Chapter Twelve
As I arrive outside Si's house, I pause for a second at the gate. It's a detached house with a quaint, well-tended garden. It’s summer, so the flowerbeds are bursting with colour, and the lawn looks nice and neat. The house itself is an old brick building, with ivy climbing up one side, which gives the house a cute charm that you just can’t replicate with anything else.
My heart pounds in my chest as I approach the front door. I pause again to smooth down my dress, take a deep breath, and then knock. Almost immediately, the door opens, and there's Si, looking effortlessly handsome, and completely adorable in his apron featuring a skewered sausage and the slogan: pick with a fork.
‘Hey, Leah,’ he greets me with a warm smile. ‘Sorry, the door only opens from the inside, or with a key, at the moment. It’s being replaced soon.’
‘Oh, I knocked anyway,’ I tell him. ‘Don’t worry about it.’
I step in through the open door, standing beside Si in the hallway.
‘This house belonged to my mum and stepdad,’ he explains. ‘Now that my mum is living with her new husband, she wants to sell the place. But she said if I help her do it up first, I could have some of the money from the sale. So, I’m doing DIY in my spare time, working on it as I go.
I look around the hallway, admiring the effort he's put into it. You can tell that it’s a work in progress, to modernise the place, but it is clearly actually in progress.
‘How's it going?’ I ask, genuinely curious.
‘Everything's more expensive than you think it's going to be,’ he says with a sigh. ‘And there are always new reasons why things suddenly cost more or take a lot longer. I'm funding the work, so I'm looking into ways to make some extra money on the side.’
‘Good for you,’ I say sincerely. ‘I probably would have given up the second it got hard.’
He grins.
‘Money is a good motivator,’ he says. ‘After love and revenge, it's probably the number one thing that makes people do things that aren’t easy.’
I laugh.
‘That sounds like something from a mafia movie.’
He laughs too, leading me into the kitchen/dining room.
‘Well, my cooking, unlike revenge, will be served hot. And it's nearly ready, so you can open the wine, if you like.’
I notice that the table is beautifully set. The wine and glasses are laid out, so I get to work.
‘Everything looks amazing,’ I say, glancing around, appreciating all the effort he has gone to.
‘Thanks,’ he replies. ‘I hope you’re hungry.’
‘As long as it's not revenge on the menu,’ I joke, making him laugh.
‘Not tonight,’ he calls back with a wink. ‘Tonight, it's all about good food and good company.’
I can't help but smile.
As I sit down at the table, Si looks over at me, clearly pleased with himself.
‘So, how are you finding living at home again?’ he asks.
I groan and roll my eyes theatrically.
‘It's driving me crazy. The second I can find somewhere to live, I'll be moving out. If I don't, I might murder one or both of my parents.’
Si laughs.
‘I can imagine. It must be tough moving back after having your own space.’
‘Exactly,’ I say, nodding, relieved someone gets it. ‘It’s like I'm a teenager all over again, but with less privacy, somehow.’
Si chuckles again, then pauses as if a thought has struck him.
‘Actually, I have a spare room,’ he blurts. ‘I'm looking for someone to rent it out to help fund the renovations. But everyone the letting agent sends over, I can't imagine living with them. One had smelly cats, one seemed like a real party animal... it's been a nightmare.’
‘Really?’ I reply, intrigued.
He shrugs, smiling at me.
‘You would be perfect,’ he says. ‘I already know you, and I know you won't be trouble. The room is newly decorated with a king-sized bed. And I'll do mates’ rates, seeing as though I know you're trying to restart your life here.’
I just blink for a moment, my heart racing with… something. Am I crazy for considering this? Maybe. But I’m really craving my independence back, and mates’ rates might be the only way I can afford to live somewhere else until I get a new job.
‘Okay,’ I say excitedly. ‘Thank you, I would love to.’
Si grins.
‘That's great news! This makes it a double celebration.’
Before I can ask what he means, there's a knock on the door. Si, lifting what looks like a lasagne out of the oven, glances at me.
‘Can you get that?’ he says – then he laughs. ‘It's like you live here already.’
I smile to myself as I head to the door. Maybe this really is the break I need right now.
I open the front door, and my jaw drops. Standing there, clutching three bright pink helium balloons in various shapes, is him. Mr L. Oh my god, it's really him, here. Has he been thinking about me too? Has he tracked me down? And he's got balloons; he's so romantic. This is like something out of a fairy tale.
‘Hey, little bro,’ Si says, appearing behind me.
‘Happy birthday,’ Mr L replies.
Suddenly, I realise he's just as surprised to see me as I am to see him. He's not here for me. Si is his brother. Oh god, Si is his brother.
Mr L looks slightly embarrassed, holding up the balloons.
‘Sorry, I left my keys at work,’ he tells Si. ‘And they only had pink balloons left at the shop.’
Si laughs.
‘It's the thought that counts,’ he replies. ‘Leah, this is Adam, my baby brother who lives here too, helping with the renovations."
I'm in shock. My brain is spinning. Si did mention a stepdad, so I guess that’s why they have different surnames, but still. I did not see this coming.
Adam, not letting on that he knows me, extends his hand.
‘Nice to meet you, Leah,’ he says.
I shake his hand.
‘Nice to meet you too, Adam,’ I reply.
I don’t know what else to say so I turn to Si.
‘I didn't know it was your birthday.’
Si waves it off.
‘I didn't want a fuss, or for it to spoil our date,’ he tells me.
Internally, I wince at Si calling it a date in front of Adam.
‘A date?’ Adam starts, looking between us. ‘Well, I'll go to my room and leave you to it.’
Si nods.
‘Thanks, but before you go, I have good news,’ Si tells him. ‘Leah is going to rent the spare room.’
Adam looks stunned, then amused, before getting his face under control again.
‘That's great,’ he says, flashing me a quick, unreadable look. ‘Enjoy your dinner.’
‘Right, come on, let’s eat,’ Si says, heading back into the kitchen.
I sit down, still in a state of shock. How did I end up in this situation? Dinner with Si, my old crush, now my potential landlord, and his brother, Adam, the mystery man I’ve been searching for.
Oh, I've really outdone myself this time.