Silk

by Heidi McLaughlin

  “Just look at the bridge, like you were doing before,” he directs. “Now, close your eyes and tilt your head up. Now, down just a touch. Okay, right there.”

  I hear the click of his shutter and then nothing. I peek and see him now standing right above me, his hand out to help me up. I flex my hand against the earth one last time before brushing the dirt and mulch from my palms. Reaching up, I feel his hand wrap around mine before he pulls me up.

  “Playing in the dirt?”

  I nod. “You can’t take me anywhere.”

  “What’s taking you lot so long?”

  We look up to see Abe approaching. His eyes widen when he sees my hand in Adam’s. I tug my hand from his grasp and wipe it on the back of my jeans.

  Adam bites back a smile. I look back at the tree.

  “Coming?” Abe asks.

  I turn and follow them back up the path.

  There’s a gift shop on the main road. I pop in to get something for my folks. I thought about buying a trinket, but instead, I get a postcard to send to my parents. When I’m at the register, I see a display of charm bracelets. On impulse, I grab one and a tiny Big Ben charm.

  Adam and Abe are waiting for me just outside. I pull my bracelet out and attach the charm to it. I’m trying to hook it around my wrist when Adam takes it from me and does it for me.

  I look up at him. “I could have…”

  His head is bent, his long eyelashes lowered, as his eyes focus on my wrist. I drop my gaze to his hands. They are so big in comparison to the delicate clasp. Once the clasp is fastened, his fingertips dust my skin as he spins the bracelet around to look at the charm I bought.

  “It’s pretty,” he says, dropping my hand.

  My hand floats back down to my side before my brain catches up, and I remember I want to look at it as well. The chain is simple, silver with small links to attach the charms to. My Big Ben charm is silver as well, only the clockface is painted. It’s forever three o’clock.

  “Want to pop into a pub?” Abe asks. “I could use a drink.”

  My feet are still a bit sore, so I’m all for finding a place to sit for a bit longer. We don’t have to walk long to find a place. It’s bigger and less crowded than the place we were at last night.

  I think back to Nigel and his offer to take me out while I am in town. I wonder if he could take my mind off of Adam.

  The boys grab a table and let me buy this time. I carefully make my way over to the table with the drinks. Abe jumps up to grab their drinks, so I don’t have to carry them the whole way.

  “We should have just gone to a restaurant,” Abe mumbles before taking a healthy swig of his ale.

  “We didn’t eat lunch that long ago.” I laugh.

  “Abe here is a growing boy,” Adam says with mock seriousness.

  I cover my mouth to muffle my laugh, trying to picture Abe any taller than he already is.

  He glowers at Adam and turns his attention back to his drink. I drink my beer, the same Freedom Pilsner I had the day before. It’s good, but I’ll probably order water with dinner.

  We only stay for one drink and then make our way to the London Eye. We eat somewhere near there before we go up, and then we’ll head back to Abe’s. After being unsuccessful in getting me to try some Scottish food, we end up at a Chinese place.

  The line is long for the Eye. It works to our favor though as the skies darken, and Big Ben and Westminster Abbey are lit up. The ride is twenty minutes. I’ve never been crazy about heights. The capsule moves slowly enough that it doesn’t bother me until we’re close to the top. There are seats at either end. I sink into one and keep my eyes on the sights. It’s fun seeing all the places we visited today from the sky. They seem somehow so small and big at the same time.

  The ride back to Abe’s flat is a quiet one. I think we’re all exhausted.

  I change in the bathroom. Adam is sitting on his bed, his laptop open in front of him when I return to the room. He must have changed for bed while I was in the bathroom. My eyes fail at avoiding his bare chest.

  “I won’t be long,” he says, looking up. “I just wanted to upload the pictures I took today to my virtual hard drive.”

  “Thanks. Okay.” I yawn. “Can I see them?”

