HOLDING ON

 

Chapter One

 

ALEXIS

 

I look around Alec's flat and wrinkle my nose. “It really could do with a paint.”

He laughs. “So you say every time. But it was the best your Dad could get on short notice. And the best I could afford.”

I sniff. “It still needs painting.” I tug at the peeling wallpaper. “At least you've finished unpacking.”

Alec wraps his arms around my waist and turns his face into mine. “I promise you can redecorate. I know you're thinking of a million different ways.”

I look up at him, grinning, and clasp my hands behind his neck. “How did you know?”

His lips curl up into a smirk. “Because, I'd like to think I know you by now.”

“Hmm.” I twirl a bit of his hair around my finger. “Then you'll know that right now I'm really, really, craving something.”

His stormy eyes darken slightly. His fingers flex on my back and he pulls me into him a little closer. “You are?”

“Mhmm.” I pout. “I really miss Cara's strawberry ice cream.”

Alec stares at me blankly, then shakes his head, fighting his smile. “What am I gonna do with you?”

“Get me ice cream?” I ask hopefully.

“I love you, Princess, but I'm not going all the way to Devon just for some bloody ice cream.”

“Fine.” I narrow my eyes playfully and step away from him.

He chuckles and grabs me back. “Besides,” he mutters, lowering his lips to mine. “I'm pretty sure it'd melt by the time I got it back.”

I graze his bottom lip between my teeth slightly. “Mmm. It might do.”

He pulls me closer and traces my top lip with his tongue. I grip his arms and stand on my tiptoes to meet his kiss properly.

“Carry on,” I whisper after a minute of him exploring my mouth with his tongue. “And I'll be melting faster than Frosty the Snowman in Africa.”

“Is that a promise?”

“Maybe later.” I grin again.

He touches his nose to mine. “Okay, but I'm pretty sure you didn't stop by just to bitch about my wallpaper and turn me on.”

I purse my lips to hide my laughter. “There was another reason.”

“Well?”

“Frosty will have to wait,” I say. “Jen's here, and we're all having dinner with my parents.”

Alec sighs. “And it was so peaceful without her here.”

I slap his arm. “Alec!”

“What?” He grins cheekily and releases me, heading for his kitchen. “You know I love Jen like my sister, but it was kinda nice to not have a thousand sarcastic comments in my ear every ten minutes.”

I put a hand on my hip and raise an eyebrow. I clear my throat.

“Apart from your wonderful sarcasm, of course,” he adds.

“Hmph,” I grunt. “You need to get changed.”

“Why do I?”

“Because we're going out for dinner.” I look at my phone screen. “In thirty minutes.”

Alec freezes halfway through getting a glass down from the cupboard. Slowly, he turns his head towards me. “Did you just say 'thirty minutes'?”

I smile sweetly. “Um, yes.”

He sighs and sets the glass down. “Thirty minutes?”

“Yes, Alec, thirty minutes.”

“Hate to break it to you, Princess, but you won't be ready in thirty minutes.”

I cross the living room and grab my bag from the sofa. “Race you.”

He raises his eyebrows and his lips curl. “It's on.”

We both run, him towards his bedroom and me towards the bathroom. I giggle as I slam the door behind me and push the lock into place. I unzip my bag and pull out the bag containing the new black dress Mum and I bought yesterday. Pulling it from the bag, I smile at the low, dipped back.

It's on, indeed.

 

~

 

Alec's eyes are hot on my bare back as we enter the restaurant. I nudge his side and he shakes his head.

“I can't believe you got ready in twenty minutes,” he says in a hushed voice. “And still manage to look... Well, like that.”

“Like what?” I ask innocently, turning to the host. “Table under Edwards?”

“This way, madam.” He waves us to follow him.

“Like that!” Alec whispers. “All that... Bare back. Not to mention that beautiful thing you have going on. Yeah, I'm totally not getting through this meal alive,” he finishes to himself.

I giggle slightly and catch sight of my parents and brother. Bing is here? Wait – in a suit? I giggle again.

We thank the hostess, and I grin at Bing across the table. He stares at me stony faced.

“What?” he hisses.

“Are you wearing a suit?” I ask, amused.

He tugs at the tie around his neck. “Yes, I'm wearing a bl-” Mum glares at him. “Yes, I'm wearing a suit.”

“Any particular reason?”

“I asked him to,” Mum says, looking at me sternly. “That is why. We are having a civilised meal tonight to welcome Jen to London, which means no swearing.” She glances at Bing again. “No undressing with eyes.” This time she focuses on Alec. “And no crazy-”

“You have no idea how glad I am to see you again, my little ball of summer lovin'!” Jen's voice exclaims behind me.

“Outrageous exclamations of excitement,” Mum finishes wearily.

I laugh and stand, turning to greet Jen. We hug and she ruffles Alec's hair. After greeting my parents in a more... Civilised way, she takes the free seat between Alec and Bing.

“Evening, Samuel,” she says, taking the menu.

“Jennifer,” he says tightly and shifts in his seat.

“No need to move away. I won't bite.” She grins.

He swallows and hides his face behind a menu. Jen looks at me and raises an eyebrow. I shrug. Alec hides behind his own menu. His shoulders are shaking and I kick him under the table, but he just shakes his head.

I look at Mum, who rolls her eyes, and Dad is trying to hide a smile. This has to be the most dysfunctional table in the restaurant. We place our orders, and Mum takes control of the conversation.

“So, Jen, how was your journey here?”

Jen sighs. “It was okay, if you ignore Mr. Let’s Make Babies eyeing me on the train, and of course then there was the Barbie Bitch on the tube who thought I was making eyes at her man. I told her not to worry, her boyfriend looked too much like my best friend's brother for me to even consider him being partially good looking.”

I choke on my wine and Alec pats my back. Bing glares at me across the table before turning his attention towards Jen.

“And what did she say?” he asks.

“She asked what your name was and I told her.”

“And what did she say then?”

“She laughed and said I was a very smart girl.”

I drop my head and purse my lips, trying my hardest to keep my laughter inside.

“Something funny, Lexy?” Dad questions in an innocent voice.

I swallow the bubble of laughter in my throat and look up. “Nope, nothing, Dad. Nothing at all.”

Alec nudges my foot under the table with his when Dad winks and distracts Mum.

“What?” I whisper.

“Do you think Bing fancies Jen?” he says in the same, hushed tone I used.

I glance over at them. Jen is grinning and Bing looks annoyed. “Maybe.” I shrug a shoulder. “But Bing fancies an awful lot of girls, so I'm not sure how it's a big deal.”

Alec's eyes flick towards them. “I think he fancies her a bit more than he usually does.”

I half-frown, half-smirk. “Really? That's crazy. We're not in Lilac Bay anymore, Alec.” My heart pangs a little as Grammy's face flashes in my mind. “Bing's home now... It's different in London. He was calmer in Devon because of Grammy, but now we're back...”

“It'll be someone new every weekend,” Alec states.

“Pretty much.” I sigh. “Jen has Carl, anyway, so it's never gonna happen.”

Alec coughs and rubs his neck uncomfortably.

“What?” I whisper harshly. He opens his mouth then closes it again. “What?”

He sighs and leans his head into me until his lips are right by my ear. “I spoke to Carl earlier, before you came over. When Jen left, they weren't on good terms.”

“Why not?”

“He's, uh... He's refusing to come to London to see her until at least half term.”

“But she'll be going home at half-term, won't she?”

“Exactly.”

 

ALEC

 

Lexy opens her mouth and closes it again. “He won't come to London?”

Our plates are put in front of us. “It's unlikely,” I reply.

“But why not? Won't he miss her? They were inseparable this summer.”

“I know that, Princess, but Carl's too much of a country boy. He's... He's not like Jen. Jen wants to spread her wings and find out who she really is, and she can't do that in the Bay. Carl would be happy if he never had to leave the Bay.”

Lexy's silent as she takes in what I've said. She begins eating and I take it as conversation over.

I'm wrong.

“And what did you say to Carl?” she whispers tightly.

“I told him he was a prick and Jen would go and see him if it was the other way around.”

She nods, satisfied with my answer. “Good.”

She turns back to her food before Jen strikes up a conversation with her about the university they'll both be starting next week. Jen doing Fine Art and Lexy studying Fashion Design. Bing looks at me and rolls his eyes. I figure we picked the wrong seats, here. I should have guessed that after a week of mere daily texts discussing the same university, they'd need time to talk about in person.

“Haven't you two been discussing university all week?” Si smirks.

“Yep,” Lexy replies. “But the thing is, Dad, is it's a big thing, and we need to be prepared. Both of us have waited years to get into this uni for different reasons, and I'm not gonna go in there not knowing where I'm going or what I'm doing. This is the start to the rest of my life.”

Emily beams at her and Si smiles proudly. “Of course, darling, I was merely suggesting you leave the university talk until tomorrow and just enjoy dinner. Do you think you can do that?”

“Don't discourage her, Simon,” Emily admonishes him playfully. “It makes me proud when she speaks like that.”

“I'm proud too, Emily, but one night relaxing won't hurt her.” Si winks at me. “Besides, I'm glad she hasn't thrown it all away for love.”

“That's because you only get one shot at your future dream but you can have several at love,” Jen interrupts. “If love was the most important thing, I'd be at Exeter University right now, not ready to start a new life in London.”

“And Carl?” Bing tilts his head to the side.

“What about him?” Jen stabs some pasta with her fork.

“Doesn't he mind you being so far away?”

“Why, Samuel.” Jen cocks her head to the side. “If I didn't know better, I'd say you almost sounded like you actually care.”

Bing snorts. “Not likely, Jennifer. I was being polite.” He smiles at her.

“Oh, you can be polite?” Jen raises her eyebrows and looks at Emily. “Did aliens abduct your son overnight? Because I'm pretty sure he doesn't have a polite bone in his body. At least, not where it concerns me.”

“You don't have a polite bone for him either, Jen,” I remind her. “You two go at each other like an old married couple.”

“He has a point,” Si agrees and nods his head.

Bing snorts again. “The day the idea of even kissing Jen – let alone marriage – crosses my mind, I'll put a gun to my head.”

Jen batters her eyelashes and smiles sweetly at him. “If that ever crosses your mind, let me know, and I'll pull the trigger.”

Lexy puts a hand on my thigh and leans into me. “On second thoughts,” she whispers. “You could be right about those two.”

 

Chapter Two

 

JEN

 

“At least the décor is in better condition than Alec's.” Lexy leans back against the kitchen counter, wrapping her hands around a mug of tea. “Your wallpaper is actually attached to the walls.”

I wrinkle my nose. “Yeah, but it's not exactly tasteful. Dad said he'd transfer some money into my account tomorrow for me to go shopping to redecorate so I don't have to dip too much into my loan. It'll take ages for me to paint this whole place, but at least it'll get done.”

“Ha! Like you'll be doing it alone. Alec will help, and Bing will too.”

“Your brother will not help redecorate my flat. I'm pretty sure he'd rather have his balls run over by a tank.”

She shakes her head. “My brother's balls are way too precious to him.”

“His crown jewels.”

“He'd like to think they were worth as much.” We both giggle. “Anyway,” she continues. “He'll help, because I'll tell him to. Alec doesn't start work until next week and Bing doesn't even have a job yet, so there's absolutely no excuses. Alec can drive us to B&Q or Homebase-”

I cough. “Laura Ashley.”

Lexy smiles, and her eyes are twinkling in excitement. “Okay, then Alec can drive us to Laura Ashley, we'll spend all your Dad's money and come back and supervise them re-papering and painting. We'll do the easy things, like set up new kitchen appliances.” I glance at the bare sides. “And pretty your front room and bedroom. They can do the hard stuff.”

“I like the way you think, girl, I like the way you think.” I grin.

“So...” she says hesitantly. “Alec said something about you leaving the Bay on bad terms with Carl?”

My jaw clenches, and I slam my mug on the side, sloshing tea everywhere. “Don't even mention his name to me. He's being a butt-headed pratface. Seriously, I asked him to come up for the weekend in a couple of weeks once I'd settled in and got this place sorted. I know he doesn't work at the weekend, and I know the farm doesn't pay him much so I even said I'd pay his fare-”

“But you're a student.”

