AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“How old are you again? Eleven.”
“Twenty-seven.” He nudged me. “Are you trying to say I’m a child?”
“Never,” I said with a mock gasp. “You are quite good at it, though. I’m impressed with some of them, they’re very intricate.”
His eyes twinkled. “Really? Which is your favourite?”
I couldn’t honestly say I had one, but his excitement was infectious. “There was a castle, that’s a good one.”
“Hogwarts.”
I must have looked blank because he frowned. “Please tell me you’ve watched or read Harry Potter.”
“No, sorry.”
“Wow, you’re really weird.” Starting walking again, he sighed heavily. “I’m not sure we can be friends.” He nudged me and then said excitedly, “I quite like it because the guys are the ones who usually say that to me when I mention Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Lego.”
He was grinning from ear to ear.
“It must be nice to be able to take the high road for a change. You know, pretend you’re the normal one for once.”
“Shit, you’re cruel.” He slapped a hand over his heart. “I’m not sure that I can cope.”
“I know, I don’t even know why you’re friends with me.”
“Well, it’s not for your shit jokes, that’s for sure.”
“God, now who’s being cruel?”
Laughing and enjoying the ease of the banter, excitement vibrated through me. I hadn’t had that sort of simplicity in a long time. I felt happy, despite the fact that my marriage was in absolute ruins. I didn’t want to think about it, though. I wanted to continue the sense of freedom being with Ronnie gave me.
“If the guys don’t share your love, who do you do your Lego with?”
“You can do Lego on your own, you know.”
“I’m aware.” I couldn’t help the smile, but I hoped he realised that it was given with affection.
“Ethan helps me,” Ronnie said quickly, like he was embarrassed, but when I glanced at him he was grinning. “That kind of answers the question of how old I am. I’m seven.”
We both burst out laughing, and as I stumbled slightly, my arm brushing against Ronnie’s, my whole body heated up. It wasn’t even skin on skin, but I could feel him through the thickness of his denim jacket. I tingled, sure that I had an actual glow beaming around the outline of my body.
Our steps faltered and, for a moment, I wondered whether everything about our relationship was about to change, but as a cyclist appeared from around the bend, Ronnie drifted away from my side. He moved to stand in the grass verge, flashing a smile as the man in full Lycra and cycling helmet sped past us without any thanks.
“I sometimes have fantasies about pushing ignorant twats like that into the canal.” He turned and watched as the bike disappeared, almost knocking over a jogger going in the opposite direction.
“I hate rudeness. Why do people think it’s okay not to have manners?”
Ronnie shrugged and seeming to look disappointed that the cyclist hadn’t fallen off his bike before we continued walking, falling into stride with each other.
“Is it swans that mate for life or ducks?” Ronnie asked after we’d walked for a couple more minutes, passing a family of ducks swimming along.
“It’s swans, although I’m not sure whether that’s a myth or not.”
“I’ll Google it.” He didn’t make any attempt to get his phone from his pocket but continued walking. His arms hung loosely at his sides, and I was acutely aware of how close his little finger was to mine. I could almost feel the brush of it, imagine them linking, joining us together.
Suddenly, I felt hot, and the jacket felt constricting. “It’s warmed up a bit,” I said, the need to shrug off the denim battling with the desire to keep it close.
“Ah, so you do also have hot blood running through those veins, then.”
