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‘No?’

‘No.’

‘You’ve seen us together once,’ I remind him.

‘Exactly,’ he replies.

‘Well, like I said, it’s early days,’ I say. ‘I have some photos of us kissing, if you’d like.’

He pretends to stick his finger down his throat.

‘I get a sort of asexual vibe from him,’ Jamie tells me. ‘Or he’s… like… league sexual. He loves the game more than anything.’

‘And you don’t?’

‘Oh, I love the game, obviously,’ he replies. ‘But I have room in my life to share it with someone. What’s the point in life if you don’t?’

I smile. That’s a good point.

‘Eddy isn’t really into public displays of affection,’ I say, reaching for another slice of pizza.

Eddy barely seems interested in public displays of emotion, never mind affection.

‘That’s criminal,’ Jamie tells me. ‘Not showing someone you’re into them. If you were my girl, everyone would know exactly how I felt.’

He leans back slightly, his gaze holding mine.

There are so many things I could say – I could make a joke, I could tell him to change the subject, I could get mad even. None of them feel right. Instead I try to keep my cheeks from flushing, with nothing but pure willpower, as I eat my pizza.

Jamie smiles, but it isn’t his usual grin. It feels more… targeted.

‘Anyway,’ he says eventually, letting me off the hook, ‘I’m looking forward to tomorrow.’

‘Are you?’

‘Yeah. Seeing what you come up with.’

‘You might regret saying that,’ I tell him. ‘I don’t think Eddy is fancying it much.’

‘Well, whatever we do, I’m sure the best man will win.’

‘It isn’t a competition.’

‘Brooke, everything is a competition,’ he reminds me. ‘Only losers say it isn’t. Ooh, it’s the taking part – bullshit.’

He says that in a silly voice – I don’t think it was an impression of me. It better not have been.

‘I’m starting to understand why Eddy likes you so much,’ I say sarcastically.

Jamie laughs.

‘He loves me. I keep him sharp.’

I wonder if that’s true?

We finish our pizza and talk for another half an hour, although I’m increasingly aware of the time and the fact that Jamie Royle is sitting on my bed.

Still, when he finally stands, I feel both relieved and strangely disappointed.