Page 44 of Silver Tears

I snort, grabbing a towel and moving up beside him. “I’ve never perved over you, Collings. Only in your dreams does that occur.”

He hands me a clean glass. “I beg to differ, Mills. I think you perve on me whenever you get the chance, but it’s okay. I understand, you’re embarrassed.” He playfully nudges his hip into mine.

“Your inflated ego knows no bounds, does it?”

“Nope,” he agrees, “and deep down, you love that about me.” He smirks cockily as he passes me another glass and our hands briefly brush.

“I need to stay tonight, but I’m not sure how I sort it with my brothers. Day, saw me leaving the party with you with a supposed headache. If I ring him and say I’m staying at Ruby’s, he’ll know it’s not true.”

Seb bobs his head, considering my dilemma. He pulls out his phone, putting it to his ear. “Hey, sis. Are you still at the party?” He pauses whilst he listens to Vee. “Can you do me a favour? Can you say that Mills spent the night in your room if she tells her brother she’s stopping over?” He grins at whatever she says to him. “Yeah, yeah. I know, I’ll owe you one. So, will you?” She must say yes because he gives me the thumbs up. “Thanks, sis. See you in the morning.”

He returns to the sink and picks up another dirty plate to wash. “Sorted. You ring Damon and tell him your headache is bad and you’re kipping in Vee’s room with her. Vee will stick to the story if Damon quizzes her.”

I breathe a sigh of relief. “Thank you.” The words kind of stick in my throat, but he has really stepped up for me tonight and he didn’t need to. I dry my hands and step into the living room to call Damon. He doesn’t seem completely thrilled that I’m staying at Seb’s house. I tell him he can ring Vee if he’s that concerned, and she’ll confirm I’m stopping in her room. That seems to satisfy him.

Seb walks into the living room and sits down on the sofa. “Does she have Netflix?”

I shake my head, unsure of what to do with myself. “She has a Firestick that I bought her, but she can’t afford any subscriptions channels.”

Seb pats the seat next to him. “Park your cute bum and we’ll sign into my Netflix account. Have you watched that new fantasy series on there yet?”

“Don’t you need to get going?”

He shrugs, picking up the remote and crossing his legs at the ankles. “I figured it’s best I stay with you. If she takes a turn for the worst, you don’t want to be waking Charlie up and dragging him along to A&E.”

I want to protest, but I know he’s right.

“Okay,” I agree, as I sit down beside him on the sofa and tuck my legs up underneath me.

“Are you hungry?”

“I could eat,” I admit.

“I’ll order us some pizza on Uber. Pepperoni?”

“God, no.” I grimace. “Just plain old Margherita for me, please.” He places the order, and we settle in to watch the show he suggested. It feels odd, sitting here in this house, which is a world away from what he’s used to. I’m shocked at how unfazed he is. I thought he’d turn his nose up at my mum’s home and make some joke about how tiny it is. I guess I made assumptions about him, and he went and proved me wrong.

Before I know it, we’ve binge watched three episodes of the new show and devoured two pizzas. I have a full belly and I’m feeling tired. Seb notices me yawning and he pauses the television show. “Shall we call it a night?”

I nod my head, stretching out, and I don’t miss how his eyes linger on my exposed mid-rift. “My eyes are up here,” I jest.

“I’m aware,” he says with an arched brow, not perturbed at all that I caught him staring. “We can top and tail,” Seb suggests, standing to his feet and lifting his top off.

“What are you doing?”

He pauses and smirks at me. “I’m undressing. I can’t sleep fully clothed.” He winks at me. “Don’t worry, Mills. I’ll keep my boxers on.”

“Thank god for small mercies,” I mutter. I jump to my feet and head into my mum’s room to grab a spare blanket from the bottom of her wardrobe. I check on her while I’m there. She mumbles in her sleep and turns over on the bed. I falter when I step back into the room and Seb Collings is standing there in nothing but a pair of fitted designer boxers that show off his perfect thighs. “I grabbed a blanket.”

Grinning, he takes it off me and our hands brush again. I sit down on the sofa and pull the blanket over me. Seb shakes his head, laughing at me. “You’re sleeping like that, fully clothed?”

I nod. Feeling exposed under his scrutiny. “Yes.”

“Okay, Mills.” I don’t miss the laughter in his tone. Seb settles in at the other end of the sofa and I groan when I turn on my side and his feet are right there in my face.

“Ugh, I can’t lie here with your toes in my face.” I huff, placing a hand between my face and his feet.

He chuckles and wiggles his toes. “Why don’t we lie side by side up this end. Then you don’t have to endure my feet? Although, I have to say, my feet are fine.”

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