  He slides over, so there’s a spot for me to sit next to him. Not much room. My arm presses against his, and I try to ignore the heat coming off of him. He waits for me to get settled and angles the laptop toward me before he starts the slide show. The slide show starts at the end of the day and goes backward. His pictures are beautiful. My chest swells when I see the pictures of me sitting under the tree. My eyes snap to his. He’s waiting for my reaction.

  “They’re beautiful.”

  “Thanks,” he says simply.

  As the slide show continues, I feel my eyes growing heavy. It’s been a long day, and while all his pictures are great, there are just so many, and there are so many of the same place but from different angles. I’m thinking I should probably move to my bed.

  Then, I’m warm, maybe too warm, and my neck feels a bit stiff as I slowly wake up. It takes me a moment to figure out where I am, half sprawled across Adam. He’s on his back, and I’m curled around him. My head is on his shoulder, my leg is hitched up on him, and my arm is draped across his chest. His very warm, very shirtless chest.

  Chapter 11

  I ease my leg off of him, freezing when I feel him stir beneath me. I wait a moment before lifting my arm from his chest, his beautiful chest. I pause, knowing I’ll probably never be this close to it again. My eyes flick to his face to make sure he’s still asleep before I do something I know I’m going to regret. I lick my lips and trail my fingertip across the ridge defining the cut of his pecs. My stomach flips.

  I’m inching backward when I feel his arm tighten around me. I look up to see him gazing down at me with sleepy eyes, his hair falling into them.

  “Don’t I get a turn to touch you?”

  My breath catches. I push his arm off me and sit up.

  “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have—”

  He cuts me off with a shake of his head, reaching his hands to rest behind his head. “I didn’t mind it.”

  I stand, needing some space between us, and I fiddle with the hem of my shirt.

  “I’m going to go.” I gesture to the door and hurry to the bathroom.

  I’m sitting on the edge of the tub with my head in my hands when there’s a knock at the door. “Yes,” I say, lifting my head.

  “You decent?” Adam asks through the door.

  I jump up to check my reflection in the mirror, smoothing my hair behind my ears, before I open the door. I step backward as he charges in and closes the door behind him.

  This is not a big bathroom. I feel short of breath while waiting for him to do or say something. My back is to the sink. He stands in front of me, resting his palms on the sink countertop behind me. This lowers his face so that we’re eye level.

  “I know you’re attracted to me.”

  I gulp.

  “Anything happening between us would be a bad idea,” he continues.

  My eyes narrow. “I never said I wanted anything to happen.”

  He straightens back up, his eyes moving to his reflection, and he pushes his hair off his face. He looks back down at me. “You didn’t have to.”

  With that, he walks out of the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

  Asshole. What was that? I know you want me. What a jerk.

  I take my shower even though I’ll have to walk back to our room in my towel. I’m annoyed at him. I brush my teeth and finger comb my hair before I walk out.

  The towel I’m using barely covers me. I hold on to it tightly as I pad across Abe’s flat. Adam is getting something out of his bag when I walk in. I watch his eyes widen when he sees me.

  “Could you…” I motion toward the open door.

  He walks over to it, closes it, and leans his back against it, facing me. “Could I what, Aubrey?”
r />   “Stop being weird and leave, so I can get dressed.”

  “Sure about that?” He smirks.

  “Positive,” I grit.

  His mouth twitches before he turns and walks out into the living room. I lock the door behind him.

  Our only plan for the day is the football match. After that, we’re going to have dinner somewhere.

  Once I’m dressed, I walk out to see Adam cooking breakfast. Abe is leaning on the counter while talking to him. I clear my throat, and they both look at me.

  “I’m going to skip dinner tonight.”

  “Why?” Adam asks, turning his head back to the eggs he’s scrambling.

  “I’m going to call Nigel and see if he wants to go out.”

  Adam drops the spatula. “What?”

  “I’m going to call—” I repeat slowly.

  “I heard you,” he snaps, picking the spatula back up. “Nope. I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  I put my hand on my hip. “Are you trying to tell me I can’t go?”

  Abe is watching us like a spectator at a tennis match.

  “That’s exactly what I’m doing.” Adam passes the spatula to Abe, who looks at it like it’s a foreign object, before turning around to face me.

