The night is young, and the football stadium is crowded with fans that are either university students or football fans that support the London league. It's crisp and chilly, but the crowd helps combat some of the cold. With the game being on television and scouts for the big leagues being out in the audience, the energy is even more heightened.

"We always get the best seats because of the guys," Hannah grins, coming over with a small basket of chips. I steal one off her with a tedious smile and pop it into my mouth. I sit on the metal seat, shivering from the cold. The downfall of it being this time of year. Hannah sits to my left with Ali on the other side.

"Shane mentioned getting drinks at the one bar across the street," Ali notes. I'm not interested in going to any bar at all. I look away as Hannah mentions something, glancing around. My eyes fall on Jace, walking hand in hand with a girl with long, blonde hair. She's giggling about something before his eyes meet mine, and my stomach dips. He smiles like he's about to greet me before another girl touches his arm and distracts him. That brunette that Louis was with last week. His sister. I then notice the other, with shorter hair and matching facial features and an older woman with dirty blonde hair talking to her. I think that's Louis' mum and twin sisters. They all are so gorgeous. I take it the one holding Jace's hand is his girlfriend, Mia.

"Megs," Hannah snaps before my face. I hum, switching my attention to them instantly. Ali's eyebrows are raised, looking at me in confusion. "What's gotten into you? You keep falling into these dazes," Hannah notes.

"I thought I saw Josh's mum," I lie, with a clear of my throat. She looks around to see for herself, knowing what his mother looks like, before shaking her head.

"Is that wicked witch and possible monster in law coming?" Ali asks mockingly with a fake grimace.

"I hope not," I laugh in all honesty. And I really hope she never does become my mother-in-law. I look back to where Jace and the others were, but they are gone. I glance around, hoping to find them to get a feel for his mother and sisters. No luck at all, and I have no idea where they went.

The game is starting in no time, and the crowd is roaring. I watch our guys go out onto the field in white, Louis being the first I spot before finding the rest. There's no mistaking Louis when he's the only one with so many tattoos. My eyes find Josh reaching his centre position, cockily pointing towards the crowd. I'm not impressed. I have no interest in watching the game either, but I am interested in seeing how well Louis plays. I couldn't care less about football after growing up and watching Jason obsess over it.

The game kicks off with Josh getting the ball first, and the crowd is in a fit of screams. I watch, my head falling a little to the side. I'm bored already. There are plenty of other things that I'd rather do, but this is tradition, and we need to support our friends.

Everyone else is excited when Josh scores the first goal, and I clap along to avoid looking like some outcast. It isn't until the next run, when the ball is now between Louis' feet, that I start to perk up. He's fast, dodging other players, and gets it into the net faster than Josh could. The stadium cheers loudly, and I can't help but smile a little wider, clapping even more so for him. However, it doesn't take much for me to notice Josh looking at Louis with his fists clenched. I don't see why he'd be upset about a teammate scoring. Then again, the attention isn't on him. It's on the guy that he's already suspicious of me being around after this week.

The rest of the game is pretty much neck and neck. Shane and Derek are both defence, and at one point, it seems as if Louis is getting more balls into the net than Josh is. Everyone here is freaking out. I even became interested because of him. Louis is the name that people cheer on the most by the end of the night. It's thrilling. Exciting.

Well, minus the group of girls fangirling over the 'new guy with the tattoos,' as they had put it. That's the only thing that rubs me the wrong way, but I try not to let Hannah or Ali notice. I'm sure they know I'm just as irked as I was about Ali obsessing over him.

I don't know how long it is before the game ends. Louis scores the final goal, the crowd erupting into the biggest cheer as our university wins the season's first game. I am on my feet with the others, cheering him on and happily doing so compared to Josh. The teammates swarm Louis, slapping his back and raising their fists in the air. Well, all but one sourpuss. Josh. For once, he isn't the one shining in the spotlight. It's almost satisfying.

"Holy crap, Louis is good," Hannah notes, picking up her trash. I nibble a little on my smile but don't say a word—no need to raise any suspicions after already talking about him at dinner the other night.

"Josh is going to be pissed that he isn't the one getting cheered on by the team," Ali snorts before looking at me with wide eyes. "Sorry, not trying to talk crap on him." I shake my head with a hint of a laugh, agreeing with her. She's not lying. He's not the star tonight. The new guy with girls fawning over him is.

As the teams disperse off the field, we try to leave. I follow behind Hannah as she heads towards the trash with Ali at her side, but I'm separated by a group of people walking past. Before I know it, they're out of sight, and I blow a raspberry. Great. I go to take my phone out of my purse in an attempt to call Hannah and stop her before I get too lost in this crowd.

Instead, I'm distracted by a white jersey before me, and I lower my phone to see Josh in front of me. He isn't happy. "You guys won," I try to smile, my voice wavering a little as I lock my phone.

"Fucking asshole. That winning goal was supposed to be mine," he mutters miserably. His hair is a sweaty mess, and his jersey is covered in green and brown marks. The stench from the game is terrible.

"You guys won. That's all that matters. You got a lot of goals tonight," I remind him, trying not to make a face at the scent. "And we're about to celebrate at the bar across the street. Cheer up." He grumbles before suddenly grabbing my face with clammy hands and kissing me. Long and hard. It would make my heart flutter at one point in time, but it doesn't anymore. That feeling is long gone. I hate this. He lets go and mutters something incoherently about the locker room before walking away. I fight back a scowl and go to wipe at my cheeks with the sleeve of my peacoat before my eyes fall on Jace.

