I tuck her in before stripping down to my boxers and sliding in next to her. I have a super king-sized bed, so it will be easy to sleep together and not even realise there’s someone else here.
As soon as my head hits the pillow, I’m out like a light.
Chapter Three
Molly
I wake up with a start, trying to work out where the hell I am. It takes a couple of seconds for the fog to lift before I realise I’m in Ryan’s bed. “Shit,” I mumble as my hands dive under the covers to see what I’m wearing—if anything.
I’m relieved to find I’m still in his t-shirt and I still have underwear on. I know I shouldn’t be concerned—this is Ryan I’m talking about, after all. The last thing I remember is dancing around the living room and wondering why he has such a weird look on his face.
I bolt upright in bed when he appears at the door, smiling and saying, “Good morning,” way too loudly. It’s then that I realise quite how rough I feel, and I slowly lie back down to try to ease the ache in my head.
“Oh dear, you feeling that good?”
My answer is to glare at him.
“Here, I’ve brought you water and painkillers. I thought you might need them.”
“Thank you,” I say in a really croaky voice that makes me laugh to myself. “Why am I in your bed? I don’t want you sleeping on the sofa in your own house.”
“After you passed out on the sofa, I went to bed, but before I could fall asleep you came in here begging me for sex,” he says very seriously.
“Oh God,” I say, shaking my head. “You’re joking, right? I never did that!” I feel my face get redder and redder and I pull the covers up to hide myself.
“You’ll be pleased to know I turned you down. It was tough when you started begging, but I stayed strong.”
With that, I totally disappear under the covers, hiding my embarrassment from him. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I was really drunk; can you leave the room so I can just sneak out of your house? You’ll never have to see me again,” I squeak from my hiding place.
“Molly, don’t say that.”
“Oh, that’s fine for you to say. You’re not the one mortified by your drunken actions.”
“Molly, look at me.” He tries to pull the covers from me but I’m clinging to them for dear life. I hear him move to the bottom of the bed and, from there, he peels them back over my head. I immediately cover my face with my hands to hide how embarrassed I am, but I keep my fingers apart enough so I can see him.
After a few seconds of looking at me, he apparently can’t contain himself any longer and bursts into laughter. Not just any laughter, but the kind that has him doubling over in pain. Tears fill his eyes, he’s laughing so hard, and I make sure to have an unimpressed expression on my face.
Making a grab for a pillow, I launch it at his head, causing him to fall nose-first onto the floor, making his eyes water even more. One hit is not enough for what he just did to me, so I launch a full-on attack.
Eventually, my sense of humour starts to take over, and I’m laughing along with him, and at him, seeing as he’s now curled up on the carpet, rolling around and holding his nose.
When my side starts hurting, I give up and sit on the end of the bed. He pulls himself up and settles on the floor in front of me. Laughing after everything feels so damn good.
“I’m sorry, it was just too good an opportunity to miss,” he says to me, still smirking.
“How long have you been planning that?” I ask him seriously.
“Oh, since I got up about two hours ago.”
“You’re a dick—you know that, right?”
“I’m sorry.” He puts his hands up in surrender. “Now, get your arse in that bathroom and get ready. We’ve got a lot to do today. I’ve already put your dry clothes in there so you can get dressed. Meet me in the kitchen—I’ll have breakfast ready.”
Ryan leaves the room and I make my way into his ensuite after taking the painkillers he left for me. It takes me a few minutes to realise what he’s done, but when I do, I completely forget about his ‘joke’ this morning. Not only are my dry clothes in a neat pile on the unit, but there’s a new toothbrush and a can of women’s deodorant next to them. When I look in the shower, I see new bottles of shampoo and conditioner—nice, girly pink ones. There’s also a new shower gel, a pink shower puff, and even a pink razor. My eyes start to fill with tears as I take everything in. He may have been up for a couple of hours, planning how to most embarrass me on our first day as housemates, but he’s also done this. I don’t think anyone has ever done anything so sweet for me before.
