up, but it was too late. Ellie was watching us through narrowed eyes.
‘What’s going on, freak?’
I threw Megan a ‘thanks very much’ look. ‘Nothing.’
Ellie stepped closer. ‘I hope you aren’t getting any ideas about Nico. He’s only bothering with you because he feels sorry for you, that’s all.’
‘Oh yeah?’ Megan chipped in smugly before I could say anything. ‘He feels so sorry for her that he asked her out and then snogged her face off all night, did he?’
I glared at Megan, but she just shrugged. So much for keeping things quiet.
Ellie’s expression could have soured milk. ‘I don’t believe it.’
‘Ask him yourself, then,’ Megan smirked. ‘He’s coming now.’
My heart leaped crazily in my chest and I turned round. Megan was right, Nico was heading towards us.
Ellie didn’t waste any time. ‘Hi, Nico,’ she purred up at him. ‘You know, if you’re looking for company I wouldn’t mind . . .’
Her voice trailed off as Nico completely ignored her. Eyes intent on me, he closed the distance and, in one fluid movement, bent his head to mine and kissed me.
The corridor fell silent as I slid my arms around his neck and lost myself once again. Then I heard Mr Exton clearing his throat. ‘Albescu. This isn’t the time or the
place.’
Sniggers broke out around us and we broke apart. Nico flashed a private smile at me. ‘See you later?’
Dazed, I nodded and watched as he made his way down the corridor. Ellie was staring after him, her mouth open. Megan reached out a finger and pushed it shut.
‘Well, that answers that question,’ she said, grinning in satisfaction. ‘Definitely not a one-night thing.’
‘Can I ask you something?’ I said.
It was early evening and daylight had long since faded. Nico and I were snuggled together on a bench at the top of Parliament Hill, Hampstead Heath sprawling below us and the lights of London
twinkling like fireflies in the distance. It had been two blissful weeks since he’d kissed me at school and although we hadn’t dared to do that again, we’d seen each other every
day. He was everything I’d hoped he’d be and I was starting to wonder if I could trust him with my secret.
‘What do you want to know?’
I wriggled around until I could see his face. ‘How old were you when your mum died?’
I felt his arms tighten around me, then relax. ‘Around three. Why?’
‘I never even knew my dad. Do you remember your mum much?’
He thought for a moment. ‘Not really. I remember snatches, here and there. An old Romanian nursery rhyme she used to sing, the way she smelled of baking and roses – that kind of
thing. But I don’t know what she looked like.’
Nico hardly talked about his family at all, apart from when he needed to get away to do a job for his father. I hadn’t really noticed, because I kept the details of my home life pretty
quiet too. But Megan had been quizzing me about him and had been surprised by how little I knew.
‘He’s the love of your life and you don’t know his dad’s name or what he does?’ she’d said, eyebrows raised. ‘I know Charlie’s mum’s middle
name and we’re not even going out.’
I’d stared at her, wondering how she could possibly have found that out. ‘Well, no.’
‘Aren’t you curious? I would be, especially since Nico works for him.’
Her words had made me wonder why Nico didn’t talk about his family. I had a good reason for my silence; what was his?
A man walked past the bench with a chocolate Labrador on a long lead. It bounded towards us, snuffling at Nico’s outstretched hand with enthusiastic snorts. The man tugged it away,
apologising. Once they’d gone, I went on, ‘If you could talk to her, what would you say?’
Shrugging, he said, ‘I’d tell her not to worry.’
I blinked. I’d been expecting him to say something about missing her. ‘Why would she be worried?’
He tensed again. ‘Something my dad said once. Forget
‘What’s going on, freak?’
I threw Megan a ‘thanks very much’ look. ‘Nothing.’
Ellie stepped closer. ‘I hope you aren’t getting any ideas about Nico. He’s only bothering with you because he feels sorry for you, that’s all.’
‘Oh yeah?’ Megan chipped in smugly before I could say anything. ‘He feels so sorry for her that he asked her out and then snogged her face off all night, did he?’
I glared at Megan, but she just shrugged. So much for keeping things quiet.
Ellie’s expression could have soured milk. ‘I don’t believe it.’
‘Ask him yourself, then,’ Megan smirked. ‘He’s coming now.’
My heart leaped crazily in my chest and I turned round. Megan was right, Nico was heading towards us.
Ellie didn’t waste any time. ‘Hi, Nico,’ she purred up at him. ‘You know, if you’re looking for company I wouldn’t mind . . .’
Her voice trailed off as Nico completely ignored her. Eyes intent on me, he closed the distance and, in one fluid movement, bent his head to mine and kissed me.
The corridor fell silent as I slid my arms around his neck and lost myself once again. Then I heard Mr Exton clearing his throat. ‘Albescu. This isn’t the time or the
place.’
Sniggers broke out around us and we broke apart. Nico flashed a private smile at me. ‘See you later?’
Dazed, I nodded and watched as he made his way down the corridor. Ellie was staring after him, her mouth open. Megan reached out a finger and pushed it shut.
‘Well, that answers that question,’ she said, grinning in satisfaction. ‘Definitely not a one-night thing.’
‘Can I ask you something?’ I said.
It was early evening and daylight had long since faded. Nico and I were snuggled together on a bench at the top of Parliament Hill, Hampstead Heath sprawling below us and the lights of London
twinkling like fireflies in the distance. It had been two blissful weeks since he’d kissed me at school and although we hadn’t dared to do that again, we’d seen each other every
day. He was everything I’d hoped he’d be and I was starting to wonder if I could trust him with my secret.
‘What do you want to know?’
I wriggled around until I could see his face. ‘How old were you when your mum died?’
I felt his arms tighten around me, then relax. ‘Around three. Why?’
‘I never even knew my dad. Do you remember your mum much?’
He thought for a moment. ‘Not really. I remember snatches, here and there. An old Romanian nursery rhyme she used to sing, the way she smelled of baking and roses – that kind of
thing. But I don’t know what she looked like.’
Nico hardly talked about his family at all, apart from when he needed to get away to do a job for his father. I hadn’t really noticed, because I kept the details of my home life pretty
quiet too. But Megan had been quizzing me about him and had been surprised by how little I knew.
‘He’s the love of your life and you don’t know his dad’s name or what he does?’ she’d said, eyebrows raised. ‘I know Charlie’s mum’s middle
name and we’re not even going out.’
I’d stared at her, wondering how she could possibly have found that out. ‘Well, no.’
‘Aren’t you curious? I would be, especially since Nico works for him.’
Her words had made me wonder why Nico didn’t talk about his family. I had a good reason for my silence; what was his?
A man walked past the bench with a chocolate Labrador on a long lead. It bounded towards us, snuffling at Nico’s outstretched hand with enthusiastic snorts. The man tugged it away,
apologising. Once they’d gone, I went on, ‘If you could talk to her, what would you say?’
Shrugging, he said, ‘I’d tell her not to worry.’
I blinked. I’d been expecting him to say something about missing her. ‘Why would she be worried?’
He tensed again. ‘Something my dad said once. Forget
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