Page 136 of Alice Carver Manifests Her Perfect Life
‘But I’ve waited years.’ My voice caught with desperation and frustration. ‘I can’t wait until later.’ And I really couldn’t; I was on the verge of detonating.
‘I didn’t say you had to,’ said Matthew steadily, his composure only increasing my feverishness. Then suddenly he pushed open the gates to our old house, and tugged me through them.
‘We can’t just barge in here!’ I looked back over my shoulder as the gates closed behind us, to see if anyone had noticed. ‘This is trespassing!’
Matthew glanced sideways at me without breaking his stride. ‘Interesting. So you’re worried about your parents seeingthat?’
‘What are you doing?’ I whispered as he led me up the avenue of lawns.
‘Getting us some space.’
‘You do know I haven’t actually manifested this house, right?’ I hurried to match his purposeful pace.
‘I do know,’ said Matthew, laconically.
‘It’s been sold to some wanker who gets to spend Christmas in it. In fact, what if they’re in there right now? Calling the police?’
‘It’s empty. Trust me.’
The approach was so beautiful I was almost momentarily distracted from lusting after Matthew; someone had threaded fairy lights through the lavender and beneath the pergola dripping with roses, tea lights in jam jars lit the path. As our old house came fully into view, the songbirds were singing goodnight like it was the only goodnight that ever mattered; the air was filled with the heady scent of rose and honeysuckle.
Almost.
‘Let’s go inside,’ said Matthew, picking up a rock on the window ledge by the back door. The movement made his shoulder muscles undulate under his T-shirt; he’d turned me into a shameless lech.
‘We can’t!’ I said. I couldn’t let him break into someone else’s house.
‘I thought you didn’t want to wait?’ he said, raising his eyebrows at me.
He had me there. I took a steadying breath. ‘I don’t. Fine. Let’s break in!’ My heart was pounding in excitement. Sex with Matthew Lloyd would be worth six months in prison. ‘Give me the rock and I’ll smash the window myself.’
‘Easy tiger,’ said Matthew, handing me a key and putting the rock back. ‘How about just going in the normal way?’
I looked at the key in my hand. ‘Why have you got the key, Matthew? Do you know the owner?’
‘Er, yeah.’ Matthew looked sheepish. ‘And, so do you. In fact, that key is your copy I asked Troy to get made and leave there… ’
He bit his lip and waited for the penny to drop.
‘You?’
‘Yeah… the thing is,’ said Matthew, unlocking the back door, ‘I’d kind of already made an offer when you talked about manifesting it on Boxing Day.’
‘What? You let me promise to manifest a house you had under offer? Not justahouse. Our old house that I love.’
‘Well,technically. But no money had changed hands and it’s been a slow… ow!’
‘You twat!’ I tried to kick him again. ‘No wonder you were laughing in my face. You bloody knew I had no chance! You allowed me to bet against you knowing I’d lose.’
‘Alice!’ Matthew folded his distractingly powerful arms around me. ‘Less violence, please. I only wanted the house in the first place because of you. Same reason I wanted the Lamb. Don’t be cross. Besides, I did warn you: I always win.’
And there it was. That insufferably smug grin.
‘Well, you’re not winning when it comes to me.’
‘Okay,’ agreed Matthew, his eyes gleaming. ‘If you’re sure.’
‘Totally sure. You let me manifest spending Christmas in there knowing I wouldn’t.’ I tried to sound cross, but my body had a mind of its own, giving into Matthew’s, and he wasn’t even doing anything, other than existing.
