Page 26 of Take Her On

Now thoughts of the cheeky blonde-haired striker were joining the mix, and she didn’t know what to do with the tingling in her stomach. Jamie had done something that didn’t happen very often to Maya—she’d surprised her.

“Who’s Jamie?” Maddie asked. “The cute blonde that always wears Nikes?”

“She is not cute,” Maya argued.

Both of them raised their eyebrows. She felt her face flush.

“Interesting,” Hannah commented. “You’re going red.”

“No, I’m not.”

“You are,” Maddie said. “Is Jamie the one who’s living with the Morley twins?”

Hannah nodded.

Wait. What? “Jamie’s living in one of the student apartments?”

“Yeah,” Hannah answered. “Why?”

If Jamie was living in one of the student houses, why did she keep offering her a lift home? It would be miles out of her way to do so. And it was so random to house with the Morleys when she had a car. Why not just stay at home? And why not mention where she was living?

“I, uh, just thought she was living opposite me. She’s always there…so it’s just a little confusing.”

“Sounds like you’re keeping tabs on her,” Hannah said.

Maya barked out a laugh. “Yeah. She wishes.”

They both studied her for a moment, their glances revealing something unspoken.

Then Hannah threw her hands up. “Just great!” She shoved Maya’s legs off her so she could make her way to the kitchen.

“What’s wrong?” Maya asked.

Hannah pulled her head out of the fridge, her red bun completely dishevelled and spraying hair around her face. “Soon I’m going to be the only single one. How depressing is that?”

“Who said anything about not being single?”

“Beer?”

“Sure, but—”

Hannah slammed the fridge shut, and the insides rattled. Whoever opened that next was bound to get squished by a falling jam jar or a bottle of tomato ketchup. “I just get a feeling.” She flipped the tops off and headed back over, handing a new bottle to each of them.

“Well, feelings aren’t always the best indicators of things. A load of rubbish sometimes.” Maya took a long pull, relishing the cool relief of the beer. “If Carly is anything to go by, I’d have been much happier without feelings getting in the way.”

She also hoped these new contradictory feelings about Jamie would dissipate sooner rather than later. She didn’t need anything else complicating her life. Especially not from someone like her.

Maddie clinked the neck of her beer as Hannah retook her seat. “Alright. That’s enough heart to heart for one night. What’re we watching?”

Hannah huffed something under her breath but passed her the TV remote.

“Anything but romance,” Hannah and Maya said at the same time. They caught each other’s eye and burst out laughing.

How I’ve missed Pot Noodle Night.

They cuddled up on the sofa, pulling an old white bobbled blanket over their legs as they browsed through the different options. Maya wanted to stay rooted in the moment, to laugh at Hannah’s one-liners and roll her eyes at Maddie’s cynical comments, but her mind kept drifting.

Wondering about what other cards Jamie Mellor kept close to her chest.