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“Okay, Little Bee, prepare to bewooed. Tonight. But be warned, you’re going to fall head over heels in love with me.”
“You’re very sure of yourself, aren’t you? But right now I have to go and help Shar pack. She’s moving in with my brother.”
“Want me to come with you?” I offer. I have no desire to help her friend move. But I do have a huge fucking desire to be with Lucy.
“No, I don’t think either of them will want extra people around right now, and this is going to be really hard for Shar. That place is where all the memories of her mum are.”
“Okay, call me if you need anything.” I lean down, quickly press my lips to hers, and pull back again. I don’t want to let myself get carried away. I won’t want to stop.
“Thanks.”
“Tonight, Lucy,” I remind her. “It’s a date. I’ll pick you up at seven.”
“What should I wear?”
“Whatever you want to wear,” I say, walking over to my car.
* * *
Fuck,now I have to plan a goddamn date. How the hell am I meant to do that? I don’t know the first thing about dating. I’ll admit I was being overconfident earlier. But it felt like a challenge to me. And I don’t back down from a challenge.
I hit my cousin Axel’s number on my phone. “Hey, man,” he answers on the first ring.
“Are you still in Melbourne?” I ask him.
“Depends if you’re in one of thoseI’m going to kill everyonemoods, or in theAxe is my favourite cousin in the whole wide worldkind of moods,” he says.
“Don’t be an ass. You’ve never been my favourite cousin,” I tell him.
“Well, then I’m not in town. What do you want?”
“Never mind.” I hang up and head to my uncle’s gym. I recognized the background noise. Axe is still in town. He’s just being an idiot.
Fifteen minutes later, I’m pulling into the car park, where I pop the boot, grab my gym bag, and head inside. I could use a workout. I seem to be working out more than usual lately. Other than being around Lucy, it’s the only thing that helps expel all of this built-up energy.
The moment I walk through the doors, I spot my cousin in the ring. I head straight for the locker room and get changed. Lucky for me, Axe is right where I left him when I come back out. So I climb over the ropes and gesture for his opponent to step out.
“Dominic, you’re too late. I was just about to hit the showers,” Axe says.
“No, you weren’t. Don’t be a pussy, coz. Come and hit me.” I know how to egg my cousin on. This isn’t the first time we’ve been in the ring together. Neither of us would actually really go all in, but it’s fun to make him think I will.
“Last time I did that, I got an hour long lecture from Aunt Ella,” Axe groans.
I smile. My mother really is the best. “Don’t hate on me just because you were born third and no one remembers you exist,” I tell him.
“Fuck off. I like being the invisible one.” He swings a right hook, connecting it with my jaw.
I shake out my head and smirk at him. “Again,” I tell him. I have no intention of swinging back. I want to feel the sting. The burn. The pain.
After ten minutes of allowing Axel to land blow after blow, I hit back. Once. A left jab to his cheek. The thing with my cousin, though? He’s the fucking baby, and not nearly asinvisibleas he likes to think he is. If I hurt him for real, I’d have the whole fucking family breathing down my neck.
“I’m done.” I rip off my gloves and turn towards the ropes.
“What’s crawled up your panties today?” Axe tosses his own gear to the side.
“I need to plan a date. What the fuck do you do on a date?” I ask him.
After what seems like forever, he finally stops laughing, “Oh shit, you’re serious,” he says.
