Some Boy (What's Love? #1) (27 page)

“Yeah. I know. I just…this is the one part of the plan that hasn’t fallen into place yet.”

“It’ll be alright. I promise.” I nestled closer into him, still feeling a blooming warmth through my body. “You trust me, right?”

I grinned. “‘Course. But isn’t that what I said to you?”

“And I have. But you can trust me, too.”

“I’m working on that.”

“On trusting me?”

“On trusting everyone. Like my mum.”

“Is she still on board?” There was a slight edge of panic in his voice, and I nodded quickly.
 

“Yeah. Yeah, surprisingly she’s shown no signs of cracking. She must really hate my dad these days.”

“Or just still really love money.”

“True. I’m paying her enough of it.” I sighed. It wasn’t that I missed the money — since my dad was diddling her out of as much money as he possibly could, my mum was particularly amenable to the plan; I’d pass on to her most of what my dad had made available to me out of my trust fun each month, and she’d cover for me to him — but I did sometimes wish I could rely on her to do this for me, even without the incentive. And I wasn’t sure that would be true.

“She loves
you
too,” Brendan said quietly. I shrugged.
 

“Maybe.”

“And your dad?”

“I haven’t spoken to him still. And I don’t plan on it. He doesn’t suspect anything, or one of us definitely would have heard from him by now.”

“What do you think he would do?”

“If he found out that we’re together?”

“If he found out any of it. That you never stopped seeing me, that you’re planning to move to Edinburgh, that you’ve quit uni in Leeds already?”

“He won’t find out.”

“But if he did — there’s no money left. I couldn’t pay him back. I’m still in no position to provide for his little girl,” Brendan said, with more than a hint of bitterness. I chewed on my lip for a minute.

“I don’t know — maybe he’d be proud of me.”

“What?” Brendan shifted, and I could tell he was staring at me. I gave a small smile.

“There aren’t many people who have ever got one over on him,” I said, staring up at the ceiling. That confirmed one thing — that, perversely, he did love me in his way. There was no other explanation for his blindspot when it came to me. It had been surprisingly easy to play out this ruse. Even with the help of my friends and my mum, it wouldn’t have worked without the fact that Dad was willing to believe every word I said. I sighed and rose up on my elbow to look down at Brendan. “Anyway. Let’s not think about that now. We’ll cross that bridge if we ever come to it.” I trailed my fingers over his bare chest, and then across his lips. Only a faint scar remained there. “I just want to focus on us now. Our future.”

He grinned, and reached out to tuck my hair gently behind my ear.
He’s going to say it
, I thought. His lips twitched like he was going to speak, but then he just turned his face away and reached down beside the bed. He sat up slightly to grab his jeans and fish in the pocket. He pulled out a scrap of newspaper and handed it to me.

I took it and peered at it in the darkening room. “What is it?”

“A distraction,” Brendan said, and when I looked up from the piece of paper, he was holding something else between his fingers. It glinted at me. I gaped silently, my eyes wide.

“Brendan—”

“This is not a proposal. It’s not an engagement ring,” he said, watching the shock cross my face. “So you can relax.”

“I wasn’t—” But then I saw him grinning.

“It’s just a gift.”

“Brendan, it’s beautiful.” It was a simple white gold band set with a unique pattern of little diamonds. “But it’s too much. It must have cost so much! You shouldn’t have spent so much of the money on me.”

“I didn’t.”

“Oh.” Maybe it was cheaper than it looked. Maybe they were cubic zirconias and not real diamonds. Not that I cared, it was just that they looked real — I took it an put it on my middle finger, even as I was convincing myself that we were going to have to return it and get the money back. It was too much.

“I got this for you before any of that happened. It’s—it’s made from your earring.”

I looked up from staring at the winking gems to stare at him instead. “You sold that.” He shook his head.

“No. I got it made into this ring.”

My throat felt constricted. “What for?”

Brendan laughed shortly. “What do you mean, what for?”

I laughed and shook my head. “Sorry. I just… sorry. It’s amazing. “ I twisted it on my finger to look at every facet. “I love it.”

“I love you.”
 

I held my breath for a few heart beats, then took his hand and brought it to my lips. “I know.”

Brendan laughed at my grin over his hand. “Oh, do you.” And I grinned wider, but at the same time my eyes filled with tears. My casual comment was an pitiful attempt to conceal the overwhelming feelings that were rushing over me. Brendan saw the wetness and gently ran his thumb under my eye. “Sorry I didn’t say it sooner.”

I shook my head, too choked up to speak right away. Then kissed his hand again. “I love you too.”

“I know.” I slapped him on the arm and he laughed and pulled me down to kiss me properly for several long moments.

“And the other piece of paper was actually something,” he added eventually. “A listing for a flat. I thought we could look at it tomorrow. I know you wanted to wait till you knew for sure about the nursing program and all, but — I want you here. I wish I could help you, like with money, until you found a job and stuff, but—”

“You want to lend
me
money.”

“I would if I could. If it got you here with me sooner.”

I grinned and kissed him again. The light in the room had faded to a watery glow, but I had hardly noticed. I was swept up in Brendan’s eyes and skin, and I never wanted to leave. He had no idea how much he had done for me already, things that went far beyond money. He had opened me up to life. Finally, because of him, I’d found the courage to be myself — or at least to start to find out who that was. I had no idea if my idea of studying nursing was the right one, or what I would do with myself from here on out, but I didn’t care.

 
My parents had been afraid of me losing my way because of Brendan, some boy who was after my money and leading me astray. But in reality, he was the only one who had really seen me. And I would do anything to stick with him.
 

I shook my head. “I don’t need you to lend me money. But I do want to look at that flat. I don’t need as much as I always thought I did, and I don’t really care how all this turns out. As long as I’m with you.” I kissed him. “I’d live in poverty, if that was how I could live with you. Anything.”

“Careful what you wish for,” he said, with a grin, but there was uncertainty in his eyes. “I’m back at zero now that all the debts are paid and I’ve moved here. And you’ve effectively disowned yourself, and given all your money to your mum. ”

“It will be okay,” I said, and kissed him again. And I believed it. I rose up and climbed on him, straddling his hips. I could feel him stirring to life beneath me. “And besides, if I ever need money, I can always sell the ring.” I wiggled my finger at him and grinned. He rolled his eyes and sighed.

“God. You’re such an opportunist,” he said with a grin.

Then he pulled me down and kissed me deeply and I loved him hard. Just some boy I’d almost ignored, and now he had my heart.

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Xx

Jenna

Also by Jenna Cox

Hearts on Fire Series

Elle doesn’t want to stay. Kye doesn’t want to leave. But the accident that almost killed her brother — his best friend — will throw them together and make them confront everything they are running away from. Especially their hearts.

It’s never
just
sex.

Ignited
(Book One)

Burned
(Book Two)

Ablaze (Book Three)
Coming Soon

Seared (Book Four)
Coming Soon

Consumed (Book Five)
Coming Soon