Page 37

“Again?” Gio moaned.

“I’ll have a ride,” Cass said, trying the door handle.

“Yeah, go on, give us a go,” said Amelia.

Gio unlocked the doors, and they all got in. Sophie checked her watch and decided she’d better go. She didn’t want to be late. Actually, she just didn’t want to miss a millisecond of being in Tilly’s presence, which was pathetic but true.

“Tell her,” Jules said.

“Tell her what?” asked Sophie.

Jules glared at her. “Tell. Her.”

IT WAS ONLY five o’clock, but it was already dark enough that Sophie had to flick the light on at the entrance of the village hall. She’d just figured out which switch it was when Tilly came through the door.

“I’m not late,” Sophie said even though she’d been the first one there.

“Neither am I,” said Tilly.

Her face had flushed with the chill air outside and the contrast between pink cheeks and blue eyes was so pretty that Sophie was momentarily jealous that she had such dark eyes.

“Um, I was just looking at the light switches, trying to get us illuminated.”

“Right,” said Tilly.

This was going so well. Sophie gritted her teeth. How was she supposed to start this conversation? ‘Yeah, I know we nearly kissed the other day, but I freaked out because my brother drove by. Oh, and by the way, you know him since you’re investigating him for some random police reason.’ She snorted a laugh to herself.

“Something funny?” Tilly said.

Sophie bit her lip. “No.”

“Here,” Tilly said. She reached over to flick a switch on the big bank of switches and her hand brushed Sophie’s.

Sophie swallowed quickly, almost choked, and then started coughing.

“You alright?” asked Tilly.

She was close, really close. Sophie could see her through tear-filled eyes as she nodded. Tilly’s hand patted her on the back and Sophie found she could take a breath.

“You go into the hall and I’ll flick switches. Tell me when the lights are on,” Tilly instructed.

Glad to be able to step away for a second, Sophie did as she was told. She needed to be able to breathe, needed to be able to think so that she could say what needed to be said. She stood in the dark coolness of the village hall and waited.

“That should be it,” Tilly shouted through.

“It’s not,” Sophie said.

“Yes, it is.”

“Um, it’s still dark,” said Sophie.

“Can’t be,” shouted Tilly.

Sophie sighed and turned to go back out to the entrance hall just as Tilly came in. The door swung open, just missing Sophie’s nose in the dark, and then their bodies were colliding together.

For a second, Sophie clung on to anything she could, then she was holding cloth, then she was touching skin. Then her breath was coming faster and all she could hear was Tilly’s breathing in the darkness.

She didn’t even have to search her lips out. They were just there. There ready and patiently waiting when Sophie tilted her head in the right direction.