Sunshine Kisses

Abby’s insides froze. The truth would take them beyond those ever unspoken boundaries. ‘Not exactly.’

‘Then why would he be concerned you might have lost his number?’ Erik’s voice was low and even. It made something tremble deep in her gut.

‘We met at a bar around Christmas and ended up having a few drinks.’ Not a lie. Just carefully ignoring some truths. She prayed it would satisfy him.

Erik nodded stiffly. ‘Ah.’ A pause. Then: ‘Are you going to see him while we’re here?’

Abby shrugged. She hadn’t expected to bump into him again, least of all there. Finn had been pleasant enough company. In every sense. She was also acutely aware that she’d used him as a distraction from the swirling mess of emotion she’d been feeling. Was still feeling. Her bourbon-soaked brain wasn’t helping.

‘You just went out once?’

Abby nodded. She hadn’t been looking for more when she’d gone out that night and had assumed he felt the same. It had thrown her a bit when he’d given her his number as she left his flat in the middle of the night. At the very least, she should have texted him to let him know she wasn’t interested in pursuing anything. But it felt too much like an acknowledgement of what she’d immediately filed away as a mistake.

‘You must have made quite an impression. Three months later and he’s still pining.’

‘Why are you so interested?’ Abby asked as they entered the lift.

Cool detachment settled back over Erik’s face, along with a tight smile. ‘Just asking my best friend, who I haven’t seen in almost a year, about her life. That’s allowed, isn’t it?’

They had almost reached their rooms before she spoke again. Mere steps away from the door that would hide her safely from this conversation, her alcohol-slicked tongue betrayed her. ‘If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were jealous.’

Erik paused, turning back to where Abby had stopped in front of her door. He took a step. Two. Less than a hand’s width separated her from his chest, and Abby had to crane her neck to see his face. Sometimes she forgot how much bigger he was than her.

‘Well it’s a good thing you know better, isn’t it?’ Erik’s voice was rough, his ragged breathing matching hers. He dipped his head lower towards her, and her heart slammed in her chest. ‘Good night, Sunshine,’ he muttered, turning and reaching his door in two long strides.

Abby glanced over as their keycards beeped simultaneously. Erik was staring at her intensely again, something indiscernible simmering in those normally clear grey eyes. She dove through her door and slammed her back against it.

Fuck.

Ten years before

Say You Won’t Let Go – James Arthur

‘W

hat happened to you, Squirt?’

Erik had managed to drag a giggling, clumsy Abby through the front door and up the stairs to his room before Alex appeared, slouching in his doorway.

‘She had a little too much to drink,’ Erik said, digging through his drawers to find pyjamas Abby wouldn’t drown in. He wasn’t about to rummage through her bags.

‘You don’t say,’ his brother drawled.

Erik located a t-shirt and drawstring shorts and turned to find Abby already slumped against his pillows. Shit.

‘Alex, what’s going on?’ A tired voice carried down the hall, followed swiftly by a tall, pretty redhead wearing Alex’s old Nirvana shirt. ‘Oh. Hi,’ she said, eyes flicking over Erik’s attempt to coax the clothes he was holding into a barely conscious Abby’s hands.

He returned a muttered greeting, widening his eyes at his brother. Alex shrugged.

‘You doing okay over there?’ the girl continued.

‘She threw up,’ Erik explained. ‘I need to get her into some clean clothes. But she’s too out of it to change herself and I can’t…’ He trailed off, cheeks flaming at the idea of undressing his friend.

The girl rolled her eyes and flapped her hands at them. ‘Out. Both of you.’

‘Friend from uni?’ Erik asked, heading towards the bathroom.

Alex made a non-commital noise.