Friends Like These by Sarah Alderson

Author:Sarah Alderson [Alderson, Sarah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Thrillers, Suspense, Crime, Psychological
ISBN: 9781473681835
Google: P3V5DwAAQBAJ
Amazon: B07KF99237
Publisher: Mulholland
Published: 2018-12-13T06:00:00+00:00

Lizzie

Saturday, 9 December

Evening

‘I wasn’t sure, so I got two rooms.’

I nod and let out an internal sigh of relief. I’ve been nervous all evening wondering what the sleeping arrangements would be and trying to figure out what I would say if he got one room. James is more chivalrous than I gave him credit for.

‘I think that’s a good idea,’ I tell him and I trace my fingers up his shirt buttons towards his neck. One of them is loose, dangling by a thread. ‘I want to take things slowly.’

He nods but I can tell he’s disappointed. He has the emotional expressiveness of a toddler; out comes a pout, which I quickly kiss away. We never ended up going back to Becca’s and now it’s too late. He’s too drunk to drive. Perhaps it’s for the best. We’ll go in the morning when it’s light.

I let him kiss me again when we get up to the rooms. He pushes me back against the door and rubs against me, making a soft groaning noise as he buries his head in my neck, breathing deep. ‘God you smell good,’ he tells me.

‘Thanks,’ I say.

He takes another deep breath, and I feel his lips burning against my skin. ‘What is it?’

‘Chanel No. 5,’ I tell him. It’s the eau de parfum too, not the eau de toilette. Now I’m glad I decided to splurge and buy it.

His lips graze my skin and his hands grip my waist, his fingers digging into me. I pull away but he grips me tighter – refusing to let go. I can feel how hard he is. ‘Oh god,’ he mumbles and then says something that I don’t quite catch.

I wrench myself free and stare at him.

He looks at me, blinking rapidly as though I’m out of focus, and I wonder just how drunk he is. ‘Sorry,’ he says. ‘I’m sorry.’

I nod, mute. I can’t quite be sure but I think he called me Becca.

He strokes a strand of hair behind my ear and looks deep into my eyes. ‘You’re just so beautiful,’ he murmurs.

For an ecstatic moment time freezes. I forget what I might have heard or misheard. Hearing him say I’m beautiful gives me a buzz, the likes of which he could never imagine. No one has ever called me beautiful before. Not a single person. I’ve been called hot on Tinder. And fit. But never, ever beautiful. A butterfly takes flight in the pit of my stomach and I think I almost want to cry, but then I put my hands on James’s chest and push him gently away. ‘I don’t want to rush things,’ I tell him.

He nods, though I can tell he’s frustrated. ‘Sure, sure,’ he says. ‘I get it.’ He bites his lip, giving me what I imagine is his most charming grin. ‘We could just, I don’t know, watch a movie?’ He can’t hide the hunger in his eyes and it makes me feel powerful, almost regal.

‘I’m actually feeling a little tired,’ I say.

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