Free Cwtch Me If You Can by Beth Reekles Page B

pause.
    Then a scream – a scream I’m pretty sure I can hear from within the house and not just from the phone. ‘What does this mean? Are you two together?’
    She reels off more questions, and I say over the top of them, ‘Cathy. Cathy. Cathy,’ until she stops.
    â€˜I’m upstairs with Sean and we’re gonna watch a movie. When you’re ready to leave, give me another call, and we’ll head home. Okay? And I’ll talk to you then.’
    â€˜Okay.’
    â€˜Okay.’
    I hang up, and turn my mobile off silent, so that when she rings again later, I’ll hear it. Sean’s sitting on his bed now – on the edge, his hands beside his thighs – and raises his eyebrows.
    â€˜She was wondering where I was.’
    â€˜Ah.’
    He probably heard the whole conversation because, let’s face it, Cathy’s a loud drunk, even on the phone. But I’m too nervous to ask, in case he didn’t hear. I’d rather pretend he didn’t know.
    Because that’d be pretty embarrassing.
    Instead, I sit on the bed next to Sean, and say, ‘So, are we watching this movie, or not?’
    A couple of hours later, when the credits are rolling and I’m combing through my tousled hair with my fingers before I go to meet Cathy downstairs, I realise just how much I don’t want to leave Sean. I could stay here and cwtch up with him forever.
    My intense work ethic for college is so going out the window with him around.
    â€˜Um, so, you… do you still have my number? From when I gave it to you in Starbucks? Wait, no, what am I saying, of course you don’t. You probably threw it away. Shall I – shall I give you my number?’
    â€˜I have it,’ I say quietly, with a smile. I love how nervous he gets, like he’s terrified of saying the wrong thing and making me change my mind about him. On anyone else it’d be annoying – but on him, it’s endearing.
    â€˜You do?’
    Should I be offended at how shocked he is? Do I come across as such a cold bitch?
    â€˜I do.’
    â€˜Oh. Right. Well.’
    â€˜I thought about texting you. Lots of times. But – I was too scared.’
    â€˜Scared I’d break your heart?’
    â€˜Well, yeah.’ I blush. When he says it that way, it makes me sound like a stupid little girl who thinks real life is all some fairy tale.
    Sean’s fingertips graze over my hot, pink cheeks, and I glance up through my eyelashes to see him smiling at me. It’s a beautiful smile. His eyes are lit up and his eyes crinkle at the corners, and it makes me feel good inside. Like I should be smiling, too.
    â€˜Call me tomorrow, then,’ he says. ‘Or, you know, whenever. The day after, if you’re too busy. But – text me, when you get home? So I know you’re back safe.’
    I kiss him again. I could spend a lifetime kissing Sean. ‘I will.’
    When I get to the bedroom door, I realise that Sean’s hanging back. I look over my shoulder at him. He’s looking at his feet, at his wiggling toes, and his hands are locked on top of his head.
    â€˜Alex?’
    â€˜Yeah?’
    â€˜You’re not going to change your mind, are you?’
    At this point, I realise that Sean likes me a lot. A lot more than I thought he did.
    â€˜Definitely not. Remember – it’s all or nothing with me.’
    He smiles. ‘I’d be happy with just a little bit of you, as long as it was more than nothing.’
    It’s hardly a great vote for romance, but the way it makes me feel so warm and fuzzy, he might as well have said he loves me.

Epilogue
    â€˜Congratulations!’
    I turn around to see Sean beaming at me, and he wraps me in a hug that lifts me off my feet. I laugh, giddy with excitement, and lean my face down to kiss him.
    It’s graduation day for me. The sun is shining, which makes a nice change from all the recent drizzle. And Sean is here.