Page 84 of You Had Me At Thirteen

I snort when Audrey rolls her eyes with a threat to kill me. But the grin on her face tells me she’s joking. I think.

‘Hey, Til,’ Wren says as he climbs onto the bench next to me.

Do I kiss him? Ignore him? Shit, I don’t know what to do right now, except Wren stifles any fear I had about us when he grabs the back of my neck and plants a kiss to my lips.

Emerson whistles. ‘Well, I’ll be damned. You two are together?’

My face flames, but Wren throws a stray stick from the table at Emerson who holds his hands up in surrender. ‘Mind your business, dick.’

Emerson’s face drops. ‘What am I supposed to do now?’ he says, dropping himself on the bench next to Clive.

Clive pats him on the back. ‘Up your game, baby.’

Laughter erupts again. Even Will laughs. And damn is he beautiful. I can say that, right? Straight teeth, strong jaw. Gorgeous dark blue eyes. If only I had more friends.

‘Funny,’ Emerson says. ‘You can all go to hell.’

‘Poor baby,’ Koby says, his lips pulling up on one side. ‘I’d be happy to give you some pointers.’

Emerson gives him the finger, as Audrey smacks his chest. ‘Be nice,’ she says.

‘Yeah, be nice,’ Emerson says. ‘I’m fragile.’

‘Is that what you call it?’ Wren says.

Emerson shakes his head. ‘Is this pick on Emerson day, is it? I’m glad you all find my lack of sex life funny. Can’t wait for all of you fuckers to go through a slump. Maybe Will and I will just go out on our own. Hey Will?’ He lifts his chin to Willis.

‘Speak for yourself. I do just fine, thank you very much,’ Will says.

‘What? Since when?’ Emerson’s mouth hangs open, leaving Clive to snap it back into place for him.

‘Since none of your business.’ Will rubs the back of his neck, and goes back to his phone, leaving Emerson to sulk until Clive grabs his soccer ball and drags him to his feet so he can show Clive a few moves.

Emerson is only too happy to oblige, and I’m happy sitting between Wren’s legs as he draws circles over the skin on my neck, planting kisses there every now and again.

Audrey and Koby are trying to swallow each other as Will watches Em and Clive kick the ball between themselves.

After a few minutes of watching the boys play, Wren brushes his lips against the shell of my ear. ‘I want to show you something.’

‘Now?’

He nods as he takes my hand, pulling me up with him. ‘See you guys later,’ he says to the rest of the group.

Clive smirks as he nods his head, and Audrey gives me two thumbs up. I’m surprised she realised I’m leaving, considering her attention has been on Koby the entire time he arrived.

I roll my eyes, then focus in front of me as I tuck my hair behind my ears.Breathe Matilda. Just breathe.

THIRTY-FIVE

Wren

* * *

‘Where are we going?’ Matilda says as I lead her into the main school building. I’ve been packing a semi since laying eyes on her half an hour ago, and I can no longer control it.

‘You’ll see,’ I say, giving her hand a squeeze. The moment I saw her this morning, my heart started doing that weird beating thing it seems to only do around her. I swear I need to see a doctor for the way she rearranges my insides.

Once inside, I open one of the vacant classroom doors and pull her in. Scanning the hallway to make sure we haven’t been caught, I close the door, but keep the lights off.

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