Because She Loves Me Read Free Page B

kissed her.
    ‘That was fun,’ she said. She yawned. ‘And now I’m pooped. I have work in the morning. The last day before the Christmas break.’
    There were still a lot of people around. As we walked towards the taxi rank, Charlie flicked her thumb over her phone, texting someone.
    A tall man was walking along the pavement towards us. He had a great mop of blonde curly hair. He had his head down, shuffling his feet. Then he looked up and the moment he saw us he crossed the road.
    ‘That was weird,’ I said.
    ‘Huh?’ Charlie looked up from her phone.
    ‘Some guy just crossed the road like we were a couple of terrifying would-be muggers.’
    ‘Ha – really? Well, you are scary looking, Andrew. I didn’t want to say, but . . .’
    The tall curly-haired man had vanished into a side street.
    ‘Do you want to share a taxi back to south London?’ I asked. ‘I mean, it can drop you at yours first . . .’
    ‘You’re sweet. But I’ve just arranged to stay with a friend who lives around here. I’m sorry. I just can’t face having to make the journey back in tomorrow morning.’
    ‘No worries.’ I felt gutted.
    ‘Give me your number,’ she said, handing me her phone. I tapped it in and she saved it to her address book, then looked up at me. ‘I’ve had a great time helping you celebrate, Andrew Sumner.’
    ‘Me too, Charlie Summers.’ I didn’t want to say goodbye to her.
    ‘I’ll call you in a couple of days and we can do it again. Or something more sedate. How does that sound?’
    My good mood returned immediately. ‘That sounds awesome.’
    ‘Like, totally, dude.’
    ‘Don’t tease me,’ I said, smiling.
    Which was when she kissed me. Slipping her arms around my waist, she tilted her face upwards and we kissed. It seemed to go on for a long time. Someone wolf-whistled as they passed us in the street. It was the best kiss of my life.
    She strode away, leaving me standing by the taxi rank, completely smitten. And the amazing thing was, she seemed to like me as much as I liked her.

Three
    ‘What’s the matter, bruv? You seem distracted.’
    It was Christmas morning and, as always, I was spending the day with my sister, Tilly, in her purpose-built apartment in Eastbourne.
    She manoeuvred her wheelchair closer to my armchair, the glass of Buck’s Fizz on her tray sloshing dangerously. The room was full of presents and discarded wrapping paper; the fairy lights on the plastic tree flashed on and off and a boy band mimed to their biggest hit on Top of the Pops .
    ‘I’m fine,’ I said. ‘Feeling a bit sick after that huge dinner.’
    ‘You’re so full of compliments.’
    I laughed. ‘I didn’t mean it like that, sis. Come on, let’s go out, get some air.’
    It had been six days and Charlie hadn’t called or texted, and no matter how many times a day I fiddled with my phone, making sure the volume was turned up, that I had reception, that I hadn’t missed a call, it didn’t ring or chime. Why hadn’t I taken her number? I didn’t even have an excuse to go to the hospital now I’d been discharged, though that would have been pretty sad anyway. I had to face it. She wasn’t going to call. We’d had one great night out together, a single kiss and that was it.
    Time to move on.
    The day before Christmas Eve I was sure I’d seen her near my flat. I’d been out to buy some last-minute presents and wrapping paper, feeling glum, willing myself to forget about Charlie and embrace the Christmas spirit. As I turned into my street, a long road with a mixture of Victorian and Edwardian semis and converted houses not far from beautiful Brockwell Park, I saw a red-haired woman turn into the alleyway opposite my building. Weighed down by shopping bags, I broke into a slow run. The alleyway led through to a new development which bordered the park. There was no sign of her. I walked down the alley and over the fence into the park. Some kids were stomping in a pile of leaves and a man was