Page 68 of Ghost Note

“I guess so, yeah.”

“Why? What’s brought it on?”

I thought about lying, but I was sick of that already. Lying to everyone, especially myself, was exhausting. “Because Danny kissed me tonight, and I hated the way it felt to know that, even if he enjoyed it for a second, it wouldn’t be enough to keep him in Hope Cove, and I didn’t like the way that left me feeling. Then I thought of you.”

“Jesus, Dais,” he said, blowing out a breath. “You don’t go easy on yourself, do you?”

“Apparently not.” I picked at some loose thread on the inseam of my jeans.

“Was it really because you felt guilty, or are you calling because you want someone to talk to who you don’t think will judge the fact that you’ve kissed the guy who broke you?”

“Maybe that, too.”

“Do you want me to come over?”

“No… it’s not that bad. I’m—”

“Fine. Yeah. I get that, but I can be there in a minute if you need me.”

“How about we meet for lunch tomorrow? If you’re free, I mean.”

“I’ll always make time for you, Dais.”

I smiled to myself, knowing it was true. “One thirty? I’ll take you to The Lobster Shed if you want. My treat.”

“I don’t need a bistro meal attached to your apology. Let’s slum it at The Hideaway with a twenty-pound burger instead.”

“Sounds reasonable.” I laughed to myself, knowing The Hideaway was just as expensive as The Lobster Shed. “And Ben?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for being a good friend.”

“I live for that friend-zone.”

With a small laugh, I ended the call, feeling a little lighter at having admitted that kiss with Danny to someone other than the two of us. I couldn’t explain why I didn’t want it to feel like some dirty little secret. Maybe I wanted to immortalise that moment in case I woke up the next day and thought it had been nothing but a dream.

I was about to jump off the bed and go to brush my teeth when my phone rang again.

“Hello?” I answered without thinking.

“Zee...”

My name on his lips left me breathless. “Danny?”

“Do me a favour and open your front door.”

“You’re… here?”

“Yeah.”

I kept the phone pressed to my ear as I made my way down the stairs. When I came to a stop, the front door taunted me, testing that pounding heart of mine.

“Before I let you in, tell me why you’re here,” I said to the white panels of wood he stood beyond.

“Because it turns out that you don’t belong to another man, which means I’ve got a small chance of making you mine again, and I’m not going to waste another second of my time with you when the only thing I’ve dreamt about for the last five years is making love to you again.”

I opened the door slowly, without thought, and the two of us stood there with our phones up and our eyes forward.

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