Page 34 of The Boy I Once Loved

“We could go bowling.”

I lift my boot. “Broken ankle, remember. You still have your Wii somewhere? We could play on that.”

He ponders my question for a minute. “I think it might be in the loft. I’ll check with mum when we go down.”

We head downstairs when Stacey shouts us. I arrive piggy-back style and grin earnestly as my food is plated up and put before me.

I groan when I taste my first mouthful. “God, Stacey. You cook the best macaroni and cheese.”

Stacey smiles as she takes a seat opposite me. "I'm glad you like it. We have blackberry crumble for dessert too."

I look at Dylan and I groan again. “Can I move in permanently?”

Stacey laughs. “I think your mum would miss you too much to allow that to happen.”

“Doubt it,” I scoff.

Stacey and Dylan exchange a look and clearing her throat, she changes the subject. “Ella, we are having a barbeque on Saturday for Charlie’s birthday. I hope you can make it?”

I nod. “Sure, I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Where is he anyway?” I ask, only just realising he isn’t eating with us.

“Oh, he’s at his Dad’s tonight,” Stacey informs me.

I look at Dylan. “Did you not want to go?”

My answer is a deep frown from Dylan. “No. I want nothing to do with him.”

Stacey looks down at her plate and looks like she might cry. "I'll have to help you with your shower straight after tea Ella, as I'm off to boot camp class tonight."

I nod, wincing inside. You could cut the atmosphere with a knife. “Yeah, that is fine, thank you.”

Dylan’s phone rings again and his mum frowns at him and reminds him about having phones at the dinner table. He silences it, but it rings again.

“Sorry,” he tells his mum sheepishly as he lifts it to his ear. “Yeah?”

"No, not tonight. I have plans." He shuffles in his seat, looking uncomfortable. "As I said, I'm busy. I've gotta go. Bye."

“Freya?” I ask, and he nods and rolls his eyes.

"Freya fancies Dylan," I tell his mum, grinning.

Dylan shrugs his shoulders and winks at us both. “I can’t help it if the girl’s all find irresistible.”

Dylan leaves us alone while Stacey helps me shower and dress, although he doesn’t go without lots of protests and pouting. God knows why he would want to help me. I mean, who wants to see their best friends’ bits?

“How is it going with your mum?” Stacey asks me as she helps me into some pyjama shorts, which also happen to be perhaps the shortest pair I own. I’m going to kill Dylan for picking these out!

“I haven’t really seen much of her to be honest, not with her working nights.”

Stacey nods as she puts a bed sock on my good foot. “She’s doing really well, you know. She missed not having you around.”

I snigger. “I’m pretty sure she was too drunk to notice I wasn’t around.”

Stacey comes and sits beside me on the guest bed. “Just don’t be too hard on her, okay? You only have each other now.” She wraps an arm around my shoulder and squeezes me. “Maybe you and Dylan are too old to be sharing the same bed now?”

I laugh, blushing. “We’re just friends. We wouldn’t you know...”

“I have been young once, you know?” Stacey laughs. “In fact, in my head, I still think I’m fifteen.”

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