‘Guess so, don’t ask me though. I have zilch experience of birth-mother hormones.’

‘Will you come? Show her what you’ve got?’

I take a deep breath. I’m going to do this. ‘Only if you come to my parents’ with me, to the anniversary party.’

‘I said I would, you don’t have to blackmail me.’ He grins; the flutters start up in the base of my tummy, which makes it impossible not to smile back.

‘It makes me feel better!’ It does, I feel better if I can tell myself it’s a deal. It isn’t any kind of a date, it’s not me getting more personal than I should. It’s just one favour in return for another.

‘Right, let’s go then.’

‘Now?’

‘Now.’ He takes my hand in his, and I dig my heels in. Shocked.

‘But, but …’ I am not dressed for visiting. ‘I have my rock-climbing gear on, and my hair in a ponytail, and very little make-up.’

‘So do I! Well not the ponytail or make-up.’

‘That’s different, she knows you. She’s probably seen you naked.’

‘Gem won’t mind.’

‘But I do.’

He stops pulling. ‘Rosie, you’re gorgeous as you are.’

‘You’re just saying that to get your own way.’ I sigh. ‘Okay, okay. Fine. Lead the way, it’s not like you’re my boyfriend or anything and I need to impress anybody.’

He gives me a slightly weird look that makes me wish I hadn’t said that bit.

Chapter 19

Gemma doesn’t live far away, but it feels like miles when I’m thigh to thigh with Noah in his sporty little car. I should have said I’d get the bus, because I swear my heart is ticking over more loudly than the car engine.

Luckily, he seems oblivious. He doesn’t say a word until we pull up on the driveway outside a rather imposing Georgian-style house.

He pauses as he lifts a hand to knock on the front door. ‘I wasn’t just saying it by the way. You are.’

‘What?’ I’m trying to resist the urge to smooth my hair down and am concentrating on what is going to come next, what I’m supposed to say to Gemma. How I explain me and her brother, and hardly register what he’s said.

‘Gorgeous.’

‘Oh.’ I stop dithering and look at him. He smiles. Touches the very tip of my nose with his finger. I grin back, like an idiot.

‘That kiss by the way.’

‘Oh God, I’m sorry.’ I stop smiling. ‘I didn’t mean, I just couldn’t think of anything …’

‘Awesome. No lessons needed there. Shame really, I was looking forward to moving on to that bit.’ He winks. Too gorgeous for his own good, and mine.

Luckily the door swings open at this point. Otherwise I might have felt the need to insist on extra-curricular activities.

‘Noah, this is,’ she glances at me, then back at him, then back at me again. It would be odd if she didn’t look so surprised. ‘A nice surprise. Hi!’ She waves at me. I wave back.