Page 120 of Falling for You

As soon as I accepted the jobs from Stevie’s friends, others came rolling in. Before I knew it, I had enough work to last me for months. And enough money too. I moved back in with Mum and Dad to get on my feet … and now I’m here.

Living on my own, doing the job I love more than anything in the world.

‘Urgh, that’s not tea, is it?’

I beam. And Nate’s here too. He’s still living with Stevie, but he’s here all the time.

Penny thwacks him playfully on the arm. ‘You cannot be a proper Brit and not like tea, Nate.’

He loops a heavy arm around me and I snuggle into his chest.

Well, if I thought the universe couldn’t make up its mind as to whether it wanted us together or apart … it certainly made up its mind by the time Nate came home. Thankfully, it seems to like us together. Which is good for me, as that’s my general opinion too. He stayed in New York with his mum over Christmas, and sent me pictures of his Aunt Tell sitting with them round their family dinner table. But thenhe came back, to give life in London another go. To give us another go.

It’s all worked out, and even if the universe had any other ideas, I know we’d find each other again.

Because now I just know.

Nate: I will never let you go.

Prologue

Annie

Okay, I need to get you up to speed.

I squint as the strobe lighting shines directly in my eyes, bouncing off the sequined cape from my bat costume and creating a little disco ball around me and … well … whoever this half-naked guy is who I’m inexplicably attached to. I don’t mean attached in the way ofhow will my heart beat without him, I mean, literally attached. As in, my bat wing has stabbed him in the chest and ripped open his shirt and now we’re inches apart, pressed together in the middle of a dance floor. I don’t even know his name.

Oh, and I can’t get free.

‘Sorry …’ I shout for the millionth time, trying my best to bend the plastic boning of the wing out of his shirt buttonhole whilst not touching his bare chest. I can’t bring myself to look at his face; this whole thing is embarrassing enough as it is.

A group of dancers bump behind me, pushing me closer towards him, and my hand accidentally brushes his torso.

‘Sorry!’ I shout again and I can’t help it this time, I steal aglance at his face, just to make sure steam isn’t coming out of his ears. Not that I’d blame him. But he doesn’t look mad – he looks alarmed (sure), but not mad – and as he catches my eye I see a flash of kindness. It makes my heart feel a bit fuzzy, until someone bumps me from behind again and something cold splashes down my back.

‘Argh!’ I squeal, instinctively leaping forward.

‘Here,’ he shouts back, making his voice loud enough over the music. ‘I’m sure we can untangle it …’

Tanya is hovering nearby, helpless with laughter. ‘Annie, just stay still,’ she says. ‘The more you move, the worse it’ll get.’ But I hardly register her, transfixed by the man staring down at me.

He takes my hand and together we start bending the plastic to try and free it from the loop of his buttonhole. His hands are firm, and they fold around mine with no awkwardness at all. Like they’ve held my hand a thousand times before. My eyes flick up to his face – he’s so focused on the task in hand that he doesn’t notice – and I smile. He has a beard that skims across his strong jawline and behind his mask I can make out his dark eyes.

I gasp as with one finalcrackof my wing, we burst free. We both spring backwards and I laugh awkwardly as we look at each other.

‘I’m so sorry, did I break your costume?’ he asks.

I look down and wince at my bent wing. ‘No, it’s my fault – I should have checked before opening them. Are you okay?’

For a moment, he just stands there with his shirt stillundone, until he realises his chest is bare and quickly turns away, swearing to himself.

As the music fades into another song, I catch his accent.

‘Are you American?’ I ask.

He turns back towards me, his shirt now fully buttoned up. He takes in my outfit, his eyebrows raising.

‘Yeah … and are you a … bat?’