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She smiles at that, looking pleased with the compliment. I tuck a loose strand behind her ear, my knuckles brushing her cheek.

‘It’s one of my favourite things about you,’ I admit before I can stop myself.

There are a thousand things I like about her, but her hair is a favourite. I let my hand rest on her shoulder, my fingers threaded lightly through the copper strands. She leans into my touch, and my chest tightens with something close to reverence. Her hand finds the one in my lap, and I look down to our fingers tangled together between us, feeling something settle in my chest.

I move my hands to her waist, touching her like I’m afraid she’ll break. My thumbs slide underneath the fabric of her singlet, and she leans into me, her forehead pressing against my chest. Something creaks in the hallway, and I freeze. So does she. We stay like that for a few seconds, breathing each other in, listening to the footsteps pass down the hall. They’re light; I’m assuming they belong to her sister.

When the sound fades, she exhales and presses her face into my shoulder, laughing quietly. The sound vibrates through me. I continue to slide my thumb over her bare skin.

‘You’re going to get us caught,’ she whispers.

‘Worth it,’ I murmur.

She tilts her head up to look at me, her eyes shining. There’s something fragile in her expression now, something softened by what I said. Her fingers curl tighter around my shirt.

‘You don’t say things you don’t mean,’ she says, more to herself than to me.

I nod, because it’s true. Bryn leans closer, her forehead touching mine. Her eyes close, just briefly, and when they open, she pulls me so that we both collapse back onto the mattress. It dips beneath us, and the breath whooshes out of my chest at the feeling of her limbs tangling with mine. She shifts, hovering over me, her hair falling forward, like fire framing her face. The room feels smaller all of a sudden, hotter, as if the oxygen has been snatched from my lungs.

I reach up and catch her by the back of the neck, sliding my fingers into her hair, and pull her down toward me. Our mouths crash together in a warm, urgent kiss that I’ve been waiting weeks for. I roll over slightly, just enough to deepen it, my thumb brushing her jaw as my mouth finds hers again. She makes a soft sound that goes straight through me. I’m painfully aware of the house around us – the quiet, the rules, the people who’d tear us apart if they knew – but it only makes me hungrier for her. Our time together feels forbidden, and it’s making it all the more fun.

I break the kiss just enough to breathe, but our foreheads stay touching. My hand’s still in her hair, caressing the back of her neck. I can feel her heartbeat where our chests meet, fast and wild, matching mine.

‘Jesus,’ I murmur, my voice barely audible.

Bryn smiles, her cheeks flushed, eyes wide, and hair messy. She swoops down and kisses me again, slower this time, like she’s taking her time now that she’s got me here. I melt into it, into her, every wall I’ve built sinking lower with each second.

Her confidence is spurring me on. My fingers dip over her bare back where her singlet has risen up. I trace the line of her spine, pressing my hips against hers. Considering she’d never kissed someone before me, she sure seems to know what she is doing.

‘Bryn? Are you all right in there?’

We break apart. Helen. My heart hammers, a mix of adrenaline and panic, and I shove myself off the bed.

‘Shit,’ I mutter under my breath, moving faster than I can think, finding the bathroom and slipping inside just as Helen opens Bryn’s bedroom door.

‘Going to bed soon?’ Helen says, her voice calm, completely unaware. ‘Do you need anything before I head off?’

Bryn answers softly, careful not to give anything away. ‘No, thanks, Helen. I’m fine.’

I crouch behind the bathroom door, heart still racing, trying to control my breathing. I can hear Helen moving in the bedroom, humming a soft tune as she tidies up, unaware that Bryn and I were just moments from crossing a line we’re both not supposed to.

The seconds stretch, and I fight the urge to peek. Every creak of the floorboards is an alarm in my head. My hand curls around the edge of the sink for support, my knuckles white.

‘All right, I’ll be off then. Don’t stay up too late!’

I exhale slowly, relief mixing with lingering heat from what we’d just been doing. I step out of the bathroom, heart still hammering, and see her on the bed, cheeks flushed, hair messy around her face. She looks at me and smirks.

‘Close call,’ she whispers.

I grin despite myself, crawling back toward her.

‘Yeah,’ I murmur. ‘Too close.’

The tension hasn’t left. If anything, it’s worse now. The house is empty, quiet, and all ours for the moment. The risk makes Bryn taste even sweeter. Our mouths collide in another kiss before I finally peel myself away from her, my heart still racing, and head into the bathroom for a shower.

The hot water runs down my body and for a moment, I let myself just stand under it, eyes closed, inhaling the steam. My muscles relax, and the ache in them finally starts to ease. When I step out, a towel wrapped around my waist, Bryn’s sitting on the edge of the bed, her eyes trailing down my torso. I brush a loose strand of hair from her flushed face, tucking it behind her ear, and she leans into my hand.

‘Why do I feel like you love that we almost got caught?’ She smiles.