London is Pink

Chapter nine

DELE

After leaving the common room, I headed downstairs and slipped quietly out the side door, hands stuffed in my pockets awkwardly to prevent the cold from creeping in. I wandered around the building to the carpark area, where I'd told Jordyn to be. It was true that we hadn't interacted at all since yesterday, but that was only if you didn't count text message as interaction. Neither of us quite knew what was going on, but we did know that we'd never hear the end of it if the others realised.

"You know," Said Jordyn, startling me, and I looked up to see she'd made it there before me. "A few days ago I could quite happily have never seen you again. Now I'm getting withdrawal symptoms after 24 hours."

And, well, that pretty much summed it up, didn't it?

"I know," I smirked at her. "I'm a good kisser, aren't I?"

She glared at me, and smacked me on the arm.

"You know what I mean."

"No," I played dumb, crowding her personal space just to see what would happen, and tucking an errant strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "What do you mean?"

She didn't pull back like I expected her to, only returned my smile.

"Maybe I miss you annoying me."

"Don't lie," I rolled my eyes, and pressed my lips to hers quickly. "You were never annoyed."

"Del," she said softly, her eyes searching mine for something, and as the smile faded, lines of worry appeared on her brow.

I raised my hand and gently smoothed the skin, and after feeling both of us relax, I wondered when my emotions had become so in tune with hers?

"Can I trust you with something?" She asked.

I nodded instinctively, before remembering that trusting me wasn't exactly something that came naturally to her, and some form of verbal affirmation was probably necessary to convince her.

"I'm done playing games if you are," I said. "You can tell me."

She nodded, but looked thoughtful, and we lapsed into silence while I waited for her to speak.

"My...dad... is coming here," she said at last, as if choosing her words carefully. "And if I can avoid seeing him until he's left again, that would be perfect."

My eyes widened a little.

"You don't get on with your dad?" I asked, in surprise. "When is he coming? And why, would be a better question."

"We have a strained relationship, I guess," she shrugged, avoiding my eyes. "Do you remember when we were in Starbucks that one time, and I had to answer my phone?"

I did remember. I remembered the worried look that had crept into her eyes, and how quiet she'd gone once the call was over, and... oh.

"That was your dad?" I asked, surprised.

"It was," she nodded. "And he's coming here today, Del, I just really don't want to see him."

"Why, though?" I asked, a little confused still, because something didn't add up. No one's dad just showed up at the England camp, unless they were... "Ah, is your dad famous or something?" I laughed.

It was supposed to be a joke, but when Jordyn began to look guilty, I suddenly realised I'd hit the nail on the head.

"No, he's not..." she began, but I was having none of it.

"Don't lie to me, Jordyn, if you want me to trust you," I said, looking at her cautiously. I knew trust was a touchy subject with her.

Before either of us could say more, however, there was the sound of a car pulling up in the park. We both looked over curiously, and she finally stepped away from me, suddenly self conscious with how close we were standing.