Page 33 of Plot Twist

I reached down to take the envelope from Ivy’s outstretched hand, just as Riley flew from the bathroom, wrapping a towel around his waist, his tanned torso still dripping wet from the shower.

I tried not to look. But failed. Was that an actualsix pack?

Oh. My. Days.

‘Jaysus, Ivy, what in the name of the wee man—’

He looked at Ivy then up at me. I raised my eyebrows.

‘Sorry, Becca, I totally forgot you were here for a second,’ he said.

‘What in the name of the wee man?’ I repeated, looking down at his towel and smiling at him.

He blushed and fixed it back around his waist. I averted my gaze back to Ivy’s hands.

‘I’ve never had post before!’ Ivy screamed and jumped up and down, her face flushed with excitement. ‘I. Can’t. Wait. To. OPEN IT!’

‘It looks like a wedding invitation.’ I frowned, glancing at the silky ivory-coloured envelope.

‘Woooow! Can I go?!’ she asked, still bouncing up and down. I gazed down at the mat and saw another invitation, addressed to ‘Mr Riley O’Connell and Ms Becca Taylor’.

What on earth. . . I leaned down to pick the invitation up from the mat.

‘There’s another one,’ I announced. ‘Addressed to. . . us.’

‘Us?’ Riley said, strolling forward to check it out, a hand clutching his towel to ensure it didn’t fall off. He stood beside me, smelling of the citrus shower gel from the bathroom, and gently placed a hand on the small of my back. Surprised, I almost jumped at his touch.

‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘Forgot my hand was wet.’

‘No, it’s fine. I just. . .’

Our eyes met and I looked away, not finishing the sentence. What I’d felt was chemistry zipping through my body. It was unmistakable. But Riley barely seemed to notice.

‘Will you do the honours?’ he asked. ‘Just in case my towel falls down.’

He threw me a good-natured grin while I blushed, unable to form a sentence to reply. Ivy bounced up and down beside us, completely oblivious to my sudden hot flushes.

‘It’s for the opening of Bridget and Ellie’s business,’ I stuttered, as I read the invitation.

‘Brilliant,’ he said. ‘They’ve been counting down the days.’

‘Let’s open yours, Ivy,’ I said.

Ivy grinned while I read the details to her as Riley turned straight back to the bathroom.

‘See you when I’m better dressed!’ he called out.

‘I hope Mammy’s back for the party so she can see me cut the big ribbon,’ Ivy mused quietly. ‘I wish she was here. I miss her.’

I stood still for a moment, unsure what to say.

There was very little mention of Jackie in the house during the day, but at night time, as I lay awake pretending to sleep, I heard Ivy creep into Riley’s bedroom in the middle of the night. He’d try to put her back to bed but she’d protest that she was scared. He relented and let her sleep in beside him when she said she missed her mammy.

I pretended not to have heard the same conversation over and over again every night since I’d arrived.

‘I know, sweetheart,’ I said, eventually. ‘I’m here if you ever want to talk about it. I miss someone that I was very close to as well.’

‘Who?’ she asked.