She laughed. ‘Yeah. But you’re also too young to waste your life waiting around for a long-lost Hemsworth brother. Or Declan Bell Jones, for that matter.’
‘Oh, sure, I’ll just go make out with Sam Park instead.’
Libby raised her eyebrows, but whatever she was going to say next was cut off by the sound of a car beeping outside. It was her dad, come to pick her up at 10 pm sharp. She only lived two streets away, but her parents wouldn’t let her walk home in the dark. Mine wouldn’t either, for that matter.
After she’d gone, I finished tidying up and got ready for bed. Mum and Luke were still out, and Dad wouldn’t be home from his shift at Kmart until after midnight. I placed my sculpture on my bedside table and climbed under the covers. Max stretched out on the floor next to me. He usually started out there, and then at some point during the night I’d wake up with his big body curled around my back or crushing my legs. It was annoying, but I also secretly loved it.
Except that night, I . . .
I . . .
Alright, I’ll say it. That night, I went to bed yearning for someone else to wrap their big body around me in bed.
And I . . .
I . . .
Look, we all do weird things when we’re alone, right?
Um, Katie, it’s okay, you really don’t have to tell the world about your masturbatory habits.
LIBBY. NO. THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEANT.
Jeeeeeeeeez.
Listen. Here’s what I did.
I reached over, and picked up that sculpture, and placed it next to me on the bed, okay?
. . . Okay.
And.
And?
And I might have kissed it goodnight.
Okaaaaaaay.
And, god, I might have shed a little tear, alright?
Aww, baby.
Can we move on now? Because we’ve finally reached the interesting part.
The REALLY interesting part. Yes. Let’s do it.
Right. Here goes nothing.
I felt like I’d only just dozed off when I was awoken by a flash of lightning and a roaring clap of thunder. You know, the kind where it feels as though the storm’s right over your head – even inside the room with you. My heart was pounding, but I took comfort from the weight of Max’s body behind me. I snuggled into him, and reached my hand back to pat his belly.
But that’s not what I found. My eyes shot open again when instead of touching Max’s soft, thick fur, my fingers encountered the smooth, warm skin of a human being.
That’s when I saw Max standing by the window, and I finally registered his low growl.
And that’s when I screamed liked I’d never screamed before.
Three
I jumped from the bed, instinctively grabbing the closest thing to me off the bedside table to use as a weapon. I didn’t pause to wield it, though. I ran from the room, my heart racing. There was something – someone – in there. In my bed.
I headed straight for the back door – the nearest escape – groping to unlock it before running into the yard. I glanced over my shoulder, terrified I was being followed, and immediately slammed into something hard and toppled to the ground. I was screaming again, scrambling to get up as my limbs tangled with someone else’s.
‘KC? KC! It’s me. Katie!’
I stopped screaming long enough to register Theo lying beneath me on the muddy lawn, his eyes wide open, his face panicked. Rain pelted down around us.
I clambered off him, breathing heavily. He sat up and got to his feet, and I realised he was only wearing boxers and an old band t-shirt that was now plastered to his skin. I looked away, crossing my arms over my chest, conscious that my own daggy Minnie Mouse nightie was sticking to me, too. A ridiculous thing to worry about in that moment, I know, but I couldn’t help it. Theo seemed oblivious to what we were both wearing, though. He was reaching down to pick up a plastic cricket bat he must have dropped when I ran into him. He straightened and stepped over to me, resting his hand on my shoulder.
‘I heard you screaming. Are you okay? What happened?’
I tried to get it out between shaking breaths. ‘Someone. Was in. My room.’
‘What?! Fuck. Are you okay?’
‘I’m alright,’ I said. ‘Just freaked out.’
‘Your parents still out? What about Luke?’
‘No one’s home.’
His hand dropped from my shoulder and he looked towards the house. ‘They still in there?’
‘Huh?’
‘Is there still someone in your room?’
‘I don’t know. I just ran.’
