music.
‘Shouldn’t I be asking you that? Capri called me after she spoke to you. Said you were in hospital and she has to go visit your little sister tomorrow.’ Davis was tall and, unlike Angus, clean cut. He was a nice guy, but every time I saw him I thought of my father. The way he was always so neatly presented and careful with his words threw me. It was like he was crying out for approval. Some girls may look for a version of their father in a potential boyfriend – I was not one of them.
I stood up, trying to gain a little composure … and a plan.
‘I, um … Davis, it’s complicated.’
He took a step closer to me, taking in my outfit, then glancing at my broken wrist. ‘How? Are you sick or not?’
‘Well, they thought I was, but …’ I stammered.
Right then, an arm slipped around my waist from behind. Warm tender hands splayed territorially across my belly and Ethan pulled me back against his chest, planting a solitary, knee-weakening kiss on my neck before resting his chin on my shoulder to look right at Davis’s stunned face. Heat poured through my body, every nerve ending suddenly alive.
When Ethan spoke, he made sure it was loud enough for Davis to hear. ‘I told you everyone would find out eventually, Sabine.’
His words flowed so easily, his voice taking on a liquid quality that made the hairs on my arms stand up. His own arms stayed wrapped around me and I couldn’t help but notice how different they felt compared to Dex’s. No, how different they made me feel.
The place where Ethan had kissed me fleetingly on the neck burned, and before I knew what I was doing, my body took over and I was leaning back into his arms.
Shit!
‘Sabine, what’s going on? Are you with this guy?’ Davis asked, staring daggers at the hands on my stomach.
This isn’t happening, I told myself. Maybe I really have gone insane and I’m imagining things?
As if on cue, Ethan started to play with the bottom of my T-shirt, finding a small line of flesh. It was all I could do to stay upright. How could such a small touch do so much?
‘Sabine?’ Davis prompted impatiently.
Ethan took over. ‘Look man, I snuck her out of the hospital for a few hours – she’s going straight back, no harm. Her parents won’t approve of us and we just wanted to have a bit of time together. You know how it is.’
Some part of my brain finally clicked into gear and I realised what Ethan was doing.
‘Davis, um … this is a friend of mine,’ I said, avoiding using his name in case it got back to the clinic – or my parents. I wasn’t going to let Ethan get into trouble for me.
‘Boyfriend,’ Ethan clarified, somehow managing to move us even closer together so that I could feel the full length of his body against mine.
Davis wasn’t happy. I knew that Capri had been trying to set us up, but until now I hadn’t realised that Davis had clearly been in favour of the idea too. ‘I didn’t know you were seeing anyone.’
‘Oh, it’s new. Really new.’ Me? Breathless?
‘But when you know, you know, right?’ Ethan added unnecessarily.
I craned my head to give him a look, but the way he was positioned my lips were basically on his before I quickly spun back towards Davis. Pulled tight against Ethan’s chest, I could feel every breath he was taking and I was sure he could feel my heart hammering.
‘Why all the lies?’ Davis said curtly.
‘It’s not lies. I was in the hospital. I mean, I am. I just … I snuck out. You won’t tell anyone, will you?’ I asked nervously.
‘Like Capri? Your best friend.’
‘Davis, please don’t be mad at me. I’m sorry that you and I …’ I swallowed. Ethan stayed silent, still holding me. ‘But if my parents find out, they’ll go mental.’
Out of nowhere Ethan planted another, more lingering kiss on the base of my neck, his nose trailing a path up to my hairline. Was he smelling me?
My legs almost gave way, but I kept my eyes on Davis, hoping he wouldn’t lose it.
After a tense pause, he sighed. ‘Sure, Sabine.’
I smiled in relief.
Davis looked at me questioningly. ‘So, you’re with him, then?’
Ethan chose this moment to become impatient. ‘Yes, man. She’s with me, then.’
I elbowed Ethan, but he didn’t let me go.
‘Davis, I –’
‘It’s okay,’ he said, cutting