Page 10 of How We Began

“Mm, me neither.”

We stood in silence, a silence that wasn’t silent at all.

“So you’re not ignoring me on purpose then?”

“Um, nope.”

“Okay.” He eyed me over, lips hooking into a half smile.

It made me want to punch him or kiss him. A fifty/fifty split. “Okay.”

“It’s just, I would hate it if I made you feel uncomfortable by my outrageous awesomeness and magnetic sex appeal.”

I snorted a laugh and blushed tomato, stubbing my cigarette out on the bin. “Not at all, Benjamin.”

The smirk grew.

“That’s okay then, Delilah.”

“Good.”

“Good.”

His fingers sought mine and all at once it was like being tethered to the earth and flying sky high.

For a split moment we stared at each other, all teasing set aside. A raw pulse of electricity thrummed down my body.

“Come on, let’s go and rescue Meredith.” I tugged at his hand, unwilling to relinquish my hold as we headed back inside. Turns out, she didn’t need rescuing. Tristan the Arse was sitting in my seat.

“Interesting. Looks like our threesome is up to a foursome.”

Tristan always did know how turn my fun into smush.

23rd September

Apparently there was homework over the weekend. I didn’t do it. I spent most of today reading the same paragraph over and over again and doodling.

Lots of triangles.

I’ve also spent a reasonable amount of time listening to Ben play guitar through the wall and running over our conversation from the pub garden, which is where we sat after we left Meredith and Tristan in the pub.

Everything about him is the reason this weird vibe between us will never be anything more than a vibe. He’s the lead singer of Soundbox… they’ve been together ten years and are at the point of make it or break it.

That fact alone is enough… HE’S THE LEAD SINGER OF A BAND.

“What about you? What made you come to uni at twenty-five.” We’re the same age… I know. It’s happenstance.

“I don’t know.’ I stared into my wine, trying to keep my gaze from obsessively memorizing his face in case it turned out tomorrow I was just in one long dream. “I just wanted more, I guess.”

He stared at me. “Sounds sensible.”

And there is the second reason this will be nothing more than a glass of wine and random handholding. I’ve got to be sensible and stick to my plan. I’ve just got to.

So, basically, I’ve done no studying. At all. Which is a problem.

I need to try harder, otherwise this will be an adventure in futility and my dad will be right and I really am a melt.

This is ridiculous. I’m obsessed with the boy in the room next to mine.