Page 35 of Go Cook Yourself

My swallow echoes around the kitchen, and she giggles as she reaches for the phone. “I’ll mute it,” she says.

She stills, and her face loses its flush.

Before I can ask what’s going on, she answers the phone. My hand is still on her hip, and I can’t stop smelling those strawberries. Fuck, she’s delicious.

“Amber?” Her voice shakes as she speaks into the phone.

The phone is so close that I can hear everything Amber says. “Before you freak, everything is fine.”

“And yet you’re calling and not texting. You never call without texting first.” The warmth has left her now pallid cheeks, and her body trembles. “What is wrong?”

“You’re freaking,” Amber replies.

“What’s that beeping in the background? There’s a Tannoy, too. Where are you?”

“Chill out. It’s nothing. Like really nothing, Ruby. I wasn’t feeling great, so I made a GP appointment this afternoon—”

Ruby raises her voice. “And you didn’t tell me? I’m supposed to be taking care of you while Kalen is away.”

“Okay, if you’re freaking out at that, then the next bit is really going to piss you off.”

I pull away, but Ruby grabs my hand so tightly that I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to knead bread again.

“Amber, I swear to God, if you don’t tell me what’s going on, I’ll—”

“Rip off all my Barbie’s heads?” Amber sounds pretty relaxed. It’s not helping.

“That was one time, and if you remember, you’d broken my Easy Bake Oven.”

“Accidentally, and you broke my bed by jumping on it.” Ruby must have been a terror when she was younger. I love that.

“Amber,” Ruby replies between gritted teeth. “Tell me right now where you are, or I’m going to lose it.”

I can testify to that. She’s still got that death grip on my hand, and her legs are shaking.

“I’m in the hospital, but I am fine. Absolutely one hundred per cent fine.”

“Then why are you in the hospital?” Ruby screeches.

“Because they insisted on doing checks. Everything is fine. It was wind. Don’t comment.” Ruby opens and closes her mouth. “The nurse told me that there aren’t any issues, but we have to wait for my gynaecologist to sign me off to go home, and she’s trying to get down the country because she’s stuck up north in an accident or something.”

“Can’t another doctor do it?”

“You’d think so, but Kalen, in all his wisdom, had it written into my private healthcare plan that if I come in with any issues, I must be seen by the gynaecologistandmidwife. It’s probably a guilt thing because he’s not with me. After all, the insurance premiums to have this healthcare are ridiculous, but I don’t dare argue with him. He cares so damn much.”

“I’m coming over. I won’t believe you’re okay until I’m in front of you.”

But she’s not safe to drive. Amber can’t see how her body shakes with adrenaline, but I can.

“I’ll drive,” I whisper.

She stares at me while Amber makes her swear she won’t tell their parents. “Swear it, Ruby.”

Ruby nods at me and mouths,Thank you.

“Swear you won’t tell them.”

“Fine. I swear it. I haven’t had the guts to tell them I’m home or visit them, so I certainly won’t be starting with this. But if anything happens, then I’m going to rip your head off next.”

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