“April?” I clamped my fingers together under the table, trying to stop the sudden trembling that took over my hands. Of all the months to start an affair… Did it not matter to him?
Rosie had died in April.
I felt nausea rise and I had no desire to see my dinner again. Retreat!
“Erm, mum? If it’s okay, I might call it an early night. I have a headache.” I lied quickly, desperate to be away and abate the nausea.
“Of course, sweetheart, I’ll get the bill, you run along. I hope you have fun at your friend’s house over Easter.” She hugged me tightly as we stood up. I hadn’t told her I was staying with Tye or that he was now more than a friend. It just didn’t seem right.
“I hope you enjoy Lanzarote,” I really meant it. She needed her escape. As we all wanted escape. She also needed to put some weight on.
A couple of minutes later I was debating calling a taxi as I stood under the eaves of the restaurant when I remembered my promise to Tye. He answered on the third ring.
“How was your dinner?”
“Over, thank god,” I sighed, staring up at the orange streetlamps as though they were floodlights on a stage.
“Need a ride?”
“Yes please.”
“Be there in five.”
When Tye pulled up, I had finally fought off the threat of tears. I hadn’t let them fall for years over Rosie, so I wasn’t going to let the divorce start me now. As I climbed in the car, Tye took one look at me and his face fell.
“Ivy, what’s wrong?”
“Can we go back to yours, please?” I asked quietly, holding my breath and desperately wanting him to agree.
“You need distraction?”
I nodded, unable to phrase the words.
“Of course.” He wasted no time in getting us there. Once we had reached the car park, he pulled me out of the car and straight into a tight hug. I breathed against his shirt, just feeling safe in his arms for a minute and focusing on trying to make the black hole disappear.
“Ivy?” He pulled back eventually, brushing the wisps of white hair out of my face and behind my ears. “Do you want to talk about it?”
I shook my head. It was the last thing I wanted to do.
“I have a better idea, then.” He took my hand and led me out of the car park, interlocking our fingers together. As we reached the flat, Savannah and Sam waved hello from the settee where they were watching a film. Tye acknowledged them, but hurried me through the living room, fully intent on reaching the bedroom.
As he closed the door, he pulled me into another hug, his arms around my waist, mine around his neck.
“It’s just been a shit couple of days,” I murmured eventually as he dropped his head to the crook of my neck. “What was your better idea?” I asked, pulling my head back so I could look at him.
“You sure you want to know?” The corner of his mouth turned up with humour. “I think it would prove a very good way of distracting you.”
“Then yes please. Definitely.”
“Alright,” his face spread into a smile, his cocoa eyes gleaming. “We can stop any time, princess. You only have to say. Okay?”
“Stop wha – ah!”
I hadn’t realised he had backed me up to the bed – he toppled me backwards and crawled on top of me. His kiss was so deep, holding me so close that I sunk between his arms and the duvet. A jolt of excitement swirled in my stomach, then settled somewhere lower.
“This okay?” He pulled back a second, waiting for me to respond.
“Stop asking!” I snapped as I reached for his long-sleeved grey t-shirt, pulling it over his head to finally get a look at those tattoos. He laughed as he tossed the t-shirt across the room, coming back down to consume my mind with some very fun things indeed.
Chapter 14
“Why do you draw these?” Tye asked from our position in the bed. Our hands were interlocked, and he twisted my knuckles so he could look at all the ladybugs crawling across my hand. One of the bugs was doing a little pirouette.
“Just a habit.” Well, it wasn’t completely a lie. It was definitely a habit of a kind.
“Maybe you should get a tattoo,” he let my arm drop down again as he pulled me back towards him in the bed. “You’d stop drawing them then.”
I wasn’t sure what I thought of the idea, but I was prevented from answering as he drew me back into another kiss. It had been one very interesting night. Perhaps the best distraction he could have thought to offer, and I had loved every minute of it.
“Can we just stay here?” I asked as he trailed a path down my neck again.
“Hmm,” he growled against the crook of my neck, making me giggle. “I wish we could, but we’re heading to mine today. Remember?” He reared up from his position, catching my eyes with his smile. We had planned to drive back to Sussex to spend a few days with his parents over Easter before revision began. As nice a prospect as it had first sounded, now I just wanted to stay where I was.
“Oh,” I pulled him back down towards me. “Just, half an hour more.”
“What could we do in half an hour, do you reckon?” He whispered against my lips before he kissed me again.
I was lost in his arms when there was a sudden loud bang on the door.
“Ergh – what?” Tye raised his head
