It doesn’t come as much of a surprise to Alex Ryan when she finds herself falling head over heels for Connie O’Reilly. How could she not? There isn’t a person alive who wouldn’t be drawn to the irresistibly beautiful and charming Connie. It seems impossible she could reciprocate -- not when Alex is so awkward, so timid, so very much a girl -- until what starts as a sweet friendship blossoms into something so much more than Alex could have dreamed of. Alex knows what they have is a momentary thing, not enough to be called forever. Connie’s the most popular girl in the school, wealthy and admired. She’s going to go to Trinity, maybe marry a lawyer. She’s going to have everything Alex could never give her. She isn’t stupid, after all. Status and reputation might mean nothing to Alex, but to Connie they are everything. The only out-lesbian they know is ridiculed by everyone she meets, and it’ll be a cold day in hell before Connie lets that be her. But when rumours spark and new faces enter the picture, they’re both set to discover that, while it may be easy to walk away, it’s a lot harder to move on.

The Night Belongs to Us

“This is stupid,” she replied. “Why can’t they just pick up the ball?”


I wondered to myself if I would bother coming out to these games if not for Connie. My eyes remained trained on her even when the ball was on the other side of the pitch. Her marker was much the same build as she was, skinny and lithe, and stayed on Connie’s heels the entire time. As they ran their shoulders bumped together, their sticks hovering just in front of the other’s legs. She strode gracefully from side to side, maneuvering around the other players as if she was simply beyond them or they beneath her. Everything she did just screamed of perfection.


Orla nudged me in the arm, smiling. “Are you here to watch the match, or to watch Connie?”


“I’m—I—the match! Obviously.”


Chapter 16