“Precisely!” I exclaim, grabbing a cloth and wiping the side vigorously. “But he still refused.”

“But why? I don't get it. Half term is six weeks away.”

“Oh he said he'd come up alright. He thinks he'll come up in half term. You know the problem with that, my dark haired little friend? The bloody problem with that is the shitbag will be working all week and I'll be in Lilac Bay anyway seeing my family! My sister is pregnant-”

“She is?” Lexy smiles. “That's great!”

“Yep.” I grin, happiness and excitement breaking through the dull ache in my chest for a second. “I found out last night. Anyway, they're booking a private scan for the half term so I can see the little shrimp that will be my niece or nephew. But back to Carl – he's totally winging it. And he'll say he'll see me December break but I'll be home then. Same for February. And probably Easter. And May. And then summer. He won't come to London. He's too goddamn small town!”

I throw the cloth at the sink, breathing deeply. God knows I love the boy, but he’s annoying enough to drive me up the outside wall of the Shard – and that’s a big fricking wall. “Okay. I'm good,” I say after a minute.

“You sure?” Lexy raises an eyebrow.

I nod, and pick my tea back up. “Yep. I'm good.”

She looks at my mug. “Need some whisky or something in there?”

“Vodka would be good,” I mutter.

Her eyes travel around my kitchen. “Got any?”

“Bottom cupboard on the left by the cooker,” I mumble.

My best friend grins at me. “For real?”

My mood lightens slightly. “For real.”

She shakes her head, and opens the cupboard. She steps to the side, showing me the bottle of vodka, Malibu, and three bottles of Vino that are sitting there.

“You sure came prepared,” she says wryly.

“You know me.” I wink, taking the bottle from her hand. “I'm prepared for every situation. Did you know I keep a stick in my bag?”

She frowns. “Why the hell do you do that?”

“So...” I put a dash of vodka in my tea. “...Whenever your brother annoys me, I can shove it up his ass.”

“Makes sense.”

“It does, doesn't it?”

 

~

 

ALEC

 

Jen grins widely at me as she climbs into my car. Lexy is chewing her lip uncomfortably.

“What's up, Princess?” I ask her as I pull away from Jen's flat. “Was Jen farting all night?”

“Get lost, Johnson!” Jen kicks the back of my seat. I laugh.

“Jayna called me this morning,” Lexy says in a wary voice. “It's her birthday tomorrow, and everyone is going out tonight. She said she wants to see me since I 'fucked off to Devon and deserted her all summer'.” Her jaw is clenched when she finishes speaking.

“And what did you say?” I ask hesitantly.

“I told her I was busy helping you and Jen settle in, and if I could go out, I would.”

“And you don't wanna ask what happened then!” Jen shakes her head. “Oh, hell to the no you don't.”

Well, of course I want to fucking know now.

“Princess?” I touch her thigh.

Lexy gives a frustrated sigh. “She said if I was shallow enough to pick my new boyfriend and “some chick” I haven't spoken to for years over her, then I'm not as good a friend as she thought.”

My teeth grind, and I focus back on the road. “I don't know where I'm going, by the way.”

“Nice topic change there, Al,” Jen snipes sarcastically.

I glance at her in the rear-view mirror, narrowing my eyes slightly. “I'm not kidding.”

Lexy sighs. “Left, right, right round the roundabout, and right into the car park. We'll walk from there,” she mumbles.

I swallow a lump of annoyance, and nod once. My fingers tap against the steering wheel as I make the turns she said.

I knew coming to London would be hard, but it's only been a week and Lexy is already having issues with her friends. But then, are they really her friends if they have a problem with her being happy? I have no idea.

“Are you going?” I ask, parking the car.

Lexy unclips the seatbelt, and leans her head back against the headrest. “I suppose I have to.”

“Don't do it if you don't want to,” Jen pipes in. “I mean, I know I don't know her, but she sounds like a prize cow. If she was at the North Devon Show, she'd win first prize, rosette and all.”

I snort but quickly disguise it as a cough.

“Mmm,” Lexy says uncertainly. “I'm just not looking forward to seeing all my friends again, I guess. I didn't realise how much I changed in Devon until I spoke to Jayna again.”

She jumps from the car and I climb out, stopping her before she walks away. I grab her hand, and smooth some hair back from her hair. She turns her face into my hand.

“You have changed since I first met you, Princess,” I mutter. “But it's a good change. If your friends can't see that for what it is then they don't really deserve to call themselves your friend. You're damn amazing, Alexis Edwards, I mean that.”

Lexy presses her lips to my wrist and touches her hand to mine. “Will you come with me? I hate to ask, but if I get annoyed I can leave.”

“You know I'll come with you.” I turn her face to mine and softly kiss her. “I love you. I followed you to London, I think I can follow you to a nightclub.”

She smiles, her lips curving up into that adoring smile she keeps on reserve for me. “I love you, too.” She kisses me again.

“Oh-kay!” Jen whistles. “Can we go now? I don't wanna break up the lovey-dovey show goin' on, but I have shopping to do.”

I laugh and release Lexy, wrapping a friendly arm around Jen's shoulders. “Oh, how dull my life would be without you, Jen.”

Jen tilts her face upwards as we walk, and raises an eyebrow. “You act like you'd actually miss me if I wasn't around.”

“Well,” I say thoughtfully. “I wouldn't miss the constant headaches I get but...”

“Asshole!” She laughs and elbows my side. I let her go and laugh, slipping my fingers through Lexy's as Laura Ashley comes into view. I smirk as I see Bing stood outside the giant store, his hands in his pockets, and his eyebrows drawn together in a frown.

“I hate you for this,” he mumbles to Lexy.

She pats his arm. “I love you, too, brother dear. Now shut up and let's get on with it.”

I grin at their banter, and let Lexy link arms with Jen. “We'll just wait here for you, yeah?” I call hopefully. “I mean, we'll just get under your feet and that so...”

Lexy stops at the door and turns, looking at us sternly. “Nice try, Alec Johnson. Move it, guys.” She flicks her head and turns with an attitude-filled flair. Goddammit she's sexy when she turns that attitude on.

I roll my shoulders. Not the time or place.

“Fuckin' girls. Fuckin' shopping. I don't even like Jen,” Bing grumbles as we walk into the shop. “She drives me mad.”

“Jen drives everyone mad,” I reply. “She just saves a little bit of special madness for you.”

Bing huffs, and follows a blonde sales assistant with his eyes as she passes. He whistles low, and she looks over her shoulder, sees us, and smiles. Lexy spins to us with her eyebrows raised. I crook my thumb towards Bing with a shrug.

“Back in a minute,” Bing mutters, and walks towards her. I swallow a bubble of laughter as they begin talking.

“Fucking pig.” Jen curls her top lip in disgust, and goes back to her perusal of the wallpaper.

“He's just being a guy,” I defend as my eyes run down the flowery papers she's looking at. Blue flowers. Pink flowers. In fact, there's four different pink ones. Exactly the same. This is insane. “Can't you just pick a wallpaper?”

“Then guys are pigs,” Jen responds sharply. “And no, I can't “just pick a wallpaper,” Alec. There's a method to this, you know.”

“There's a method to putting it on walls,” I mumble. “And it ain't gonna get done if your methods take ten years to work through.”

Jen pivots on the balls of her feet, and smacks my chest with a rolled up paint chart. “Suck on it, Johnson. My flat will be a work of art and no impatient, penis-brain-thinking moron is going to stop that. Got it?”

I nod once. “Got it.”

Lexy glances over her shoulder at me, her lips curled up on one side. I shrug innocently, shoving my hands in my pockets, and look around. The girls begin to talk shades of I don't even know what, matching colours on the wallpaper with colours on the chart. I follow them aimlessly, searching for Bing. Where the hell is he?

We pass the spot we left him talking to the blonde sales assistant and they're still stood talking. I clear my throat and elbow him in the back as I pass him, and he hastily says goodbye to the girl, pocketing his phone.

“Sorry about that,” he says nonchalantly. “I was just, er...”

“Finding a new hole to score in?” Jen says over her shoulder icily.

Wow. She really does have the hots for Bing.

Bing runs his eyes down her body and back up until his meets hers. “Probably a tighter hole to score in than if I tried with you.”

Lexy gasps. My eyes widen, and Jen's lips thin until they're almost non-existent. Anger shines in her eyes, and she marches up to him, the rolled up paint chart pointing at Bing's chest.

“It probably is tighter,” she says in a low voice, jabbing him. “But that, Samuel, is probably because whatever you're trying to score with is so damn small not even a magnifying glass could make it visible.” She smirks triumphantly, raises her eyebrows, and turns around, stalking towards the paint aisle.

“Damn.” I shake my head as I watch them go.

“What?” Bing asks, his teeth grinding together in anger.

“She's got you there, mate.”

“For now,” he replies tightly, storming off after them.

I chew the inside of my cheek, and let my lips move into a smug, knowing smile.

Jen might be with my best friend of a lifetime, but some things can't be denied. Whatever is between Bing and Jen is one of those things, and one day it's gonna come to a head. I just hope Carl isn't caught in the middle of it.

 

~

 

ALEXIS

 

I swing my legs from the kitchen counter, and watch Alec as he puts the paper to the wall. His back muscles flex clearly, since both him and Bing have long taken their tops off, and I'm mesmerised by the rippling muscle.

“Lexy?” he says, amusement lacing his tone.

“Hm?” I meet his eyes. He's smiling.

“Can you get me a drink please, Princess? I'm working hard here, y'know.”

Yes. Yes, you are working hard. Ahem.

I slide off the counter and fill two glasses. I cross the room, and hand Alec and Bing one each.

“I thought we were all doing some work here?” Bing grumbles.

“I am working,” I say innocently. “I'm supervising.”

“Supervising doesn't involve ogling your boyfriend.”

“You're just jealous because there's no-one to ogle you, Samuel.” Jen smirks.

My brother glances at her. “If you're my only option, I'd rather have no-one ogling me.”

“Just as well I'm not likely to look at you like a piece of chocolate any time soon then, isn't it?”

Bing grunts a reply and finishes the water, handing it back to me. “Thanks, sis.”

“Welcome, bro.” I take Alec's glass and set them on the counter, turning to Jen. “Is your room done?”

She nods excitedly. “Come see!”

I follow her in and smile at the new room. It was the first room to be done, and it shows. The pink and chocolate brown floral wallpaper on one wall is set off by three bright pink walls, a large brown shaggy rug, and brown and pink bed covers.

“Love it.” I grin. “And your easel is in the corner!”

“Or course.” She touches the top of it. “I have to have an easel in my room. Early morning painting is the best.”

“It still amazes me that someone as crazy as you does something as calm as painting.”

“It's where I get my crazy from, Lexy. It’s stored up as I paint.” She grins, and winks.

“You win,” I concede and make it back into the front room. The stripy wallpaper is finally up, and both boys are collapsed on the main sofa. Jen claps her hands.

“Up! You have painting to do! I'm not paying you to sit on your arses.”

“You're not paying us at all,” Bing replies dryly. “There's no pizza, no money, no beer. Nothing.”

“I'd go and get some, but I don't have a car.”

“And you can't drive.”

Jen coughs. “I can drive, thank you very much.”

“Driving people up the wall doesn't count, Jennifer.”

“I passed my driving test first time, six months after my seventeenth birthday, Samuel.”

Bing looks at Alec in disbelief. “Is that true?”

Alec nods. “She passed before me. I just got a car first.”

Jen smiles widely.

“Fuck,” Bing curses. “Here.” He grabs his keys from his pocket, and chucks them at Jen. “Scratch my baby, and I'm gonna kick your ass. And for fuck sake, don't do anything that'll get you pulled over.”

Jen dangles the keys from her finger. “I didn't know you had a car.”

“Well, I do. No need to sound so surprised. Now, for that pizza?”

I hold out a hand. “Now, for that money?”

“What?” Alec looks between us then at Bing.

“We're students.” I put a hand to my chest. “You can't possibly think we have money for pizza and beer.”

Bing huffs and pulls out his wallet, shoving a twenty pound note in my direction. “I want the change.”

I slip my feet into my boots, grab my cardigan, and open the door. Jen giggles as she passes through, and I shoot my brother a final smile. “It's not likely. Sucker!”

