Page 88 of My Year of Saying No
I pulled my head back in order to meet his eyes. ‘Why?’
‘Why what?’
‘Why is that your automatic reaction? What’s so bad about your friends standing up for you. You’d do it in a heartbeat.’
‘That’s different.’
I pushed away from him, but more gently this time. ‘No. It’s not. It’s exactly the same. Just because you’re all big and… like that…’ I said, with exactness, waving my hand at him, ‘doesn’t mean people don’t still feel protective about you. And before you say anything, it’s got nothing to do with anything else. Tarquin would have found something to dig at you about, even without your injury, and I would have told him exactly the same thing. You are worth a hundred of him.’
Seb’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. ‘Thank you,’ he said, his voice soft.
‘Even if you are a pain in the arse sometimes.’
‘Only sometimes?’
‘Don’t push it. I’m being kind.’
Seb stepped closer, hugged me tight and dropped a kiss on the top of my head. ‘Thank you. And sorry for being a pain in the arse. At any time.’
I relaxed into the hug and we stood there in silence for a few moments.
‘You should get some rest. You looked done for in the car.’ Pressed close, I could feel his deep voice reverberating through his chest as well as hear it.
‘Mmmhmm,’ I agreed. He was right, but a part of me, perhaps the part still happily doing the backstroke in champagne, felt more than happy to stay right where I was. Thankfully, the majority of me had already taken a lurch towards sobriety and won out. I stepped back, Seb’s arms falling away. He was, however, still looking at me. ‘What?’
‘I’m just checking you’re OK,’ he paused. ‘That we’re OK.’
‘Of course we are.’
He rubbed a hand over a chin that held a shadow of stubble. ‘Like I said, I’m just used to dealing with this stuff on my own. Not having someone else dragged in.’
‘And likeIsaid, no one dragged me anywhere. If Harry hadn’t come out when he had, I’d have been starting on Tarquin for what he said about Jess too, so don’t go thinking you’re special or anything.’
That made him smile. ‘I wouldn’t dream of it.’
23
I’d already piled the blankets and pillow into a little pile on the end of the sofa and, after getting the two dogs off the space, an action they did most reluctantly, I set about making the linen into a cosy bed for my guest.
‘I can do that.’
‘It’s fine. I’m nearly done.’
‘You don’t need to fuss, Lots. I’ve slept in far worse places than this.’
I slid my eyes to him and I could see him replaying the sentence in his brain.
‘Yeah, that came out different from how it sounded in my head.’
‘I should hope so!’ I teased, standing back to survey my work.
‘Looks great,’ Seb came to stand beside me. ‘Very inviting.’
I let out a sigh. ‘I really wish you would take my bed. It’d be much more comfortable for you. I’m more…’ I’d always wanted to be taller and wasn’t about to say the ‘s’ word, ‘compact. I fit better on here. You’re definitely not compact. You’re the very opposite of compact.’
Seb stepped past me and sat down, as if staking his claim. ‘What exactly does that mean?’
I shrugged. ‘You’re big. Bulky. Large.’
