Page 78 of You Float My Boat

‘Sorry …’ was the first thing he said. And his handsdropped from my face, but only to my neck where his fingers were twisting into my hair.

‘Sorry for kissing me?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Why did you then?’

‘Because it was becoming impossible for me not to.’

Well … bloody hell. I didn’t see that coming.

12. Charlie:

(The Violet Effect)

I lied to Violet.

I wasn’t the least bit sorry I kissed her.

I’d tried to be. I’d tried really hard. Most of yesterday afternoon, in fact, when I should have been listening to Gordon and the rest of my team. Instead, I was trying to be sorry. But it was nowhere to be found.

Eventually I gave up.

What’s more, it appeared my sorries had vanished along with any feelings of guilt I’d been carrying around – even though I reallyreallydid have something to feel guilty about now. But weirdly, this morning was the first time since term started I’d woken up feeling fresh and successfully managed to stretch out of my sleep without the all-consuming, churning sensation which threatened to choke me for the first minute of every day.

I was calling it the Violet Effect.

I slammed my hand down on the alarm, killing it before it fully pierced my brain, but even the shrill beeping couldn’t stop the smile splitting my face in half. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d woken up before it.

Yeah. I felt good. Better than I had in a long time. My muscles didn’t ache, even though they should after last night’s land training, featuring heavy weights andmore burpees than anyone should ever have to do. I’d powered through them with a renewed energy and strength which had me adding another 25kg to the bars.

It hadn’t gone unnoticed, but I’d shrugged off the raised eyebrows enough that no questions were asked, because there was only one answer.

The Violet Effect.

I could no longer deny it.

I liked Violet Brooks.

I liked how tall she was; the perfect height for me to sling my arm around her shoulder and pull her into me, so her temple was ripe for dropping a kiss onto.

I liked the way her hand fitted into mine.

I liked the way the bright blue of her eyes seemed to darken and sparkle at something amusing, or how she always worried the left side of her top lip whenever she was nervous.

The gruff timbre of her giggle, the way she was genuinely interested in what I had to say, her kindness, her sense of humour. The way she kissed me back.

I liked how her lips moved ever so slightly as she followed the lines on the page with her finger, because I could watch the little dent in her top lip purse and fall all day.

But most of all, I liked the way she looked at me whenever she saw me for the first time. It only lasted for a second or two, but in that brief moment where our eyes met, she made me feel as though I could accomplish anything.

She made me feel something I’d never felt before. And it appeared my conscience was okay with that. Ijust hoped my conscience would also come up with a good way to break the news to Brooks that I no longer wanted to fake date his sister. I wanted torealdate her.

Picking up my phone I opened Instagram, going straight to Violet’s page out of habit. There was one new image – of her at the theatre holding a script to cover the lower half of her face so only her eyes peeked out. It was all you could see – those bright blue eyes of hers – but she was nothing short of stunning.

Without giving it a second thought, I typed Y R U so HOT

Throwing off the duvet, I was too busy laughing at picturing her reaction to grumble at the cold blast of air the way I normally did before pulling on my training gear, thick hoodie and beanie. I was still brushing my teeth as I flung open the bedroom door and jogged down the stairs two at a time with more energy and enthusiasm than I’d ever had before six a.m.

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