I grabbed a couple of tubes of the most expensive lube and a jumbo pack of condoms. I loved what Callum and I were currently doing, but more and more I’d been eyeing his dick and wondering what it would feel like to have it inside me. If our previous conversations about my sexual desires were anything to go by, only minutes would pass between meexpressing an interest in penetration and Callum fingering me open. So, best to be prepared.
I hurried my purchases over to the till. The old woman barely paused knitting to scan them. Her eyes stuck to her clicking needles as the card payment went through. I was marvelling at what a painless experience buying the necessary equipment for full-blown sex with Callum had been when the bell above the door rang.
‘Please don’t be Bonnie,’ I whispered, desperately shoving the condoms into my bag. I blamed the terror of Callum’s sister seeing me buy sexy-time items for why my hand jerked when I picked up the tubes of lube. Before my horrified eyes, they fell from the counter and bounced in different directions across the pharmacy.
‘Um, not Bonnie,’ a nervous voice piped up behind me. ‘This yours?’
I turned around to find a blushing Kit holding out one of the tubes of lube. My face ridiculously warm, I grabbed it and bent to pick up the other. The action toppled the huge box of condoms from my bag.
I closed my eyes. ‘Can we pretend this isn’t happening? Like, can we wilfully decide we’re in an alternate universe where you’re not seeing me buy sex supplies?’
‘Yes,’ Kit said. Infinitely more dexterous than me, he grabbed the tubes of lube and shoved them, along with the box of condoms, into my bag. He zipped it shut and pulled me to standing. ‘Oh, hey, Aster. Nice to see you here, making no significant purchases at all.’
I willed my cheeks to return to a normal colour. ‘Hello, Kit. Nice to see you too.’
Itwasnice to see him, despite the last time when I’d kind of wanted to punch him in the face for hugging Callum. ButI was a mature individual. I’d take sweet and shy Kit catching me buying condoms over Bonnie any day. Even if that did mean I had to be nice to someone who I didn’t appreciate rubbing themselves all over Callum when my back was turned.
‘Down boy,’ I muttered as I followed Kit out of the pharmacy-of-forgotten-moments. Callum wasn’t mine to get jealous over. We’d said we were exclusive, but only for now. The thought of Callum with someone else—someone who looked remarkably like Kit—made me want to hone the power to rain fire down on the whole island, but I also didn’t want Callum to be alone forever. I would leave and his life would go on.
‘How was lunch?’ Kit tucked a scarf around his neck. His light brown curls bounced in the fresh sea breeze.
‘Fun.’ I turned towards the final row of cottages where the guy Bonnie wanted me to meet lived, not at all annoyed when Kit fell into step beside me. I might not wholly resent the guy who would likely usurp me in Callum’s affections, but I didn’t have to be all buddy-buddy with him either. I cringed when I remembered I was getting a lift back up the mountain with him. I needed to better remember my nemeses to avoid situations like this.
Kit side-eyed me. ‘You found talking to all those argumentative people fun?’ He puffed out a breath and I refused to notice how classically good-looking he was. He and Callum would look stupidly fantastic together once I was out of the picture. ‘I can’t stand meetings like that. I don’t like talking to most people. I think that’s why Callum tolerates me more than anyone else. At least I don’t make him chat to me.’
I felt like Kit was trying to say something with the wordshe was pushing past his beautiful lips apparently against his will. ‘Callum likes you the best, huh?’
Kit pinched his mouth together. ‘I don’t think Callum liked anyone much at all until you arrived. He just disliked me the least.’
Oh. I tried to reconcile what Kit was saying with the lingering embrace I’d caught them in. ‘Why would he hug you then?’
Kit shrugged, like me bringing up one moment of contact between two friends that had happened weeks ago wasn’t utterly strange. ‘I don’t get touched much. Sometimes he’s kind to me.’
Ah. This was an annoyingly familiar feeling. I’d been a dick. Kit wasn’t in competition for Callum’s affection. He was just a lonely guy.
‘Hey.’ I stopped walking and grabbed his arm. ‘I’m always up for a hug.’
Lesser mortals might need time to reconfigure their brains upon discovering someone wasn’t an enemy but instead needed a snuggle, but not me. I wrapped my arms around Kit’s middle.
There must be something about this island. Kit’s arms twined around my neck before I could blink. Apparently everyone here craved a good hug.
I nuzzled into the thick knit of Kit’s scarf. ‘I’m glad it was you who caught me buying condoms and lube, and not Bonnie,’ I said, because I couldn’t let a moment be nice and not ruin it by bringing up things I’d said I wanted to forget.
Kit laughed as he stepped back. ‘Your incredibly secret sexual endeavours are safe with me.’
I narrowed my eyes at him as we continued walking towards the sky-blue cottage nestled in the middle of thefinal row of terraces. ‘Level with me. How come everyone’s assuming me and Callum have slept together?’
Kit raised his hand to his nose, then shook his head. ‘Bonnie’s messing with you.’
That didn’t feel like the whole truth, but I let it lie as I wandered up the front path to Frank’s cottage. Bonnie had told me exactly nothing about him apart from that he was a keen botanist and he wanted to meet me before I left the island.
I knocked on the door and practically stomped on Kit’s boots when I stepped back. I looked over my shoulder. ‘You’re coming in as well?’
He nodded, not quite looking me in the eye.
The door opened, and thick grey dust exploded towards my face. Without thinking, I raised my hands and closed my eyes, willing whatever it was to be non-lethal and non-clothes-staining.
Behind me, Kit gasped. Gingerly, I opened my eyes.