His eyes scanned the yard. ‘They didn’t follow you out here. They might have gone out the front –’
‘Theo,’ I tried to cut in. I’d just come to a horrible realisation.
‘– or through your window? Is that how they got in? We should –’
‘Theo!’
‘– probably call the cops.’
‘Max,’ I said, ignoring Theo’s suggestion. ‘Max is still in there.’ And he was being very quiet.
‘Max?’ Theo swore and looked down at the cricket bat in his hand. He squared his shoulders. ‘Okay. You stay here. I’ll go get him.’
‘No way! I’m coming with you.’ I held up the weapon I’d grabbed in my mad dash out of my room. It was . . . a paintbrush. Great.
‘What are you going to do, paint them to death?’ Theo said.
I held up the pointy wooden end of the brush and gestured to his cricket bat. ‘It’ll probably do more damage than that piece of junk.’
Theo hesitated for a moment, then gave me a slight nod. He turned back to the house, cricket bat in one hand, the other held out in front of me in a protective gesture. I didn’t try to argue with him about it. It was comforting, to be honest. I put my hand on his shoulder, and slowly we moved forward together.
We entered via the back door, both of us dripping all over the tiled floor. I started shivering, although I couldn’t tell if it was from the cold or because I was absolutely cacking it.
We moved through the kitchen and dining area and –
Katie, can I ask you something?
Now? Really?
Well, I was just thinking. If you thought there was some creeper in your bedroom, why didn’t you stop and, you know, actually pick up a useful weapon? Like, say, all those sharp knives your dad proudly displays on the kitchen bench? I mean, that’s aside from the fact that calling the cops really would have been the wisest thing to do. If you were worried about Max, the chances of you being able to do anything at that point were –
Libby, you’re really messing with my flow here.
Sorry, it just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. Frankly, it strains the limits of believability.
Me not stopping to pick up a knife strains the limits of believability? Not the whole WE CREATED A BOY thing?
I just thought you were more logical than that.
Well, when you find yourself in what you think is a life-or-death situation, please do let me know how logic works for you. Because I was running less on brainpower and more on pure adrenaline at that point in time.
Hmmm.
Now, can I continue?
You can, and you may.
Why I oughta –
Theo and I moved as quietly as we could through my house. We paused when we reached my open bedroom door, pressing our bodies against the hallway wall.
There was silence in my room. All I could hear was the sound of our breathing. Theo and I exchanged a look.
‘Anybody in there?’ Theo called. His voice came out about three octaves higher than usual.
‘If you were a burglar or murderer, would you respond to a question like that?’ I hissed.
Theo looked back at me, a finger to his lips. His eyes widened when we heard – no way – was that . . . a giggle?
A moment later – there it was again. Definitely a giggle.
What the hell?
Theo and I stared at each other,
our faces twitching in silent confusion. After a moment he shrugged as if to say, Here goes nothing. He rounded the doorframe into my room in one quick movement, swinging the cricket bat in front of him and bellowing a wordless war cry. I followed him, slamming on the light and sticking the paintbrush out in front of me as though it was a fencing sword. Theo’s scream died on his lips and I let out a gasp as we both registered what we were seeing.
I don’t know what Theo thought we’d find when we entered the room. I’d had all sorts of visions flashing through my head, all of them dark and awful.
I can tell you that neither of us was expecting what we actually saw.
There, by my bed, was a bronzed, muscular guy with floppy blond hair. He was crouched down, laughing softly to himself, as he scratched at Max’s sides. My oh-so-effective guard dog was absolutely smothering the guy’s face in kisses, his tail wagging furiously.
Straightening up and pushing Max gently away, the guy said, ‘There you are, gorgeous.’ I instinctively looked around. Theo had a stunned expression on his face. Was this guy talking . . . to me?
His voice was husky. And hot. Or at least it would have been if he hadn’t been some rando who’d shown up in my room in the middle of the night, butt-naked.
Yeah. Did I mention he was naked? Because he was.
