Page 152 of How To Not Need You

“Nothing. Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Your face is doing the thing again.”

“What thing?”

“The smug thing.”

“Maybe I'm just hot.”

“You’re wearing twenty kilos of firefighting gear in the sun. Of course you’re hot.”

I wait for her to realise what she just said.

It takes her half a second. “I hate you.”

“You know you love me.”

She steals the water bottle back and I lean over to give her a kiss on the head.

“Hydrate, Reid. Heatstroke would really ruin the mood.”

I laugh and look back across the lawn. That's when Liv follows my gaze. She sees Megan. The teasing disappears. Her hand stops halfway to giving the bottle back. It only lasts a second. But I notice. Megan sees us and waves. Liv hands me the bottle.

“Well,” she mutters. “This should be fun.”

“You okay?”

“Absolutely. Why wouldn't I be excited to properly meet the woman I previously encountered mostly naked in your house?”

“Mostly?”

“She had a towel.”

“Right.”

Liv looks at me. “Don't.”

“Didn't say anything.”

“Your face did.”

Apparently my face is causing a lot of problems today. Megan reaches us and puts the box down beside the table.

“Hi.”

“Hi,” Liv says. Silence. Excellent.

I clear my throat. “Right. Liv, Megan. Megan, Liv.”

Liv gives me a look. “We’ve met.”

Megan snorts. “Technically.”

“I was trying to make this less awkward.”

“How's that going?” Liv asks.

“Poorly.”