Chapter 21 #2
Now’s the time to be super brave, tell her what I really think of her.
Hopefully, it’ll cheer her up. I keep my voice even, speaking slow in an attempt to be soothing.
‘You saw how Gethin was shouting at everyone about their NDAs. If he sees so much of a peep of it online, he’ll be on the warpath.
Even if it did get uploaded, I doubt that’s what they’d be saying about you.
They’ll be asking, “Who’s the fit bird who fucking floored a guy?
” They’ll be commenting that you looked lovely with your hair down, and that it’s nice seeing you dressed a little more casually.
It suits you. That the blouse you picked looks fucking hot on you.
’ I don’t add that the button-up top kept giving me glimpses of her lacy bra all damn night.
Let’s not tell her how much of a perv I am just yet.
‘Really?’
Her question’s quiet, barely audible over the thump of my heart. She stares at our hands. It’s like she can’t bear to look at me in case I laugh and tell her I’m joking. Like I would. She’s as hot in her jeans and thin flowery top as she is now in her strawberry pyjamas.
I rest her injured hand on my thigh, and slide two fingers under her chin, forcing her gaze to mine. ‘You’re fucking stunning, Luce.’
Her eyes widen and her breathing quickens. She stretches out, stroking her finger down the side of my face. I wince, pull in a sharp breath between my teeth. In all her beauty, I forgot I got whacked.
‘What happened?’ she asks, breathless.
‘Guy wasn’t too impressed that I kicked him out. Gave me a punch to thank me.’
‘Oh, Rhys.’ Her touch is softer this time, and I rest my head against her palm. Don’t mind the pain if it means getting more of this. ‘I reckon you’ll look sexy with a black eye. Is that why you were in a bad mood earlier?’
‘More pissed off it wasn’t me looking after you. And that all the faff ruined my plans for tonight.’
‘Plans? What plans?’
‘I wanted to talk to you.’
She cocks her head to the side. ‘About what?’
‘Well.’ I take a breath. Here we go. Byddwch un ddewr.
‘I was thinking we— I was wondering if you’d want to…
’ I huff. Talking about this shit’s harder than I thought it would be.
I need to get everything right in my head.
This is the first time I’ve asked a girl out and really wanted it.
I have to nail this, because it has to be the perfect story to tell our kids.
‘Would you like to go for dinner with me tomorrow? Like, on a real date. Just the two of us.’
‘Oh.’
Oh? Shit. I got this all wrong, didn’t I?
She doesn’t fancy me at all. How could she, with the way I’ve talked about her, the way I treated her before we left for Manchester.
I drop my hand from her face, yank my head away from her palm, and balance the ice pack on top of the tea towel before getting up.
‘I’m sorry. Ignore me. I’m tired, and it’s been a big evening, and’ — I glance at my watch — ‘it’s way past midnight. You need your sleep. Forget I said anything.’
‘Rhys, please—’
‘Don’t make this any harder than it is, Luce. And please don’t tell anyone else I—’
‘I want to go on a date with you,’ she shouts.
I freeze halfway to the door. I daren’t spin around. I must have misheard. She isn’t interested in me. But… ‘What?’
‘I do want to go on a date with you,’ she repeats. The rustle of her duvet tells me she’s getting out of bed, but I stay as still as I can. Her fingers ghost over my lower arm like a whisper against my skin. ‘But I’m scared.’
‘Scared of me?’ I know I was a dick to her. And maybe I did use a little too much force to get her wanker attacker away from her. But I’d never hurt her intentionally again. I’ve learned my lesson.
‘No. Never you.’
‘Then what?’
I turn around, summoning all my courage. She’s so small at this moment, shrunken and tired, and all I want to do is gather her up, tuck her into bed and tell her this can wait until she’s feeling better, until her hand’s healed.
But the box is open. If we don’t talk this out, it’ll hang between us. It’ll make stuff shit at work. We don’t exactly have a track record for keeping our issues to ourselves.
I wish I could see inside her pretty head, decipher the turning of those damn cogs in her brain, and work out what she’s thinking. She’s not answered me, but it doesn’t annoy me. Time’s short, but I can give her a breath to get her thoughts in order.
‘Come here.’ I guide her back to the bed, and we sit on the edge, next to each other. The ice waits on her pillow, and I place it on her wrist. ‘Tell me what’s going on in that brilliant brain of yours.’
‘We— We’re colleagues, Rhys,’ she finally spills. ‘I set boundaries deliberately to maintain professionalism. If we were to cross the line and it didn’t work out between us—’
‘You mean you’re worried about me being a massive wanker and upsetting you?’ I pull at the collar of my shirt, neck way too hot. ‘I’d never do that to you again. Give me a chance to prove that to you. Last night was fun, wasn’t it?’
‘A lot of fun. And watching the show with you earlier. I’m surprised we didn’t kiss.’
As we talk, we get closer together. It’s not only me on the move, either. She pushes her head towards mine too. Bleat all you want about rules, Luce, but your body’s giving your true intentions away.
‘I wanted to. I promise nothing bad will come from breaking one or two rules. You did it before. You let those guys come meet Cai despite me saying no. Nobody died.’
This close, I can count the freckles spread over the bridge of her nose.
Not like my massive, obtrusive ones that make me look like I’ve got a permanent bout of acne, but a light dusting from catching the spring sun.
Dimples crease her full cheeks, and the hint of a scar sits along her hairline.
And God, her mouth. Those full, pink lips I’ve been desperate to kiss since our game of chess.
She draws her lower lip between her teeth, releases it slowly to tempt me further.
It’s all the permission I’d usually need, but tonight, I hold myself back.