“Bitch!” he shouts after me.

“Takes one to know one!” I yell back. “Bye now!”

I shut the door and run after Jen, giggling with her. I sigh happily and show her the money.

“I think I fancy a bottle of rose wine tonight, Lexy,” she muses. I point her towards Bing's Ford.

“You know what, Jen?” I grin at her over the top of the car. “I think I do too.”

 

BING

 

I watch my sister and Jen leave the flat, gritting my teeth together. Jen winds me up like no-one I’ve ever met before, and I know exactly why it is.

It’s because I’m as attracted as hell to her cocky little ass, and there’s sweet fuck all I can do about it. If she was any other girl, I’d take her by the hands, lock her in that pretty pink bedroom of hers, and keep her there until we’d worked the attraction out several times over.

Alec smirks at me. “Got an itch you can’t scratch, Bing?”

I grunt. “I’m pretty sure that girl from Laura Ashley today could give it a good fuckin’ scratch for me.”

“So call her.” Alec shrugs.

“I will when I’m done here. Lexy would kick my ass if I walked out now just to fuck someone I’ve only just met.”

“But she expects it, right?”

“Yep. That’s why I ain’t gonna do it,” I say resolutely.

“Changing your ways?” Alec laughs.

I shrug a shoulder. “Maybe it’s time to calm down a bit. I’m almost twenty-one. It’s not like I’m a horny teenager anymore.”

“Just a horny twenty-something.”

“Well, yeah.” I smirk. “Maybe I need to find one girl who can deal with that horny.”

“And the attitude, and the snarky comments, and the falling down jeans, and the ego, and…”

“All right.” I punch his arm. “That’s gotta be one helluva girl,” I mutter, staring at the front door.

“Damn right she’s gotta be,” Alec agrees. “She’s gotta be just as cocky and sarcastic as you to be able to put up with your shit.”

“Heidi seemed to have a bit of an attitude.”

Alec shakes his head, sighing. “Heidi? The Laura Ashley girl?”

I nod. “Yeah.”

“You know her name?”

“Mate, if she’s hot enough for me to consider doing her more than once, then yeah, I know her name.”

“You sleep with girls more than once?”

I punch his arm again. “It’s been known to happen. Depends how good in the sack they are.” I look at him, grinning, and he laughs.

“Then you should go scratch your itch tonight. You never know…” He raises his eyebrows. “She may be worth three times.”

“Hey.” I point at him. “Don’t fuckin’ push it.”

We both chuckle, and he’s right. I need to get my fucking itch scratched, because the busty blonde babe putting that itch all over me isn’t gonna scratch it anytime soon.

 

~

 

ALEXIS

 

Are you coming out tonight?

Yep. See you at Red?

Nine. DON’T be late.

I purse my lips, and put my phone face down, staring at my wardrobe blankly. I have no desire to go out tonight and get drunk. I have no desire to see my old friends who are on a total different wavelength to me. For them... All that matters is partying and getting drunk.

I want more than that in life. I want an education, a life, a husband, and babies. I want it all, and it wasn't until Devon I truly realised that. It wasn't until Alec followed me home that I realised I want it all with him.

Sure, I've only known him a little under three months, so it's probably kinda naïve and absolutely ridiculous for me to say that – but if Grammy taught me anything, it’s that the heart controls all matters of love. I can't control that. If I did, he probably wouldn't be with me in London right now.

My heart wanted Alec. My heart got Alec. And now, my heart wants Alec for always, and as long as he feels the same, my heart will get it.

Some things in life aren't worth fighting. But I'll always be glad Alec never stopped fighting.

I kiss my fingers, and press them to the glass in front of the smiling image of Grammy and me from this summer. It was one of the times I was helping her in the garden. We were both completely covered in mud, and Mum snapped a picture. It's also one of my favourites, simply because of the look of pure joy on her face.

Every time I look at the picture I remember the pain I felt a few weeks ago when I found out the truth about Grammy's illness. I remember the pain I felt when I found out Alec knew all along - but then I remember the happiness I felt before all of that. If I'd known about her heart problems when I arrived in Lilac Bay, I wouldn't have had that happiness.

Grammy always said you can't have a smile without a little pain, and she was right.

Because of that pain, I can appreciate the smiles I have a little more.

I swallow the lump in my throat, and look at my clock. Six. I need to get ready.

I type a message to Alec telling him to be here at eight-thirty, and cross my room, pulling my wardrobe doors open. Rows of dresses I love stare back at me, and instead of the usual tight outfit I'd pick, I pull out a white baggy dress that cinches at the waist with a thick brown belt. I grab a pair of brown heels, and set the outfit out on my bed.

I look at it and sigh, wishing I was curling up in front of the tele with Alec instead. I'm eighteen, I should be wanting to go out, and I should be excited. I guess I'm either odd, or I just did an awful lot of growing up this summer.

 

Chapter Three

 

ALEXIS

 

I take Alec's hand as we pass through the door of Red just after nine. The name isn't very inventive since the whole club is red and black, but hey, who am I to judge? Music pounds into me, and I take a deep breath, pulling Alec towards the bar.

“Busy,” he says into my ear.

“Always is,” I shout in reply. “Red is the place to be at the weekend.”

He nods, looking around. Joe, my favourite bartender, leans over to me.

“Finally legal, Lexy?” He grins.

“Finally!” I laugh.

“And who’s that?” he asks appreciatively, running his eyes over Alec's figure. Alec looks and double-takes.

I giggle. “That's Alec, my boyfriend, so back off, Joe.” I wink.

He sighs dramatically. “Always the good ones!”

“One day you'll find yourself a hot piece of summin' summin', J, I'm sure of it!”

“For that sentence, honey bun, first drinks on the house.” He leans forward and puts his mouth by my ear. “That, and if I give you a free one, Mr. Hunky there will hang around a little longer.”

I laugh, and slap his arm. “You're terrible.”

“You love it, Lexy. What are you having?”

“Pint of Carlsberg and a Malibu and cranberry juice, please.”

He winks and turns.

“Um.” Alec coughs. “Who was that?”

“Joe,” I tell him. “The best and gayest bartender the city of London has ever seen. Don't ever ask him for a cocktail. He mixes a mean one.”

Two glasses are put in front of us, and after a salute, Joe turns to serve another customer. Alec blinks at the pint.

“Shit. That was fast.”

“Told ya.” I raise my eyebrows, and have some of the drink. Cheeky sod made it a double.

“Lexy!” Jayna's voice screams over the music.

“Hey!” I turn to her with a fake smile. “How are you?”

She hugs me. “I missed you! You should have come and seen me before now.”

You could come and see me, you know.

“I've been busy, sorry! I had to help Alec and Jen settle in.”

“Mmph.” She looks at Alec, running her tongue across her lips in what she thinks is a seductive move. She thinks wrong. “This is Alec?”

If I was a dog, my hackles would be up right about now. “Yep. Alec, this is Jayna. Jayna, Alec.”

“Nice to meet you.” Alec smiles tightly at her.

“Polite? I don't do polite!” Jayna shrieks, and throws her arms around Alec's neck, rubbing her body against him. His eyes widen, and he gently extracts her from him.

“Apparently,” he says dryly, stepping to me and wrapping an arm around my waist.

I control the smug smile wanting to form on my lips. Jayna purses hers.

“I hope you have time to give me a birthday dance later,” she flirts shamelessly.

“It's not likely,” he says politely. “But I'll keep it in mind.”

“Stop fuckin' harassin' my sister and her guy, Jayna,” Bing yells. Bing? “Go find yourself another poor shit to annoy.”

She turns to him, and flicks her hair, pouting. “What about you, Bing? Are you free?”

“About as a free as a guy in jail for life.”

She huffs, and looks at me. “We're in the corner. Come over soon.”

I nod, knowing it's unlikely, and watch her leave. I exhale deeply when she's out of sight.

“Wow. That's your best friend?” Alec asks in surprise.

“Was,” I reply. “She was.”

“She's about as friendly as a fuckin' piranha,” Jen quips, stepping from behind Bing.

Jen?

“Is there some kind of party going down I don't know about that? What are you doing here?” I look between my brother and Jen.

“I thought you could do with a little moral support. I was right.” Jen glances in the direction Jayna left in. “And I brought Bing with me.”

“I was going out anyway, but she rang the house, and wangled her way into coming with me to see you,” Bing says tightly.

I smile. “Thanks, guys.”

Alec presses his lips to my temple, and I sigh. “Okay, Princess?” he asks.

I nod. “Yeah. I knew it would be bad when I saw her, but wow. Just wow.” I shake my head. “Whatever. I'm not going over to see her. Let's have this drink and go home.”

“Oh hell no! Hell to the fricking no!” Jen exclaims. “I got all dressed up to come party with you, you are not bailing on me! Who needs that pig nosed, well, pig? You and I will take London by storm. Come on. Drink up. We're gonna get us some shots and do this tonight. Let our hair down before uni.”

I open my mouth and close it again.

“Do it,” Bing orders.

I smile wryly. “Since when did you get off telling me what to do?”

“Since your boyfriend is being eyed up by half the girls in this club and has no idea how to deal with a city girl besides you. These girls are vultures.”

“Oh, and I suppose you're the perfect person to show him, right?” Jen raises her eyebrows at Bing, and gets Joe's attention.

“Don't start, Jennifer!”

“I'm not starting anything, Samuel. Four squashed frogs,” she adds to Joe. “I'm merely saying I don't think you're the best person to teach him to fend off girls. You tend to attract them instead of repelling them.”

“So you're saying I'm a chick magnet?” Bing smirks.

Jen hands me a shot glass, and clinks hers against mine. We both down it and she hands me the other one. We down those, putting the glasses on the bar.

“No,” she replies to Bing, grabbing my hand. “I'm calling you a whore magnet!”

She grins, pulling me off towards the dance floor.

 

ALEC

 

Bing blinks after her for a second, and shakes his head. “Shit.”

I laugh, and take a long drink of my beer. He wasn't wrong when he said we were being eyed up. I can feel eyes on both of us from every direction, and I'm glad Jen distracted Lexy before she noticed just how many girls are staring at us.

Bing shakes his head again, and looks at me. “I'm sayin' this 'cause I actually like you, which is kinda odd. You followed her here so I know you love her, Alec, okay? But trust doesn't come easy for Lexy. That's my fault. I've spent so long treating girls like shit she thinks that one day someone is gonna come along and do the same to her. I'm a dick for that, believe me, I know.”

“And you're saying she's scared that now we're in London on her territory, I'm surrounded by a bunch of girls I've never met before that I might be attracted to. She's scared I'll run off.”

“Deep down.” He nods. “You just gotta... Prove to her. I know you already did it once but it's different now. Now is when you really gotta prove your love to her.”

I blow out a breath. “I've only gotta settle in and start a new job. Now I have to do this too?” I shake my head. “This is bullshit.”

“So you're back to Devon then?” Bing's eyebrows rise in challenge.

“Not a fucking chance,” I say firmly, looking him dead on. “You haven't found her yet, Bing, but when you do, you'll know. When you meet the person you wanna be with for the rest of your life, you know. Your sister is the person I wanna be with, so it doesn't matter how many girls bat their eyelashes, flick their hair, or stick their chests out at me. It'll always come back to Lexy, because no other girl can compare to her. Lexy has nothing to worry about, because it's always gonna be her. It's been her since I met her and it'll be her until I die. That's something I can't control. And when you meet the girl you wanna be with forever, you'll understand that.”

Bing stares at me. He nods and looks back out to the crowd, drinking his beer slowly.

I really wish I was in his head.

 

~

 

I find Lexy in my kitchen in a strap top and shorts, running her finger round the inside of a yoghurt pot.

“What are you doing?” I smirk, and lean against the door frame.

She looks up, and sucks the yoghurt off her finger. I shift slightly.

“I'm finishing my yoghurt,” she replies. “What?”

“Most people don't run their finger round the inside of the pot, Princess.”

She shrugs a shoulder. “I'm not most people.” She throws the pot in the bin.

I cross the room, and hug her from behind, resting my chin on her shoulder. She sighs.

“What's wrong?”

“Nothing.” She shakes her head and flicks the kettle on. “Something.”

