Page 33 of The Christmas Catch

It clearly hurt Morgan’s, too. “Me? What did I do?”

Ali’s cheeks heated at nuclear speed. If she’d been hot before, she was even hotter now.

“You just… You…”

Say something! Anything! Utter some words.

“You existed.”

Not those words!

Understandably, Morgan’s frown deepened. “I existed? I’m not following.”

She was going to have to say it, wasn’t she? “It’s nothing, really. Forget I said anything.” She pressed her eyes tight shut, hoping that would make the situation go away.

When she reopened them, Morgan still stared.

It hadn’t worked.

Shit.

“It’s kinda hard to forget when I don’t understand. What did you mean, I existed?” Morgan blinked, then moved back.

Ali tried to regulate her breathing. “What I mean is, I might have had a bit of a crush on you in school. Way back when.” She sat up, dragging the duvet and her dignity with her. Ali folded her arms across her chest, then brought her eyes level with Morgan. “Not now, of course! I mean, it’s 20 years later. I haven’t been carrying a flame for you all this time.”

Surprise flitted across Morgan’s face. Then her cheeks coloured pink.

Was she embarrassed?

Morgan should be inside Ali’s brain, she didn’t know the half of it.

She put a finger to her chest. “A crush on me? Wow.”

Ali covered her face with her hands. Why had she blurted that out? She wasn’t one for divulging her feelings to strangers. But that was it, wasn’t it? Morgan wasn’t a stranger. She knew her, and Morgan knew Ali. Plus, they’d shared something today. They’d made a connection. Maybe Ali thought by telling Morgan, she’d finally be able to frame her crush as what it was? Something from the past.

Very much not a part of todayat all.

“And I don’t know why I just told you that,” Ali mumbled, still not daring to move her hands.

She felt Morgan sigh. “Ali, look at me.”

It was the last thing she wanted to do, but it was also the only thing she could do. Ali swallowed down hard, then peeled her fingers away.

Morgan’s kind, ridiculously gorgeous face stared back at her.

She mustn’t let her gaze drop to Morgan’s lips. They were already in bed together and Ali had just admitted to liking her way back when. However, as she sat up, Ali couldn’t bring herself to look at any part of Morgan: face, neck, arms. It was all out of bounds. Instead, she twisted and stared at the heavy curtains, lined and blocking out any glare from the lit-up street below.

“It’s not a big deal,” Morgan said, telling the whopper of the century.

Her kindness did nothing to quash Ali’s crush.

“We all had crushes in our youth. If I tell you mine, will you promise never to tell anyone else?”

Ali stole a look. “Unless it’s too juicy.”

“I don’t know. It depends if you also had a thing for Ms Cherry.”

That broke the tension. “Our PE teacher?”