Meredith
“Put some makeup on. It’ll make you feel better.”
I look up at Cassie, who is hanging my clothes up in the wardrobe, grinning like a maniac.
“Why are you being so weird?” I say, eyeing her suspiciously.
“I’m not. Come on, hurry up. You’re needed downstairs.”
I pull on my jeans and a cream jumper, dragging my freshly washed hair into a bun on the top of my head. I brush my eyebrows into shape, filling in the gaps with my HD brow set that David bought me last year.
The bastard.
At Cassie’s request, I slick some lip gloss on and coat my thin lashes with mascara. I sigh and head downstairs as Harry zooms by me with his mother’s bra on his head.
“I’mSuper-Boob!”
I burst out laughing as he ran into the front room, as my sister screamed at him to take it off.
“Calm down, Cass.” I giggle, pushing my hands in my pockets as I lean against the doorway.
My eyes are drawn to the opposite end of the room and meet the blue eyes I’ve missed so much already. My heart skips in my chest, my soul dancing as a smile breaks across my face, my cheeks flushing when he grins at me.
“Hello, Merry.”
“Dylan! Thank you for bringing my things.” I smile as Cassie beams at the two of us.
Dylan shrugs as he sips his tea, but his eyes are locked onto mine.
After days in his company, suddenly I feel nervous.
“Mum, fasten this under my chin,” Harry demands, holding the bra straps out innocently.
“Absolutely not,” Tom huffs, lifting the offending item from his son's head. “Come on, let’s go and find you a real cape.”
Tom hauls Harry over his shoulder as Cassie smiles gratefully.
“Coffee there, Merry.” Cassie nods, and I move forward, scooping the warm mug into my hands.
I perch on the seat beside Dylan, who turns his head to give me a once over.
“You look nice,” he murmurs, and I flush again, wishing he couldn’t see the effect he had on me. “Good to have your things back?”
“Yes.” I nod. “How was the car?”
“Well.” He rubs his chin thoughtfully, leaning back into the chair. “I don’t know if it’s going to be repairable if I’m honest. When do you need to be back on the road?”
“I start back to work on the fourth,” I mumble, refusing to imagine the long car journey back in Bertha. There’s just no way she will make it, considering how bad she was on the way down.
Maybe I’ll walk.
“Ah, maybe you can get a train or something?” Cassie muses, cocking her head to the side. “Or you can stay here permanently.”
Cassie is always trying to convince me to move back to Devon. But as painful as my life back home is, it’s all I’ve got. Moving back here would make me feel like a failure.
“There’s not enough room, but thank you.” I smile at my sister, who shrugs.
“Tom can sleep on the sofa, and you can sleep with me!”