“Talk to me.” I spin her round and lean back against the counter, holding her to me. She sighs again and rests her hands on my chest. Her eyebrows draw together in a small frown, and I nudge her.

“Remember how Grammy used to tease me about not having a boyfriend until we met?” she asks. I nod. “Well, I used to reply that I didn't want one, and if I did I had plenty of admirers.”

My fingers twitch. “Mm.”

Her brown eyes snap up to mine. “Don't go getting all caveman on me, Alec, or I'm not telling you.”

“Caveman stored away,” I grind out. “Carry on.”

“Damn jealous males,” she mutters. “Anyway. I saw one of them out last night. I've known Ade since we were about twelve – we went to secondary school together – and he's tried convincing me a few times over the last year to go out with him. He's one of my friends so I said no. I don't go out with friends.”

“So we were never friends?” I smirk a little.

She shakes her head. “No, we were never friends. You were always the one. Friendship was never an option.”

I relax slightly, and press my lips to her forehead. Her arms slide around my waist, and she rests her cheek against my chest.

“Carry on,” I tell her.

“Well, like I said, I saw him out last night. We spoke for a few minutes on the dance floor. He asked about Devon and that, and when Jen mentioned your name, he did this puffing chest out thing, and got kinda pissed. He stormed off.”

“Wait, what does he look like?”

“Blonde hair, about your height, not as muscular.”

“You think I'm muscular?” I tease.

She laughs, pulls back, and squeezes my arm. “Very.”

I wink. “He was giving me a death look half the night last night. I'm guessing he knew who I was because I was with Bing.”

She nods thoughtfully. “Well, that's Adrian. I don't think he'll do anything, more than likely just try to get under your skin. I don't think he's got big enough balls to do anything else. He's scared of Bing.”

“He's scared of your brother?” I raise an eyebrow. “I can't imagine why.”

She blinks. “He threatened to break your legs, too, didn't he?”

“Yep. I told him if I hurt you, he could.” I kiss her quickly.

“Huh.” Lexy's head tilts to the side. “No wonder he actually likes you.”

I look around. “Good to know.” I laugh.

She grins, and I'm glad to see the worry and annoyance removed from her face. “So yeah. Just... Ignore him, okay? He's a good guy but he's also kind of an asshole.”

“That seems to be a trend amongst your friends.”

“You're probably right there.”

 

~

 

ALEXIS

 

“Mum? Are you in?” I drop my bag by the door.

“I'm just popping out, Lexy. What's up?” She appears from the front room, buttoning her mac.

“Nothing. I was just wondering if you were here.” I smile, and kiss her cheek.

“Did you have a good night?”

“It was... Okay, I guess.” I shrug a shoulder and pass through into the large kitchen.

“That doesn't sound good. Would you like to talk about it?”

I sigh. “Maybe.”

“I'm going to the park, to the stream,” Mum says hesitantly. Grammy's favourite spot in London.

“Is that where you've been disappearing to lately?” I peer at her over my shoulder. She nods.

“It helps me to feel close to her when I'm so far away. I just... Go there to think. Remember.” Mum smiles weakly.

“I don't want to ruin your time, Mum.”

“If you want to, Lexy, I'd love you to come with me. Maybe we could remember together?”

I see the face of the old woman I love so much in my mind, and I nod. “I'd love to, Mum.”

I pass into the hallway, blinking back some tears, and grab my jacket.

Mum opens the door. “Let's go, then.”

 

~

 

A gentle autumn breeze teases my hair as I lean against the railings of the small bridge.

“So what happened last night?” Mum asks me, gazing at the water running under us.

“I discovered that two months is a long time,” I reply. “And people really do change more than you thought.”

“I thought you learnt that in Devon.”

“I did. Mum, will you be honest?” I look at her, and she turns her face to me. Her hair falls down and her beautiful eyes blink at me.

“Of course.”

“Last night, all Jayna cared about was herself. No questions asked about how I was feeling, none about the family or anything. She was only bothered about getting drunk and who she could take home. She even tried it with Alec before he told her it wasn't gonna happen. She felt like a stranger. I guess I wanna know...Was I really that horrible before we left?” I look away from her, unable to handle what I'm scared she'll say. Silence stretches between us, and I chew on my lip.

“No,” she says. “No, baby, you weren't horrible at all. Were you immature, naïve about the world, and egocentric? Yes, you were, like most teenagers are today. You were never horrible. You always cared about others – even if you didn't show it. You were led by peer pressure a lot. You were scared of being cast aside, I think. That's why I made you come to Devon. I knew eight weeks in my home town would help you find who you are, not who you thought you should be. And I was right. The little girl that was hiding under the tough teen exterior came out, and she fell in love.” I look back at her, and she's smiling, her eyes watery. “You were never horrible, Alexis. You were a little lost, but now you're found. I'm proud of the person you've become.” Mum looks out at the water again, swallowing heavily. “And I know Mum was proud of you, too. She always was.”

A tear drips from my eye, and I move closer to her, linking my arm through hers. “I remember Grammy bringing us here when she used to come up before Granddad died. She'd send him and Bing off somewhere, and we'd trek through the trees looking for dry leaves and other bits. Then we'd make collage pictures.” I smile.

“And then Dad died, and she stopped making the trip. I don't think she could face it alone, you know.”

“And then three years later we stopped going to see her,” I add sadly. “Why did we stop going?”

Mum shrugs a shoulder and sighs. “You kids were getting older. You didn't want to spend the summer with your grandmother three hundred odd miles away from your friends. We felt it best to stay here. Until last summer... We always knew it could be her last, and as much as you hated it when we made the decision to go, we knew you'd never forgive us if we didn't make you. Since you were seventeen, we still had control over your actions. You could have left on your birthday, but I was right in hoping two weeks would be enough to make you want to stay.”

“I could have left?”

“Of course. You're an adult at eighteen. I couldn't have stopped you if you'd wanted to go.”

“You never told me that.”

“Would it have made a difference if I did? Would you have gone?”

I rest my head on her shoulder and listen to the gentle rush of the water. “No,” I reply in a soft voice. “I wouldn't have left. I would have stayed.”

 

Chapter Four

 

JEN

 

“Your best friend,” I seethe. “Is. An. Asshole!” I barge past Alec into his flat, and he looks at me and the empty space on the other side of the door in shock.

“I... Say what?” He frowns, and shuts the door.

“Carl is an ass!”

“And this is my problem because?”

I shriek, throwing my arms in the air. “Because you are his best friend! And male! And I do not understand your ignorant, arrogant, hormone-aggravating ways!”

“That still doesn't explain why it's my problem, Jen. Tea?”

“No. I do not want a cup of fucking tea, Alec. I want to go back to Devon and wring Carl's neck!”

“I can feel the love.”

“I'm going to shove your sarcastic comments up your ass in a minute, boy,” I threaten, anger pulsing through my body.

“I'd love to see you try.”

I scream, throw myself face down on his sofa, and scream again, this time into a cushion. I kick my legs like a toddler would, growling. Everything… Everything is going wrong.

London has been my dream since I was a kid and first realised I could draw – and really draw. I’d spend endless time in the garden drawing flowers, sketching birds and butterflies to fill in later. Then, when I was older, I’d take a pad and pencil to the beach. I’d do the scenery, the shells, and sea life. Anything I could find, I’d draw it. It was a way to let out every emotion I had. It made me an easy teen for my parents, who’ve always understood and supported my dream. I wouldn’t be in London right now if it wasn’t for my Dad.

But Carl doesn’t get it. He doesn’t understand why I need to be in London, why I can’t just go to Exeter or even Plymouth University. He doesn’t understand that his surfing is his hobby. Art is my life, a part of me. Every pencil, every brush, every pastel, they’re all an extension of my body.

I cry out a garbled curse of the male species. I let out one last growl, and roll over onto my side, hugging the pillow.

“Have you got all your toys back in your pram yet?” Alec asks me.

I turn my face towards him, tears burning my eyes.

“Hey,” he says in a softer voice. “Don't cry. What happened?” He crouches down next to me, brushing some hair from my face gently.

“He's said there's no way he'll come to London to see me. If I want to see him, I either have to come down to Devon or wait until half term.” I sniff, and pull my knees to my chest.

“He will be working full time, Jen. A weekend trip to London won't be easy for him to do,” he reasons.

“I'll be at uni five days a week, Alec.” My light blue eyes find his. “I won't be able to go down either, and I'll have next to no money after I've paid bills and stuff. I know Dad is covering most of my rent, but I still have things like council tax, water, electric, gas, food... Plus everything I need for my course, all my art supplies. They're not cheap.” They’re more expensive than a hooker in the Red Light District.

“Your student loans and that will help with that, won't they?”

I nod. “But it won't be there forever, and I'm gonna need what money I have. I'll only have a small amount left for me at the end of each week, and I don't wanna spend all that on tickets to spend twelve hours of the weekend travelling.”

He touches my arm. “Six weeks isn't really that long.”

“He won't come up. At all. We'll see each other maybe six times a year, and even when I'm back, he'll still be working.” A tear drips from my eye, and I know I’m about to break. Everything I’ve held inside for the last few days is about to explode from me and there’s nothing I can do to stop it. “I'm missing my family, I'm three hundred miles from my home in my first place, I have no idea how to use my washing machine, and my milk has gone rotten, and I...”

I cover my face with my hands as the tears begin to flow freely. Behind my cocky exterior, I’m just a normal person. And right now, that normal person misses their family, their boyfriend, and has no idea how to cope by themselves. I’m that normal person in this second.

I have no idea how to cope in this city.

 

ALEC

 

I've never seen her this way. Sarcastic Jen, cocky Jen, bitchy Jen... All those I can cope with. Crying Jen? No. I didn't even know she could cry.

I text Lexy, telling her to get here as soon as possible, and sit on the floor next to the sofa. I rest my head on the arm of it, and stroke Jen's hair as she cries. I guess everyone needs a little break down once in a while.

My door opens after ten minutes and Lexy rushes in. She takes one look at Jen, runs over and hugs her. I get up, my phone in hand, and disappear into my bedroom. Lexy will be more use to Jen than me, and I apparently need to have a word with my best friend.

I dial his number, and he answers on the third ring.

“Hello?”

“You need to sort your shit out,” I say straight away.

“What the fuck?”

“I have your girlfriend crying her fucking eyes out on my sofa because you're being a prick, Carl,” I spit, feeling the need to protect Jen. “She's scared as shit because she's from a small town and is in the big city. She's scared because she's gotta do it without her family and guess what? Because you're refusing to come and see her even once before half term, she's scared she's gonna lose you to.”

“I'm working-”

“Yeah, I know that, mate, and I told her that. But you gotta remember she'll be at uni most days with a lot less money than you. We're grown up now, Carl, no more excuses. We all had an amazing summer, but unless you figure out a way to get up here at least once each half term, the summer isn't gonna mean anything.”

He's silent for a minute. “She's really crying?”

“Yeah. She's sobbing her goddamn heart out.”

“Shit.”

“Shit indeed.”

“I've got some making up to do, huh?”

“Some? You've got a lot.”

 

~

 

ALEXIS

 

Mum shakes her head when I finish telling her about Jen and Carl.

“That boy is gonna lose her if he doesn't buck his ideas up,” she says.

“Now, Emily, that's not necessarily true,” Dad argues. “They could find a way to work around it. Long distance relationships are possible.”

Mum looks up from her steak and raises her eyebrows. “Did you or did you not follow me to London from Lilac Bay when I left for university, Simon?”

“I did.”

“And why was that?”

“Because I didn't wanna be without you,” Dad replies tentatively.

“And did Alec follow Lexy to London?” Mum continues.

“He did...”

“And why was that?”

Dad looks at me helplessly, and puts his cutlery on the table. “Because he didn't want to be without her, darling.”

“Precisely,” Mum says triumphantly. “We're not talking London to Essex here, Si, we're talking London to Devon. It's not just an hour or two away. It's a good few hours. We all know Jen's penchant for holding a grudge, so Carl is going to have to make it up to her. I'm guessing he's not a flower type of guy?”

Bing puts his fork down loudly and looks at Mum. “Do we have to discuss Jen's relationship? Really?”

