Callan slowed to a stop before me, flashing that boyish, lopsided grin that made my heart race. “You came.”
“I did.”
“I’m glad.”
“Me too.”Bad Beth, bad, bad Beth.
He nodded, pleased. “Can you hang around for ten minutes? I need to get changed.”
Those butterflies fluttered like crazy. “Sure. I’ll meet you at the front gate.”
“Good.” His eyes seemed to light up and he rubbed his nape with a quick grin before turning to run off the pitch.
As I walked away, I texted Mum to let her know I was staying late at school and that I’d get a few buses back into town. Mum and Dad had promised I could get a car next year so I could drive myself to school.
My phone beeped.
I want text updates from bus to bus, kid.
Smiling, I texted Mum back that I promised to do so.
Callan suddenly appeared, his strides long and quick, and that fluttering went riotous. I actually felt a little sick.
“Hey.” He came to a halt before me, studying me a bit uncertainly.
“Do you want to walk to the bus stop?” It was a ten-minute stroll up a leafy residential area of Cramond. I knew Callan had to get the bus to Leith, which was on my way.
“Sure.”
We fell into step, my arm brushing his deliberately. My heart raced as we both took incredibly slow steps toward our destination. The thought made me smile. “You’re so fast, Callan. On the pitch. I can’t imagine you won’t get scouted.”
“Actually, Coach says there are two Under 18s interested in me. Ardarroch and Caley United.”
“Caley are a great team,” I blurted out in a panic because Ardarroch were in Aberdeen and that would take him from my reach. Caledonia United would keep him here in Edinburgh.
He shot me the smirk that made my insides melt. “I know.”
Hope filled me. “So, Caley United, then?”
“Don’t know. They’re only interested at this point. They’ll want to see what I can do on the school team this year.”
“You guys seem to be doing well. I mean, I hear the other lads talking between classes and they seem excited the team is doing well.”
Callan grinned. “We’re starting to win, aye.”
“What is that smile for?”
“Because you’re cute when you’re clueless.”
I shoved him playfully. “I am not clueless.”
Laughing, he righted himself. “You really don’t like not knowing something, eh?”
It was annoying he knew that about me already.
My expression gave me away and Callan laughed harder.
And despite the laughter being at my expense, I couldn’t help but smile because I’d never heard him laugh like that. He was a serious teenage boy, other than the moments he let down his guard with me.
