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“Oohh, what about those two?” She nods towards a couple that must be in their twenties, sitting near us in the coffee shop outside the cinema.
“He’s a marine biologist, on a visit from Florida. He met her at the university he's working at and fell for her vibrant red hair. By the way she is playing footsies with him I’m guessing she is pretty taken with him too.” I lean in towards Jess to whisper, “What she doesn’t know is that he has a foot fetish that would send her running for the hills.”
Jess breathes out an amused chuckle. “Maybe that’s why she’s playing footsies with him? She knows, and he can’t resist her that way. She has him right where she wants him.”
I nod and laugh in agreement as I scan the room for our next couple. “How about those over there?” I gesture towards an elderly couple sat in the corner.
“Oh easy. They were high school sweethearts, met just before he was sent to fight in the war. He sent her love letters, she wrote to him every day. Oh, he had a little picture of her that he kept with him all the time. When his tour ended, they fell pregnant and had triplets and after they were born, he got a job working for a construction company that he now owns. His three boys now run it whilst they sit and drink coffee together and reminisce about all the time they spent dancing toFrank SinatraorBillie Holidaywhen they were young.” She lets out a longing sigh and dreamily stares at the couple as they hold hands, but my eyes are only fixed on her.
“Your best one yet, I think. They are pretty adorable sat over there,” I say without even glancing over.
“I want to be like them when I’m old,” she let out wistfully.
I want to tell her that if it were up to me, she would be the one I grow old with. She is the one I would spend every day worshiping and adoring. Instead, I lift her hand to my lips and kiss her knuckles, whilst I watch that cherry blush swarm across her neck, smiling like the lovestruck puppy I am.
“Jess?”
“Hmm?” she says, slurping her milkshake.
The words shrivel on my tongue as I lose my nerve to tell her everything I want to say. “You’re so cute. Get over here.”
She throws her sleeve covered hand to her mouth and stifles a chuckle, the sound floating over to me melodically. Her movement is swift as she climbs into my lap, her sweet scent crawling around me as I inhale. She kisses my face softly, blissfully unaware of how loud my heart beats for her.
On the way home, we talk and laugh about everything and nothing. Our hands are always clasped together, and it brings me a warmth that is bone deep.
As we approach her house, I hear shouting from inside. The familiar sound of her mum’s raised voice is something that’s become more and more frequent lately, but it’s not something Jess likes to talk about. As soon as Jess registers where the noise is coming from, she drops my hand as her face pales. She wraps her arms around her body and freezes, a panicked expression lacing her features as she moves toward the house, her pace quickening with each step.
She doesn’t look up at me again, leaving an icy chill in her absence.
“I’ll see you at school tomorrow,” she mumbles, opening the door and stepping inside before I can protest.
I chase her up the steps and place my hand against the closing door. “Wait, Jess,” I say, lowering my voice to a whisper. “Are you going to be okay?” I hold the door open and lean inside to see if I can catch a glimpse of what’s going on, but the low lighting in the living room reveals nothing. The yelling has stopped, but I hear the clink of metal, as if something is being kicked further inside the house.
I don’t want Jess to go inside with her mum upset, and I’m filled suddenly with the need to scoop her up and take her away. “You can crash at mine if you want to?” I offer, already knowing she won’t.
She shakes her head. “It’s fine. She sometimes just needs me to help her calm down if she’s had a bad day. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Without letting me reply, she closes the door. I didn’t even get to give her a goodnight kiss.
I stand outside for a second to make sure I know she’s safe before I walk home. When a few minutes have passed and I’ve not heard anything from inside, I drop her a text telling her to call me if she needs me.
On my walk home, I flip my phone around in my sweaty hand, unable to stop tapping the screen to check I haven’t missed anything from her.
I’ve been home at least an hour before I hear from her again.
Jess:Mum is asleep now. I’m sorry you had to hear all that.
Liam:Please don’t apologise. You don’t have to. I’m here if you want to talk about anything, Jess.
My phone rings instantly and her face flashes across my screen. I take a deep breath and school my expression, not wanting to let her see my concern as I accept her FaceTime.
“Hey, Scotty, you miss me already?” I say lightly, removing any concern from my voice.
“You wish,” she taunts.
There’s an awkward pause before I ask, “You okay?”
“Hold on,” she whispers, and I see her move around her bedroom, shadows around her face as the door clicks shut. “I’m okay, I mean… I’m okay now. She’s sleeping so, it’s fine.”
“Have you talked to your Uncle Cam or Harriett about any of this lately?”
