Page 11 of Strawberry Moon
“Where do your parents live?” I ask.
“Just outside Holt.”
“It’s lovely around here. Why did you leave?”
“I bought the bookshop with my ex before he decided that monogamy and books together were just too much to deal with.”
“He was a mahoosive tool. Did you ever hear from him after he left?”
“He rang me a few months ago.”
“Did he? Oh my god.” I stare at him. “Was he trying to get you back?”
He laughs. “He made a half-hearted try but gave up when I said I wasn’t interested. Then he asked if he could stay with me while his house was being renovated.”
“Cheeky twat.”
“He is that.” He sighs, his face pensive. “My boyfriends have been crap.”
“Not all of them.”
“Name one who wasn’t.”
I bite my lip.
“Exactly,” he says in satisfaction.
“Give me a bit of time. I’m sure I can think of someone.”
“If I gave you the week, you wouldn’t manage it.” He shrugs. “Just for once I wanted to take someone home who wasn’t a complete tosser. Someone who my family wouldn’t whisper about and add to their funny stories.”
“The bar is set low, then.”
“It’s actually on the floor, but if it was up to the sky, you’d still step over it.”
I give him a startled look. “Flattery is your superpower.”
“I thought it was my ability to divine when you need tea.”
“Youcanhave two superpowers. I don’t think that’s being particularly greedy.”
A comfortable silence falls, and I look down at my book sitting innocently in my lap, the boring cover hiding the bright pink secret underneath.
I startle when he suddenly says, “The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire. That’s not your usual reading material.”
“I like history books.” I tighten my grip on it, as if he’s going to snatch it off me.
“Only if they have gory murders attached to them.”
“True.” It feels like Jared and Fiona are trying to burn my hands with guilt, so I quickly change the subject. “So, tell me about your family.”
He scratches his head. “My mum is Holly. She’s an artist and a little bit eccentric.”
“Really?” I say with interest. “I love people like that.”
He scans my face quickly, but his gaze lingers on my mouth for a moment.
I lick my lips, and he returns his attention to the road. His cheeks are a little flushed, and I realise my heart is hammering. Wow! Maybe Fiona and Jared are more potent than I realised.