While I’m in the shower, I realise what I need to do. This is my first day putting myself first. I need to ring my friend Shane and call in a favour.
Looking at the time on my phone, I realise that it’s already nearly midday on his busiest day of the week. I don’t expect him to answer, but as I put my phone to my ear, I’m surprised to hear his voice after the first ring.
“Hey, how’s our number one groomsmaid?” Shane asks, making me smile. I first met Chris, now Shane’s fiancé, at university. He was studying the same graphic design course that Hannah and I were. We all hit it off straight away and he soon became our gay best friend. Then, not long after, he met Shane and fell crazy in love and, well, as they say, the rest is history.
“I need to call in that favour you owe me. Can you fit me in today? I’ll explain everything if you can squeeze me in.”
“Lucky for you, my last appointment of the day rang in sick, so I’m free after three o’clock this afternoon.”
“Thank you so much. I’ll see you then. By the way, we’re going for a change.”
After Shane hangs up, I do that really embarrassing girly clap and jump up and down thing. I’m grateful no one can see me. I’m so excited that I’m going to start the new me off with a bang.
Once I’m ready, I head downstairs. Ryan must have heard me coming because, when I turn the corner, he takes a teabag out of a mug and slides it across the breakfast bar to me. I ignore the tea for now and go straight to Ryan, throwing my arms around his neck.
“Am I forgiven?” he asks cautiously.
“I can’t believe you did all that for me. When did you have time?”
“I woke up early and went for a run. I’m still experimenting with routes around here, but I came across a shop on my way back and thought you could do with some girly shit when you woke up. I also got breakfast,” he adds, motioning to the fresh croissants and pains au chocolat on the breakfast bar.
“Yum. I think I’m going to enjoy living here,” I say as I round the breakfast bar and perch myself on the stool. “So, what’s your plan for the day?” I ask Ryan, hoping that whatever he says doesn’t involve me, because I already know what I need to do today, and it needs to be on my own.
“Well, we’re going to get your stuff tonight at seven, right?”
“Yes. What about the rest of the day?”
“There isn’t that much of it left now, really, is there?” he says sarcastically.
“Just because some of us actually need beauty sleep to look good…”
He smiles before he continues. “I need to get your room cleared out so we have somewhere to put your stuff later. What about you?”
“I’ve got a few things I need to do.”
“Do you have any furniture to move in downstairs?”
That makes me realise how little I do have. “No,” I answer sadly.
“Okay. Cancel any plans you have for tomorrow. We’re going furniture shopping.”
“I’ve never decorated a room before. I can’t wait.”
“What? Even when you were a kid?” Ryan asks, sounding shocked.
“No, my mum used to get an interior designer to redo the house every five years or so. It was always the latest fashion at the time. Susan and Pete had the flat above Cocoa’s refurbished before we moved in, and Max had been living in his place for a while and liked it the way it was; he didn
’t want any ‘girly shit’ around.”
“Right, well, here’s your chance. You’d better get thinking.”
After breakfast, I say goodbye to Ryan and head out, promising I’ll be back about six. I’m not looking forward to returning to the flat. Last night already seems like a lifetime ago, but it will be good to close the door on that part of my life and move on.
As I drive down the street I grew up on, I make sure not to slow down in front of my parents’ house. It’s not like I expect them to be on the look-out. Dad will be working and Mum will be socialising with Oxford’s elite somewhere. I have hardly any good memories of that house, and I don’t intend on making any now. As I pull into the Morrisons’ driveway, however, I begin to smile. I love this house, the people inside, and all the memories I have of growing up here.
“Hello,” I shout as I walk in. I’m considered family here, so I haven’t knocked on the front door in years.
“In the kitchen,” Susan calls back. It’s not like I expected them to be anywhere else; they all live in there. They have the homiest house I’ve ever been in. It’s the total opposite of next door. That was like a show home; I always felt like I was making the place untidy by just being there.
