Truly, Madly, Like Me - Jo Watson Page 0,56

once audible “mmmm” became a breathy, whispered “mmmm” which had not been the intention at all. He raised a brow at me in query. I shrugged my shoulders, forgetting our shoulders were touching, and they dragged against his, slowly.

“I guess this is a sort of vaguely okay reason not to use a phone.” My voice was a little playful and sarcastic. “I mean, this would make an amazing Insta pic though.” I also swooshed my hand across the sky.

He laughed a little and I found myself suddenly feeling very attracted to him, something which surprised me.

I looked away from him and back up to the sky. “Do you know what any of them are called? The stars and constellations?” I asked.

“Not really. I mean I know Orion’s belt, that’s about it.”

“If we had the internet I could download an app that would probably tell us exactly what everything was.”

“Yeah, but where’s the fun in that?” he said.

“I like to know things,” I said. This was an understatement, obviously. Not knowing things was not an option for me. I needed to know and I needed to know now, and Google always told me. Knowing was always an instant hit of relief. But now, I found myself knowing nothing.

“Sometimes knowing everything isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.” His voice was smaller and more serious than it had been a few moments ago and I turned to him again.

“Also, it’s more fun to guess the names.” His tone was suddenly back to being light and playful. “For instance, that one over there looks like a lamb shank.” He pointed up to the sky and traced the stars with his finger. And when I saw it, I had to agree. I chuckled softly.

“And that one,” he continued, “a llama.”

I leaned forward and looked as he traced another series of stars with his finger. I chuckled again. “Or an ostrich,” I said.

“And that one?” He pointed all the way across the sky again, I followed his hand. “The one starting by the big orange star at the horizon?”

“Mmmm.” I stared at it for a while, joining the dots. “It actually looks a little like Harun. See, the one big eye.”

This time Mark chuckled. “Totally Harun.”

And then he turned his head to me again. “See? Much more fun than looking on an app.”

“I guess,” I said thoughtfully.

CHAPTER 27

“Aaaahhhh!” I threw myself off the bed, tripping and falling as I went. For a second, I was on my hands and knees, but quickly stood up as Mark flew off the bed and almost bolted to the other side of the room, as if I was contagious.

“Oh my Go— Sorry!” he said.

“Me too. Me too. Sorry!”

“I didn’t mean to—” he exclaimed.

“ME NEITHER!”

“I mean, I really didn’t mean to!”

“Trust me, neither did I!”

(Awkward silent pause between us.)

“Ummmm . . .”

(Even longer awkward silent pause.)

“Let’s just forget that happened.”

“Already forgotten,” I said quickly.

“Me too!” Mark reiterated.

(Awkward laugh from both of us followed by another awkward pause . . . AGAIN!)

“Right, shall we fetch Harun?” I finally said, breaking the ear-shattering silence in the room.

“YES! Right. Let’s do that!” Mark looked so happy that we were changing the subject from the huge elephant that was clearly in the room with us now.

“Let’s go then,” I said as we both rushed for the door, only to bump into each other as we went. We both jumped back at the same time, as if we’d run into an electric fence.

“Shit! Sorry!” I said, moving even further away from him.

He stepped back. “Sorry!” He shook his head and then rushed out the door, as if he didn’t want to be in that room a moment longer. As if he wanted to be as far away from me, and that bed, as possible. Which I did too!

We drove in silence and my cheeks burned red and hot as I thought about it. Thought about falling asleep during the movie we’d watched together last night after coming back from star-gazing. About waking up tangled—and I mean tangled—in each other’s arms. His arm around me, pulling me close to him. His one hand pressed against the skin of my back where my shirt had crept up, my head buried deep into the crook of his neck, breathing in his smell, my lips against the rough skin of his neck. Even our feet and toes were tangled together, as it seemed like our bodies had melted into each other’s. It had taken me a few seconds to