Page 157 of UNAwere

I thought if I sent you something with a bit of pizzazz, you’d want to get here sooner.

Grumble Bum

You’re not wrong.

I grin and hold my phone back over my head, flipping the camera back on. Instead of worrying about posing, I just grin at the camera and send it through.

Grumble Bum

You’re fucking gorgeous.

I roll onto my stomach, kicking my feet.

Me

You still in bed?

Grumble Bum

I am.

Me

Do you want to…?

Grumble Bum

You want me to video call?

I bite my lip, heart racing. I’m nervous. I’ve never had phone sex before, and even though this is Jude, and I know him, I love him, I’m giddy.

Me

Hang on, I need to get ready!

I get up and quickly rush to the ensuite, brushing my hair and rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

‘Oh, shit, I sent a selfie with goopy eyes!’

‘Who are you talking to?’

I jump, gasping, and swing around to Maeve, who’s standing in the doorway to the ensuite. She’s wearing a matching winter PJ set that’s pink and has little bunnies on it, arms folded.

‘What are you doing?’ I hiss. ‘It’s early.’

‘It’s eight.’ She frowns at me. ‘Breakfast is ready. You coming?’

‘Um, I’ll be there in a sec—’

‘Sybbie!’ Aspen yells up the stairs. ‘Sybbie, breakfast!’

I grab my phone, type a quick text to Jude, and then follow my sister downstairs.

Ithink about him all day.

Even when Maeve begs me to go down to the shore with her, where we walk on the beach and laugh and run in the sand. Even when the kids make sandcastles with us and Hannah’s eldest, Lila, finds a dead crab and throws it at Keith’s head as she freaks.

Surrounded by people I love, all I want is Jude.