  I shake my head. “You don’t get to decide that. You are not the boss of me.”

  He crosses his arms over his still bare chest. “Why do you think I’m here, Aubrey? To watch out for you. Since I don’t think you going out with some strange dude is a good idea, you are not going.”

  I step back into the room and grab my purse, pulling out my cell and Nigel’s business card from it, and glare at Adam before I start dialing. “You don’t get to decide this.”

  He marches over to me and plucks my phone out of my hand. He turns it off before he sets it on a tall cabinet next to us. He had to stretch to put it up there. Short of pulling a chair over or grabbing a step stool, I can’t reach it.

  “Give me back my phone,” I huff.

  He looks back at Abe. “Stir the eggs, man.” Turning back to me, he leans down, so his face is in front of mine. “No.”

  I cross my arms over my chest. “I hope you know you are being ridiculous. I’m not a child. I don’t understand why you think you can treat me like one.”

  He glares at me before glancing back to see that Abe is not stirring the eggs. Adam turns and makes his way back to the stove, putting his hand out for the spatula. He pushes the eggs around a couple of times before turning the heat off and moving the pan to a cool burner.

  He turns back to me, using the spatula to gesture. A small bit of egg falls to the floor in front of him. Abe rolls his eyes and wipes it up with a takeaway napkin. Adam rubs his face with his other hand before tossing the spatula into the sink.

  “I’m fine with you calling him but not with you going out alone with him.”

  My mouth drops. “That’s not up to you.”

  He smirks. “I don’t see what the issue is.”

  I lean against the bookshelf. “Give me my phone. Now.”

  He walks back over to me, standing right in front of me, and reaches up to grab my phone. He pauses, raising one eyebrow, before handing it to me.

  I narrow my eyes at him. “I’m calling my father.”

  He seems to be holding back a grin. “You might want to check the time difference on your fancy watch first.”

  I glance down, tilting my wrist. I groan when I see it’s the middle of the night at home. I push past him and storm into our room, shutting the door behind me. As the door clicks into place, I faintly hear Adam ask if I want any eggs.

  This morning, I woke up in his arms, and yes, it’s only because I fell asleep on him, but right now, I’d like to choke him. This is not how this trip was supposed to go.

  I glance at the door as I lower myself onto the bed. I double-check the time, making sure it’s not too early, and I call Nigel. He answers on the second ring and sounds happy to hear from me. He agrees to pick me up and take me out to dinner. I tell him where Abe lives and what time we should be back from the match. I’ll just have to figure out a way to give Adam the slip.

  There’s a knock at the door, and I look up as Adam slowly opens it.

  “Are you hungry?”

  I nod, wishing I weren’t, and stand. He steps back, so I can move past him. There’s a plate that I think is for me on the countertop. I glance back at him to make sure, and he nods. I pick it up. I stay in the kitchen as he joins Abe in the living room.

  They talk while they eat, so I finish first. I wash my plate and place it in the drying rack before going back into our room. I lie down, my back toward the door and face the window. It’s more overcast today. I miss the light coming through the window.

  When the door opens, I hold my breath. I can tell it’s Adam. I don’t think Abe would come in here.

  “Are you going to pout all day?”

  I flinch. “Are you going to keep bossing me around?”

  He groans. “I’m not trying to boss you around. I’m trying to look out for you.”

  I turn over, facing him. “That’s not how it feels.”

  He jams his hands into his pockets and slumps his shoulders, his head down. “Look, Aubrey, I’m responsible for you.”

  “I don’t understand what the big deal is. Maybe if we were in a country where everyone didn’t speak English, I’d understand.”

  He doesn’t have a response to that.

  ***

  We leave for the match once Shelly comes over. I like her right off the bat even though she talks a mile a minute, and I can barely understand her. Abe is so laid-back that they balance each other out. She’s been visiting family in Ireland. Otherwise, we would have seen more of her.

