Chapter 1
I unlock my door and stumble into the house, letting the door slam shut behind me. I rest my bag down before I drop it. My whole body is shaking, I don’t understand what Rory is doing here.
Who just turns up like this after months, with no warning?
“DARCY,” he shouts. My hand goes over my mouth as I think, I see his body lean against the glass panel that runs down the side of the wooden frame and it becomes an effort to catch my breath.
“What are you doing here Rory?” I ask through the translucent glass. He can’t see me as I touch where his hair is flattened against it.
I want to touch him so bad!
“I’m a fully-fledged Manchester resident now,” he answers.
Has he really moved here? Why?
After a few minutes to compose myself, I finally open the door and he pulls himself off the glass to face me. We scowl at each other, neither of us speaking. He looks different, it’s been months since I have seen him and his hair is a little longer and his stubble has become a short beard that’s darker than I remember but he is still insanely handsome in his light blue jeans and green hoodie.
I lose myself in his eyes for a few seconds then I shake my head to break the trance. “What the fuck Rory?”
He smiles, his hands go into his hoodie as he moves closer. “I live down here now,” he whispers, as though it’s a big secret.
I shake my head. “When? Why?”
“You not going to invite me in first?” He asks as he flashes that smile he knows I can’t resist.
Well, things have changed Boyo – I’m more in control of myself these days!
My eyes pierce into him and I think for a few seconds before pulling the door open to allow him in. He remains silent as he walks into the warm hallway and removes his hands from the front pocket of his hoodie.
I gesture for him to go through to the lounge, as I throw my coat on the side and sit down without offering him a drink.
“Well, what are you doing here?” I ask as he gets comfy on the chair across from me.
“I moved here about 3 weeks ago, I just started a new job at a local engineering firm and rented a flat, not far from here really, about 20 minutes away.”
I’m in a trance watching him speak, my eyes won’t shift from his lips as they move. I feel like I’m in a dream. Lord, how many times have I wished for this to happen.
“But why?” I ask.
“For you,” he replies.
I sit back, unconvinced.
“Wow. Not for me,” I correct. “If you were here 3 weeks ago you didn’t move here for me.”
“I wanted to get everything sorted before I showed up at your door.”
“Let me get this straight - you moved here to be with me, months after we last spoke. Didn’t even know I would still be interested or even here myself …. But you move here, leave everything and get a job down here?”
He nods and my eyes narrow further.
“Somethings not right with that,” I say suspiciously.
“Why?” He starts to bite his thumbnail. “I told you I would come here.”
“Who the fuck does that?” I shake my head. “What if I was back with Kiran or had met someone else?”
His frown lines deepen. “Have you?”
I shake my head. “That’s not the point, this is crazy.”
“When I found out my mother had been the reason you stopped speaking to me I wanted to make the changes and prove to you, I have given it all up.”
“So your mother no longer speaks to you? You’ve lost all rights to your inheritance, the business, the farm?”
I can’t get my head around this – Is he fucking insane?
He nods, then a small smile starts to form. “Well I knew my mother wouldn’t be mad for long, she called last week to check I was settling in.”
“Rory, my head is blown, I don’t know what to do with this information. It’s too much to take in.”
“I don’t expect anything from you, that’s another reason I left it before coming, I’ve started to build my own life down here. If you don’t want to be a part of it that’s fine but –”
“But?” I question.
“But, I would really like you to be.” That smile again, seductive and innocent. He knows what he’s doing with that and he is far from innocent.
“I need some time to let all this sink in, couldn’t you have warned me? Text me? Anything!”
“You haven’t been answering.”
“You could have posted a letter or sent a fucking homing pigeon.”
He laughs. I need him to leave, I need to absorb all this information. I look at him and he is waiting with bated breath for me to continue. I must admit, inside I’m doing cartwheels at the thought of him being so close but I can’t just be expected to jump into his arms and pick up where we left off months ago. If he comes back into my life so does all the drama, Kiran being pissed off, Saika, Kerry, Rory’s mother and I also have Lucas to think of.
“Can we speak tomorrow or something? I need to let this all sink in.”
The frown remains on his forehead as he stands up, he looks surprised! Did he think I would just welcome him with open arms?
“Can I call you tomorrow?” He asks.
“Sure. I’m sorry I’m not more welcoming, I’m just in shock.”
He moves closer to me and leans in to kiss my cheek. I awkwardly turn my face and it all gets a bit uncomfortable. As he puts his hand on my arm my body ignites with goosebumps - There it is, that spark we had, one touch from him and I go weak at the knees.
“I’ll leave you to your gin,” he says as he passes my bag for life in the hall. I don’t follow him to the door, I let him close it behind himself. When I hear it shut I drop back onto the sofa and put my head in my hands.
What the fuck just happened? – Just when I’m happy being alone he comes in and five minutes with him gets me questioning my whole life plan.