Mum blinks in shock. “Well no-”

“Then don't!” He grabs his fork and starts cutting his steak with vigour. I look at him, them Mum, then Dad. Mum is staring at him in shock, and Dad is grinning. I look back at Bing.

“What?” my brother snaps.

“Nothing,” I reply, turning to my dinner.

“You're lying.”

“Why would I be lying?”

“What is it?”

“It was just a kind of random outburst, even for you, Bing.”

“Excuse me if I don't want to hear about Jen over dinner. Is that illegal?”

“No. Just kind of random, like I said.”

He sighs and clenches his jaw. “Mum, can I take my dinner upstairs?”

“I suppose,” she replies warily.

“Thank you.” He grabs his plate and storms upstairs.

Mum watches him and turns back to us. “What was that all about?”

“That, my favourite girls...” Dad pauses to cut his steak. “...Was Samuel experiencing a thing called jealousy.”

My lips curve upwards. “Jealousy?”

“Indeed, darling daughter.”

“Jealousy? Why would he be jealous?” Mum asks, looking between us.

“Lexy.” Dad points at me with his fork.

“Because Bing has a serious crush on Jen.” I smile.

Mum's eyes widen and she looks at the doorway and back at me. “Are you sure?”

I smile wider. “Oh, yes. I'm very sure.”

“But, does she fancy him?” She leans across the table, and I feel like I'm back at school, trying to gossip quietly.

“I think she does.”

“Oh,” she says, surprised, and sits back up. “Oh. Well. That certainly changes things, doesn't it?”

“It certainly does,” Dad answers for me. “It also makes things more interesting.”

I look at Dad and laugh slightly. “Dad, are you secretly a teenage girl under your middle-aged skin?”

“Why do you say that?” He laughs.

“Because you seem more interested in the Bing-Jen-Carl thing than even Mum and I are.”

“She has a point, darling,” Mum agrees, patting his hand.

Dad shakes his head at both of us. “Can I take my dinner upstairs?”

“No, you cannot.” Mum frowns at him.

Dad sticks his bottom lip out. “You let Samuel.”

“I didn't want to hurt his little heart if he fancies our Jen.”

I roll my eyes and Dad snorts. “He's a grown man, Emily, let him deal with his own issues of the heart. If Sam and Jen and meant to be, then it'll happen, remember that.” He looks at me sternly. “And don't you go interfering, Alexis.”

“Me?” I put a hand to my chest, putting on my best innocent face. “I'd never dream of interfering.”

“Mhmm.”

 

Chapter Five

 

ALEXIS

 

I follow Jen around Cowling & Wilcox art supply store, pulling a full basket of art supplies. When she called and said she'd missed a few things and asked me to go to the shop with her, I didn't think a few things translated to two baskets full.

“Are we done yet?” I whine.

“You sound like Alec and Bing when we went to Laura Ashley.” She puts two boxes of pastels in her basket.

I look around at the stacked shelves. “I can't even draw a stick man right, Jen, so although I can shop for England, art shopping isn't really my kinda thing.”

She mutters something under her breath before sighing. “Fine, let’s go. I think I have everything.”

“I think you have several of everything,” I muse.

She glances at me, unamused, and turns to the counter. I shrug to myself, pick up the basket, and set it on the counter. I tap my foot as the guy behind the counter rings it through.

A loud bang makes me jump, and I turn with my hand pressed against my chest.

“Holy macaroni with extra cheese!” Jen exclaims. “What was that?”

“Sorry,” a voice mutters. “Dropped the box of brushes.”

A shadow moves from behind the counter, and the person ringing Jen's stuff through shakes his head, muttering about “incompetent pretty boys.” I purse my lips when I recognise the pretty boy.

“Adrian.” I smirk. He looks at me with his hazel eyes, and his floppy blonde hair. He really is a pretty boy in every definition of the word. His hair is always perfectly styled, and if he has – God forbid – a spot, he won't leave the house. Seriously. I've been to his place with Jayna, and the guy has more facial creams and spot solutions than Mum and I put together.

“Lexy!” He grins at me, and leans against the counter. I raise an eyebrow. I know that smile. “Little birdie tells me you brought yourself a real boyfriend back from Devon.”

I lean against the counter in a movement that mimics his, and smile. “That little birdie told you right.”

“I'm surprised. You didn’t mention it at the weekend. Or wait, was it that Alec guy?” His eyebrows quirk slightly. “What was it, us city boys not good enough for you? Did you need a country bumpkin to keep life exciting?”

Jen coughs behind me.

“No, not at all,” I reply. “City boy or country boy, that doesn't matter. What matters is that Alec isn't a pig-headed, egotistical asshole like most of you city boys.”

Jen snorts.

“C'mon, Lex, you know I'm not like that. You just never gave me a chance.”

“I never wanted or needed to give you a chance, Ade.” I straighten, and grab some of Jen's bags off the counter. “There was no chance we'd ever happen. You're a friend, not a boyfriend. Accept it.”

I spin and follow Jen towards the door.

“You never know what could happen, Lexy,” Adrian calls after me. “I hope your little farmer can handle it in the big city.”

“Is that a threat?” My eyes narrow as I look back at him, anger spreading through my body.

“Oh, no!” Jen shakes her head and drops her bags, storming across the shop. She stops right in front of Adrian, jabbing her finger in his chest. “Listen here you little shitbag. I don't give a crap if you're a city boy or a goddamn alien, no-one threatens my best mates. Do you have that? Lay one finger on that “country bumpkin” and this country bumpkin will string your fucking balls from Big Ben. Are we understood?”

The guy behind the counter snickers, and Adrian looks to me. “She's a firecracker, this one, Lexy. Where did you find her?”

Jen grabs his shirt. “I'll firecrack your ass to the bottom of the River Thames if you don't shut your pretty boy mouth.” She steps back and looks him up and down. “Good thing you never went there, Lex.” She turns, glancing over her shoulder at him. “He's probably as physically mature as he is mentally, if you get my drift.”

She grabs her bags to the sound of the other guy's laughter. I follow her from the shop, fighting the urge to let my laughter erupt from me.

“Let it go, honey, let it go!” Jen leans against the wall around the corner and bends over, her shoulders shaking.

I put the bags down, resting my hands on my knees, and let the laughter take over. My stomach hurts, and tears form in my eyes. Oh, yeah, Jen won't have any problems surviving in the city. Her attitude is probably more city than the city itself.

I wipe my eyes after a few minutes, composing myself. We grab our bags and start making our way back to the underground station.

Jen might be able to handle herself in a city, but was Adrian right? Would Alec be able to?

I remember how fiercely he fought for me, for us, in Devon. But he had no competition.

I know Adrian. I know if he says Alec had better watch out, Alec had better watch out. Adrian knows too many people for it to be brushed off. One sentence from him is all it would take to start rumours circulating around the circle I used to run with. Those rumours reach my brother's circle, and they've reached Alec.

I bite the inside of my cheek. For the first time, I'm wondering if Alec coming to London was really the best idea.

 

~

 

ALEC

 

“How was your first day?” Lexy asks.

“It was okay.” I shrug. “It's work, y'know? It's not all sunshine and rainbows, but it's much better now I've seen you.”

I step towards her, and slip my arms around her waist. Her arms go around my waist in return, and she buries her face in my chest. I breathe in that strawberries and cream scent that's so Lexy. We stand for a moment, just holding each other. I try to pull back, and she tightens her grip around my waist.

“Princess?” I say softly. “What's wrong?”

She shakes her head. “Nothing.” She sighs. “I just wanted a cuddle.”

I kiss the top of her head. “Are you sure? You don't sound okay.”

“I'm fine, Alec. Really.” She pulls back, looking up at me with her beautiful brown eyes, and moves to look through my kitchen cupboards. “So Dad wasn't too hard on you?”

I wish she wouldn't change the fucking subject like that. “No, he was cool. One of the guys in the office is a bit of a jerk, but I guess I can learn to live with him.”

She smiles. “Adam. He's okay, just a bit wary of new people.” She shrugs. “Dad took him on to help him out, too.”

“I think Adam will be fine. After all, I don't have my surfboard to use as a deadly weapon anymore.”

Lexy glances over her shoulder at me. “Oh, because you're oh so deadly with it, right?”

“Absolutely.” I grin, and lean against the table, crossing my arms. “Do you not remember yours nearly taking you out when I taught you?”

“It did not nearly take me out!” she huffs, stomping her foot. “I had it perfectly under control. It was that stupid wave.”

“Of course, Princess.”

“It's true!”

“I'm sure it is, in your mind.”

She narrows her eyes. “You're deliberately annoying me, aren't you?”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because.” She shrugs.

“Because isn't really an answer, is it?”

“It is in my book.”

“Then your book needs rewriting.” I laugh.

She throws a grape at my head, giggling. I gasp in mock shock, and she freezes. One side of my lips curl upwards. She shakes her head and steps backwards.

“I'm sorry. I was aiming for the, errrr, television,” she hedges.

I run forward, and she squeals. I grasp her round the waist, tickling her. She cries out as I pull her towards the sofa. We both fall onto it, me leaning over her.

“Stop tickling me, please,” she begs, writhing and wriggling beneath me.

“Fine.” I rest my hand against her side instead, pressing my lips to hers. She stops moving for a second. She grazes her teeth along my bottom lip, sucking it into her mouth. I growl a little deep in my throat, feeling the movement all the way down to my dick.

She fists a hand in my hair, holding me against her. Her other hand grips my back, and she loops her legs around mine. I lower my hips until they're pressing against hers, my tongue slipping between her lips. She whimpers when my hips meet hers, her body tensing slightly under mine. I run my hand along her side, down her thigh, and back up. It creeps beneath her top, making contact with the hot skin waiting there.

I hear her intake of breath at the exact same time there's a knock on the door. I have half a mind to yell at them to fuck off, but Lexy breaks the kiss, grinning.

“Dinner!” she says happily.

She unwraps her body from mine, and as I climb from her to answer the door, I'm smiling. I open the door, pay the guy, and take the food. The smell of Chinese food assaults my nose, making my stomach rumble.

“Yum.” Lexy takes the bag from me and sets it on the table. She immediately begins to pull everything out.

I step up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist, and I press my lips against her collarbone.

“Alec,” she scolds half-heartedly. “I'm hungry.”

“So am I, Princess,” I mutter, kissing up her neck.

“For food,” she stresses, holding up the prawn crackers.

“Fine.” I kiss her neck once more, a lingering touch. “But this isn't over.”

“Is it not?” She turns her face towards mine, a smile playing on her lips.

I push my hips against her ass. She audibly swallows.

“No,” I growl. “It's not fucking over.”

She grins, takes a bite of a prawn cracker, and winks. I laugh, releasing her and grabbing two forks.

Lexy slides into “her” seat at my table, and takes the fork I offer. I sit opposite her, watching her as I eat. She peers up at me, looks back down, and looks back up again. She does this several times before finally speaking.

“Why are you watching me?”

“I like watching you. You should know that by now.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Look at me too much and one day, you'll get bored of it.”

I chew slowly, my lips forming a smile.

“What?” she demands.

“That's funny.”

“How is it funny?” She puts her fork down.

“Because there is no way on this planet, or any other, that I could ever get bored of looking at you.”

“Why not?” She smiles.

“Because,” I reply.

“'Because isn't really an answer, is it?'” she mocks.

I grin. “It is in your book, remember?”

She chucks a prawn at me. Twice.

 

BING

 

“I said I’d call you,” I grind out to Heidi on the phone. This is why I usually take a girl home straight away – no numbers involved, therefore no phone calls when the promised call doesn’t show up.

“But you haven’t,” she replies.

“I know that. I’ve been busy.”

“You weren’t going to call, were you?”

Funnily enough, I was. “Yeah, I was.”

“Hmph.” She huffs. I bite back my sigh. “Well, are you free tonight?”

“Sure am,” I reply, changing tact. “I hope that means you are too.”

“I wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t, Bing.”

“I’ll pick you up at seven?”

“See you later.”

I hang up, leaning back on my bed. Heidi is a bit annoying, but get her in a bedroom and goddamn, that girl knows what she’s doing. In fact, she’s good enough that she might even stay around for longer than just two or three fucks.

And, a small part of my mind whispers, it’ll show another blonde that you can hold down a relationship.

