Page 41 of The Boy I Once Loved

“Oh, really? And have you ever stopped to consider that maybe I’m quite happy to fuck them and move on?”

He chokes on his cider and frowns at me. "I know you, and you would want more. Besides, you said you weren't interested."

“That is beside the point. You can’t keep going all psycho big brother on any boy who talks to me.”

“Trust me, I do not see myself as your big brother,” he mumbles into his bottle.

I grab my crutches and try to haul myself off the sofa but fail miserably and end up half sprawled over Dylan. He grabs my waist and laughing; he steadies me. “Come on, miss clumsy.” He places me on my feet and he stands and passes me my crutches. “Where are we going?”

"Outside." I huff, still slightly pissed off with him. He follows me through the crowded house and manoeuvres people out of my way so that I can get through. We reach outside and he lifts me by the waist down the steps onto the lawn. Connor and Aria are sitting around a fire pit with some others from college. Aria moves onto Connor's lap to make some room, and Dylan sits down and pats his lap. I want to say no but realise I'll just be drawing attention, so I plonk myself down hard on his lap. He takes my crutches and lays them behind us.

"Hey, James, who's your girl?" Asks a cute Asian boy who sits on the other side of the pit smoking a cigarette gestures with his head to me.

“This is Ella. Ella, that’s Kim.”

Kim waves and I smile and wave back. “You playing on Sunday?”

Dylan nods. “Yeah, I think it’s going to be a tough one. Their team has been playing really well.”

Kim bobs his head. “Yeah, but our run has been good.”

Dylan strokes my bare arm as he chats with Kim and it makes me shiver inside. "You cold?" he asks and not wanting to admit it was him and not the cold giving me shivers, I nod. He has nothing but the top off his back to offer me, so instead, he wraps his arms around me to offer me some warmth. His breath tickles my ear as he continues to chat football with the boys, and I feel myself relax against his chest.

I catch Aria's eye and she is watching me with a smile on her face. I don't know how, but somehow, she knows how I feel about Dylan. She must see the realisation hit me because she nods and then does a zipping motion across her lips, telling me my secret is safe. I relax back into Dylan and enjoy the feel of his arms around me. Here, like this, I can close my eyes and pretend that we are here as a couple. That it is me he wants and not some mystery girl with blonde hair who I envy with every bone in my body.

Aria nudges me. "I need to pee, you wanna come?"

I nod, the two ciders have quickly filled my weak bladder. “You manage?” Dylan asks quietly in my ear.

"There's a downstairs loo," Aria tells him. He reaches around behind him to grab my crutches.

“What the?” He stands me on my feet and searches behind us. “Your crutches, they’re gone?”

I frown. “What do you mean gone? It was right there?”

Connor stands and starts looking around too. Dylan asks those sitting with us if anyone saw anyone take them, but to be honest, it's dark and we have all been chatting so it's unlikely anyone would have noticed.

“Shit, I’m not going to get very far without that damn thing.”

“Come on. I’ll carry you to the loo.” Dylan gives me his back, but I pause when I realise my dilemma. This skirt is short and if I climb on his back, I am likely to flash the entire crowd in the back garden my arse cheeks.

“I can’t,” I hiss quietly, “the skirts too short.”

Grinning, he turns around. “Jump up around my waist. I’ll make sure your arse is covered.” He hoists me up around his middle and he quickly pulls my skirt down so that it is just about covering my cheeks. He keeps both hands there to ensure the skirt doesn’t ride up. I wrap my arms around his neck and let him carry me back inside. Aria walks behind us grinning like a Cheshire cat and fanning herself mouthing ‘hot’.

Luckily, the toilet is empty, and he carries me inside. “You need help?”

I blush red and look at where Aria is standing. “No. Aria can help me.”

“It’s no biggie, I’ve seen you naked, remember?” He says laughing at my obvious embarrassment.

I glare at him and he just laughs even more. “I’ll wait outside.”

As soon as the door shuts, Aria is on me. “He’s seen you naked?”

“Yep,” I grimace. “He had to help me undress to shower because of this stupid thing.” I lean a hand on the sink as I try to pull my undies down.

“Here hold the sink and I’ll do it for you.” Feeling all kinds of embarrassed I do as she suggests and then she helps me sit myself down on the loo. “So, Dylan, huh?”

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