Page 53 of Can I Tell You Something?
I take a deep breath, drop my crust on my plate. “That I know you. That your words are just for me. That…”
He tilts my chin, angling my face up towards him. This close, his eyes dart back and forth and he tucks a loose lock of hair behind my ear. “That you’re mine?”
“Yeah,” I sigh. “That I’m yours.”
The silence between us is a luxurious space. I feel the warmth of his breath against my cold cheek. He lowers his mouth for a barely there kiss as his fingers twist around my hair, tugging my head back.
“Naughton,” he whispers.
“What?”
“My last name is Naughton. And I want to come and see you in London. Saying goodbye to you will suck. I want to give us a chance to see what this could be, OK?”
He believes in this. And his confidence makes me think maybe I could too.
“OK.” I open for him, and let the anxiety slip away.
Chapter 31
Hannah
Mumisfussingaround,tidying up bits from the day while we all hang out after a dinner cobbled together from the last of the leftovers. Ryan is stretched out on the sofa, while Cam and I sit on opposite armchairs, scrolling on our phones, occasionally sneaking glances at each other.
His knowing smiles light a fire low in my belly that doesn’t take long to catch everywhere else. I want him so much, and I don’t know when we’ll be alone together again.
“For God’s sake, Ryan.”
“What did I do now?” Ryan says, lifting his head to look past me at Mum.
“Why is there a condom wrapper on the floor over here?”
My eyes snap to Cameron’s as she holds it up for us all to see. His are wide, the colour draining from his face as he realises he must not have cleaned up properly the other day.
“That’s not mine!” Ryan protests.
“Well, it’s certainly not mine,” she says, hands on her hips. “So whose is it, then?”
Cameron and I stare at each other so long the silence makes me want to throw up.
“It’s mine…” we both say at the same time.
“What? Oh,” Mum says, looking back and forth between us.
Ryan is sitting bolt upright now, shaking his head as he stands.
“Wait…” I shout, climbing out of my chair, but it’s too late. He’s already towering over Cam, finger pointing in his face.
“Did you have sex with my sister?”
Oh God, this can’t be happening.“Ryan, wait, I can explain.”
“I told you to leave her alone. Did you fuck her?”
“Ryan!” Mum scolds.
“Don’t talk about her like that,” Cameron says, standing to face off with my brother. Cameron has a couple of inches on Ryan, but the difference is nothing compared to their levels of anger right now. Cameron takes a deep breath, but Ryan looks ready to explode, snatching the front of Cam’s hoodie in his fist.
“You used her? For fucking content?”