 

Chapter Six

 

ALEXIS

 

“Hello? Is anyone home?” I wave my hand in front of Jen's face as we cross the university courtyard after our first day.

“Huh?” She focuses on me. “Yes. I'm here.”

“What's wrong? You've been in an odd mood all day. You and Carl still not talking?”

“Yeah... We are. He called a few days ago and did some serious grovelling.” She shrugs.

“Is he coming up then?”

She shoots a look at me. “Don't be so damn stupid. Of course he isn't bringing his lazy ass up here to see me. You'll laugh when you hear his solution to the problem, really, you will. I nearly peed myself.”

That comment earns her a couple of odd looks from people around us.

“What was his solution?”

“That we Skype. We fucking Skype.”

“That's not... That bad.” I shrug.

“For two hours a day. Every day.”

“Ah.”

Jen raises her eyebrows in agreement. “When exactly am I supposed to find two frickin' hours out of my day to Skype him? Is text messaging dead?”

I snort. “You sound like you're from the future.”

“I'm being serious. I can't exactly do coursework and talk to him on Skype, can I?” She shakes her head. “Ridiculous.”

“S'pose. At least he's trying though.” I shrug again.

“He's definitely trying,” she responds, following it up with a sigh. “I just don’t know how we’ll get through this if we can’t compromise.”

“You always knew it would be hard.”

“Yeah.” She grins suddenly. “Well, I guess something in this relationship has to be hard, huh?”

I laugh out loud, and nudge her with my elbow. “You have such a dirty mind.”

“I learnt from the best.” She shrugs.

“In other words, you learnt from Alec.”

“Mhmm.”

“You know,” I muse as we stop at the bus stop. “It really is amazing you and Bing don’t get along. I mean, you have so much in common.”

Jen spins to me, her eyes spitting fire. “I have about as much in common with your brother as a rat does with a bluebird.”

“No, just listen,” I say, stifling my smile. “You’re both sarcastic, you’re both sexually obsessed with dirty minds, and you both have an irrational hate of each other. Actually, you’re a bit like an old married couple.”

Jen sputters, and it’s one of the only times I’ve ever seen her speechless. “You are kidding.”

“No.”

“I hate you.”

I grin and bump her with my shoulder. “Love you.”

 

~

 

“I’m not Skyping, Carl,” Jen huffs down the phone. “Why? Because I don’t have the time… Yes, I know I’ve only been at uni for a day… And what’s your point?”

Bing appears in the doorway of my room, looks at Jen stretched on my bed, and smirks. I shoot him a warning look, shaking my head. He grins.

“Whatever… Yeah, you too.” Jen drops her phone on the floor. She lifts her head and stares straight at Bing. “Say one word, Samuel, one word, and it’ll be your bloody last.”

“Trouble in paradise?” he asks cockily.

“I warned you!” She sits up, pointing her finger at him.

“Hey!” He holds his hands up. “That was three words.”

She narrows her eyes at him, staring him down. “You, sir, are a berk.”

I smile, fighting my laughter.

“What the fuck is a “berk”?” Bing raises an eyebrow.

“You are a berk. A berk is you.” Jen shrugs. “I thought that summed it up.”

My brother frowns, staring at her for a second. He shakes his head, turning to me. “I saw that berk Adrian earlier.” He glances at Jen. “He kept questioning me about Alec.”

“Are you serious?”

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

I groan, and drop my head to my desk. “What did he ask?”

“He wanted to know what Alec did, where he came from, and if he was, and I quote, “hard or a pussy boy with no balls”.”

“This coming from the guy who uses concealer?” I sit back up.

“Apparently,” Bing replies dryly. “I just thought you’d like to know. And, don’t forget, Dad’s birthday party this weekend. Mum has been texting me every ten minutes asking me if I’d reminded you yet.” He rolls his eyes.

“Why didn’t she ask me herself?”

“I don’t know.” He looks at me in exasperation. “I’m not a fuckin’ mind reader, Lex, and I am not an owl.”

“Did you just quote Harry Potter?” Jen laughs. “You did. Since when did you watch Harry Potter?” I grin.

“Bing has loved Harry Potter since the first book came out. It’s his secret guilty pleasure.”

“Not so secret anymore.” Jen smiles slyly.

Bing’s face hardens. “Jennifer Mason, you tell anyone about that and I swear to God, I will creep into your flat at night, and string your underwear across town.”

“Oh, honey.” She tsks. “Get some originality. I mean, didn’t Vi already do that to you? Those pink boxers were hot, by the way.” She winks. I laugh and get up, grabbing my phone.

“I’m going to text Mum about our dresses, then call Alec.” I pat Bing’s arm. “Jen’s got you there, bro.”

“Wait, dresses?” Jen perks up.

“Yep.” I look over my shoulder. “Did you really think you weren’t coming?”

“But I have no-one to go with.”

I grin at Bing. He grits his teeth and looks at Jen.

“Surprise,” he forces out.

“What?!” She shrieks.

“I’ll, uh, be back… Maybe never.” I mutter, running away.

 

JEN

 

I stand, walking towards Bing. “Tell me this is some kind of ass wiping joke?”

“I wish,” he replies, looking down at me. “Believe me, spending my evening with you wasn’t in my plan.”

“So change it,” I hiss. “There is no way I’m spending all of Saturday night smiling and hanging onto your arrogant arm, Samuel!” Although, it is a very pretty arm.

He sighs. “Look, Jennifer, I don’t exactly want you on my arm, but it’s too late to change it. Mum has already ordered matching outfits.”

“Are you fucking kidding?” I deadpan. “Not only do I have to go with you, everyone will know I’m with you because, what? Your tie will match my dress?”

“Oh, and there’s the brains she used to get into university,” he responds snarkily. “Yes, Jen. My tie is the same material and colour as your dress. Believe me, I’m not damn happy.”

I heave in a breath. “This is gonna be as about as successful as Hades in the North Pole.” I throw my arms up, and turn back to Lexy’s bed. I throw myself face down on it.

“I wouldn’t lie like that,” Bing says. “You have no idea what’s happened on that bed.”

I get back up, and growl. I push past him, moving to stomp down the stairs.

“Hey, I was just saying!” he calls, following me.

“Go away, Samuel. I want to see you as much as I want a shard of glass in my ass.”

I open a cupboard door, taking down a glass as the front door opens and shuts.

“Oh, Sam, Jen.” Emily smiles, unbuttoning her coat. “Sam, did you tell the girls?”

“Yes, Mum. For the thousandth time, I told them. Lexy is on the phone to Alec now. She said she’d text you.”

“Oh, well, maybe she did. I haven’t checked my phone since I text you.” She sets her coat on the back of a chair, and looks up at me. “Will you be there, Jen? Si would love to have you there.”

“Of course.” I smile sweetly. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

“I presume Bing has told you about the escort situation?”

Escort? Isn’t that like Billie Piper in Diary of a Call Girl?

“I told her,” Bing grinds out.

“I hope its okay,” Emily pushes on. “Lexy said Carl wouldn’t be able to get up, and since Samuel didn’t find himself a date, I found him one.”

“I highly doubt he couldn’t find a date,” I reply, turning. “He probably just pissed her off by not calling her back the next day.”

Emily’s mouth twitches in an effort to fight her smile, and I can feel Bing staring daggers in the side of my head.

“Yes, well,” she manages. “I’ve saved him the job. Your dresses will be ready to pick up tomorrow. I will get them at lunchtime. Also…” She turns to Bing. “…When your sister appears, let her know your father called me and said someone named Adrian called him today. He said he was a friend of Lexy’s and couldn’t find her number, and since your father had heard her mention him, he handed her number over.”

I click my tongue against the roof of my tongue. “Oopsie.”

“What?” Emily turns to me.

“I wouldn’t wanna be Si when she finds that out, that’s all I’m sayin’.” I shrug.

“Samuel? Explain,” Emily demands.

“Adrian doesn’t just know Lexy, Mum.” Bing leans back and crosses his arms across his chest, making those muscles flex. I blink and look away. “Adrian wants in her pants. Bad.”

“Oh!” Emily squeaks out. “Oh, dear. Well, it’s not going to happen. She and Alec are as strong as the next couple. It’ll be fine, dears. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go call the caterers. I’ll see you at dinner.”

She sweeps from the room with an elegance I’ll never achieve. Bing walks towards me, reaching around me for another glass. I raise mine to my lips, and raise an eyebrow at him.

“I saw you checking me out, Jennifer,” he whispers, smirking.

I snort. “Right. In which alternate reality was that, Samuel?”

“Sarcasm to your defence,” he quips. “Admit it, Jen, you think I’m hot.”

I look at him with disdain. “If Antarctica is hot, then yeah, smokin’.”

He fills his glass up, and stops as he’s about to pass me. “Its fine,” he says quietly, his face close to mine. “I check you out all the time, you’re just too busy being gobby to notice.” He looks at my chest and back up. “And I don’t mind that at all.”

My mouth drops open, and he saunters towards the kitchen door. “You chauvinistic, arrogant, perverted, fat-headed bastard!” I yell, grabbing a teaspoon and throwing it in his direction.

He laughs out loud, moving faster to avoid my makeshift weapon. I narrow my eyes and growl, putting my glass on the side. I continue my barrage of insults at him in my mind, the most prominent being “pillock,” “asshat,” “small-tooled prick,” and “man-boobed moron.”

The last one is, of course, totally irrelevant, considering his abundance of bodily muscle and lack of fat. I’ll still use it, though.

Thinking about his lack of fat annoys me even more. Thinking about him annoys me. I’ve long since accepted my attraction to my best friend’s brother, I’ve just chosen to ignore it. But that was before I came to London, and before I was forced into being his date for the evening this weekend.

Goddamn his annoying, tight ass.

 

BING

 

My sister’s best friend is fucking hot when she’s angry.

That sounds like the title of a really corny movie, but it’s true. Jennifer Mason is the only girl I’ve ever met – besides Lexy – that will give as good as she gets. She’s not fazed by my charm or my looks, and she couldn’t give a crap about annoying me.

And I have to admit that I like it. A lot.

I like it more than I should, since she’s actually not available – and in an odd kind of way, I’m not either. But that just makes me want her more, because wanting what you can’t have is both the best and worst thing in life. Jen definitely has the potential to be the best and worst thing in my life.

And I don’t know what to make of that.

Gram said it was time for me to “find a nice girl” before she died. Hell, maybe she’s right – but there’s no nice girls around here. At least, none that are capable of seeing past my dick. I’m pretty sure that’s the number one reason Heidi keeps coming back.

I knock on the door to Lexy’s bathroom.

“What?” she hollers.

“Is Alec comin’ over?” I yell through the door.

“Any minute. Why?”

“I need a work out,” I answer.

“Jen get you riled up?”

“Always.” I turn away, knowing if I stay there any longer my sister will get ideas in her head. Hell, after my performance the other night at dinner she probably already has ideas and the fucking plans to go with them.

I slam my door, change my clothes, and make my way downstairs as Alec walks through the front door.

I motion for him to follow me, and he does without question. We pass down into the basement Dad converted into a mini-gym when I hit puberty, and I head straight for the punching bag in the corner. Alec stand behind it, grabbing it and holding it still for me.

I work out my frustrations, one punch after another, letting out my frustrations. I let out all her sarcastic comments, her biting insults, her hard looks, and her disdainful attitude towards me.

And as much of a git as it makes me sound, I’m not used to wanting someone I can’t have.

 

Chapter Seven

 

JEN

 

Lexy purses her lips, and slams her phone on the side, screen down. I raise an eyebrow.

“He will not leave me alone,” she grinds out. “Jayna is coming to the party tomorrow night because her parents know mine, and Adrian is her date. Which he keeps reminding me about.”

“Well give Polly a cracker,” I spit out. Lexy smiles slightly. “Your friends are assholes.”

“Yep,” she agrees. “This is gonna be a disaster, isn’t it? Adrian is gonna do everything he can to get under Alec’s skin.”

“Then we have to keep him calm.” I shrug. “Number one, keep him away from Twat One and Twat Two. Number two, make sure Bing is around because he can calm Alec down – failing that, smack Adrian himself. And number three, keep me around.”

“Why?”

