When his mum and Claire had ushered Betty back into the warmth, Oliver went to pop the boot open, but Ed caught his hand, twining their fingers and tugging him closer.
“Hey,” Ed whispered, leaning in for a kiss that Oliver willingly melted into. Ed’s other hand cupped Oliver’s jaw, thumb stroking across his cheekbone, the touch tender, intimate. Oliver sank against the firm press of Ed’s body, hands gripping his waist to steady himself. The kiss didn’t last as long as Oliver would’ve liked, but then they probably had half the street watching them. His own family included.
“I missed you,” Ed whispered against his lips.
Three words that stopped Oliver’s heart for one, two beats before it set off again at a much faster pace. They’d not seen each other since early Monday morning. They’d texted each other, but that wasn’t nearly the same. Or nearly enough.
“I missed you too.” Oliver was smiling as Ed kissed him again, and they ended up both laughing. “We better get these bags inside. I want to limit the amount of time they have to gossip about us.”
Ed laughed again but stepped back, taking all his warmth with him. Oliver shivered at the loss and quickly turned to unload the boot, but the thought stuck in his head.
One day soon I’ll be doing that for the last time.
Shoving that way to the back of his mind, he went to pull his mum’s suitcase out as Ed reached for Claire’s. Smile back in place, he pointed at the dark red case. “That one’s Claire’s, so watch your back.”
Ed’s laugh quickly turned into an “Oh shit, you weren’t kidding. What the hell has she got in there? Rocks?”
Oliver grinned, gesturing around them. “Christmas presents, I would imagine.” He closed the boot and locked the car. “You ready for this?”
Ed pulled up the handle of Claire’s case, ready to wheel it inside. “I take it they all know about us?”
Oliver nodded.
“They’re going to interrogate me, aren’t they?”
Putting his finger and thumb together, Oliver hummed. “Maybe just a little.”
“That cake better be triple chocolate, that’s all I can say.”
Of course it was, because that was Ed’s favourite. Oliver shrugged and started to wheel his case up the path towards the door. “Let’s go find out.”
BOTH HIS MUM and Claire loved Ed from the second he opened his mouth.
Oliver sat at the kitchen table nursing his cup of tea, watching his family laugh and joke with the guy he was slowly falling for but couldn’t keep.
But he wanted to.
Wanted to see where this thing between them could lead. Oliver had never got past the initial dating stage before, had never wanted to, not really. But being with Ed was both comfort and excitement rolled into one. He made Oliver feel safe, yet at the same time made his heart race and stomach flutter like a thousand butterflies were trying to escape.
Having him next door was convenient and easy; seeing each other meant nothing more than a short walk up the path. Could things between them be the same with over a hundred miles separating them? Visits reduced to weekends only? Did he want to find out?
Initially Oliver had been adamant that the last thing he wanted was to have that sort of relationship. With anybody.
But this was Ed.
Ed who’d stayed with Betty when she was confused and anxious. Who’d patiently followed Oliver round the Christmas tree farm in the bitter cold while he’d searched for the perfect tree. Who’d charmed a timid rescue cat into sitting on his knee as though it was the easiest thing in the world.
Oliver smiled into his cup.
Cats were excellent judges of character.
He glanced up to find Ed watching him, gaze intent. The wink and small smile Ed shot him before turning to talk to his mum again solidified the decision forming in Oliver’s mind. The way his whole body warmed from that one look set it in stone.
He’d be stupid to let a chance like this go because of a little thing like distance.
Wouldn’t he?
Oliver tuned back into the conversation going on around him as Ed asked Claire, “Are you staying here tonight?” He was looking at Oliver and no doubt wondering where he was going to sleep.
