Second Chance(31)

Jack snorted, and Nate chuckled. Then they were both laughing aloud, tension spilling out of them in near hysteria.

“Oh God, stop.” Nate wiped his eyes. “Or I’m going to drive us into the ditch.”

“I’m not doing anything,” Jack gasped, ribs aching. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed like this. It felt good.

By the time they reached Hedbury they’d calmed down. “Shall I take you home?” Nate asked.

“Yeah. I suppose so. Sorry about the pub thing.”

“It’s okay. I’m not much of a drinker anyway, and the lack of privacy is an issue—especially in the local pubs where people might know us.”

When they reached Jack’s road, he put his hand on Nate’s arm. “Pull over on the road; don’t bother to turn into the driveway.”

“Why?” Nate obliged, slowing to a halt a few yards from the turning into Jack’s drive.

“So I can do this.” Jack leaned over and kissed Nate on the lips. He felt the shape of Nate’s smile against his mouth before Nate kissed him back.

“Do you definitely want to do this again?” Nate asked, sounding a little uncertain.

“Yes.” Jack answered with no hesitation. He was sure he wanted to do more of this with Nate. “Do you?”

Nate paused for a beat before answering, but when the word came it was strong and decisive. “Yes.”

“Cool. I’ll let you know when the coast is clear at mine next.”

“Okay.”

Jack gave Nate a final peck on the lips before getting out of the car. “See you soon then.”





Nine





Nate managed to get his mum alone before Cass got home the following day. The last thing he needed was his teenage daughter knowing he’d been questioned by the police last night.

His mum had just got home from work and put the kettle on when Nate came down from his room.

“Want some tea, love?” she asked.

“Yes please.” Nate rinsed his mug from earlier and gave it to her. “How was your day?”

“Okay thanks. Busy. Had a few groups of prospective parents in for a visit.”

Once the tea was made, Nate’s mum took hers through to the living room and Nate followed. She put the TV on and flicked through the channels, settling on a gardening programme.

“There’s something I need to tell you,” Nate said.

She immediately muted the TV and turned to face him. “Is everything okay?” She frowned.

“Yes, it’s nothing serious,” he replied hastily.

“Good.” She gave a small smile. “Although you know I’d be okay with whatever it was.”

“Yeah.” Nate smiled back, the warmth of their connection reassuring him. They’d been through a lot together and they hadn’t always been close, but since the death of his father they’d realigned. Smoothing over the old hurts had forged a new, stronger relationship than they’d ever had before.

“What’s up then?”

“You know I borrowed your car last night? Well, I was out with Jack, and we parked on Edge Road because we wanted somewhere to talk in private. And a police car stopped to ask us what we were doing. Obviously they took the number plate and asked me who owned the car. I thought they might check with you, so reckoned it was better to warn you in case you get a call.”

His mum’s eyebrows rose, disappearing beneath her ash blonde fringe. “Edge Road?”

Nate nodded.

“Somewhere to talk?” Her lips twitched.

Nate cursed the blush that swept up from his neck. He’d never been good at lying and his mum had always known when he was being evasive. He cleared his throat. “Yes.”

“Okay.” She spared him, turning her attention back to the TV and putting the sound back on. “Well, not to worry. Thanks for the warning.”

“Thanks, Mum.” Nate picked his mug up, ready to escape to the refuge of his room. But before he reached the door, she spoke again.

“If you want to bring Jack here sometimes, to talk… then you know he’s always welcome.”

Nate’s cheeks burned again, but he felt a rush of gratitude too. “Okay thanks. That’s good to know.”

“Probably safer than risking Edge Road again. More comfortable than a car too.”

“Probably.” Nate fled, followed by the sound of his mother chuckling.

Sitting at the desk in his room he stared at his laptop screen, not seeing the words there. Instead he imagined what it would be like to have Jack in his room. How would it feel to lie on the bed with him, to kiss him, to touch him intimately without the cover of darkness? In the car it had been intense. Physically the chemistry had been great, but emotionally Nate was left unsettled. Keeping things casual was going to be hard. It wasn’t only his body that was craving more of Jack, his heart was too.



Nate got a text from Jack when he was cooking dinner later that evening with Cass helping.

My parents are out tomorrow night from seven till late. Want to come over?

Nate replied immediately: Yes :)

He must have smiled, because he caught Cass looking at him with narrowed eyes, knife paused over the mushrooms she was chopping. “Who are you looking all heart-eyes about?”