“Because…” I grin. “…If Jayna tries anything I will go country bumpkin ninja bitch on her ass.”

Lexy laughs. “Country bumpkin against a city… A city what?”

I tilt my head to the side. “Do we need to put a “city” in there? Can’t we just call her Crayola in honour of her make-up?”

Lexy snorts, covering her face with her hands. She bends forward, her whole body shaking. I grin again, fighting my own laughter.

Honestly, I’m so bloody brilliant I think people would pay to have my sense of humour.

I’m just saying.

Lexy sits back up, wiping under her eyes. “Yep. Yep, we could go for that.” She nods.

Alec strolls into the kitchen towards Lexy, and wraps his arms around her shoulders from behind. He rests his chin on her shoulder, and her face automatically turns into his. I feel a stab of jealousy as I watch them together. I’m starting to really miss Carl – and as irritated as I am with him right now, I’d give anything for a cuddle.

“All right, Princess?” he says to her.

She smiles. “Yep. Just talking about tomorrow.”

Alec grunts, sitting next to her.

“Don’t be grumpy,” I playfully scold him. “It’s a party.”

“Yeah, well I can’t say I’m looking forward to seeing Adrian.” His jaw visibly clenches. Lexy leans into him, resting her head on his shoulder. He kisses the top of her head.

“It’ll be fine,” she soothes. “He’s not a bad person, he’s just… Used to getting what he wants.”

“Why does that sound like almost everyone I’ve met in this city so far?” Alec says dryly. I smile in agreement, amused.

Lexy sits up straight. “Excuse me?”

Both Alec and I raise our eyebrows, and she backs down, smiling sheepishly.

“Okay, okay,” she acquiesces. “But I’m not that bad. Anymore.”

“Unlike your brother.” Alec glances at me and smirks. My expression hardens.

“That is because Bing is an arrogant pillock,” I reply, mentally patting myself on the back for using one of my prepared words for him.

“She has a point.” Lexy shrugs.

“Off subject. Back to Adrian – remember that night at the Bonfire Party?” Alec reminds me, and Lexy looks down. I narrow my eyes at him. “I’m just saying I was ready to break his neck, okay? So forgive me if Adrian’s presence at the party tomorrow night stops me from looking forward to it that much.”

I sigh. “Like I told Lexy, if anyone tries anything, I will go country bumpkin ninja bitch on them. Sorted?”

Alec stares at me blankly for a second, and turns to Lexy. “Did you give her sugar today?”

Lexy shakes her head. “No. She’s just being normal.”

“I don’t think Jen knows how to do normal.”

I get up, grab my coat, and make to leave. I smack the back of Alec’s head as I leave.

“Ow! You-”

“Bye see you tomorrow!” I yell, grinning. I step out of the house, shutting the door behind me, and make my way to the bus stop down the street. My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I reach for it.

Carl: I have to work late tonight. Talk tomorrow instead?

Me: Can’t. Si’s party.

Carl: Right. Have fun.

Me: With Bing? Not likely.

Carl: What?

I smile slyly, tucking my phone back into my pocket. I know it was a petty thing to do, but I don’t care. Maybe that’ll get his ass up here.

A horn beeps, and I looked up to find a red Ford driving towards me. I purse my lips, recognising the car as Bing’s, and he pulls up next to me.

“Get in.” He pushes the door open.

“Why?”

“Because I’m heading your way, that’s why. But hey, if you want to wait for the smelly public transport and get two buses to your flat, be my guest.”

Ten minutes in a car with Bing, or two smelly buses. That’s actually a tough decision.

“Tick tock, Jennifer,” he says in a bored voice. “I have a place to be.”

I huff and climb in. “Is that a single, double, or kingsize?” I ask him dryly.

“What?” He frowns as he pulls away.

“The place you have to be. Is it a single bed, a double or a kingsize?”

“Oh, ha, ha,” he deadpans. “You’re fucking hilarious. Do you have your spot at the theatre booked yet?”

I pretend to examine my nails. “No, but I’m working on it. Rest assured, Samuel, you’ll have front row seats. After all, you’ll be my inspiration.” I smile sweetly.

“Are you doing a comedy show, or a pole dancing one? ‘Cause I gotta say, Jen, I don’t think much of your sense of humour, but the pole dancing could be a win.”

“The only pole I’m likely to dance around is the one I’ll swing into your head.”

“Feisty.” Bing grins. “Just how I like my women.”

“Oh, Bing, honey.” I shake my head. “You could be the last man on Earth, and I still wouldn’t be your woman. Trust me on that.”

He stops outside my block of flats, and I unbuckle the seatbelt. I’m about to open the door when I feel his hand touching my back lightly.

 

BING

 

“That’s what you say now, Jen,” I say in a slightly husky voice. “One day, when you’re done with your little boy, I’ll be there waiting to show you how a real man works.”

She freezes for a second, and I feel her back heave as she takes in a big breath.

“Asshole,” she breathes out, shoving the car door open, and jumping out. She swings the door shut and it slams loudly. My lips curl up in amusement as she stalks towards the main doors. She turns briefly, her blue eyes meeting mine.

I raise an eyebrow. She gives me a look and turns, her blonde hair flying with the movement of her head. I hear the shut of the door, and turn the car around, driving back the way we just came.

So I lied. I didn’t have anywhere to go, I just wanted to get her pissed again, but she did that herself. She annoyed herself by asking which bed I was in next.

I had no intention of pursuing her. Well, no solidified intention, anyway, but her reaction to me being with another girl makes me really wanna go after her.

There are so many things wrong with it. Carl, for one, but goddamn that girl is attracted to me. That isn’t my usual arrogance, that’s the flipping truth.

I pull into the driveway at home, climb out, and go back into the house. Alec and Lexy are still talking at the kitchen table, and I pass right by to go upstairs.

Tomorrow night is Dad’s party. Tomorrow night Jen will be on my arm, all night, for everyone to see. Tomorrow night, I’m gonna have some fun.

 

ALEXIS             

 

“You’re not gonna like this,” Alec says, worry all over his face.

“What? What is it?” I look at him.

“Adrian got hold of my number somehow.”

“And…”

“And he has bigger balls over text than he probably does face to face.”

“What did he say?”

Alec sighs, putting his hand over his pocket. “Don’t worry. I shouldn’t have told you.”

“Damn right you should have told me!” I raise my voice. “What’s he said?”

“Princess-”

“Nuh-uh.” I shake my head, pointing at him. “Alec Johnson, you tell me what he’s said right now so I can go and… Do something incredibly painful to him.”

Alec shakes his head. I storm across the kitchen, smack his hand away, and take his phone from his pocket. He stands there in defeat, knowing he had no way to stop me. I scroll to his messages, clicking on a random number.

I scroll back, reading through them, and they’re all full of subtle threats. My throat closes up, and I wonder yet again if Alec coming to London was the best idea. I close my eyes, putting his phone on the table. I turn away, trying not to let the tears break free at the words I’m about to say.

“Maybe you should go back to Devon,” I whisper in a raw voice.

“What?” Alec's voice cracks.

“I said-”

“I know what you said!” he shouts. “Why would you say that? Why, Lexy?”

Tears brim in my eyes and I shake my head. “I just... After those texts, Alec… Maybe it's for the best. We could make it work, right? You said it yourself before.”

“Is that what you want? For me to go back?”

“It's your home, Alec.”

His stormy, grey-blue eyes meet mine for a second, and he crosses the room to look out of the window. “My home is wherever you are, Lexy. You are my damn home!”

I look down. “What if it’s for the best? What if being here in London is tearing us apart? All this bullshit with Adrian… Maybe it's making this harder than it has to be.” My voice is barely a whisper.

“No,” he says firmly. “No. No way.” He turns, swallowing the room with his determined steps. He grabs my face, his lips pressing against mine hard. I hold his arms and kiss him back, feeling what he's feeling. Desperation. Need. Hope. Love.

Tears stream down my face as he pulls away.

“I fought for you in Devon, Princess. I fought for you for weeks, and even when it all seemed hopeless, I kept fighting. I didn't let you go then. I followed you here from Devon. You know why? I followed you because there's nowhere else in this world I'd rather be than right by your side. I'm here, in London, with you. Because of you. I don't give a fuck if Adrian wants to punch me in the face or run me over with a bus, I'm not leaving this city alone. Not ever, Lexy.”

“Alec...”

“The only way you'll get me moving out of London is if you're by my side as my wife, Lexy!” he yells.

Tears fall harder, faster.

“It's you. It's always been you, and it'll only ever be you! I'm not leaving without you. I mean it. When it's me and you, its forever, and no jumped up city boy is gonna get in the way of that.”

“It shouldn't be this hard,” I sob and fall into him. His arms wrap me tightly, and there's a desperation to the way he's holding me.

“Love isn't easy, Princess,” he says. “But it's what makes it worth it. Every day I fight for you because you are worth it. I won't stop, Lexy. I won't stop fighting for us. Tell me to leave, push me away, tell me you don't want this. You don't mean it. I know you. I know what you want, and it's what I want. Don't tell me I still have to prove it to you, even now?”

I shake my head. “You don't.”

He nudges my head up. His lips take mine, moving softly across them. “Then believe me when I say,” he whispers against my mouth. “...That I'll never leave this city unless you're beside me. Never. I won't let you go, Lexy, and I don't care who tries to make me. This is it. You are it. You are forever. Don't let him destroy this. We'll do it together, I promise. Just believe in it. Don't... Please don't let us go.”

I wrap my arms around his neck, and press my body against him, holding him to me. “I won't. I won't.”

He strokes my hair once before his arms circle my waist again. He buries his face in my neck, his lips brushing my skin. “We can’t give him what he wants. He wants me to leave, but I won’t. Tomorrow night, we’ll show him that. Just keep holding on, Princess. That's all we have to do.”

 

~

 

BING

 

Lexy steps out of her room in a long pink dress. She fiddles with the bracelet at her wrist, and I smile. For all our bitching, I love my sister.

“Well, she scrubs up all right, huh, Dad?” I wink at him. Dad smiles widely, proudly.

“She ain’t bad, son. I still think me and you got the looks, though.”

Lexy looks up, smirking. “Yeah, okay, Dad. And Bing? Your tie isn’t straight.”

I look down, seeing that it is. “Bitch,” I mutter, as she stops in front of me. “When are Alec and Jen getting here?”

“Two minutes,” Mum says, leaving her room. All our eyes turn to her, and it’s clear to see who the most beautiful woman in the room will be tonight. With her dark hair curling around her shoulders setting off her floor length cream gown, there’ll be no competition.

We watch as the same look we’ve seen a thousand times comes over Dad’s face. His smile widens, and his eyes light up. He steps towards Mum.

“You’re beautiful, Emmy,” he says, kissing her.

Lexy smiles, and I wrinkle up my face.

“Let’s leave the lovebirds to it, Lex,” I take her arm, and help her down the stairs.

She raises her eyebrows. “Who are you and what have you done with my asshole brother?”

I laugh. “I got the lecture earlier. Use my manners, be on my best behaviour, no chatting up the waitresses, no punching any guy that looks at you, and no swearing.”

She smirks again. “Third degree already, huh?”

“You know Mum. Etiquette is important.” I roll my eyes.

“Any chance of your trousers staying over your ass tonight, then?” Jen’s voice calls from the bottom of the stairs. I turn from Lexy, and look at her, almost stopping.

Her blonde hair is curled and clipped to the side, flowing over her shoulder. The teal dress she’s wearing hugs every bit of her body, and I can’t stop my eyes from crawling over her. She shifts uncomfortably, and I hand Lexy to Alec without looking away from Jen.

“What?” she asks. “Is something on my face?” She pats her cheek.

I shake my head. “No. I’m just wondering if there’s actually Jen in that fancy dress, or if she’s been swapped for a nicer model.”

Her lips curl to the side. “She’s been swapped for a nicer model, with manners.”

“Ah, so that means if I wind her up she’ll be nice?”

She snorts. “Don’t get too overexcited, Samuel. If you’re mean to me, I’ll still chew your ass.”

I smirk suggestively. “In that case, I’ll be mean to you all night. I might like it if you chew my ass.” Lexy elbows me from behind and I laugh. “I’m just sayin’, it’s true.”

Jen’s blue eyes glare at me, and I grin at her.

