‘I mean, you don’t come out in the day,’ Quinn said, as if this made complete sense and was the evidence needed to call Noah a vampire.
‘Not true,’ Noah said. ‘You saw me in the graveyard.’
‘Yeah, about that…’
‘Mum’s sister,’ Noah said, pre-empting Quinn’s question. ‘I visit her whenever I come to town, which isn’t often.’
‘You would never come back here to stay?’
‘Never.’
His words felt so final; weighted words that couldn’t budge. An opinion so immovable, Quinn wasn’t sure what to say. So, he changed tact.
‘I’m surprised we never met.’
Noah smirked. ‘The town isn’t as small as we thought it was.’
‘I need to ask something,’ Quinn said, drunk on adrenaline and too much bubbly.
‘Ask away.’
‘In that interview, you said heartbreak inspired you. You’re heartbroken?’
Noah waved a hand, trying to dismiss the conversation. But Quinn, giddy, wouldn’t let it drop. He moved closer to Noah, but not too close, because too close was too dangerous.
‘I only ask because I was heartbroken,’ Quinn said, surprised at his own courage. ‘Guy called Dougie. A little while ago now, but he’s been hanging on.’
‘Well, I would have known he would break your heart. Any guy called Dougie is going to be a heartbreaker.’
Quinn laughed, even though it wasn’t all that funny. Maybe he had reached that stage where making fun of an ex felt good, like he could rebel against the mere memory of him.
‘Yes, well,’ Quinn said. ‘I thought he had my best interests in mind, and then he moved to Cardiff and thought he was better than me.’
‘Oh, don’t you know, they convert those who live in Cardiff into dickheads?’
‘Shh.’ Quinn laughed, his eyes wide, looking around as if people from Cardiff were about to flock inside and attack. ‘You can’t say that.’
‘I can. I live in London.’
‘What has that got to do with anything?’
‘I’m a dickhead.’ Noah winked.
Actually winked.
And it looked good when he did it.
‘What? Cities change you?’
‘Yes, I believe they do,’ Noah said. ‘For the better. For the worse.’
‘Has it changed you?’
Noah didn’t even think. ‘Of course.’
Quinn paused, observing his cheerful smile, the flushed cheeks. ‘For better or for…’
What was this, their wedding?
