Page 33 of Muddy Messy Love

When I peek through Beth’s bedroom door, I spot her asleep in a nest of chocolate-brown hair, her face half-covered by the chenille comforter.

Perfect.

On tiptoes, I creep to the foot of her bed and then throw myself on top of her, screaming, “I’m rich!”

Beth lets out a mighty groan. “What are you doing? Get off me!”

Not a morning person, obviously.

“Beth, look, I’m rich.” I shove my phone into her screwed-up face, and she blinks against the onslaught of blue light.

“Is that your pay?”

I nod.

“For the fortnight?”

I nod again.

She looks at me, then back to the screen, shaking her head with a sleepy smile. “Well, that’s—wow. Congratulations. Nice to know if this law caper doesn’t work out, I could try my luck at Mini-Bees.”

I huff out a laugh. She’s being kind. Beth rakes in the big bucks, as she well should. She closes her eyes again, so I snuggle up next to her, inhaling her honey-vanilla scent before blowing the hair from my face with a contented sigh. By the year’s end, I’ll have enough money to support myself through my first year of uni.

“You know what,” I say, kicking her awake a few minutes later, “I finally feel like everything is coming together. Like I’ll be able to master this whole adult thing after all.”

“Of course you will. Never doubted you for a minute,” Beth mumbles dryly. I meet her sly smirk with narrowed eyes, and she chuckles. “Okay, maybe I did. For a few, at least.” I swing a gold tasselled pillow towards her face, but she blocks it with her forearm. “Hey! Can you blame me?”

No, I can’t. Not even a bit.

“You should go out and celebrate,” she suggests, and I stare at her, waiting for that familiar dread to wrap around my chest—for my limbs to double in weight at the mere thought—but they don’t, and my smile brightens.

I plant sloppy kisses all over Beth’s face and ignore her cat slaps and pleas to stop until she’s suffered enough. Then, after declaring her the best sister in the world, I flop to my back and text Jen.

Me:

Hey, are you and Liam free tonight?

Jen:

Yeah, why?

Me:

We’re going out.

Jen:

Who is this, and what have you done with Avery?

Me:

Funny. I’m crying with laughter.

Jen:

I’m dead serious, but I guess it doesn’t matter. I’ll party with anyone. Where are we going?

Me:

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