Page 127 of Kiss Me Like You Mean It

‘Deal,’ I say, getting to my feet and holding out my hand.

The smile she gives me then is shy. ‘Deal,’ and she slips her hand into mine.

‘I think we can seal this some better way than with a handshake,’ I say.

‘Oh?’ She tilts her head. ‘What did you have in mind?’

I pull her towards me. ‘I have a few ideas.’

Chapter Forty-One

Lee

The next day, before I take her to her first ballet class, Nico and I sit Phoebe down to talk to her about the change in our plans.

‘Bee,’ Nico begins, following our decision for him to take the lead, ‘Lee and I want to talk to you about something.’

‘’Sup?’ Phoebe asks, slurping at the carton of chocolate milk I’ve handed her.

‘Over the past couple of weeks, Lee and I have been spending a lot of time together,’ Nico continues mechanically, delivering the short speech the two of us sweated bullets over. ‘And we’ve realised we have feelings for each other that go beyond friendship. We want to be a real couple. We love each other.’

Phoebe’s eyes move from her dad to me and back again. ‘Duh.’

Of all the potential responses I forced Nico to workshop with me, duh had not made the list.

‘What do you mean… duh?’ Nico asks.

I am watching her very closely for any signs of emotional distress, but there’s nothing. She just gives a one-shouldered shrug that looks like a gesture Nico would make.

‘Like it’s a surprise?’ Phoebe continues, observing us with genuine perplexity. ‘You’ve been in love for ages.’

‘We have?’ Nico says, dazed, and I don’t even mind how unromantic this answer is because I am feeling equally thrown.

‘Yeah. Everyone knows.’

‘Everyone?’ I repeat.

Phoebe considers for a moment. ‘Nana says your auras are blended together, but even if you can’t see your auras it’s so obvious.’ Phoebe takes another thoughtful sip on her drink. ‘Plus, I totally Parent Trapped you.’

Again, none of this is going to plan. I eye the notebook in front of me where I had jotted down some potential concerns and talking points. ‘I don’t think I’ve heard “Parent Trap” used as a verb before,’ I say cautiously. ‘What does it mean?’

‘You know,’ Phoebe waves her hand airily in the air. ‘I made you come here, and then I made you both go on dates and hold hands and stuff. Didn’t you notice that I kept playing “Kiss the Girl” from The Little Mermaid on the kitchen speaker?’

‘I just thought you were really into The Little Mermaid,’ I admit.

Phoebe shakes her head. ‘Sebastian says it’s all about creating the mood.’

‘Who’s Sebastian?’ I ask, lost.

‘He’s the lobster from the film.’ Nico sounds distant, and I bet – like me – he’s rethinking every interaction we’ve had with Phoebe over the last couple of weeks.

‘Sebastian is actually a crab,’ Phoebe corrects him.

‘Okay, putting aside the fact that you schemed to bring us together using a talking crab as your mentor for a moment…’ Nico rubs a hand over his face. ‘You’re saying you feel okay about it? I know it’s another big change and you’ve had plenty of those lately.’

Phoebe traces a little circle on the table in front of her with her finger. ‘I think it’s cool. Does that mean Lee is going to stay?’

She looks so hopeful and all the air squeezes in my chest. Nico and I exchange a glance.