Page 10 of The Pumpkin Spice Romance
Who was he kidding—she was still his favourite human, after all these years. Despite the decades apart, seeing her again just brought it all back. He was a different person now, someone who could protect her. Just the thought of her soon-to-be ex-husband mistreating her fired up that guarding instinct.
The living room smelled of hot cheese, tomato, ham and home. Lupe and his girlfriend snuggled on a quilted mattress on the floor in front of the small couch, where Lara and Deanne painted their toenails in between great chomping bites of pizza. Mackie shifted and sprawled his shaggy wolf self across the footrest, tail thumping at finally being able to relax after filling his belly—feral little brother.
That left the big couch to Hayden and Leonie. At first, they kept to their own armrests, politely, chastely. But near the halfway mark of the film, their feet had crept across the cushions, meeting playfully in the middle, and Hayden remembered with a stifled yelp that Leonie could pinch with her toes.
Lara flashed them a look—partshush, partoooh, lovers—and Mackie’s tail wagged again even though he never pointed his nose away from the screen.
By the time the movie ended, the pair found themselves sharing the middle of the couch. Not quite in each other’s arms, but close enough for Leonie’s closeness to raise goosebumps on Hayden’s shoulder. Lupe got up to clear the plates while his girlfriend and Deanne shared stories about almost shifting by accident while out on the town. Leonie asked about the bathroom and Lara suggested Hayden give her the grand tour.
“Grand” being an exaggeration for a one-storey four-by-two, but it gave him a sense of pride when she seemed impressed with his bedroom, lovingly decorated and featuring a bed he actually remembered to make that morning; then at Lara’s old room, which became his library and music room when she moved out. then they passed Lupe’s old room, which was still done up like a bedroom, though much neater and smelling a lot better than when little brother lived here.
“It’s a guest room now,” Hayden said, giving her a meaningful look, hoping she got the hint.
“Did they all move closeby?” Leonie asked.
“Right on this block,” he beamed. “Lara’s next door, the twins share the house behind hers, and Lupe’s just across the driveway. We’ve all been planning to do this since Lara finished uni.”
“This is nowhere near the old neighbourhood. Is your mum all alone now, then?”
“Nah, she remarried a few years ago and moved to Kalgoorlie.”
Leonie’s eyebrows lifted. She wore surprise in the most adorable way. “Remarried?”
“Yeah, we lost Dad when I was a couple years into high school. Mum really struggled with it for ages, we all did. But by the time I got to uni, we were all on at her to move forward with her life. Lara and I would take care of the others. She’d just done so much for us, and we didn’t want her to feel stuck while all ofus grew up and left.” Hayden scratched his head. “Sorry, that’s probably more than you wanted to know.”
“Not at all. I want to know everything I missed. All twenty years of it.” She touched his arm when she said it, only a casual touch but his hair stood on end and he felt for a moment like he’d lost his balance.
He leaned casually against the doorframe and attempted a cool smile. It felt completely unnecessary, but he couldn’t yet trust the comfort that had settled between them so quickly. Not that he doubted his own feelings, those he was almost certain of. But he didn’t want to misread hers. They were friends, good friends, best friends—that’s where they’d left off. Just because he wanted more didn’t mean she did too.
“Whatever you want, just ask and it’s yours,” he said, hoping he sounded more sincere than smooth. He meant it in every way possible, piqued by the shine in her eyes and how her gaze flicked briefly to his lips. Maybe he wasn’t reading wrong. Maybe she did want more too.
Hayden leaned down, offering a kiss but moving slowly so he wouldn’t startle her. Slow enough for her to refuse, slow enough not to scare her, but mostly slowly because despite wanting so badly to kiss her, something still felt amiss about this moment.
“Hayds, we’re starting the second movie!” came Deanne’s voice from the living room. “You guys coming?”
Hayden jumped back, almost jumping out of his skin. Leonie looked at him, flushed and chewing the corner of her lower lip.
“I should probably head back soon,” she apologised. “You go ahead.”
“I’ll drive you.”
“You sure?”
“Absolutely.” He grinned. “The sequel sucks anyway.”
* * *
As familiarity enveloped them, Leonie pointed down a side street, past the house with a large peppermint tree that used to be a shrub, and a newly rendered house that used to be beige brick and a garden strewn with plastic toys. It struck her, then, how familiar she felt with Hayden already, and how familiar she was with these matured surroundings, but they shared no memories of this place.
She gripped the shoulder strap of her bag. It should have happened differently, said the heavy feeling across her shoulders and an old disappointment that began to resurface. They should have grown up together. She felt it in the pit of her stomach that circumstances had ripped something away from them both.
“I don’t suppose you could drop me back at the park?” she asked. “I don’t feel like going home yet.” The word, home,felt funny in her mouth. Her parents’ place wasn’t home, even while they’d left her old posters and sticker-covered bookshelves exactly where they’d always been.
The townhouse she’d shared with Mark didn’t feel like home either. So, what did that make her? She wasn’t technically homeless, with places to turn to for a roof over her head. But nowhere gave her the kind of rooted, attached and safe feeling she’d craved for so long.
Nowhere, except maybe where she’d been tonight, surrounded by warm welcomes, faces happy to see her, and a casual air of comfort telling her she belonged.
They parked and Hayden joined her at the swings where he’d found her earlier that night, old chains and wood creaking under a clear August sky lit brilliantly by a silver moon. The air had a chill to it, but Leonie felt warmed by her old friend’s presence. When a breeze gusted through the park, they moved to a low limestone wall behind the climbing frame, separating the playground from the road. They huddled close beneath a flowering gum, not yet in bloom though promising buds had begun to form.
