‘Look up,’ Charlie whispers.
I try not to dwell on how muddled I’m feeling and turn my face towards the sky. It’s lit up with the most breathtakingly beautiful display of stars. It’s a completely clear night and the field around us is dark and silent – everyone else is fast asleep. I still have no idea what time it is.
‘Thanks for being a good listener,’ I say.
‘Any time.’ He kisses the top of my head, just as I’ve seen him doing to April. My scalp prickles. ‘Come on,’ he says. ‘You sound tired. We should probably call it a night before we fall asleep up here and someone calls Social Services. The battery on April’s monitor is about to die.’
I don’t want to move from his warm, solid arms, but I force myself to sit up.
We meet each other’s eyes in the darkness. His expression is serious as he stares back at me. Seconds, minutes,hourstick past.Months, years, an eternity...And then my gaze drops to his lips and goose bumps shiver into place all over my body.
He looks up at me with surprise. I lookdownat myself with surprise. When did I stand up?
‘Whoa.’ All of the blood has rushed to my head. I’m confused, unsteady.
‘You okay?’ He sounds concerned as he jumps to his feet and takes hold of my arm. It’s like an electric shock to my skin and I quickly step away.
‘Yep.’ I feign nonchalance. ‘Doing my best not to fall over and roll down to the bottom.’ I laugh uneasily. ‘That would be embarrassing.’
‘Or fun,’ he teases.
‘Don’t tempt me.’
He laughs as we pick up our things and set off downhill.
Chapter 31
Charlie answers a call from Kate as we’re going through his front door the following morning.
‘I’ve been calling the landline,’ I hear her say. ‘Your mobile was going straight to voicemail.’ I can tell she sounds accusatory, even from where I’m standing.
‘I’ve been out,’ he says. ‘April and I have just got back.’
I wonder what Nicki’s sister would say if he told her he’d stayed the night at my campsite. I have a feeling it wouldn’t go down too well.
Fay has chased me for a detailed synopsis. She wants to check over my ideas before I start tackling the sequel in earnest, so I spend most of the day trying to gather my thoughts together from yesterday. By the time five o’clock rolls around, I feel exhausted both emotionally and physically.
‘I don’t know how I’m going to stay awake waiting for Marty,’ I say as I’m getting ready to leave.
‘Where’s she going to sleep?’ Charlie asks. ‘Tent?’
‘God, no, Marty’s as much cut out for Tent Life as I am. I’m going to make up the bed in the roof space. She’s a short-arse, she can sleep up there.’
He looks amused at my description.
‘Sorry I’ve been so out of it today,’ I say. In fact, we’vebothbeen very subdued. ‘I’ll be back to my perky self by Monday, I promise.’
‘Are we not seeing you tomorrow?’
‘Of course! I almost forgot. Are you still up for that?’
‘If that’s cool with you,’ he replies.
‘Where can we go for a nice cream tea?’ I ask, hooking my rucksack over my shoulder.
‘I know a good place that you can walk to from the beach. The weather’s supposed to be nice. You could hang out there and go swimming, if you wanted to.’
‘Ooh, yeah, that sounds great.’
