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Chapter Seven
Definitely Not a Date.
Monday saw me unusually antsy and I had no idea why until I was halfway through a text conversation with Hadley.
Hads:You seem distracted.
Me:How can I seem distracted? We’re texting.
Hads:Yeah, but I know you. What have you been up to?
Hads:Tell me you’re talking to Mason!
And, that was when I realised I was staring out the window and watching Roman seemingly trying to wrangle what I assumed was this niece. She looked utterly in her element, running backwards and forwards as he tried to grab her. He, meanwhile, looked totally fed up. I had never seen him look sooutof his element.
And, I couldn’t stop the way my brain was making me look at him differently. I distracted myself by replying to Hadley.
Me:No, sorry. Watching John Cusack.
Which wasn’t a complete lie,High Fidelitywas on in the background.
Hads:Haha, I’ll leave you to it then. Gran’s calling anyway.
Me:Okay, cya xx
Hads:Much love babes xo
I opened the window and watched Roman close his arms on empty air and yell in frustration.
“Mads! Come on!” I heard him call.
He stretched his neck and his gaze fell on me. He gave me a small smile hello, pointed at the tiny running person and shrugged. I bit my lip to hide a smile and shook my head with an apologetic shrug. His look told me he didn’t think I was terribly helpful. I smiled and closed the window. He shrugged again incredulously and I held a finger up to tell him to hold on.
I jogged down the stairs and out the back door. By the time I stopped next to him, Maddy was running around at the bottom of their yard with her arms spread wide. Well, the bottom of the yard here constituting where the trees that surrounded the lake began.
“Is she a plane or a fairy?” I asked.
“No fucking clue.”
“And you…?”
“She’s fast, okay?” he huffed.
I looked at him with a smile. “I’m not judging.”
“You so were. I saw you up there.”
I coughed to cover a laugh. “Does she know what she’s doing?”
“Do they ever?”
“Uncie Roman, look!” she giggled as she threw herself on the ground in something that was supposed to be a cartwheel and I almost erupted in laughter.
Roman huffed and reached into his pocket, but pulled it out empty. “Shut up.”
I barely held in a snigger. “I didn’t say anything.”
“Shut up,” he repeated.
