Page 56 of The Boy I Once Loved

I glare at him from across the lunch table. “Go on, laugh. Laugh at my phobia.”

“Come on, you are funny?” he says, winking at me.

I pull my tongue out at him and he snatches it and holds me there until I jab him in the ribs.

"I'm thinking we should set off about two-ish," Aria suggests and looks at us all for agreement.

“Can we make it half two? I’m meeting Kyle for lunch in town on Saturday.”

Dylan immediately frowns and looks at Connor, who shakes his head with some kind of hidden message in his eyes to Dylan.

“Why don’t you invite your date along?” Dylan suggests glaring at his food.

I fold my arms and I frown over at him. “For the last time, it is NOT a date!!”

Dylan smirks. “Does he know that?”

I roll my eyes. God, at times he is so damn frustrating. “Yes, he does thank you.”

I arrive at the coffee shop on Saturday ten minutes early and I order myself a hot chocolate and I choose a table near the window so that I can look out for Kyle. He arrives five minutes late, rushing into the cafe with an apologetic smile on his face.

He leans in and kisses my cheek. “I’m sorry I’m late. I went out for a few drinks last night and well, it turned into a late night.” He beckons a barista over and orders a latte and I order another hot chocolate. Considering he has been out until late, he looks good. His dark blonde hair is messy, but it looks sexy and effortless and he is wearing a white band t-shirt that hugs his arms snugly.

He leans back in his chair and grins at me. "I still can't believe how grown-up you look. Three years and look at you."

I blush and shuffle in my chair. “Yep, I’m not a spotty hormonal fourteen-year-old anymore.”

“No, you are definitely not.” He grins as he looks me over again.

“So, tell me what you have been up to?” I ask him hopefully steering the conversation away from me and on to him.

“I finished college and I got a full-time job at Mike’s as a mechanic. You know me, I always loved cars.”

"Yeah, I remember, you and Liam were always tinkering around with your cars," I say smiling at the memory.

He nods as he takes a sip of his drink. “What about you? What are your plans after college?”

I shrug my shoulders. “I honestly do not know.” I sigh. “I guess you could say I haven’t thought about the future much. These last few years have just been about getting through each day.”

“Yeah, I can imagine. He would want you to live your life though, Ella.”

"I know he would," I reply with a smile. "I just don't know what I want to be yet. I have thought about maybe becoming a personal trainer or a physio."

We chat for ages about my brother, and we share some of our favourite memories of him. It’s honestly really nice and easy.

I glance at my watch and curse. “Shit, I lost track of time. I really need to go, I’m off camping with my friends.”

Kyle insists on paying the bill. He follows me outside to where my bike is parked out front. “This was fun.”

"It was," I reply as I grab my helmet.

“It’s nice to talk about him with you.” He surprises me when he gently grabs my hand. “Ella, I didn’t just ask to meet you because of your brother though. I’m kind of hoping you might agree to go on a date with me sometime?”

I stand speechless for a few seconds as I am not expecting this at all. “Oh, okay, huh.,” I scratch my head with my free hand. “A date as in like...”

He chuckles. “A date, as in I find you very attractive and I’d like to get to know you as more than a friend.”

I nod. “Wow, okay. Can I think about it and let you know?”

“Well, at least it’s not a flat-out no.” He smiles. “You have my number but don’t leave me hanging too long, okay?”

“I promise,” I reply with a shy smile, and he leans in and he drops a kiss on my cheek.

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