“Hey,” I say, smiling as I walk into the room. Susan pulls me into a hug, followed by a kiss on the cheek from Pete. Declan and Lilly are back from university and sitting at the table, finishing their lunch. They both wave and smile around their food. Susan and Pete weren’t just lucky enough to have one set of fraternal twins, but two. Apparently, it’s genetic. Susan’s mum was a twin and so was her grandmother. No one ever expected Susan to carry two sets, though. That was a shocking announcement a little over nineteen years ago. The younger twins are now at university. Lilly is close by in Cheltenham, studying interior design, but Declan decided to go further afield to Exeter to study business. They’re both back for the summer, and I can tell by the smile on Susan’s face that she loves having her babies home. She had serious empty nest syndrome when they first went; she’s such a mother hen.
“Do you want anything to eat, angel?” Susan asks me. She’s always called her children ‘angel’ and, from a young age, that included me. That’s why, in the end, Hannah and I decided to name our company Angel Designs. We very quickly decided we were not having any obvious imagery: no halos, wings, or fairy-tale stuff. We went for more of an angels-with-dirty-faces approach. Our logo ended up being black and greys with a splash of magenta. The font we chose was edgy, but it worked for us. We loved it—well, I still do.
“No, I’m fine, thank you. A cup of tea wouldn’t go amiss, though,” I say with a smile. There’s always tea in the pot at this house.
“Of course. You sit down and I’ll bring it over.”
After a few minutes, all five of us are sat around the table, catching up with each other. I love these moments; I never had them with my family.
“So, Molly, how’s Max?” Lilly asks me.
“Ah, well, that’s sort of one of the reasons I’m here. It’s over, I’ve left—”
“Thank God for that,” Susan butts in.
“Susan,” Pete scolds.
“Oh, angel, I’m sorry, but I never liked him. He wasn’t good enough for you. He didn’t treat you well.”
“You’re right. I knew it was never going to work. I never loved him, and I know I deserve better. And you know what? I’m going to get it. Today is the first day of the rest of my life.”
“Good for you, angel,” Susan says, putting her arm around my shoulders.
“So, where are you going to live?” Pete chimes in.
“Well, that’s another thing, I—”
“I’ll go make up the spare room,” Susan butts in again. God, I love her; she doesn’t even bat an eyelash about taking care of me like one of her own.
“Thank you, but that won’t be necessary. Actually, Ryan has asked me if I’ll move into his place.”
“I think that’s a great idea. We know how much you two have helped each other this year. It will be good to have each other close by,” Pete says, nodding his head.
“I’m really excited. He’s taking me furniture shopping tomorrow and letting me decorate my room however I want. I’ve never done that before.” I try to ignore the slight twinge in my stomach. Am I betraying Hannah by moving into his house? It’s easy to put it to one side when her parents are so encouraging of it.
“Good for you,” Susan says, smiling.
“Is Emma around?” I ask. Since the accident, Emma seems to have become the opposite of a recluse. She’s never home, but no one knows where she is. She’s not always at work, because Susan has rung them before now to speak to her. She’s only working part-time, but she won’t tell us where she goes or what she does, other than work. I’ve only seen her a few times, and she rarely replies to messages or answers her phone. I can’t imagine how hard losing Hannah must have been for her, but we’re all worried.
“She went out earlier this morning,” Susan says sadly.
“I’ll try to catch up with her to let her know I’ve moved. Thanks for the tea, but I’ve got to go and sort out ‘new Molly’,” I explain.
After we’ve all said our goodbyes, I jump in my car and head to my next destination. It’s now nearly two o’clock, so I don’t have much time before I need to be at Shane’s, but lack of time has never stopped me before. I pull into a parking space behind my favourite department store and head inside.
After only fifty minutes, I return to my car with my arms full of bags. Operation: New Molly is well underway.
