Page 10 of That Secret Something

“Yes.” I sighed. “Why’d you burst in like that?”

Her gaze softened, but her cheeks were tinged red. Was Rebecca Lawson…blushing? “Well, erm…I thought something might’ve happened when you stormed off like that—”

“I didn’t storm off!”

She grinned. “Jeez, Jess. You’re so feisty when you’ve had a drink.”

“Am I? I’m sorry.”

“No, no, don’t apologise. It’s kinda hot.”

The words pierced through the air, lighting a fire below my navel. Did I just hear her right?

Rebecca shifted, taking a step towards me. “I’m sorry for bursting in. I was worried…I thought one of the guys might’ve upset you when they picked you up. If they got too handsy with you or anything, just let me know, and I’ll sort it.”

Worried about me? Kinda hot? The room spun. Rebecca’s gorgeous face swayed in front of me.

“I’m fine… They didn’t upset me. That’s really sweet of you, though.” I let my gaze drift over her, taking in the rolled-up cuffs of her shirt. Her arms looked particularly pleasing. Strong. “You’ve been really sweet this whole evening.”

The corner of her mouth curled upwards.

“What?”

“It’s just the way you say ‘evening’. It sounds all formal.”

I swatted her with my hand, but she grabbed my wrist.

“And before you go all defensive on me, I think it’s a good thing. The way you speak, it’s so…disarming.”

Our eyes met, something sparking in the spaces between us. I’d felt this earlier on the dance floor, and here it was again. The warmth of her body. The soft curve of her mouth. She took a step closer, and I tilted my head up to look at her. I’d always liked that she was so tall.

Hypnotising green pools drew me in. Our arms fell to our sides, but she still held my wrist.

The sensation swirled through me. Electricity. Heat. A dizzy concoction firing through my whole body.

Oh, no.

“Listen, Jess. There’s something I should say.”

My gut twinged; bile seared my throat. A bubbling ache spread through my torso, and my hand flew to my mouth. Oh, no. Double no.

Rebecca’s eyebrows drew together. Her lips parted, but it was too late.

Violent acidic vomit erupted from my stomach and out of my mouth, coating the expensive white tiles and Rebecca Lawson’s shoes, promptly extinguishing any fire that could ever build between us.

In this world or any other.

II

Part Two: Four Years Later

Five

“It’s just not the right baby blue. There’s baby blue, and then there’s baby blue. You know what I mean?”

No, funnily enough, I don’t know what you mean. Baby blue is baby blue. I pressed my lips together, trying to summon the last of my dwindling patience so as not to create a murder scene at a client’s house. Mum was right; I should’ve gone into biology. Being a party planner stunk.

“I’m sorry, hun.” The woman scrunched up her nose, crumpling up the ‘It’s a Boy’ banners I’d spent hours making. I tried to keep a neutral expression and count to ten, like I’d seen on the internet, but Maggie Thompson was proving to be one of the most difficult customers yet.

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