coming in, I would have gone as far as I could with Catalina. Not because I liked her better than Eve. I didn’t. But because she was there, wanting me. Because she was hot. And because – if I was honest – it wouldn’t have occurred to me to stop.
Eve stretched out on the bed. “We’ve got two hours now, remember?” She drew me down beside her, her fingers cool and smooth on my guilty cheeks.
My stomach twisted. I didn’t deserve her. She was so good. So sweet. She didn’t even suspect me of fancying Catalina. Let alone acting on it. I reached out and took her face in my hands.
All I could think was how lucky I was to have her. How close I’d come to losing her.
Losing Eve.
I could never, ever let that happen.
“I love you,” I said, softly. “I see who you are. Who you really are, underneath how beautiful you look. And I really, really love you.”
Eve blinked at me. Neither of us had ever said those words before. They’d always seemed so distant, so grown up. I mean you love your mum and dad and maybe other people in your family. But loving a girl. Being in love. It was like one minute I had no idea what that was about. And the next, I understood exactly what it meant. Because it was exactly how I felt.
We lay there, looking at each other, for a long time. Then almost as if we were reading each other’s mind, we moved closer together and kissed – a deep, slow, magical kiss, that somehow shut out the rest of the world and yet contained everything we could ever need.
14
The truth about Jonno
We made out – all slow and gentle. Not the whole way, of course. Clothes on. Nothing that heavy.
Just how Eve liked it.
Me? I liked it too. I mean, sure – it was frustrating as well. But right then, I didn’t care. I loved her. She loved me. And, for the first time since we’d met, I was certain that everything else was going to happen.
Soon.
I could feel it in the way she kissed me.
Half an hour later, Ryan found us, still lying stretched out beside each other on the bed. “Hi,” he said. “Hey, Eve. Your dad’s looking everywhere for you.”
“What time is it?” Eve said, not taking her eyes from my face.
“Six-forty or so,” Ryan answered. I could see him, over Eve’s shoulder, peeling off his white waiting-shirt. “I’ve just had the busiest tea in the history of the world. Marco and I were on our own serving about four trillion guests.”
At the mention of Marco’s name I felt a jolt of guilt. I wondered if he’d heard about what had happened with Catalina earlier?
“Why does my dad want me now?” Eve said, grumpily. “I’m not supposed to be anywhere until eight.”
I leaned over and kissed her shoulder. Across the room, Ryan was unzipping his black trousers.
“Hey,” I called. “D’you mind not stripping in front of my girlfriend?”
Ryan rolled his eyes at me, but picked up a pair of shorts and a T-shirt from the pile on the floor and strolled over to the bathroom.
Eve snuggled back down next to me.
Seconds later the bathroom door banged open. Ryan tore into the bedroom, naked apart from his boxer shorts.
“Ry,” I said. “Did you hear what I—?”
“Jonno,” Ryan gasped. “Coming up the path. Here. Any second.”
Eve’s eyes widened with horror. Letting go of my arm she rolled off the bed and onto the floor. She wriggled under the bed as I sat up, mouth gaping.
Two loud knocks echoed on the door.
“Oh my God,” Eve whimpered from under the bed.
“Sssh,” Ryan hissed. “ Shit , you can see her. Pull the covers down.”
I tugged at the sheet covering the bed, dragging it across so that it draped over the side, down to the floor.
Another loud thump on the door. “Lance! Are you in there?”
The sound of a key fumbling in the lock.
“Shit, shit, shit.” Ryan tipped a heap of his dirty clothes beside the sheet.
Eve curled up in a little ball, now completely hidden.
The door opened. I looked round, knowing my face was on fire. Jonno
Eve stretched out on the bed. “We’ve got two hours now, remember?” She drew me down beside her, her fingers cool and smooth on my guilty cheeks.
My stomach twisted. I didn’t deserve her. She was so good. So sweet. She didn’t even suspect me of fancying Catalina. Let alone acting on it. I reached out and took her face in my hands.
All I could think was how lucky I was to have her. How close I’d come to losing her.
Losing Eve.
I could never, ever let that happen.
“I love you,” I said, softly. “I see who you are. Who you really are, underneath how beautiful you look. And I really, really love you.”
Eve blinked at me. Neither of us had ever said those words before. They’d always seemed so distant, so grown up. I mean you love your mum and dad and maybe other people in your family. But loving a girl. Being in love. It was like one minute I had no idea what that was about. And the next, I understood exactly what it meant. Because it was exactly how I felt.
We lay there, looking at each other, for a long time. Then almost as if we were reading each other’s mind, we moved closer together and kissed – a deep, slow, magical kiss, that somehow shut out the rest of the world and yet contained everything we could ever need.
14
The truth about Jonno
We made out – all slow and gentle. Not the whole way, of course. Clothes on. Nothing that heavy.
Just how Eve liked it.
Me? I liked it too. I mean, sure – it was frustrating as well. But right then, I didn’t care. I loved her. She loved me. And, for the first time since we’d met, I was certain that everything else was going to happen.
Soon.
I could feel it in the way she kissed me.
Half an hour later, Ryan found us, still lying stretched out beside each other on the bed. “Hi,” he said. “Hey, Eve. Your dad’s looking everywhere for you.”
“What time is it?” Eve said, not taking her eyes from my face.
“Six-forty or so,” Ryan answered. I could see him, over Eve’s shoulder, peeling off his white waiting-shirt. “I’ve just had the busiest tea in the history of the world. Marco and I were on our own serving about four trillion guests.”
At the mention of Marco’s name I felt a jolt of guilt. I wondered if he’d heard about what had happened with Catalina earlier?
“Why does my dad want me now?” Eve said, grumpily. “I’m not supposed to be anywhere until eight.”
I leaned over and kissed her shoulder. Across the room, Ryan was unzipping his black trousers.
“Hey,” I called. “D’you mind not stripping in front of my girlfriend?”
Ryan rolled his eyes at me, but picked up a pair of shorts and a T-shirt from the pile on the floor and strolled over to the bathroom.
Eve snuggled back down next to me.
Seconds later the bathroom door banged open. Ryan tore into the bedroom, naked apart from his boxer shorts.
“Ry,” I said. “Did you hear what I—?”
“Jonno,” Ryan gasped. “Coming up the path. Here. Any second.”
Eve’s eyes widened with horror. Letting go of my arm she rolled off the bed and onto the floor. She wriggled under the bed as I sat up, mouth gaping.
Two loud knocks echoed on the door.
“Oh my God,” Eve whimpered from under the bed.
“Sssh,” Ryan hissed. “ Shit , you can see her. Pull the covers down.”
I tugged at the sheet covering the bed, dragging it across so that it draped over the side, down to the floor.
Another loud thump on the door. “Lance! Are you in there?”
The sound of a key fumbling in the lock.
“Shit, shit, shit.” Ryan tipped a heap of his dirty clothes beside the sheet.
Eve curled up in a little ball, now completely hidden.
The door opened. I looked round, knowing my face was on fire. Jonno
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