Free Off Limits by Alexandra Vos Page A

“What’s
this from?” He placed the sheet of paper back on the table, and pointed to a
number. I knew that it was going to be the money I’d given. We’d only gotten
money for the couple of weeks we’d worked so far this month, but it was still a
pretty substantial amount as far as I was concerned.
     
    I hoped Angela had
come up with a decent excuse.
     
    “They started
paying me in a separate payment for my overtime,” she explained, voice steady
and believable. “Weird, but apparently that’s the way the new system is going
to be.”
     
    “You didn’t work
that much overtime this month, and your normal work total is practically the
same as normal,” he folded the paper. “Mum, I hope you’re not doing anything
different to normal. You know we have this under control now.”
     
    “I’m not, I
wouldn’t lie about something like that. The numbers just worked out weird this
time. We had some mandatory meetings that were given as overtime and the rate
went up a tiny bit. It’s just been a weird month at work.”
     
    “A weird month you
didn’t mention until now?”
     
    She shrugged,
staring at the folded paper without very much confidence. “I just didn’t want
you to be stressed with any of it.”
     
    “Mum, you always
tell me this stuff. What’s going on? You know we got into this mess by my dad
doing stupid stuff… I don’t want you to get into anything bad either.”
     
    “I never would!”
     
    I listened to
their argument with guilt weighing on my conscience. Angela was doing
everything to stop me being dropped in at and having to listen to her son’s
doubts. I tugged on my hair and was forced to admit that “the money’s from me.”
     
    Both gazes snapped
to mine, Angela’s guilty and Luke’s surprised. “What?”
     
    “I just, wanted to
help out since my parents are kind of screwed.” I looked up at him hopefully.
“I don’t want you to be annoyed or anything.”
     
    Luke sighed,
standing up and beginning to pace. “Mum, can I speak to Carmen alone for a
minute?”
     
    “Of course,” she
hurried out of the room with an apologetic look in my direction.
     
    I stood up, too, clasping
my hands in front of myself. “I didn’t want you to find out in case you thought
I was just being a dick or something, and I figured if you got rid of your debt
problem quicker then yours and Ph-”
     
    I was stopped from
saying his girlfriend’s name by lips on mine. Luke had swooped in, hands
cupping my face and lips pressing against mine in a surprisingly soft embrace. My
eyes slipped shut, even though they should have widened in horror, and I stood
on my tiptoes so Luke wasn’t having to break his back, fitting my body against
his.
     
    When my hands
curled into his hair, my heart pounded and I really tried to shove Phoebe from
my brain because this was the most emotional kiss I’d ever had.
     
    Eventually, reason
won out.
     
    We’d broken away
from an open-mouthed kiss to breathe, our bodies moulded perfectly and our
noses brushing together, when Luke let out a shuddering breath and told me I
had to leave.
     
    “I know,” I
stepped away, shoving my hands in my pockets to stop them doing anything
stupid. “I know, I’m so sorry,” even though it was him who had kissed me, I
felt the tears welling in my eyes. I’d done this entire thing because I fancied
him and it had worked.
     
    He’d kissed his
girlfriend’s best friend.
     
    I fled the room,
shoving my feet into my shoes and opening the door with blurry vision. I felt a
hand on my arm and jumped. Angela’s sad expression met mine. “I just want you
to know that you’re better for him than she ever could be.”
     
    It was cheesy and
stupid and I didn’t want to hear it. I couldn’t be better than Phoebe, because
Phoebe was his girlfriend and that was all that mattered.
     
    I slammed the door
behind me without another word. I didn’t want Angela to think I was mad at her,
but I didn’t have the willpower to