Ivy laughs from next to the sink. “Connor, just move. You’re only standing there so she’ll brush her tits against you when she walks past.”
“Gross,” I say, pulling a face. I look at Connor, expecting him to have the same reaction, but I find him looking away from me. His cheeks are tinted ever so slightly pink, and his jaw is set like stone.
“I thought you were leaving, Tilly?”
“I am.”
Despite his annoyance, Connor still doesn’t move from the doorway, so I turn sideways and take a tentative step past his legs. Sucking in my tummy and being very aware of how close my boobs are to his arm, I shuffle my way through. Surprisingly, I get to the other side without making contact with him at all, but I’m still annoyed with him.
“Thanks for making that so easy for me,” I say sarcastically.
“Any time.” He shrugs, immediately pushing himself away from the door and strolling into the kitchen.
“You’re such a dick,” I call after him, earning a surprising wince that’s gone in a flash. “Bye, Ivy. I’ll message you later.”
“Bye, Tilly.”
Ivy waves, not fazed by my interaction with her brother in the slightest.
“Bye, Dickhead,” I add to Connor, as I turn around and leave.
On my way home, I stop at the shop to buy some Friday night treats for Rhys. I figure it would be nice for us to spend some quality time together while we have a rare free evening. Between Rhys’s odd hours working as a personal trainer at a gym as well as his own training, and me bringing work home from school every night, we seldom get to be with each other for more than an hour at a time. So I pick up his favourite crisps and a pack of beer and head home, ready to spend a rare cosy evening with my husband.
Rhys is already home when I pull into the drive, so I’m surprised when I find the front door locked. Balancing the shopping and my school bag in one hand, I fumble with my keys until I manage to find the right one and slot it into the lock, only to find it won’t turn. Rhys must have left his keys in the door from the inside.
“Rhys?” I call through the letterbox. “Can you open the door?”
A minute passes by while I wait for him to respond, and just as I’m about to try phoning him instead, I hear him walking down the hall. A jangle of keys, the click of the lock and the door swings open to reveal my husband’s bare chest and broad smile.
“Hey, Muffin! Sorry, I didn’t realise I’d locked it,” he says, eyeing the shopping in my hands. “Crisps, Matilda? I thought you were being good?”
“They’re for you,” I quickly explain, shifting my weight as I try to hold everything. “I thought we could have a night in together.”
“Oh,” he says guiltily, taking the crisps and beer out of my hands and leading the way inside. “I’d love to, Mat, but I’ve booked in some sessions with clients.”
“On a Friday night?” I ask, disappointed. Though the disappointment of him being too busy for me isn’t new, it still hits hard each time.
“Yeah, a lot of people are dedicated enough to train even on a Friday night. I’ll make it up to you, though. I’ll wake you up when I get home and we can have a little workout of our own.”
His devious grin eases my frustration slightly. I was looking forward to spending time with him, but who am I to complain when he’s only trying to work hard for us?
I squeak in surprise when Rhys slaps me on the arse and picks up his T-shirt from the floor, pulling it over his head.
“What are you going to do tonight, then?” he asks, distracting me from wondering why his top was on the floor in the first place. “Maybe you could look up some tutorials for make-up or something? Get some practice in? Or maybe you could do an actual workout, seeing as I’ll be doing most of the work when I get to bed later.”
I was actually intending on reading in the bath until the water goes cold, but now I feel lazy and inadequate. Not unfamiliar feelings, but unpleasant, nonetheless.
“Yeah, I’ll probably do one of those workout videos you sent me.” At least if I do it at home alone, no one will see my red, sweaty body wobbling around.
“Cool.” Rhys leans down to kiss my cheek. “Bye, Muffin.”
“I love you,” I tell him, but he’s already walking away.
Chapter 2
You didn’t leave me any choice
“What the fuck is happening here?”
