AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His laughter was my favourite thing in the world, and I was pleasantly surprised to see he knew how to cut cheese the correct way, offering me a perfect, bite-size chunk.
“You’re not cold-hearted,” he said, examining the piece of soft goodness he’d picked up. “I’ve never really been a fan of cheese.”
“It’s said to make you dream if you eat it at night.”
“Good dreams, I hope.” He put the cheese in his mouth, pressed it down with his tongue. I was watching, of course I was.
“When I first came to England, I was twelve,” I said. Here I went again. Being honest. Talking rubbish.
“Where did you live before?” He swallowed and went for another piece. “Good cheese. Tingles on your tongue.”
“It is,” I agreed. “Just outside Paris. We had a big house there, but my parents…well, that’s another story for another time. Short version, my dad kind of threw us out, so Mum and I got in the car and left. We rocked up here in the middle of the night, back when my grandma lived in this flat. She was quite a character—a trust fund baby. Never worked, never married, lived in this flat on her own. Had my mum after a fling. And before you ask, no, she didn’t leave me millions. She left me this flat, gave my mum enough to buy a seaside bungalow and left the rest to charity. I don’t blame her. The money never made her happy, and she didn’t want that misery to go to me.”
“I’d have taken the money.” Hugo grinned, and I had to smile, even though it was a tough story to tell. He gestured for me to continue, so I did.
“Mum and I stayed here for months before she got a job and found a place for us, but anyway. It was a bit…traumatic for me. I’d idolised my dad and couldn’t believe what he’d done to us. I never spoke to him again, and he passed away from a heart attack a few years later. It was a lot to take in for a kid.”
“Sorry,” he said quietly.
“Nothing to be sorry for. He had his chance, decided I wasn’t worth it, and…”
“Go on,” he encouraged calmly, and I realised that he calmed me, which was even stranger than the flutters he gave me by sitting there and waiting for me to speak.
“I had nightmares,” I admitted. “A lot of nightmares back then, and my grandma used to come sit with me. She would lean back and stare at the ceiling and hold my hand and tell me that this flat was safe. That nothing bad would ever happen here. She promised. She always said that. ‘Once you step over this threshold, nothing bad can happen.’”
“You think Psychic Mona is a fraud but believed in your grandma’s magic threshold?”
God. I loved how sarcastic he was, but he had a point.
“Yeah, because look at me. I’m still in one piece, and I’ve never had anything bad happen to me here. So she must have been right, right?” I laughed, and he did too.
“So what you are trying to tell me is, I should be safe here too. Like, your grandma’s hexes cover me because you invited me in. Or did you? Maybe you’re the one with the vampire thing going on here. This is good cheese though. I like it.”
“No vampires, promise.” I smiled, grabbing another piece off the board. “I mean, you survived the last time you stayed here, and your odds weren’t very good.” I hoped he was following my snark and didn’t think I was trying to be cruel.
“I was off my head on pain and then on meds. I don’t remember very much of what we said. I do remember you being a little bit scary, though.”
“I’m not scary, I promise.”
“Telling me you wouldn’t let anyone come near me or something. That’s kind of scary.”
“Yeah, okay. Sorry.”
“It was exactly what I needed to hear back then.”
“I meant it,” I said quietly. “You’ll always be safe here.”
“So your grandma’s hex still counts then? Or do I need to go shopping for garlic cloves and silver stakes?”
“Yeah? No…what?” I grinned and stole another piece of apple. “Believe what you want because whatever, you’ll have me.”
“Good.” He smiled. “As long as you don’t mind me kipping on the sofa. I’m a good house guest, promise.”
Hugo
I’d lied when I said I could do this, I realised as I sat up in the changing rooms, hyperventilating, until one of the waiters found me and frogmarched me down to Finn’s office, where I spent the first hour back in employment crying my eyes out while he awkwardly patted me on the head and then sent someone off to get me a cup of tea and steal a pastry for me from the breakfastbuffet.
Normally, I didn’t eat pastries. I didn’t even like them, but this one was sweet and crispy and went down a treat. Which meant I now felt sick, but I had calmed down.
