Page 40 of Kiss Me Ever After
I made a show of putting the bottle on a tray and took it over to Justin’s table. “There you go.”
He took the bottle and tipped it down his throat, almost consuming the whole thing in one swig.
“Is everything okay?” I gestured to his luggage. “Are you going somewhere?”
“I’m staying with Alex for a few days.” His tone was guarded.
The corner of my mouth twitched. “That’s handy.”
His eyes glinted. “I’ll be just next door.”
An idea hit me. Something un-Lennon-like, which would drive my mother nuts.
“Why don’t you stay with me instead?” The words flew out of my mouth before I’d had a chance to give them proper consideration. It was a crazy notion. Inviting Justin Navarro to live in my grandparents’ house when we barely knew each other.
Silence met my suggestion; not exactly the answer I hoped for. Maybe I expected him to jump at the chance?
“Lennon, can you get table three’s bill, please?” Bryony’s request spared my blushes. I turned my back and tended to the waiting customers, trying to shake the fact Justin had snubbed me.
For the next quarter of an hour, while he seemingly made his beer last as long as possible, I looked after every other customer in the cafe, cleared tables, took dirty plates into the kitchen, anything other than to go back to his table. When there was nothing left for me to do, I stood at the counter and rearranged the vinegar and ketchup bottles.
Justin didn’t move or call me over for another drink. I stopped looking in his direction and half expected him to get up and leave. Eventually, he raised his hand to catch my attention.
Bryony nudged me. “Go on.”
Now she wanted me to deal with him? I fought the urge to roll my eyes as I approached the table.
“Can I get you another drink?”
“No, thanks.”
“Then I guess you can head over to Alex’s. I already bought your beer.” I turned on my heel, but Justin reached out and grabbed my wrist.
“I thought we could pick up some supplies on the way back to yours.” He smiled, eyes sparkling. “Lennon, I’d be honoured to stay with you. At least I’d know you were safe.”
“And I you,” I countered, brushing my fingertips down his cheek, still in the dark over what had happened to him. “I’ll see if I can leave now.”
Aware he was watching me, I went over to Bryony and asked if I could head home. It was around half an hour until we closed and there weren’t too many people. I think she sensed if she’d said no, I would’ve gone anyway.
Ten minutes later, we were walking home, hand in hand, Justin’s thumb caressing my knuckles. It was a strange feeling, although not an unpleasant one.
“Why were you going to stay with Alex?” I asked. “Is it something to do with how you got hurt?”
He stopped, stock still on the pavement. “You could say that.”
Then it all came pouring out: what he’d seen Ted doing, how he wanted to protect his mother, how Ted had laid into him, how he’d spent the night at work, how he couldn’t bear to go home.
I’d had no idea.
For as many years as I could remember, Justin had always been a confident, self-assured—maybe even bordering on arrogant—guy, getting any girl he wanted, always being the life and soul of the party.
I didn’t know he was dealing with such a troubled home life.
He could have said the same about me. The spoiled princess who never wanted for anything, spending holidays here and then flitting off without a backwards glance, not giving a shit about what anyone else was dealing with.
The past few weeks had changed me. Made me more aware of what mattered,whomattered.
Right now, Justin mattered.