After spending a couple of hours being pampered by one of my closest friends, I’m in a great mood.
Shane wasn’t at all surprised by what I wanted done; he said he saw it coming. He had texted Chris to say I was going to be there, so not long after I sat down, he arrived to hear the gossip first-hand and to check that I was okay.
I’m now leaving the salon a new woman. Gone are my long blonde locks in favour of shorter, rich chocolate brown waves with a full fringe. I realised after seeing the blonde bimbos last night that Max had managed to influence my appearance. He was always dropping hints about how hot he thought blondes were and how good I looked with blonde hair. It wasn’t until I saw myself in the mirror this morning that I realised how much I actually disliked it, and how bad the shape of my hair was after all the bleach. I decided to return to something more natural, have my fringe back, and cut the length to where the swell of my breasts start.
After Shane had finished blow-drying, I asked him if he would put on the make-up I’d bought earlier. As well as getting a couple of new outfits, underwear, shoes, and a couple of other bits for my new room, I’d visited my favourite make-up stand and asked for products for my new look. My old gray eye make-up is no longer, and in its place are pallets of purples, teals, and pastels to make my eyes really stand out under my new fringe. I showed Shane what I was going to change into, seeing as I was still wearing my work uniform from the day before, and he decided on the teal eye shadow pallet to go with the flowers in the loose-fitting sleeveless blouse and the bows on the high-heeled court shoes. Team those with new dark blue skinny jeans and I felt like a million pounds.
I said thank you along with my goodbyes to Chris and Shane, promising I’d be around soon to help with all the wedding planning, and I left. I had one more stop to make before going home.
It’s early evening when I make my way through the front door, dragging everything I’ve bought with me to find Ryan topless and about to pick up a box from my room. I let out an involuntary moan at the sight. The muscles in his broad shoulders and down his back ripple as he moves.
My moan must have been louder than I thought. Ryan’s attention turns to me, revealing the front of his torso in the process. This time, I manage to control myself, but I can’t help but rake my eyes over his pecs and ripped six-pack, and then follow the V that disappears into his loose jogging bottoms. The light sheen of sweat on his body only increases the defi
nition he has.
Oh, fuck me slowly, that’s one seriously hot body.
When my eyes make it back up to his face, I see his hair is a mess and falling all over his forehead—but what I really notice is how wide his eyes are as he stares at me.
“Holy shit,” I hear him say under his breath as he runs his eyes all over my body. I start to tingle from his attention.
I realise I need to say something to break the atmosphere we’ve managed to create. “So, I take it you like my new look?” I ask, raising an eyebrow. He shouldn’t be looking at me like he is right now. A wave of guilt washes through me as reality hits.
“Holy shit,” he says again. He shakes his head like he’s trying to get control of himself. “You look…I mean…you look…don’t get me wrong, you were gorgeous before, but with the new hair, you look stunning. Shit, seriously hot. I hope that dickhead wakes up one day and realises what he’s missing without you, Molls.”
I don’t really know how to respond to that. Ryan and I have always been very open with each other. My relationship with him hasn’t been much different to what I have with Chris and Shane in that we knew we’d never end up in bed with each other, so there has never been any awkwardness or sexual tension between us.
Until now.
“Thank you,” I say quietly as I break our eye contact. I feel a weird loss as I look away from him and into the room—my room—that’s practically empty. “Wow, this is much bigger than I thought when all the boxes were in it. I bet you can rent a flat the size of this in the city for silly money. Talking of money, I’m paying half of everything,” I say firmly.
“No fucking way. You can just pay half the bills,” he argues.
“I can’t do that. I’m living in your home, I need to pay my way. How about half the bills and a third of your mortgage each month?”
“I didn’t ask you to move in here for my financial gain, Molly. I asked you because I want you here. I couldn’t care less if you stay for free.”
Falling For Ryan: Part One Page 3