I tell you what, if you’d told me at the start of that day that I’d wind up with two half-naked and/or totally naked guys in my bedroom that night, I would’ve said you were dreaming.
For a moment, I thought I was.
Then Theo’s mouth finally kicked into gear.
‘Listen, perve, we’ve called the cops, so you better get the hell out of here right now.’ His words were confident, but I could hear the tremor in his voice.
The naked guy took a step forward and Theo flicked the bat in his hand towards him in a threatening way. ‘Don’t – don’t come any closer,’ he said.
‘Is this guy bothering you?’ the naked guy said. To me.
Theo glanced my way. ‘You’re the only one who’s bothering her, mate.’
The guy stood up straighter. He towered over Theo. ‘Me?’ He made a scoffing noise. ‘I would never bother her.’
‘Leave now, and no one has to get hurt, alright?’
‘Kate, who is this boy? Do you want me to get rid of him for you?’ This was from the naked guy.
‘Uhhhh,’ I squeaked out. I’d been standing there with my mouth hanging open during the whole exchange, trying to take in what was happening. My brain was having a hard time processing it.
‘How do you know her name?’ Theo said, his voice raised. Quietly, he said to me, ‘Shit, is he some weirdo stalker?’
Glasses. I needed my glasses. A suspicion had sprung up in my mind that definitely didn’t seem possible. It’d been planted there by the whiff of scent I’d got when the naked guy had moved.
The smell of springtime.
And the ocean.
I dropped the paintbrush and held out my hands in a calming gesture, like the guy was some kind of wild animal. I slowly moved around the edge of the room towards my bedside table.
‘What the hell are you doing?’ Theo hissed.
I didn’t answer. I didn’t take my eyes off the guy in front of me. Max was still at his feet, his tail wagging, like he’d found his new best friend. It was as though he hadn’t even registered Theo’s presence in the room, let alone mine.
I felt around on my bedside table for my glasses and slipped them on. They were still wonky, but they did their job. The room came into focus, and I got a proper look at the naked guy for the first time. He was scratching his head, his face placid, like he didn’t have a care in the world.
And why would he, when he looked like . . . well, like a long-lost Hemsworth brother? He moved his hand away from his head and his hair settled smoothly into place. Just right. His eyes, which were looking at me with warmth and – was that affection? – were the clear blue of a summer’s day. His lips, which he gently nibbled as my gaze lingered on them, were soft and pink.
Perfect for kissing.
His body . . . well, let’s just say it was pretty damn flawless.
Except for one tiny thing.
No, not that thing.
I was doing my best not to look at that thing, thank you very much.
It was something else altogether.
The guy. He didn’t have a bellybutton.
He had a sixpack to die for. That hot V thing at his hips.
But between them . . . nothing. Just smooth skin. No bellybutton.
‘Oh my god,’ I finally said.
Theo looked at me sharply. He hadn’t noticed what I had, it seemed. And I wasn’t about to point it out.
The naked guy went to take a step towards me, but Theo moved quickly, pressing the cricket bat into the guy’s chest. ‘I – I thought I told you not to move.’
The guy looked down at the bat, not seeming particularly bothered, and then glanced over at me.
‘Who is this guy?’ he and Theo said, at exactly the same time. They looked at each other, mild annoyance on the naked guy’s face, fury bubbling up on Theo’s.
‘Oh my god,’ I repeated. Two sets of eyes – one pair blue, the other dark brown – looked my way.
I swallowed. No. This couldn’t be.
‘Did Libby put you up to this?’ I asked the naked guy. There had to be some kind of logical (*cough*) explanation. His brow furrowed. ‘Who are you, anyway? Is this some kind of joke?’ I turned to Theo. ‘Are you in on this, too?’
Confusion clouded his face. ‘What?’
But I wasn’t paying attention to him anymore. I was searching in my sheets, then on the floor under my bed.
‘I don’t think you’ll find what you’re looking for under there,’ the naked guy said in a singsong voice.
