‘MAY!’ I heard Jordan’s voice yell, and suddenly, the ball was coming my way. A crucial pass – and I flinched, my stick flailing instead of preparing for the shot. The ball whipped right past me. I watched the entire thing go down in slow motion, down to the moment that ball landed square in the net of an opponent’s crosse, and that was that.

That match was the first time I’d ever had to be benched. Understandably, after a few of these incidents in the fourth quarter, the coach had had it up to here. ‘I think you ought to take a break,’ she said with a sigh, subbing me out for Teresa Ingold.

The silence in the locker room afterwards was deafening. I felt so deeply ashamed of myself. How could I let a man come between me and my game? He had allowed me to let my team down.

My hatred for him doubled in size and, as for my heart, it shrivelled up. I had no room left to cosy up with my sympathy for CJ Bradley.

I don’t think I ever truly came back from it. The way you feel when you realize your entire team is watching you, witnesses the very moment when you send all their work to shit because your personal life gets into your head. It really, really sucks. Which, maybe, is why I can’t bring myself to feel like Colt deserves any of what’s been coming his way. I guess I know just how horrible it is to stand there and forget everything you thought you knew so well.

The most I can ever do about it is to practise. To make sure, like Papa says, that your house is stronger the next time the storm comes. Which is why showing up to practise Thursday, with a home game coming up Saturday, only to hit brutal traffic, puts me in an awful mood.

‘What the hell?’ I groan as my truck inches forward in the lane. The traffic light for the field is literally right up ahead. Almost there. Please stay green.

It does. I make the turn into the Chester complex …

‘No way.’

The entire parking lot is full, rivalling game days out here. Every spot is taken, and I have to circle the place like a vulture until I find one parking space so far out I’ll have time to listen to half a podcast on my walk to the field. I completely forgot this was today. And unfortunately, so did everyone else.

They’re gathered at the far equipment shed, well outside of Chester, where we keep the golf carts. Even Coach is there, jaw slack in shock. ‘May!’ she yelps. ‘This was today?’