Picking up a strand of her long, blonde hair, he ran his thumb and forefinger along the length of it. He loved her hair. He hoped she never cut it, as she sometimes threatened to when she claimed it looked like straw. Jason never thought it looked anything but glorious – more so when it was messy, like it was now. He loved her, he thought determinedly. After so many arguments between them lately, which had come close to breaking them, he needed to prove that to her.

He saw her eyelashes flutter slightly as she stirred. She hadn’t slept well either. She hardly ever did, always seeming to wake in the night. He often woke, sure he could hear her quietly crying. Sometimes, she would jolt awake, which scared him half to death. She would talk in her sleep, calling out her sister’s name. She never talked to him about what was haunting her, which completely gutted him. Jason had never learned the details of Sarah’s death, other than that it was something to do with a bang on the head. The whole thing seemed to be cloaked in secrecy for some reason. Diana had said that Karla found it too painful to talk about. Judging by the nightmares, Jason had to accept that that must be the case, even now. He wished she would trust him enough to confide in him though. Sometimes, when she was upset, she seemed to go into herself, to switch off almost, rather than reach out. He wished she wouldn’t, that she would realise he was there for her. Always would be.

Brushing her hair gently aside, he pressed a soft kiss to her bare shoulder, at which Karla wriggled onto her back. ‘Sorry,’ he whispered. ‘I didn’t mean to disturb you.’

‘You didn’t,’ she assured him, stretching languidly. ‘I was awake, sort of.’

‘Have I ever mentioned how beautiful you are?’ he asked, his gaze sweeping her face.

‘Yes.’ She reached to trail her hand delicately across his unshaven chin. ‘But then, you’re an excellent bullshitter.’

Jason laughed. ‘It’s not bull,’ he assured her, wondering why she never seemed to realise how attractive she was. ‘You’re beautiful. I’m not interested in other women, Karla. I know you must have been upset, seeing that photo on my phone. I should have deleted it immediately. Please believe me.’

Karla studied him, giving him a long, searching look, and then reached to trace his lips with her fingers.

‘She couldn’t hold a candle to you anyway.’ Jason smiled and kissed each of her fingers in turn.

Karla rolled her eyes amusedly. ‘Now you’re definitely bullshitting.’

‘Never.’ Jason leaned to brush her lips with his. ‘Those sharp blue eyes of yours would see through me in an instant.’

‘You’d better believe it,’ Karla said. ‘And then I would be forced to do unspeakable things to you.’