“I bumped into her this morning and she wanted to meet Skylar, so…here we are.”
“So…I guess there’s no emergency, then.”
He looks quizzically at me.
“She sent me a message saying that she needed me to catch a mouse for her.”
He can’t hold back his laughter.
“Apparentlyyou’rethe mouse.”
“Oh, darling,” Iris says, appearing at the door. “What are you doing here?”
Niall laughs again as I roll my eyes and push past them.
“Don’t you have anything to say for yourself?” I ask, accusingly.
“Maybe it was just a false alarm.”
“Oh, please!”
“But seeing as you’re here, you may as well stay for dinner.”
I shake my head in embarrassment. I obviously wasn’t expecting to find him here, and I wasn’t expecting to see him again so soon. I still haven’t had a chance to process everything that happened yesterday or to work out why I never replied to him; to understand why I find it so difficult to believe that he’s really interested in me. And now he’s here, in my grandmother’s house, having dinner – and I’m standing there in my sweaty gym clothes and… Oh, my God. I actually care about the way I look in front of him.
“Hi, Ms Hill.”
Skylar’s voice brings me back into the present. “Hi, Skylar.”
“Looks like we’ve both been dragged into this.”
I smile at her. “I guess we have.”
“Come on everyone, sit down. Otherwise my special sauce will get cold.”
Iris disappears into the kitchen as I take off my jacket and set down my bag.
“I’m going to wash my hands,” I say, happy to have found an excuse to disappear.
I lock myself in the bathroom, rapidly washing my hands, and glance in the mirror. It’s probably best if I don’t touch my hair – I don’t think I’d ever be able to undo that damage – so I splash some water on my face and dab it with a towel. I take a few deep breaths then decide to go back out and join the others at the table. Iris has already set a place for me.
I settle myself between her and Skylar, with Niall opposite me. It’s a square table: ideal for two people, but a little tight for four. It’s impossible for me to avoid his gaze.
“Wine?” he asks, lifting the bottle.
“Just half a glass, thanks.”
He humours me, before pouring a glass for my grandmother.
“Don’t be stingy with me, boy.”
Niall laughs; even Skylar manages a small smile. She even seems to be fairly comfortable, and the sight makes me really happy.
“Where have you been tonight?” Niall asks suddenly, looking at me.
“At the gym. Your sister’s gym.” I shove a forkful of food into my mouth, his eyes still resting on me.
“You do yoga with Rian?” he asks, almost shocked.
