More Than This: A More Novella Read Free

knees, to keep me secure. His calloused hands against my bare skin felt surprisingly good .
    Not that it should, especially not now, tonight , when I was freaking out about what might or might not have happened at that after-party.
    Why did I let Iselin drag me there? I should’ve just gone home after the bar closed.
    I rested my head against the back of his, letting my eyes fall closed as his movements lulled me into a light dose.
    Everyone said he was dangerous, but he wasn’t .
    Right now he was safe .
    If I wasn’t so bloody cold, I would’ve fallen asleep like that, on his back, clinging to him as he brought me home. But I was cold, and it was hard to forget about when the wind teased against my bare skin.
    “You have to give me directions,” he said. “I don’t know where you live.”
    “Just continue straight ahead.”
    My whole body trembled, but at least his back was warm against my front. It was the rest of me that was a problem.
    “Turn in here,” I said after a while, and he did. “I live right down the street.”
    We came upon my house, all big and white and dark . Everyone was asleep by now.
    I slid down his back, stumbling a little as my feet made contact with the ground.
    “Easy there.” He steadied me.
    I started making my way up the driveway—and he stayed close behind me until I was safely up the stairs and right in front of the door.
    That’s when I realised my big mistake.
    “Shit.”
    “What?” He cocked his head curiously.
    “I don’t have my key. It’s in my jacket, and it’s—I couldn’t find it.”
    He looked up at the dark windows. “Is anyone home? If you ring the bell long enough, they’re bound to wake up, right?”
    I swallowed. “My uncle’s at work. Maybe Ben’s home.” I pressed the bell.
    Dammit . How could I be so stupid as to not look for my jacket? It had my mobile in it too! And my wallet. It had everything .
    Shit, shit, shit .
    “Why can’t this be a weekend when Alex and Leo are around?” I muttered, pressing the doorbell again. “Ben’s probably off shagging Tarjei.”
    He raised his eyebrows at me.
    I rolled my eyes. “It’s what he does.”
    “Shag people?”
    “Pretty much, yeah.”
    “He your brother?”
    “Cousin.” I pressed the bell again, quick, then again and again. “We’ve got no extra keys, because Thomas gave one to Alex, and he hasn’t bothered getting new ones.”
    He shook his head with a small, rueful smile. “I have no idea who any of those people are.”
    “Thomas is my uncle. Alex is my brother’s boyfriend. He’s off at school. He comes back at weekends, usually together with his brother, but of course they’re not here this weekend.”
    The steps were cold and I shuffled uncomfortably from foot to foot. “Dammit, Ben!” I held the doorbell in.
    “Can you ring someone?”
    “I don’t have my mobile.” I closed my eyes, frustrated beyond relief and slowly freezing to death.
    “Here.” He held his mobile out to me.
    “I don’t know anyone’s number,” I muttered, glaring at the phone. Those days where I could rattle of any number but my own was over. Every single contact was saved on my phone—I never looked at the number itself anymore.
    “Maria.” He gave me a look I interpreted as how daft can you be . It didn’t help my plummeting mood. “We live in modern ages. Search them up.”
    Oh right .
    I took his phone from him, went online, and searched up the yellow pages. There I searched for Ben, and when his number came up, I clicked it.
    “What?” he answered grumpily on the fifth ring.
    “Are you home?” My voice turned an octave too high in my panic. He had to be home.
    “For fuck’s sake.”
    “Please, Ben, I’m locked out. It’s freezing out here.” I jumped now, up and down, trying to keep the little warmth I had left in me.
    He groaned loudly, clearly not happy.
    “Give me a minute. I’ll be up.”
    “Thank you!”
    He hung up on me without another word.
    I handed the phone back.