Page 104 of Bend

Then Wolfe took her out on one of the jet skis.

And I nearly walked straight into the sea and let the tide carry me all the way back to Peckham.

Not because I’m jealous.

I’m not, alright maybe a bit.

Oi, fuck off.

The point is, I need to talk to her. She’s the only person here I can say any of this bollocks going on in my head to without feeling like I’m about to crawl out of my own skin.

Which is painfully inconvenient, considering she’s also tangled up in the middle of it.

Eventually, Echo slips away from the fire with two empty bottles in hand and heads toward the bins beside the house.

I’m on my feet before common sense can get a word in.

Revel looks up immediately. “Where you going?”

I stare at him.

Why is he always watching me?

Does the bloke not have hobbies?

“Piss off.”

“That doesn’t even answer the question.”

“It wasn’t meant to, mate.”

Revel looks genuinely offended. “Damn. Someone’s in a mood.”

I glance at Cece curled into his side and smirk. “Easy for you to say. You’re only this cheerful because she’s pissed enough to be all over you.”

His arm tightens around her as his grin turns smug. “She likes me.”

“Course she does. Shame she’ll wake up tomorrow, remember she’s meant to hate you, and spend breakfast pretending this never happened.”

Revel’s smile dips just enough to make me laugh.

“Fuck you,” he says, but he’s grinning.

I clap him on the shoulder as I pass. “Enjoy it while it lasts, mate. Your ego’s got until morning.”

Revel’s grin turns smug again when Cece shifts closer against him.

That’s my cue to fuck off before he starts offering relationship advice like he hasn’t spent months being publicly rejected by the same woman currently using him as a pillow.

I grab a couple of empties from beside the fire and head after Echo, pretending I’ve suddenly developed a sense of responsibility instead of blatantly following her.

Absolute bollocks, but at least I’ve committed to it.

She’s already by the bins when I come around the side of the house, tipping the bottles into the recycling. Her long, thick dark hair hangs loose down her back, wild from the salt and wind. The day’s left her skin sun-kissed, and the tiny denim shorts and bikini top aren’t doing much to help the part of my brain still determined to want her despite being properly fucked off.

That’s the irritating bit.

I am fuckin’ hurt.