My heart drops, seeing his lips parted, staring at me with absolute disgust. My throat becomes parched, and his jaw tightens. He turns with a shake of his head, and my skin begins to crawl. "Shit," I breathe to myself. I glance in Josh's direction, his back to me. I take off after Jace, this worry eating me alive. "Wait, Jace," I frantically grab his arm. He turns, his brown eyes giving me a cold glare. My heart has fallen. "Listen," I start.

"You're seeing someone else on the same fucking team?" he growls. Those brown eyes look so much like Josh's when masked with anger. I shrink back a little. "Don't even try to explain yourself. You don't know shit about what he has gone through, and you somehow started to earn his damn trust. He is like a brother to me, and I'm not watching him get hurt again. End it with him, or I sure as hell will make sure he ends it with you. I am not letting some damn whore screw him over," he demands, his accent thickened with anger.

I suddenly can't defend myself. My hand falls from his arm, and my eyes are sore after hearing those words. We're outside, and it feels like I'm suffocating in my own grave.

"What the hell is going on?" a familiar voice is heard. Louis. That blonde girl appears behind Jace, along with Louis, her blue eyes filled with worry.

"Tell him, or I will," Jace snaps.

"Tell me what? Why the hell are you talking to her like that?" Louis retorts. My lashes flutter, starting to fall out of this stunned state. I look to Louis, his eyes searching me for an answer.

"He saw Josh and me," I answer in a thin voice. Louis' face becomes stoic almost immediately.

"She's fucking around with him and you," Jace snarls, and I cringe. Hearing that out loud makes me look like the bad guy in this three-year relationship. The blonde immediately grabs his arm in an attempt to calm him, but his eyes are blazing into me. If looks could kill, I'd be on the ground. My god, I hope no one around is paying attention. At least no one that I know.

"Jace, we need to talk," Louis mutters. Jace's face drops, not expecting that. I look Louis in the eyes and swallow. He's going to tell him the truth about Josh hurting me. That's a fear about to be unleashed, but I'd rather him know that instead of making threats my way.

"I've got to go," I nearly whisper and walk away so fast, my arms crossing tightly over my chest. He's going to tell him the truth, and yet it feels like all of these strangers are looking at me. I'm paranoid. I'm too distracted. Too worried. The same kind of nervous wreck I was after Josh had accidentally hit me in front of others, shedding some truth to the light for unknowing eyes. Jace is about to find out, and I feel a little more dead on the inside. It's either this or have him despise me under false pretences.

"There you are," someone notes, grabbing my arm. My breathing staggers as Hannah comes before me. "You look like you've seen a ghost," she gives me a quizzical look, those blue eyes filled with concern.

"I get nervous alone in big crowds," I clear my throat.

"The guys are about to shower, and we're gonna go get a table at the bar before it fills up," Ali informs me. I nod weakly, and Hannah starts walking, holding my arm. I can't help but glance back, but I don't see Jace or Louis at all.

Within the next hour, we are all at the table in the crowded bar. Music is blasting over the loud voices. The energy is high in here, but I keep staring into space. I can't help but wonder what Jace thinks of me now. That's the first time I've seen him angry, and I admit, it's terrifying. The way darkness pooled in his brown eyes was so similar to Josh's. I felt like a deadman standing there.

"Another round of shots," the waiter distracts me as he sets down multiple glasses.

"I will gladly take yours," Josh grabs mine. Watching him act like it's my decision not to drink is comical. I could use a drink or two after the stress that has hit me. The table cheers, tapping glasses yet again before downing shots. Josh sets his glass down and tips my glass back into his mouth. What's that, shot five or six for him? I believe this is the third round for everyone, so that'd be six for him. I lamely pick another chip and block the guys out as they hype up the game. I want to leave.

Josh snorts into a random, loud laugh, and one of the empty shot glasses falls over. The others laugh at him, and I fight back a roll of my eyes. "You're already plastered," Derek makes fun of him.

"Fuck off," Josh laughs.

"Guess Megan's babysitting tonight," Shane snorts. Real funny. I fake a smile Shane's way before looking off towards the wall. I want to go. I want to leave. Knowing that Jace knows doesn't sit well with me. Knowing that these guys will push Josh off into my sober hands tonight doesn't feel right, either.

"I'm sorry, but I think I'm going to go. I feel a little under the weather," I murmur, standing up.

"Why? I was kidding. We can take him to the flat," Shane tries to take back his joke instantly.

"Don't leave. This is our celebration and first win of the season. You keep leaving every time we do something," Derek exclaims, his eyebrows furrowed.

"It's like you're trying to avoid all of us lately," Shane points out. Ali covers her lips with her cup, but I notice the slightest little nod in agreement.

"You're staying," Josh grabs hold of my arm and makes me sit back down. I let out a shaky breath, finding it hard to keep stable. I find it hard to put up a facade lately.

"Oh my god," Shane starts out loud, eyes wide on me. Everyone looks at him in confusion. "You keep leaving because you don't feel well, and you seem more distant. You're not drinking at all this semester," he starts before looking between Josh and me. Derek's face seems to click in realisation, and my mouth drops.

"I am not pregnant. Don't you dare go there or even try to say I gained weight," I hiss instantly. Relief floods his face, proving me right.

"Oh, thank god. I wasn't ready to be an uncle yet," Shane breathes out, a dramatic hand placed on his chest.

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't want to be a dad in a million years," Josh scoffs. Of course, he wouldn't.

"Oh, you will be one day. You two have already been together for quite some time. You'll be popping the question in no time, and you two will be the first to have kids," Ali laughs. Now I feel sick to my stomach. "I'll help pick out the ring when it's time," she adds, making the others laugh. I sink in my seat, just wanting to hide away. I'm not happy at all.