“I’m warning you right now, Samuel Edwards.” She steps closer to me, craning her neck upwards to look at me. “I’m wearing four inch heels which will be snapping my feet by midnight, so if you piss me off, you should know that I can, and will, stick said heel so far up your manhood you’ll need your crown jewels sliced open to get it back out. Are we understood?”

I raise my eyebrows. “Perfectly.”

“Excellent.” She smiles. “Let’s go, shall we?”

I offer her my arm, letting Alec and Lexy pass by. Jen slips her arm into mine, still fidgeting with her dress.

“Stop messing with it,” I mutter.

“It’s annoying,” she grumbles. I open the front door for her, stopping her just before she goes through. “What?” she asks, her eyebrows going up.

“Just leave it alone,” I say softly, meeting her eyes. “You look beautiful.”

Her expression softens, her face relaxing. A slight flush rises in her cheeks, and she smiles a little. Her eyes sparkle, and her grip on my arm tightens for a split second.

“Thank you,” she says with a slight cough. “You don’t look too bad yourself. Just make sure your trousers stay up, and you’ll pass for civilised.”

I go through the door with her, letting it close behind me, and smile slightly.

God love her defensive sarcasm.

 

Chapter Eight

 

JEN

 

The large hall Emily rented for Si’s 50th birthday is perfect. A huge buffet table lines the far wall, and there’s loads of tables in the area surrounding it. The place is already buzzing with activity, and I understand the fancy dress code.

All the women are wearing long dresses, or at the very least, dresses that cost as much as my university tuition for the year. The men are in suits, and most of their ties or bows match their wives’ dresses. Like Bing’s tie matches mine.

And let a seagull shit on your hair, does he wear that suit and tie like a pro.

Hey, Daniel Craig, move on over. There’s a new Bond in town, and his annoyingly sexy ass is standing right next to mine. I have to admit, as much as I dislike Bing, if I had to be saved from a burning building by someone, I wouldn’t mind being saved by him.

It’s the arms. They’re nice arms. Don’t judge me.

Lexy slides up next to me, sipping a glass of wine.

“This is fancy,” I mutter.

She smirks. “Mum likes to go all out.”

“Is this what you escaped being in Devon for your birthday?”

She nods serenely, smiling at someone walking past. “Yep, except mine probably would have been bigger. In Mum’s social circle, eighteen is important. She asked me if I wanted to have a party when we got back to London, and I said not in a million years.”

“I don’t blame you. At all.” My eyes scan the hall, and I find Bing standing in the corner opposite a girl in a red dress and a boy in a suit. I squint a little, and recognise the girl as Jayna, which means the guy with her is Adrian. I sigh, nudging Lexy.

Her eyes dart to the corner, and I can see the tightening of her jaw. “They wouldn’t actually do anything, would they?”

My grip on my glass tightens. “Well, her parents are here, but I don’t know so I can’t say. Adrian… From that day in the art store, I wouldn’t put it past him.”

Bing nods his head once, and turns to us, leaving Jayna pouting after him. He crosses the room, turning heads as he walks. Is it wrong I feel a little smug I’m here with the guy all the single women – and some of the married ones – want? No? Okay then, I’ll put my smugness switch on full.

I silently chuckle at my own thoughts. I need a brain to… Brain filter, apparently. Huh.

“What were you doing talking to them?” Lexy bites out, smiling sweetly in Adrian’s direction.

“I was telling him to keep away from you tonight,” Bing replies. “Don’t worry, sister dear, I wasn’t planning on whisking the cheap version of Betty Boop out of here on horseback.”

I snort. Bing glances at me.

“Something funny, Jennifer?” He smirks a little.

I look at him, an amused smile on my face. “For once, yeah. I never knew you could be funny. Am I rubbing off on you?”

His smirk transforms into a grin. “You can rub off on me anytime, babe.”

“I’d have to be very, very drunk to do that.” I sip my wine, and he steps closer to me.

“Then don’t take any drinks from me tonight,” he mutters. “Or I might just take you up on that offer.”

“Offer?” I raise an eyebrow, backing into Alec. Where did he come from? “What offer was that, Samuel?”

“The one where you get very, very drunk, and rub yourself off on me.” He winks.

Alec coughs. “Hi, remember me? The best friend to your boyfriend, Jen?”

I spin, tilting my glass towards him. “Don’t blame me for this. He’s the one that turned an innocent comment into something indecent!”

Bing steps back innocently. “Don’t turn this around on me, Jen. You know how my mind works.”

“He has a point.” Lexy finally turns back to us. “Rub, or any variation of the word, is a dangerous thing to use around my brother. He could turn a rubber band into something sexual.”

Bing grins wickedly, putting a hand in his trouser pocket, and rocks back on his heels. I can almost see the cogs turning in his brain, making a rubber band into something sexual, and a very small part of me wants to know just how sexual he could make that. It makes me slightly worried that I’m entertaining those thoughts.

But then I accepted a long time ago I’m not mentally normal, so I’m not sure if worried is the right word.

Alec sighs, shaking his head, but a smile is touching on his lips.

“Don’t look now,” Lexy mutters, looking down. “…But this party is about to get a show.”

“I’m not stripping, if that’s what you’re hoping for,” Jayna’s sickly sweet voice says as she and Adrian join our group.

Ooo-kay. Their definition of staying away and Bing’s are clearly different.

I glance up at Bing, noting his hard eyes and tight jaw. Yep. Their definitions are as different as sex with a man and sex with a vibrator.

“If you were looking for someone hoping that, you’re about three streets over from the Blind People’s Monthly Convention,” Bing grinds out. His head snaps towards Adrian, and I see Alec glaring at the newcomer out of the corner of my eye.

If there was any more testosterone in this room, I’d have to wonder if I’d walked into a fourteen year old changing room at the leisure centre.

“It’s no wonder you’re single, Bing, with the way you talk to girls.” Jayna glances at him with disdain.

“Who said I was single?” Bing raises his eyebrows.

Woah, woah, woah! Stop right there and pull your thong from your ass. Bing isn’t single?

What?

“What?” Lexy asks, staring at him. “You have a girlfriend? Since when?”

“Since yesterday.” He laughs.

“Yet you’re here with another girl?” Adrian smirks. “Way to start a relationship. Are you sleeping with Blondie too?”

“Your balls are still on my list of Christmas decorations for Big Ben, Adrian. Don’t push it.” I smile at him, my voice deathly calm.

“I thought I told you to stay away from my sister, anyway?” Bing glares at him.

“Jayna wanted to come over.” Adrian looks at Lexy. Alec steps closer to her, and I bristle as the tension climbs another notch. Someone keep heavy objects away, because it looks like a caveman needs a club.

I fight my smile at myself again. Damn.

“Well she’s here. You can always go and get yourself a drink, Adrian.”

“I think Lexy can speak for herself, Bing.” Jayna looks between brother and sister, and I narrow my eyes at her. So what if I’m imagining what she’d look like if someone accidentally tipped wine all over her head?

“I can, and I think it’s best if Adrian leaves.” Lexy’s words are quiet but firm, and there’s no doubt in my mind that wasn’t a request. No, she was telling him to go. I feel like I need some pom-poms or something to cheer her on.

“Lexy,” Jayna implores. “We’ve been friends for years-”

“Things change, Jay. I’ve changed. Clearly I’m the only one that grew up this summer. The only reason you’re here is because your parents are friends with mine, and the only reason they’re here is because I befriended the lost little girl in year eight when she changed schools,” Lexy says coldly. “When I leave this hall tonight, that part is over. Friendship is a two way thing based on respect, and rubbing yourself against your “best friend’s” boyfriend the first time you meet him is not, by any stretch of the imagination, respectful. You have your life, and I have mine.”

Jayna sucks her bottom lip into her mouth, glancing at me sourly before looking back at Lexy. “That much is obvious. No need to get your knickers in a twist, Lexy.”

Adrian’s mouth curls up on one side. “Yeah, your boyfriend might not be able to untwist them for you.” His eyes find Alec’s. “But I’d be more than happy to help you do that.”

I move at the same time Alec does, jumping in front of him. Once again, I find myself nose to nose with Adrian, and this time I’m more pissed than a mama bear.

“You have five minutes to make an excuse and get your sorry ass out of this hall before I put you out myself,” I threaten. “Do not underestimate me. I’ve already told you once. No-one fucks with my friends, especially not the ones that are like family. Fuck with them, and you fuck with me.”

Clearly not done, I prepare myself for the smartass comment that will come with the curve of his lips.

“I might have to carry on then, because failing Lexy, you wouldn’t be a bad person to fuck with, would you, Jen?” he whispers.

My hand shoots up. It meets another, larger hand. The fingers of the other hand link inside mine and lower it. I’m tugged to the side, and I find myself pulled through the throngs of people by Bing. He nods to someone stood by the stage where the DJ is set up, and they nod back, moving into the crowd.

“Who was that?” I ask as he drags me from the main hall.

“Security.”

“Security?” I realise he’s holding my hand. “Get off me.” I shake my arm.

“Nope.” He shakes his head. “I can’t trust you not to go running back after Adrian.”

I grind my teeth together. “I wouldn’t do such a thing.”

He looks back at me disbelievingly, and opens a door. He pulls me through it into a small room, and after he shuts the door, he lets me go. He leans back against the door.

I look around for another door. None.

“Let me out, Samuel.”

“No.” He smiles, crossing one ankle over the other, and folds his arms over his chest. It’s a dangerous pose in that suit, and as a bit of my anger at Adrian slips away, the anger at myself for being attracted to this prat grows.

“You can’t keep me in here.”

“I can. I have the key.” He grins. “You’re not going out until you calm down.”

“I’m calm. Who isn’t calm?” I shrug. “My glass is also empty.”

“You held your glass the whole time?”

“It’s Vino. Hello?” I wave my glass, sigh, and place it on the table behind me. I perch on the edge of it. “So I’m supposed to stay in here until you think I’m calm enough to go back out there?”

He nods. “Pretty much.”

“Yep. Because being stuck in a room with you is guaranteed to calm me down. I mean, why wouldn’t it? You are my favourite person after all,” I scoff.

He crosses the room, stopping right in front of me. “You might like me if you give me a chance instead of bitching at me all the time, Jennifer,” he says softly. “That wouldn’t kill you, would it?”

I look up, right into his warm eyes. “Probably not, but I don’t want to take the risk.” He shuffles a little closer, and I swallow. I might not like him, but my body sure as hell does.

Traitorous bundle of blood and hormones.

“What’s life without a little risk?” he whispers, his breath crawling over my cheek. He looks down at me with his dark eyes, watching me carefully. There’s a need and a want in there that I’m sure is mirrored in my own right this second, but I’m not prepared to acknowledge that crazy thought outside of my head.

There’s nothing wrong with a little risk in life. But liking Bing? That’s a risk too big, even for me.

My heart is thundering against my ribs, sending my blood thrumming through my body. I’ve gone from angry at Adrian to wanting Bing in less than five seconds. I’ve gone from wanting to kill Bing to kissing him in even less. He’s just stood there, not touching me at all, but I can feel him all over me. This is wrong.

But I can’t step away from him.

“Jen,” he says softly.

I take a deep breath in, and let it back out slowly. I cast my eyes downward, looking at the teal material of my dress against the shiny blackness of his shoes. The contrast is there, and it’s like looking at the both of us, and the feelings I have towards him.

I really don’t like him. He aggravates the living crap and then some outta me, yet when he’s standing so close to me, I wanna kiss the hell out of him.

His hand touches my face, gently brushing some stray hairs from my cheek. I look back up, letting my eyes meet his again. He shuffles even closer, and through the struggle to control my breathing, I’m overwhelmed with emotion.

Guilt. Want. Annoyance. Lust. Frustration. Need.

I know this is wrong. My head is screaming at me to move, my heart is crying out for a person that’s not here, but my body is frozen in place. I know I should push him away, insult him, and add some sarcasm in for good measure. I should ask him what the hell he thinks he’s doing. I should tell him to get his ass on the other side of this room and not come near me until we’re back in the main hall…

But as his face tilts towards mine, and my eyes flutter shut, I still can’t step away from him.

And that could be the very thing that is my undoing.

 

 

 

THE END.