face in his hands and we were kissing in the freezing salty water, warm tongues colliding, skin against skin. And either my feet were numb, or he took away the pain, because all I felt right then was him.

‘Maybe we should go before we get hypothermia,’ I whispered.

We picked up our clothes and ran back to the house, rinsing the sand from our feet before Shane followed me upstairs, my body still shaking from the cold.

‘In here,’ I said, pushing open my bedroom door and walking into the bathroom.

I switched on the shower and my bathroom filled with steam.

‘I’ll wait out here,’ Shane said, barely audible because he was shaking. He was standing awkwardly in my room in soaking underwear, looking cuter than ever.

‘Come with me,’ I said. And I don’t know where it came from. It just came out. But I didn’t regret it. And it was weird because I didn’t feel awkward or like I needed to cover myself, even though I’d never had so few clothes on in front of a boy before. Shane made everything feel so easy.

I stepped into the shower and he followed me.

I slid my arms round his waist and stood on my toes so I could kiss him again.

The taste of salt was still there, diluted by the streams of piping-hot water that washed away the grains of sand that were stuck to our bodies and to the underwear that clung to our skin.

When I turned off the water we stood there in silence, unsure what to do next.

‘I’ll get you some of Niall’s clothes. Yours got wet sitting on the rocks.’

‘Thanks,’ he said, grabbing a towel and drying his hair with it.

Wrapped in my own towel, I brought back some sweatpants and a T-shirt and left him to get dressed, while I pulled on my checked pyjama trousers and a strappy top.

He came out with his hair towel-dried and Niall’s clothes hanging off him.

Then there was a noise. A door opening and chatting downstairs. Niall’s voice. It was unmistakable.

I looked at Shane in panic. ‘Shit.’