“Holy fucking orgasms,” Courtney says, staring at me. “Wow.”
Izzy whistles. “You’re not kidding. That is some panty-melting declaration.” Izzy licks her spoon before continuing on. “Who do you think would win in a fight between Grayson and Tyler?”
“Tyler,” Courtney says straight away, and she shrugs her shoulders when I glare at her.
“You haven’t met Grayson, so how can you be sure? Beside there will not be any fighting between Grayson and Tyler, because I told him in no uncertain terms that I wasn’t available.”
“Good girl.” Izzy says with a resolute nod. “Obviously, I’d always be team Grayson because he’s my man’s best friend and I love how he is since he met you.”
“What do you mean?” Courtney asks her with genuine interest.
Izzy ponders over her question for a few seconds, twirling her ponytail around her fingers. “It’s hard to explain, but he’s lighter, he’s more relaxed and he smiles and laughs a lot more than he ever did. Grayson hasn’t had many people rooting for him in life, but he knows he has Everly now, and it’s made him a better person.”
Courtney sighs and puts her hand over her heart. “Young love, hey!” Before she is distracted by the movie. “Okay, shush now, this is Swayze at his best.”
WE’RE ALL SETTLED IN and about to start our second movie when there is a loud knock at the door. I look at Izzy and Courtney, puzzled.
“Are you expecting anyone?”
Both of them shake their heads and I climb up off the sofa and pad in my slipper socks to the door.
“Jake, Tyler.” I say in total surprise when I find them on the doorstep.
Jake grins and rocks back on his heels with his hands in his pockets. “We were at a loose end and thought we’d call and see what you girls were up to.”
I feel Tyler’s eyes scan my body from head to toe and I blush slightly when I remember I’m in short bed shorts and a vest top.
“Who is it?” Courtney asks as she comes up behind me and peeks over my shoulder. “Oh, hey, guys. This is a surprise. Well, don’t just stand there, Everly, let the boys in.”
I guess it looks like they were coming in. In stunned silence, I step back and hold the door open. Jake walks past me and gives me a cheeky wink.
Tyler stops as he passes me. ‘Is this okay, because we can go if it’s not?”
I shake off my surprise and smile. “No, honestly, it’s fine. Go through.”
I mean, it was fine, right? Tyler and I can be friends.
Taking a deep breath, I close the front door and follow them through into the front room.
Jake has already thrown himself down on the mattress beside Courtney, and he cracks open a beer. Tyler is half sitting on the arm of the sofa and it’s then I notice the massive shiner over his right eye.
“What happened to you?” I ask him, staring at his swollen eye.
I see Tyler exchange a look with Jake. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
I gesture to the door. “Come on, you need ice on that.”
I hear his footsteps behind me as I walk through to the kitchen and pull the bag of ice out of the freezer.
“Sit.” I tell him and he jumps up and sits himself on the kitchen worktop. I decant some ice into a tea towel and I secure it inside by knotting the towel. Tyler watches me in silence.
“Here,” I stop in front of him and hold it up to his eye and he hisses. “Sorry,”
He smiles then, his blue eyes sparkling with warmth. “Thanks.”
“Who’s responsible for this then?”
Tyler grunts and frowns. “It’s a long story. My mum’s latest shit-bag boyfriend left. He left my mum to bring up five kids on her own and he also left a load of debt. Moneys been tight, so I’ve been doing some jobs for Doyle.”
My eyes shoot up. “Doyle! Are you serious, Tyler??”
Tyler sighs. “Don’t judge me pretty girl. I needed to make some easy money to keep a roof over our heads.”
“Doyle is bad news,” I tell him, shaking my head.
“I’m a big boy, Taylor. I can take care of myself.”
I have seen Tyler get into scraps before and he could throw down. I’ve seen him put more than a few guys on their arses in the past, but Doyle was a known local dealer. He runs most of the doors of the pubs and clubs around south Manchester.
Tyler reaches out and examines my pendant, turning it over with his fingers. He says the words engraved on the back out loud.
“Is this a song lyric?”
I chuckle. “No, it’s a quote from a classic book.”
Tyler smirks and looks back up at me. “Well, pardon me,” he says in a posh voice. “Did your fancy boyfriend get you this?”
I gently pull my pendant from his fingers. “Grayson isn’t fancy,” I protest, and he holds his hands out in surrender.
“Sorry. But seriously, what’s it like, living the rich life?”
I sigh. “It’s the same shit, just in a nicer house with nicer cars. Life is still hard, people get hurt, families let each other down. Money doesn’t equal happiness.”
He nods, listening intently to my words. “You belong in this world, Taylor, not that one.” Before I can register what he’s doing, he reaches out and snags my vest top in his fingers and yanks me towards him, his lips landing on mine.
What the fuck! I take a second to realise what is actually happening, but as soon as I’m over the shock, I yank myself backwards and stagger away from him.
“What the actual fuck, Tyler?”
His response is to offer me a lazy, self-assured grin. “I wanted to kiss those pretty lips.”
My chest rises and falls heavily. “You can’t just kiss someone like that. I
