Kat looked puzzled for a second and then she laughed as it dawned on her. ‘Me neither.’ Her laughter faded and her expression grew serious. ‘If you don’t want me to move in tomorrow, I’ll understand.’
All amusement fled as he realised the awkward predicament he’d put her in. He’d offered her a place to live and then undermined her ability to trust him. Whatever this attraction he was feeling towards her was, it was his problem to deal with. Kat needed him to be there as a friend and he would not let her down. ‘The offer stands if you want it. Just ping me a text in the morning when you’re ready to come over and I’ll make sure the door is unlocked for you.’ He stuffed his hands in the pockets ofhis jacket and took a step back, not wanting her to feel crowded by him in any way.
They stared at each other awkwardly for a few moments until she eventually broke the silence. ‘Well, I’d better get home as it’ll be a busy day tomorrow.’ She closed the distance between them and gave him a quick hug. ‘Happy new year, Harry.’
He held her close for a moment, noting again how slight she was against him. ‘Happy new year.’ He dropped his arms and stepped back. ‘Right, well, I’ll see you tomorrow then.’
She nodded. ‘See you tomorrow.’
The temperature was dropping rapidly and Harry paused to tug his hat out of his pocket and put it on. Kat’s cheeks were glowing and it was on the tip of his tongue to tell her to put up her hood against the cold. He kept his mouth shut. He needed to stop trying to take care of her and give her the space and support she needed to take care of herself. He was still going to make sure she had access to decent food – that bit was non-negotiable – but he’d have to be chill about everything else.
Chill. He could do chill.
Maybe?
No, he could definitely do it because whatever happened he did not want her to regret her decision to move into the flat with him. He’d given too many people too many reasons to regret something he’d done in the past.
There was no way he wanted to add Kat’s name to that list.
12
Don’t think about the kiss. Don’t think about the kiss. The heels of Kat’s boots beat out a rhythm on the pavement that matched the litany in her head. She slowed her steps as she reached the top of the path to her parents’ house and did her best to tiptoe the rest of the way to the door. She unzipped and removed her boots, wincing at the chill of the concrete doorstep beneath her feet, then tucked them under one arm. It had been a long time since she’d snuck in, but she remembered all the creaks to avoid and made it to the safety of her bedroom. She’d barely closed the door before a stray firework boomed. It was loud enough to make her jump and she dropped her boots with a squeak of fright.
Whether it was the firework or her, something woke one of her parents because she heard their bedroom door open moments later. Luckily she hadn’t had time to turn on her light and she stood silently in the dark as more bangs sounded and bright splashes of colour briefly illuminated the room through the thin material of her curtains. She waited until she heard the telltale flush of the toilet and the click of a door closing before she breathed easier. Between the flashes of light andher familiarity with the layout, Kat stripped out of her clothes, pulled on her pyjamas and climbed into bed. She would’ve dearly loved to wash the make-up from her face and clean her teeth but the last thing she wanted was to risk disturbing whichever of her parents had just been up. Making a promise to clean her teeth, floss and mouthwash in the morning, she set an alarm on her phone, rolled on to her side and tried to sleep.
The moment she closed her eyes, her brain betrayed her and gave her a second-by-second playback of every moment with Harry on the beach. From the comforting warmth of his body at her back, to the beautiful sight of the moonlight illuminating the sea. That clean fruit-spicy scent that was uniquely Harry filling her senses as the heat of his mouth first touched down on hers. She rolled on her back and pulled the quilt up over her head to muffle a curse of pure frustration. The kiss might have been the most perfect of her life but the timing of it couldn’t have been worse. She’d forgotten how lovely it was to be held by a man, to fall into him and surrender to the excitement of that first lightning flash of mutual attraction. And to experience all of that with Harry of all people! A tingle started low in her belly and Kat clamped her hands over it as if she could chase it away. Romance was the very last of her priorities, even with someone as great as Harry. She needed to get her life in order first.
Kat rolled back on her side and tucked her hand under her cheek. The noise and lights outside had already stopped, but sleep was a long time coming. Too many thoughts pinballed around in her head. She had to make her dad understand she was serious about not taking on a second franchise. The only way to do that, she feared, was to cut ties with the business completely. But she needed her job more than ever now she was moving into Harry’s place. He’d expect her to pay rent – she wouldn’t dream ofnotpaying it and her fair share of the bills too. She needed to get that sorted out as soon as she moved in, makesure they both understood their situation was a flat-share and nothing more. She had some savings squirrelled away – should she just throw in the towel at Java Brava and live off those until she could find something else?
Kat sighed and snuggled deeper under the cover. The heating had gone off a few hours earlier and a chill kept sneaking down the back of her neck. She’d have to come up with another solution because she needed those savings if she ever wanted to get out of Halfmoon Quay. She wasn’t even sure if she did want to leave, not with her friends so close, but having the option open to her was something she wasn’t prepared to fritter away.
She had other options too, she reminded herself. Harry was right about Liam being a good source of information about the pros and cons of remote studying. And even if she didn’t sign up for something as long term as a university degree, there were still plenty of short courses she could take that would help her develop her writing. Keeping all those options in play was another very good reason not to start a relationship with anyone. She needed to be a free agent. Free to please herself. Yes, she liked the sound of that. Feeling positive about what the new year could hold for her, Kat closed her eyes and finally began to drift off to sleep. Bumping into Harry that evening might just have been the best thing that had happened to her in a long time. And as for that kiss… well, they’d both agreed it had never happened.
