with excitement. When James opened the cupboard under the stairs and pulled out a box containing a thin, vacuum-formed plastic mask that very obviously did not belong to Mr Vader, Tom accused him of telling porkies. And while James, perfectly straight-faced, continued to insist, Tom just laughed it off.
A couple of months later, it occurred to my stepbrother, still bitter about the time he’d wasted on holiday traipsing around looking for Big Feet, that maybe James had lied about that also. Were they real?
‘No,’ said James, he’d made them up.
Tom and Nick have never quite forgiven him.
Nathan shakes his head. ‘That’s mad.’
‘Yeah, but it’s not that big a deal, is it? I mean, we’re just talking white lies.’
He doesn’t answer.
‘You know, it’s pretty darn funny when you think about it,’ I persist. ‘There he was, leading us around the Costa del Sol in search of these great big inflatable feet, knowing all the while that they didn’t exist.’ I laugh. ‘It’s quite imaginative.’
‘It certainly is that.’
I sigh. ‘No, I know it’s weird. I keep trying to kid myself that it’s not. But it’s hardly on a par with cheating, is it?’
‘Don’t you suspect he’s been doing that too?’
‘No! He would never, ever cheat on me. I really don’t think he has. I don’t know why I…Oh, I don’t know.’
Nathan doesn’t press the issue. Instead he moves on to a lighter subject of discussion: Molly, Sam and the wedding. We sit there and chat to each other for ages until eventually I stifle a yawn.
‘What’s the time?’ he asks.
‘Bloody hell, it’s four o’clock!’
‘In three hours from now I’d usually be getting up to go surfing.’
‘In three hours from now I’d usually be getting home from work.’
‘You must be knackered. Still jet-lagged?’
‘I should be. I have no idea how I’m still awake and talking to you.’
But of course I have every idea. There’s nowhere else in the world I’d rather be right now. Must be the vodka talking. But Nathan is already getting to his feet. He holds his hand down tome and I take it. His hands are rough, I notice, as I hang on for a second longer than is necessary. We make eye contact in the darkness. I can’t see the expression on his face; I’m just glad he can’t see me blushing.
Chapter 3
I’m hung-over, I’ve barely slept and my eyes feel like they’ve been doused in vinegar. But regardless of all that, I’m walking on air. I can’t stop thinking about Nathan. James barely registers in my thoughts. I don’t care if he’s shagging a planeful of air hostesses–I just want to think about that sexy, messy-haired surfer.
The disappointment was crushing when I woke up this morning, expecting to see him at the breakfast table.
‘Where’s Nathan?’ I asked Molly.
‘He would’ve gone at the crack of dawn,’ she answered casually.
But we were sitting outside under the stars only a couple of short hours before that, so I was sure he’d still be around.
‘What time did you get to bed?’ she enquired.
‘Oh, I’m not sure. Not too long after you guys went.’
I don’t know why I couldn’t tell her we stayed up talking until 4 a.m. That’s something I want to share with Nathan and Nathan alone.
I keep my phone close in case he calls about going surfing, although I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have sought out my number. I wish we’d made definite plans about meeting up again. We said we’d go today, but now the thought of us heading off to the beach together and alone seems surreal. I wonder if he even remembers. We did have a lot to drink, after all.
I go to the shop with Molly in the afternoon for a couple of hours. Every time the bell rings to announce the arrival of another customer my head hurts, and the whiney R&B music doesn’t help either. Luckily Molly’s boss isn’t in this afternoon; I’m not sure how much she’d appreciate her customers seeing the green-faced girl sitting to
A couple of months later, it occurred to my stepbrother, still bitter about the time he’d wasted on holiday traipsing around looking for Big Feet, that maybe James had lied about that also. Were they real?
‘No,’ said James, he’d made them up.
Tom and Nick have never quite forgiven him.
Nathan shakes his head. ‘That’s mad.’
‘Yeah, but it’s not that big a deal, is it? I mean, we’re just talking white lies.’
He doesn’t answer.
‘You know, it’s pretty darn funny when you think about it,’ I persist. ‘There he was, leading us around the Costa del Sol in search of these great big inflatable feet, knowing all the while that they didn’t exist.’ I laugh. ‘It’s quite imaginative.’
‘It certainly is that.’
I sigh. ‘No, I know it’s weird. I keep trying to kid myself that it’s not. But it’s hardly on a par with cheating, is it?’
‘Don’t you suspect he’s been doing that too?’
‘No! He would never, ever cheat on me. I really don’t think he has. I don’t know why I…Oh, I don’t know.’
Nathan doesn’t press the issue. Instead he moves on to a lighter subject of discussion: Molly, Sam and the wedding. We sit there and chat to each other for ages until eventually I stifle a yawn.
‘What’s the time?’ he asks.
‘Bloody hell, it’s four o’clock!’
‘In three hours from now I’d usually be getting up to go surfing.’
‘In three hours from now I’d usually be getting home from work.’
‘You must be knackered. Still jet-lagged?’
‘I should be. I have no idea how I’m still awake and talking to you.’
But of course I have every idea. There’s nowhere else in the world I’d rather be right now. Must be the vodka talking. But Nathan is already getting to his feet. He holds his hand down tome and I take it. His hands are rough, I notice, as I hang on for a second longer than is necessary. We make eye contact in the darkness. I can’t see the expression on his face; I’m just glad he can’t see me blushing.
Chapter 3
I’m hung-over, I’ve barely slept and my eyes feel like they’ve been doused in vinegar. But regardless of all that, I’m walking on air. I can’t stop thinking about Nathan. James barely registers in my thoughts. I don’t care if he’s shagging a planeful of air hostesses–I just want to think about that sexy, messy-haired surfer.
The disappointment was crushing when I woke up this morning, expecting to see him at the breakfast table.
‘Where’s Nathan?’ I asked Molly.
‘He would’ve gone at the crack of dawn,’ she answered casually.
But we were sitting outside under the stars only a couple of short hours before that, so I was sure he’d still be around.
‘What time did you get to bed?’ she enquired.
‘Oh, I’m not sure. Not too long after you guys went.’
I don’t know why I couldn’t tell her we stayed up talking until 4 a.m. That’s something I want to share with Nathan and Nathan alone.
I keep my phone close in case he calls about going surfing, although I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have sought out my number. I wish we’d made definite plans about meeting up again. We said we’d go today, but now the thought of us heading off to the beach together and alone seems surreal. I wonder if he even remembers. We did have a lot to drink, after all.
I go to the shop with Molly in the afternoon for a couple of hours. Every time the bell rings to announce the arrival of another customer my head hurts, and the whiney R&B music doesn’t help either. Luckily Molly’s boss isn’t in this afternoon; I’m not sure how much she’d appreciate her customers seeing the green-faced girl sitting to
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