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really. Just crrrrazy genes.”
Hot. Too hot.
“Yeah?” Andy growls. “Why don’t you come over
here and say that?”
“Look,” Kyle coos, “Hunter. Mate No hard feelings,
okay? She’s yours, and respect that.” He slaps Andy on
the shoulder. “In fact, owe you one, mate—any longer
and might’ve caught something!”
Andy swings at him, but Kyle ducks just in time,
laughing. “Uh-oh, looks like we might have another one for
the loony bin, eh, lads? And don’t they make
lovely
couple? Him all macho honor and her—Oof!”
My knuckles sting like mad and the room spins
crazily as my back slams against the wall and slump to
the floor as Kyle crashes headfirst into the drinks table.
Merry Christmas
think as everything fades to
black.
slump to the floor as Melissa locks the bathroom
door behind us.
“Okay,” she says. “Spill.”
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chew my cookie, tasting nothing as it crumbles
dryly in my mouth, buying time.
“Sweetie, what is it?” She wraps her arm around my
shoulders. “You’ve been quiet all day. This isn’t like you.”
close my eyes. How can tell her?
She sighs. “As if don’t know.”
My eyes fly open.
“I know you.” She smiles sadly. “And you’re going
about this all wrong—you need to pick yourself up, get
back to the party, drink some punch and have some fun!”
stare at her.
“You need to show my idiot brother just how lucky
he is to have you!”
look away, exhale. She doesn’t know …
Someone knocks on the door.
“Just
minute!” Melissa calls. “Sweetie, trust me,
hiding away up here piling on the pounds is seriously not
going to help anything.”
She snatches the cookies and pull my top down
over my belly self-consciously.
“Yes, Josh is going to meet college girls—that’s
given. He’s at college.”
nod miserably, flinching as the knocking turns to
battering.
College
girls.
Older,
more
sophisticated,
uncomplicated …
“I said, just
freaking minute!” Melissa hollers,
slamming her own fist against the door. “But sweetie, you
have absolutely nothing to worry about.” Melissa
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squeezes me tight. “Because there’s another, much more
important, given.” She smiles. “Josh loves you. Just the way you are.”
No
think, closing my eyes as the hammering
continues inside my head.
Just the way was …
30
Chapter Three
My eyes fly open as someone hammers violently
against my skull.
Aaah! What? Shit! Oww!
clutch my head and squint around tentatively,
trying to focus.
What is that?
Suddenly, the door bursts open and slams against
the wall.
Owwwoohhhhh— shit!
“Andy!” clutch the duvet against me as my head
implodes. “What are you
How …?”
“I knocked. About five times. Your coffee’s getting
cold.”
“But—but what are you doing here?!”
“I live here.” He dumps pile of stuff in the corner
and wrenches the curtains back, harsh daylight burning
my eyes as
shrink beneath the duvet.
blue duvet.
Andy’s duvet. Andy’s bed. Shit! glance down quickly at my crumpled top and jeans—at least that’s something.
mug bangs down next to my head. Ow
“Coffee.”
“Um. Thanks,” mumble, peeking out.
“Thank Mum. She made it.”
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“I will.”
He stands there for
moment, tall and shadowy
against the bright window. can’t see his face.
“Listen, Andy, I—”
rasp, then clear my throat.
“What am I—I mean, how …?”
“You don’t remember?” he asks incredulously. “You
don’t remember last night?”
“I—” hesitate, then shake my head helplessly.
He looks at me for moment, then sighs heavily and
crouches down next to the bed. He brushes hair from my
face.
“You were very drunk,” he says gently.
can believe it. can barely focus, and my whole
body aches like hell. Especially my head.
“You don’t remember anything?” he asks, his eyes
searching mine. Those eyes. Those blue, blue eyes.
“Did—” begin, the duvet warm around my body.
“Yes?”
“Did …?” look into his eyes. “Did we …?”
The softness in his face disappears. “No,” he says.
“We didn’t.”
He stands up briskly and checks his watch.
“Shit—Gran’ll kill me. Look, drink your coffee and
I’ll meet you in the car.” He tosses me my mobile. “You’ve
had about eight missed calls.”
The phone blinks at me accusingly. Nana close my
eyes, flooded with guilt.
“I told her I’d drop you off on the way.”
look up. “The way?”
32
“To church. It’s Christmas Day.” He gestures at the
pile of opened presents he brought in—a stack of travel
books, camera, and large backpack.
“Going on holiday?” venture.
“No—my gap year—any more questions?” he snaps.
look up, surprised. His gap year?
“You’ve got five minutes.”
He slams the door, and my skull splinters.
What happened?
My eyes wander round the room, over the old Arctic
Monkeys poster and his beloved Wii, past the basketball
laundry-hoop and up his snaking CD collection to the
photo montage I’d helped him Blu-Tack round the mirror
over his sink. Not much has changed, really. Not in the
eighteen months since was last here.
pull the duvet over my face, the musky scent of
Andy’s aftershave tickling my nose, and suddenly
remember kissing him last night, the smell of his skin, his
hair, as he held me close, the taste of his lips so familiar, so right against mine. My head spins as
close my eyes,
intoxicated. God, I’ve missed him Andy. Andy’s room,
Andy’s bed. Snug and warm and comfortable, just as
remember.
Not that we’d ever
we’d never—Not that we
hadn’t wanted to, just
didn’t want it to be just some
clumsy fumble after school, listening for the front door
and scrambling back into my uniform if anyone came
home. It had to be special. Perfect. And we’d pla
perfect occasion.
33
After my GCSE exams, the school arranged prom,
great formal farewell before we headed out into the big
wide world: some of us going straight into jobs or
apprenticeships; some, like me, destined for glorious six-
week summer holiday—six whole wonderful weeks that
Andy and were going to spend discovering Europe with
our Eurail passes—before
finally joined him at
Maybridge Sixth Form College to knuckle down to my
levels for two years before heading on to uni.
That’s what got me through my exams, to tell the
truth. All those long dismal hours of revision, the
arguments with Mum over anything and everything, just
knowing could look forward to this amazing adventure,
to the prom the night before—a magical evening when I’d
wear my ball gown and dance with Andy, and then
well,
his parents were away for the weekend
And it was everything could have wished for. Gone
were the desks that regimented the exams, and instead
lazy disco ball sent glittery stars spi
school hall as we swayed to the band, our secret lighting
us from inside and sparkling in our eyes.