Even after getting to bed late, Kat was awake early the next morning and raring to go. There was no sign of life from her parents’ room as she slipped along the landing towards the bathroom. She was in and out as quickly as she could manage, stuffing her things into her toilet bag, which went straight in thetop of her case as soon as she got back to her room. Her pyjamas and last night’s top and underwear followed.
Five minutes later she was dressed and carrying her case out the back door. It was still dark and her breath immediately clouded in front of her face. Kat adjusted her grip on her case and began to walk. It was ridiculous sneaking away like a thief in the night, but she didn’t want to risk a confrontation with her dad. She needed to get her ducks in a row, work out exactly what she wanted to say and sit down with him in his office. He wouldn’t like it, but she’d done more than her fair share over the years. It was time to put herself first for a change.
Not wanting to disturb the neighbours, she managed to lug the case to the end of the street before setting it down. The wheels rumbled on the pavement, the sound seeming louder in the cold, still air.
It was too early to head to Issy’s so Kat took the long way round. After about half an hour she was beginning to regret her decision. Every building she passed was shrouded in darkness and it felt like the whole world was still asleep. It was only after she trundled her case on to the high street that she realised there was no reason to be wandering around in the cold when she had her keys to the coffee shop in her bloody pocket. Feeling stupid, she hurried down the road towards the brown and red Java Brava sign. Her hands were cold and she fumbled the key trying to get it in the lock. She was about to try again when her phone vibrated in her back pocket.
It was a voice note from Harry. Her heart began to pound. Why was he messaging her this early, unless he was having second thoughts about his offer for her to move in? With a shaking hand she hit the play button and raised the phone to her ear. ‘Morning, Kitty!’ He sounded his usual cheery self and hope started to bubble inside her. ‘And happy new year. Just wanted to let you know that I’m up and about so you can come overas soon as you’re ready.’ That was it. No mention of what had happened on the beach. Maybe they really could put it behind them and forget it ever happened.
She glanced down at the keys in her hand for a moment before stuffing them back in her pocket. She began tapping out a reply then reconsidered. Harry had probably sent her a voice note because it was easier for him to deal with than texting. She pressed the microphone icon and began to speak, pitching her tone to match the upbeat one he’d used. ‘Hey, it’s me! You must be a mind reader because I was just leaving Mum and Dad’s.’ He didn’t need to know she’d been wandering the streets like some homeless waif. ‘I’ll be with you in about five minutes.’ She hesitated and then decided to chance her luck. ‘Stick the kettle on!’ She sent the message.
Less than thirty seconds later her phone pinged. She glanced at the screen and grinned at the image of a steaming mug and a thumbs up. Seemed like emojis weren’t an issue for Harry and she tucked the information away as she pocketed her phone, turned on her heel and strode with purpose in the direction of the seafront.
Harry was waiting for her by the open back gate of the yard behind the restaurant, dressed in jogging bottoms and a thick jumper, his bare feet stuffed into an old pair of trainers. His hair was damp and curling at his nape as though still wet from the shower.Nope. Not thinking about that…‘Good morning, flatmate!’
He raised an eyebrow at the greeting before the corner of his mouth twitched with just a hint of smile. ‘Good morning. Here, give me that,’ he said, reaching for her case before stepping aside to let her into the yard. ‘Mind, the stairs are a bit icy.’ He nodded towards them then turned to secure the gate.
Kat hesitated for a moment before reminding herself she wasn’t a guest. This was her home now. Taking a firm grip onthe railing, she headed slowly towards the welcoming light of the open door. A large mat covered the carpet just inside and, noting the shoe rack and a pair of slippers waiting next to it, she bent to unzip and remove her boots. Harry’s heavier steps clanged up the stairs and he seemed to fill the entire hallway as he stepped on to the mat beside her and toed off his trainers. She moved aside to give him room to close the door, still holding her boots. Though she’d just reminded herself this was her home too, she couldn’t help feeling awkward as she wondered where to put them. From what bit she could see of the flat, it looked immaculately tidy and it smelled wonderful too. Something warm and inviting that made her want to curl up in a cosy corner with a book and a blanket and not move for the rest of the day.
Harry resolved the matter of her boots by taking them off her and putting them on the rack next to his newly discarded trainers. ‘I cleared a couple of hooks for you,’ he said, pointing to the row of them above the rack. ‘But let me know if you need more space. I’ve rather spread my stuff about since Carmel moved out so don’t be afraid to change things around. I want you to feel at home here.’
‘It’s fine,’ she assured him as she unzipped her thick coat and let out a little sigh as the warmth of the flat began to seep into her bones. ‘And honestly, you don’t have to change things around for me. I’m just grateful to have a place to stay.’ She shrugged her coat off her shoulders and he immediately held out a hand for it. Laughing, she gently batted it away. ‘Stop that. I don’t expect you to wait on me.’ He opened his mouth like he was about to argue, so she stuck a finger under his nose. ‘If you really want me to feel at home, stop treating me like a guest.’
Harry held up his hands with a grin of surrender as he stepped back. ‘Okay, okay, message received!’ One corner of his lopsided smile kicked up and his voice turned teasing. ‘Does thatmean you don’t want a cup of tea or one of the croissants I’m making for breakfast?’
