Page 14 of Heart Match

‘Almost all the time,’ I say.

He fixes his surreal blue eyes on mine as he sucks in a breath.

‘Lucky boyfriend,’ he says to my despair.

Oh God.

‘Do you think you’d be here if I had a boyfriend?’

He smirks with my question.

‘I don’t know. Do you have a boyfriend?’

‘I don’t do boyfriends and serious relationships.’

‘Oh?’ he raises an eyebrow inquisitively, as if I just challenged him on a bet.

‘Do you have a girlfriend?’

‘Do you think I’d be here if I had one?’ He’s serious, throwing my own question back at me.

‘Would you?’

‘I’ve been single for the past two years.’

‘And I for the past three.’

‘I thought you didn’t do serious relationships,’ he mocks.

How did this conversation become so intense?

‘Not anymore,’ I say, and for a long minute we hold each other’s gazes, until I can’t take it anymore of the heat building up in my inner thighs and climbing all the way up my neck.

Chapter Four

‘Popcorn?’

I have no idea where that came from, but it worked to break the moment.

‘Sure.’

Fuck. He needs to go.

I know when I shouldn’t get involved. Luc makes me feel out of control, and I hate not being in control, especially over my emotions, and apparently my wobbly legs too.

As I prepare the popcorn, he steps onto the balcony. From the kitchen I have the perfect view to the living room and the balcony, where he’s now quiet, leaning on the railing watching London’s skyline just as the sun has sat. He looks tired. I join him as soon as the popcorn’s ready.

My balcony is my favourite place in my flat in the summer months. I’m proud of how I decorated it. It’s cosy and comfy and inviting. Big pillows, old wine racks and throw blankets make up the lounge seating area on one corner. Next to it there’s a small table with the season’s flowers and enough space for me to put glasses and the books I’m currently reading. Oversized plants and candle holders are on the floor in the opposite corner. Magical lights hang from the ceiling, and the view to London’s skyline is my favourite part.

I turn on the little lights, as it’s already dark outside. I offer him the bowl and he takes a handful of popcorn. We sit on the cosy couch, him on the corner, me right next to him, so that if he needs to get out I need to get out first. We prop our feet up on the balcony railing as we lay on our backs. Funny how it feels so comfortable and not one bit strange to do this with Luc, even though we just met.

The only thing between us is the popcorn bowl, sometimes not even that, as our hands lightly touch each other when we both reach for some more at the same time. We both lay there in silence—other than the cracking of popcorn in our mouths and the traffic below—looking up at the horizon that now has completely changed colour to black.

‘So how come you don’t do boyfriends? Bad broken heart?’ he asks turning his face sideways to look me in the eyes as he runs his fingers through his hair, messing it enough to make my jaw hang for a brief moment.

‘Yeah. I guess you can say that,’ I say, hoping he won’t press the subject.

‘Can I ask what happened?’

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