Page 9 of The Boy I Once Loved

I turn away from him and grab Connor’s hand as I jump up from the sofa. “Dance with me, Connor.”

Connor groans but allows me to pull him up and over to the makeshift dance floor where girls are grinding against each other hoping to catch some sex-driven boy’s attention. Connor grabs me around the waist and dips me, making me laugh. He pulls me back up and I circle my arms around his neck.

“Do you have to be so hard on him?”

I look up at him and sigh, knowing full well who he is referring to. “I don’t want us to be friends. Too much has happened. I have changed, he has changed.”

Connor nods, a frown still marring his tanned face. “He’s a good guy. He’s had a tough year.”

"Yeah, it must be tough,” I snort, “fighting off the girls and being the sixth form god."

Connor shakes his head as if he is almost disappointed in me. “His dad left you know. He’s living with his twenty-five-year-old secretary.”

I stop my swaying. “Wow, really?” My eyes look over to where Dylan is sitting concentrating on the label, he is peeling off his beer bottle. “That’s sad. His mum and dad always seemed happy and in love.”

Connor nods. “I know, right? He doesn’t talk about it much, but I know he’s found it hard.”

A part of me itches to go over to him and make that sad look on his face go away, but then I remember I hate him, and I pull that cage of steel over my heart. “Yeah, well, life is hard. We all have our shit to deal with.”

Connor looks like he wants to say more, but he must decide he has pushed me enough and instead he stays silent and dances with me. After a couple of songs, Connor decides he has had enough and pulls me off the makeshift dance floor back towards Dylan. He stops midway there abruptly, causing me to bump into the back of him.

"What's the hold-up?" I ask, peering around his arm.

Connor’s jaw ticks and he looks irritated as he takes in Dylan with his tongue down some girl’s throat. “Fucking idiot,” he whispers.

“That’s Dylan for you,” I snigger. “Thinking with his dick as always.” I pull my hands from Connors. “I need the loo.”

I hurry off upstairs and find a bathroom. Closing the door, I sink to the floor and rest my head on my knees. Being back here is harder than I thought. Old feelings that I thought I have long ago buried are resurfacing. Dylan stirs memories and emotions in me that I want to keep away from.

I empty my bladder and give myself a pep-talk in the mirror before I make my way downstairs. I stop halfway down as I spot Dylan and Connor in the hallway, deep in conversation. Connor looks like he is laying into him and Dylan stands there with a frown marring his beautiful face as he listens. I continue my steps down and Dylan catches sight of me and breaks into a smile.

“Here she is.” He gestures with his head as he swings the front door open. “Come on Ella umbrella, we are going on a little trip.”

I look in question at Connor and he just shrugs his shoulders at me.

“Are you coming?” I ask him, hesitating on the last step.

Dylan looks back at me and smirks. “Don’t worry, Connor is coming. I know the thought of being alone with me is dreadful to you.” With that, he storms off down the drive towards the car.

Connor gives me a sympathetic smile and ushers me out.

“Do you know where we are going?”

“Not a clue,” he chuckles, following behind me.

When we get to the car, Dylan has belted up and has the car started. He looks up at me as I go to open the rear door. “Upfront, El.”

Ignoring him, I climb into the back of the car and with a sigh and a shake of his head, Connor climbs into the front. “Just like old times, huh?”

I snigger as I lean back into the back seat and fold my arms. “The good old days are gone. We were different people back then.”

Dylan laughs, keeping his eyes on the road. “I bet you still sleep with a lamp on. I bet you still do that thing with your tongue when you’re concentrating. I bet you still love Harry Potter. We might be older, but I still know who you are and what makes you tick.”

I scowl at him in the driver mirror. “I’m not the same girl, Dylan. I never will be.”

We all sit in silence for the rest of the drive. He pulls to a stop and I sit up and look at where we are.

“Why are we at the park?”

---