“Yeah. That lace bit at the back of her dress, Barb sewed it in where her buttons wouldn’t do up.”

“So she hasn’t taken a test, then? She might not be?”

“Barb said she was and I trust Barb. She’s eccentric, but I think she might also be a bit magic.”

“Thank you for telling me,” Ruby said seriously, and I loved her for knowing when I was making a grand gesture even when it looked really small from the outside. “That’s huge,” she added.

“If she keeps it.”

“Do you think she won’t?” Ruby toyed with her lip ring.

“No. I think she will.”

“And then you’ll have a sibling.”

“And everything will change. Again.”

“I love having Noah. I know it’s not the same, but you might end up liking it.”

I doubted that. I wondered if it would even feel like my proper sibling when it would be so much younger than me.

“I’m really glad you’re here,” I said, stretching to kiss her. I only meant to go for a quick smooch, but she parted her lips and soon we were kissing properly.

“I’m glad too,” she murmured into my neck when we broke apart for air. Her breath left tingling traces on my skin. I wasn’t tired anymore. I leaned my body into hers so we were pressed together side by side and I kissed gently around her collarbone, leaving a trail of light, sweet kisses up her neck. When I reached her mouth, it became urgent and hot and she tasted like strawberry cheesecake. Our limbs became more entwined, hopelessly knotted, her thigh a cushion in between my legs, and my body felt like it wasn’t totally in my control, it was taken over by some need to cling to hers, to explore it, however clumsily. When she exhaled a breathy moan into my ear, the skin all over my body tightened, leaving tiny goose bumps on my arms and legs.

But I pulled away from her anyway. I had to be sure.

“This is our last night,” I said, almost breathless. Ruby’s flight was tomorrow afternoon. Her family had come back to England yesterday and though I knew she wanted to see them, selfishly I wished she wasn’t leaving.

“I know,” she said.

“Are you sure you want to do this? If we don’t have sex it doesn’t mean this relationship is any less real or special. It won’t change anything.”

“I’m sure.” She smiled, a different kind of smile than usual, the kind that made feelings spring up in private places. “See, in the words of Heath Ledger, I love you baby.”

“Baby?” I teased.

She laughed and then shook her head.

“I love you,” she said seriously. “If you want to, I want to.”