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

“Paris? You only just got home the other night.”


“I know.” He ran a hand through his hair, shifting his weight to one foot and leaning back against the doorframe. “Something’s come up.”


“What about our tickets for the final?” she asked, her voice suddenly small. It was very rare indeed than any significant sporting events were held in Ireland, but for once Dublin had been chosen to host the EuroHockey Nations Championships. Connie had been elated when the event was first announced, but had mentioned it very little since then. I had imagined she had simply forgotten about it, or had grown not to care. “Will you be back by Saturday?”


Her father had the good sense to lower his gaze, his face reddening. “I’m afraid not, no.”


Next to me, Connie scoffed. “So what? Am I supposed to go with Emily, now?”


“No, er…Emily is actually coming with me to Paris. Visiting a friend she used to go to school with.” He smiled stiffly. “Bring one of your friends, hmm? I’m sure Alex would love to go.”


Chapter 48