Page 119 of A Lethal Game of Trust
Ready to show her off as mine.
She continued to fidget, asking me how she looked over and over.
In the taxi, she rested her head on my shoulder but was uncommonly quiet.
“Talk to me, little lion,” I said, placing my hand on her thigh.
“What if this doesn’t work?” she cried, eyes wide with panic.
My hand on top of hers went clammy. She hadn’t said she loved me back yet. Her demeanour said she did, but her fears were very real and as much as I didn’t want her to fear anything, I understood.
“You’re having doubts?” I asked, pretending my focus was on the road.
“Not about you,” she blurted, turning in her seat to face me. “And not aboutpeopleknowing. Just… justIssyknowing.”
“So we’ll tell her last,” I said with a shrug. “Mum and Dad will back us up.”
“Your mum might not,” she grumbled. “She always takes Issy’s side.”
“Not true,” I disagreed. “She loves you.”
We were driving along the coast, down the high street. Being a Saturday night, it was packed with people crossing to bars along the beach.
“And I told you Dad has known I’ve loved you since I was eighteen,” I said, the words coming easily from my lips.
She moved her hand atop mine, threading our fingers together.
“Do you really think he kept that a secret from my mum for ten years?”
I knew he hadn’t, simply by the way Mum was so happy to see us being friends again on Issy’s birthday.
“Probably not,” she mumbled.
“As much as you don’t want to tell them, they already know. They’ve probably known longer than we have.”
“Known what?”
“That we’re going to be together.”
Her fingers squeezed mine and she lifted a knee to her chest,watching the people go past.
“I have some questions for you,” I declared as our driver pulled up at the bottom steps of the art gallery.
“Ask them,” she said, that cautious gaze flickering to me.
“It’s a quick-thinking round. I want your immediate response.”
She nodded, approving of the game.
“What dog breed are we getting?” I asked as I passed the driver his money.
“A rescue that can live with a cat, obviously.”
I chuckled as I got out of the car and offered her my hand. “Where are we going on holiday?”
“Algarve.”
“Nah, shark attacks.”