I straightened up. ‘How do you know what I’m looking for?’
He smiled. It was a dazzling smile. ‘You’re looking for me. But I’m right here.’ He held out his arms.
Theo was glancing from me to the guy and back again, still holding the bat up between us. ‘KC . . . do you know this guy?’
‘Um.’ It was finally sinking in. ‘I think so.’
Slowly, Theo lowered the bat and turned to me. ‘You think so?’
I nodded.
‘Do you maybe wanna tell me what’s going on?’
I exhaled. ‘It’s kind of a long story.’ And a completely absurd one, I thought. I couldn’t quite believe I was actually entertaining the possibility that it could be true. I might not have been into science like Libby, but even I knew there was no way it was scientifically, actually conceivable that we had . . . that we had . . .
But what other explanation was there for this six-foot-who-knows-what golden god of a guy standing in my room in the middle of the night, completely naked, and calling me ‘gorgeous’?
It made no sense. Maybe I really was dreaming.
I pinched myself. Hard.
It hurt.
‘Prank,’ I blurted out. ‘It’s a prank! Libby and the girls, they, uh, they pranked me. Isn’t that right?’ I looked pointedly at the guy, who frowned in confusion. I rushed ahead before he could say anything. ‘So it’s okay. You can go. I, um, I overreacted. Thanks for coming to check on me, though.’
Theo’s eyes were getting wider and wider as I spoke.
‘Huh? But –’ He looked at the naked guy, who smiled at him and waggled his fingers as I moved to usher Theo out the door.
‘Wait, seriously, who is this creep?’ Theo whispered to me. ‘You sure you’re okay?’
‘I’m fine, really. I – I was confused at first, but now I get it. Sorry I scared you. Don’t worry. This guy, um . . . he won’t hurt me.’ When I said it, I had this weird sensation that it was absolutely true.
‘I don’t want to leave you alone with –’
‘It’s fine, I promise. He . . . he’s a friend. A friend of Michael’s! That I’ve, uh, met a few times,’ I said. ‘I just di
dn’t recognise him in the dark. I shouldn’t have freaked out like that. Really. You can go now.’ When Theo still didn’t move, I added, ‘Okay, bye.’
Theo glanced over my shoulder and something dawned on his face. ‘Wait. Are you telling me – is he – are you – wait, what the f–’
‘Let’s talk in the morning, okay?’ I said, giving him one final shove. The last thing I saw before I closed the bedroom door in Theo’s face was the utter shock and dismay displayed there.
‘What the fuck?’ I heard him say again. A moment later, the back door slid closed with a thud.
I leaned against my door and took a deep breath. I looked at the naked guy, took in his smiling face and his chiselled body with its conspicuous lack of bellybutton and his – um, well, then I turned my gaze to the ceiling.
‘Can you, uh, put some clothes on, please?’ I said, my voice squeaking.
‘I don’t have any clothes,’ he said breezily.
‘Of course you don’t,’ I muttered. I cupped my hand to my face, shielding my eyes, and walked over to my wardrobe. I pulled out my fluffy pink dressing-gown, which was way too big for me (because it’s cosier that way), and tossed it over my shoulder.
‘Are you decent?’ I asked after a moment.
‘I believe so,’ he said.
I turned back around in time to see him tying the dressing-gown up at his waist. The sleeves were too short and it didn’t fully cover his torso, but at least all the important parts were hidden (ahem).
I stepped closer to him. ‘Are you – did you – I just –’
I couldn’t help myself. I reached out and touched the smooth, golden skin of his chest. I snatched my hand back reflexively, startled by his warmth. By his rock-hard realness.
‘No way,’ I whispered, as he reached for my hand and began stroking it gently with his thumb. ‘This can’t be happening.’
His lips parted slightly, but he didn’t say a word. His eyes – those beautiful blue summer-sky eyes – were on my lips. His other hand moved to my face, and he gently tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. It caused the broken arm of my glasses to slip. I shot my hand up to hold them in place.
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