Page 17

“Roman and Avery.”
“It looks like they weren’t doing their jobs. You wouldn’t have got that picture in the first place!” Kieran growled, but he kept his cool.
I just gave a little shrug. “Don’t blame them. It came in the post.” I started to cry, and my vision got blurry. “Can we forget about this for now? I just want to forget.”
Kieran gave me a little nod and a smile. “Let’s play twenty questions!”
I shot him a sideways glance and slowly nodded at the game he’d picked. “Okay?”
Just to let you know, I’ve got a few more things to add.
I snorted and started laughing like crazy. I grabbed the sides of my stomach, trying to keep it together, but I couldn’t.
Kieran laughed, amused. “What? What’s so funny?”
I snorted again. “Your favourite animal is a dolphin?”
“What’s so wrong with that?” He asked, and it was obvious he was offended.
I stuck out my chest and lowered the pitch in my voice in an attempt to sound manly, but it didn’t really work. “Oh, hi, I’m Kieran! Macho, manly, and not to mention, I love dolphins!”
I couldn’t stop laughing, I was even snorting. I didn’t like the sound of my laugh, but I couldn’t help it. Playing twenty questions was actually a blast. I found out that Kieran liked bacon, his favourite fruits were tangerines, his favourite colour was green, and he hated Chuck E. Cheese, saying it was an ugly rat and a stupid idea for a mascot in a kids’ place.
He found out that teal was my favourite colour, I hate snakes and metal music, bees are annoying and that I’m obsessed with lemonade. He also found out I love charm bracelets.
To be honest, being with Kieran wasn’t too bad. He was actually pretty good company when he wasn’t being full of himself.
“So, you’re finally owning up to the truth. That I’m macho and manly,” he boasted, flexing his biceps. The moment was good, but it didn’t last.
I rolled my eyes and laughed again, hugging my jacket closer to me.
“You want to know something?” Kieran said. He shot me a sideways glance. I looked at him with a curious smile.
“What?”
“You look way better when you’re not scowling.”
I gave a little smirk, managing to hide my blush. “So, you’re finally admitting I look good?”
“Never said you weren’t.” Kieran shot me a look, giving me a wink. “Can I ask you something?”
“You already did,” I teased, playfully licking my lips at him.
“No, really,” he said, scrunching up his eyebrows. “I met up with your dad a few weeks ago, and he told me some things.”
I felt really angry when I heard about my dad. He wasn’t even my dad anymore. He was just a father. He was just someone who brought me into the world, and he didn’t even deserve the title ‘Dad’. “What did he tell you?” I said, sounding clearly irritated. I looked at the fire, trying to take my mind off things.
“Look,” Kieran sighed. “I shouldn’t have mentioned it. I’m sorry.”
I groaned. “No, it isn’t your fault. It’s just that my dad is a bit of a douche bag. I’m being serious, though. What did he tell you?”
“Well,” he said slowly, looking at me to make sure it was okay. “I bumped into him and he was drunk. He asked if I knew you. He said he had to let you go because his wife was worth it. He also told me that your boyfriend left you for your best friend.” I was pretty down when I realised what had happened. “You want to know what I think?”
“What?” I was looking at a rock on the ground and my voice was barely above a whisper.
“They don’t realise what they’re missing.” I looked at him and saw that he was watching me intently. Everything about that statement came across as straightforward and sincere. I smiled at him.
“Cheers,” I whispered.
“I punched him, your dad, by the way.”
I laughed a little and looked up at him. “Seriously?”
His eyes twinkled again. “Yeah.” He looked up at the stars, sprinkling the sky, and slowly turned the stick so the marshmallow would roast evenly. “I could relate.”
I was shocked and looked at him. “What?” I gasped.
Kieran’s shoulders were sagging. It was the first time I’d seen him so vulnerable. His eyes were all lit up with tears, but he was trying to keep it together. His voice was quivering as he spoke, and it was also bitter. “My dad cheated on my mum.”
Kieran was visibly nervous, and I could tell he was struggling to admit it. I put my hand on his shoulder to show I was there for him while he carried on. “My dad was on a honeymoon with my mum once, and he found this woman who was half his age and apparently really hot,” Kieran said. “Since then and for four years, he had an affair with that woman and my mom didn’t even know. It was just after my sixth birthday and Lila’s, too. That’s when my dad told my mum he was going to have another baby with someone else. My mum was in tears, but even more so because she had news too.”
He started crying and I held his hand to comfort him while I got a bit closer. I was amazed to hear this. And let’s not even mention Kieran. “So it turns out she’s got cancer. She died six years ago on my eleventh birthday,” he said, his voice cracking. I could feel the hot tears rolling down my own cheek. “I think that was probably the worst birthday anyone could ever have. After she died, all my dad wanted was for us to be what he wanted us to be. I don’t even know who I am anymore.” I was pretty surprised to find out that our fathers had so much in common.
“Kieran, you’re you. Don’t let anyone change that,” I whispered to him, since he was close to me. Then, I gave a little smile. “To be honest, I find your arrogant smirk and annoying ways are some things I wouldn’t want you to change.”
He looked at me and smiled. His hand came up to my face, and his rough thumb rubbed away my tears. He also rubbed away the crease forming in between my eyebrows as I scrunched it up in anger. “You shouldn’t do that. It makes you get wrinkles faster,” he said.
I laughed, but stopped when I felt him standing so close. I could always smell him before he said a word – that amazing woodsy, subtle sweet smell that always made my mouth water. His body was warm and close to mine and his fingers were still tangled with mine. The other was still holding my cheek. I watched as his blue eyes darted from my eyes to my lips and back to my eyes again. I couldn’t help but notice his lips too. It was so full and inviting, with a scar slightly marked on his bottom lip. He swallowed as I quickly licked my lips. He looked into my eyes again. “I know this might sound cheesy. But you want to know why my favourite colour is green?” I waited for him to reply. “Your eyes gave me a reason to.”
I could feel the heat rushing to my cheeks and I felt myself leaning in closer to him. He was leaning in too. My heart was beating really fast and it felt like it was about to explode. Every problem I had seemed to fade, and here sat the golden boy who helped me forget about it. His lips were really close to mine now and I couldn’t help but gulp in nervousness. Just for a few seconds, I would have those lips for myself.
That’s when I heard the super loud shriek coming from inside the house, which made me jump out of Kieran’s arms. I got to my feet quickly.
He blinked a couple of times and I giggled, but in a nervous way. “Lila is a really loud screamer.”
Kieran looked away and rubbed the back of his neck, laughing nervously too. “That was Cruz.”
I would have died of laughter by now, but it was a bit of an awkward moment. I was so close to kissing those lips! So close! Those are full and amazing –
No way! I told myself not to think like that.
I backed away slowly, pretending to look at a watch on my wrist that wasn’t there. “Oh, look at the time! It’s getting late! Hey, could you tell Lila I said well done? Bye!”
“Yeah, sure,” Kieran muttered, trying to take his mind off things with the stick in his hands. He still avoided eye contact while I laughed, but I could see I was nervous.
I jumped in my car and drove home, trying not to think about how fast my heart was beating.
Just to let you know, I’ve updated the document with the latest info.
I rushed into my room after getting back and locked the door, hoping Elias would shut up about my meeting with my ‘boyfriend’. That just made me even more annoyed, if that’s possible. I was leaning against the white door, holding my heart tight – it was still going at full speed, replaying the night I spent with Kieran.
I felt like my heart was going to explode at any moment. What’s going on here? I shouldn’t be feeling this way. I promised myself that!