Always Be My Pumpkin (Oakwood Village Dreams #1)

Prologue Oakwood, ten years earlier

Prologue

Oakwood, ten years earlier

‘Promise you’ll always be my friend, even if things change.’

‘Things won’t change. What would change?

’ Flynn stretches his arms behind his head and peers up at me with those cornflower blue eyes.

He’s lying on his back on the grassy bank overlooking the lake, and I’m sitting cross-legged next to him, leaning against our favourite giant oak tree, threading a daisy chain like I always do on these lazy September evenings after school.

I smile to cover the sigh that escapes despite my best efforts.

This has been such a perfect day, full of laughter and easy friendship, and I want to keep it like this forever, but a small voice inside me keeps whispering, reminding me that things don’t stay the same, that life can change in an instant, and you can’t expect people to stay with you, for you, no matter how much you want them to.

For some people, loving them is just not enough.

But I don’t think I could bear to lose Flynn.

He’s been a huge part of my life these past few years, and lately he’s starting to feel like the most important part.

‘Promise me.’ I trace my fragile petalled chain across the line of freckles that spatter the bridge of his nose, and he twitches and pulls himself up to ease the flowers from my fingers.

‘Here, let me put this somewhere safer.’ He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and drops the chain of daisies across the top of my honey blond waves.

I sit very still as he arranges my delicate tiara.

My eyes are dangerously close to his mouth and I’ve spent way too much time lately picturing those lips touching mine.

All I can hear is Flynn’s soft breathing and the sound of my heart beating, tapping out a message that I’m not sure I’m ready to send.

He ducks his head to peer into my eyes, then presses his fingertip to the crinkle that appears above my nose when I get anxious. ‘Hey, don’t worry, I know it’ll be different this year, and we’ll need to get our heads down and study, but that’s okay, we’ll help each other.’

‘It’s not that.’ I blow out a shaky breath.

I’m not sure how to explain. It’s not only that our teachers are telling us it’s time to get serious.

It’s not even the idea of going to different colleges in a couple of years and not seeing each other every day like we do now.

It’s this uneasy feeling, a strange sense of dread, like I’m going to lose something or someone important. Again.

‘Is it the anniversary? I can go with you to the grave tomorrow, if you like?’ Flynn gives my hand a gentle squeeze. ‘I know it’s hard.’

I pinch my lower lip. ‘Thanks. But Mam wants it to be just the two of us.’

I go with it, the fact that Flynn assumes it’s Dad’s first anniversary that’s affecting me.

And it is, but it’s not only that. I have so many mixed-up emotions inside me, and I don’t know what to do with them, how to hold them all in.

And I have to, for Mam’s sake. For everyone’s sake.

Mam and Flynn are the two people I share almost everything with, but I don’t know how to share this.

This feeling that my relationship with my best friend is turning into more, on my side at least, and I don’t know what to do about it, or if I should do anything at all, if it’s worth risking everything for what could be just crazy, stupid hormones, a passing teenage crush.

‘Just promise me, Flynn, please,’ I say again.

He stands and holds out his hand to help me up.

‘I promise. You’re my best friend in the world, Gracie. And I hope I’m yours. Always.’