‘It was like a jumble sale in your boot,’ he gripes.
‘I was cold in the middle of the night. I was just dragging on what I could find. Didn’t exactly have a chance to repack neatly. Thank you for bringing my car back.’
‘Should make your getaway easier.’
I frown at him. ‘I’m not going anywhere. Not unless you pick me up and— Actually, forget I said that. I don’t want to give you any ideas.’
He’s perfectly capable of picking me up and putting me wherever he wants to. Ash 3.0 is built like a Marvel superhero.
And there it is: his lips curving upwards at the corners.
‘Aha!’ I shout, pointing at his face.
‘What?’
‘I just saw a smile under that beard!’
‘That wasn’t a smile, it was a smirk.’
‘Whatever. I’ll take it.’
He returns to flipping bacon.
‘Are you hungry?’ he asks in a low murmur.
‘Famished. What can I do?’
‘Sit down. There’s not really room for two in this kitchen.’
‘Rubbish.’ I get up and slip into the space between the right-hand side of his body and the counter, reaching up to the shelf to bring down his two aluminium plates. ‘It’s almost as though you knew I was coming. Two plates. Two mugs. Have you got two sets of cutlery too?’
I’ve woken up perky.
‘I like to have a spare set. That’s all I need.’
‘We might have to nip to the shops and get a couple more sets then.’
He sighs. ‘What are you doing, Ellie?’
I turn around to face him. ‘I’m making myself at home. Hope that’s okay.’
‘Not really, no.’
‘Do you want me to leave?’ I ask. ‘Honestly?’
He meets my eyes. ‘Better now than later.’
‘How about you give me a week?’
‘What’s the point in that?’
‘You might fall in love with me and ask me to stay forever.’
I’m trying to sound bright and flippant, but the shakiness in my voice betrays my anxiety.
His eyes flare wide, and then he puts down his spatula, switches off the hob and takes a couple of steps towards the windows, dragging his hand over his face.
‘I’m sorry,’ I say sombrely as he scratches his jaw. ‘I don’t mean to make light of this. I just want to spend some time with you.’