  She’s the one who was able to get us the tickets to the match. Arsenal is playing Tottenham. I don’t follow sports, especially ones happening in other countries, so Abe and Shelly try to fill me in on their rivalry on the way.

  “Hopefully, Abe won’t be too dashed if they lose. They aren’t having the best year.” She whispers.

  Adam hears her and elbows Abe. “When did they win their last championship?”

  Abe looks away and grumbles something that sounds like eight years. He changes the subject by trying to teach me some of their cheers.

  Arsenal has some chants just for Tottenham. Nothing too clever, mainly, Fuck Tottenham. Abe looks embarrassed to cuss in front of me, and Shelly smacks him.

  “I cuss. I totally cuss. You can cuss in front of me.” I declare.

  When they all start laughing at me, I glower.

  “Whatever,” I say, walking in front of them.

  “No,” Adam calls after me. “We want to hear you cuss.”

  Shelly runs to catch up with me and slips her arm through mine. “Ignore those rotten boys. I think you’re lovely.”

  I smile at her and glance back at Adam to flip him off when we reach the car. Abe is driving, and Shelly sits in the front passenger seat. Since Abe has to have his seat all the way back to accommodate his Lurch-like limbs, I’m practically in Adam’s lap.

  Being physically close to someone I am consciously trying to ignore is impossible. I’m hyperaware of Adam’s every movement. If he moves, because of my perch, I feel it, and vice versa. Only, I don’t think he’s trying to ignore me. Or maybe he is because he isn’t talking to me either.

  We park blocks away from the stadium and walk. With their arms linked, Abe and Shelly walk in front of Adam and me. The sidewalk is tight, so while we walk, our arms brush.

  I know I’m overreacting, but I’m still so upset. I logically can appreciate the fact that he’s trying to look out for me, but I’m angry because he won’t at least give me the benefit of the doubt to know when I need help.

  Ally wanted me to find my independence on this trip. How am I supposed to do that if I need Adam’s permission to do anything?

  At the match, I sit next to Shelly, and Adam sits on the other side of Abe. I can feel him watchin
g me as I chat with the couple next to me.

  Is it going to be like this the whole trip? I might kill him before we leave Europe.

  I stop thinking of him briefly when I get sucked into the excitement of the match. We’re nearing the ninety-minute mark, and the score is one to one. The tension is palpable with each team wanting to score before the ref can extend the time.

  There’s a Tottenham corner kick that’s particularly stressful. Abe holds his breath as Shelly clings to him. When the goalie clears it, half the stadium exhales. In the end, with an assist, an Arsenal striker is able to score, and the match ends. It’s hard not to get caught up in the excitement at the win. We’re hugging, laughing, and cheering.

  I’m less annoyed at Adam. I’ll have to wait and see how long that lasts.

  When we get back to Abe’s place, he and Adam run out to pick up some takeaway for us. As soon as they leave, I pounce on Shelly and tell her my plans to meet Nigel. She’s a sweetheart and says she’ll cover for me, but only after she programs her number into my phone and mine into hers. She makes me promise to call if I feel uncomfortable at any point.

  I grab my purse and hurry to wait at the pizza place a block over. When I get there, I call Nigel, and he tells me he’s on the way. Once I hang up, my phone starts ringing.

  “Hello?”

  “Where are you?” It’s Adam, and he sounds pissed.

  “I’m fine. You don’t have to worry.”

  “Aubrey, get your ass back here right now.”

  I laugh. “You’re crazy, you know that? I’m an adult. Please learn to accept it,” I say before hanging up on him.

  My phone starts ringing again. This time, it’s Shelly.

  “Hi, Shelly,” I answer.

  “Oh my God, Aubrey. Adam is pissed. Are you sure about this?”

  I look up when I see Nigel walk in. “I’m positive. He’s here. I have to go.”

  “Hey, Aubrey,” he says, walking over to me.

  “Hey, you.” I grin.

  “Ready?”

  “As I’ll ever be.”

  When we talked earlier, I asked a big favor from him.

  He puts his arm around me as we walk to his car. “I made you an appointment if you still want to do it.”