Evie quickly pulled away from Ben.

‘Josie, evening,’ Ben said as he brushed his fingers lightly on the small of Evie’s back. Evie’s whole body tingled at his touch. Why have I waited so long to let him touch me like this?

Josie didn’t say anything more, just gave them a knowing smile and sauntered back into her room. Evie and Ben looked at each other, then burst into laughter.

‘Should we go … to my room?’ Ben asked, suddenly awkward.

Evie nodded emphatically and, still holding hands, Ben led her to his bedroom, shutting the door behind him. Too small to fit a chair or a desk, Ben’s poky bedroom was filled almost entirely by his double bed. Above it, and straight out of the nineties, large posters of The Room, Clerks, Blade Runner and Monty Python hung at weird angles on each of his four walls, making the room feel even smaller. Evie had been in this room many times, and in the more recent years, in the future, she had even shared a bed with him when she had crashed after a late night. But she had never been in his tiny room like this before. With so little space between them—but wanting to close what little distance was left. She felt a pull to Ben that she couldn’t explain. A feeling she had never felt with anyone before. Not even Hugo.

Ben sat down on his bed, and Evie followed, sitting close enough to him that their legs touched. They sat a little stiffly at first, staring at a poster of Tommy Wiseau’s life-size face. Kissing had been fine. It had been wonderful, even. But Evie wanted more. She wanted to jump on Ben and rip all of his clothes off. But was that too soon? And would ever-polite, considerate Ben even want that? She put her hand on his leg.

‘Is Sami okay?’ Evie asked. Great segue, Evie. Well done.

‘Yeah. I think so. She said she’d known for a while that—’

‘That?’

‘That I was, you know, in love with you. Said it was obvious as soon as she saw the two of us together.’

‘Oh.’ Evie felt herself blush. ‘Was it?’

Ben smiled, still staring ahead.

‘Ben?’

‘Mm?’

‘Would it be weird if I …’

‘If you what?’

‘If I tore off all your clothes and had The Boy Next Door-style sex with you right now?’ Evie said all in one gasp.

Ben gave a deep, throaty laugh, which Evie thought might just be her favourite sound in the world. ‘Are you serious?’

Evie smiled.