Burning Bright by Sophie McKenzie Read Free Book Online

and only two small bedrooms, one which his mum and Siobhan shared and one with a curtain dividing
the space into two, for him and Caitlin.
    I opened the flat front door and headed for the living room. All of a sudden I heard voices. Laughing voices. They were coming from the room Siobhan shared with her mum. I froze. I hadn’t
expected anyone to be here.
    ‘Siobhan?’ It was a man’s voice. Deep and cheerful. ‘Okay, then. Tell me you don’t.’
    Another laugh. Nervous this time, and female – it must be Siobhan. I’d never heard her laugh before. And who was the man? Surely not Flynn’s father. He sounded too young.
Anyway, I couldn’t imagine Siobhan laughing like that with her dad.
    Silence.
    My mouth was dry. I didn’t know what to do. Part of me wanted to leave the flat, but I’d promised Flynn I’d wait here and I didn’t have anywhere else to go. I knew that I
should probably knock on Siobhan’s bedroom door to let her know I was here, but that seemed far too embarrassing. The door to the kitchen-cum-living room was open in front of me. I went
inside and perched on one of the large beanbags at the far end of the room.
    Several long minutes ticked by. At last Siobhan and the man emerged into the narrow corridor.
    ‘Okay then, beautiful.’ The man sounded like he was smiling.
    There was a slightly slurpy, sucking sound – like lips pulling apart. Then the front door opened and shut again. I could hear Siobhan humming as she walked back up the corridor. I sat on
my beanbag watching the doorway. My heart raced. Any second she was going to see me. Any sec—
    ‘Aaagh!’ Siobhan clutched at the door frame as she screamed.
    I jumped up. ‘Sorry. Sorry. Flynn gave me the key and . . .’
    ‘Oh my goodness.’ Siobhan’s green eyes were wide with shock. ‘How long have you . . . ? Flynn’s not here, is he? I thought he was at work?’
    ‘He is,’ I said. ‘I’m sorry I frightened you. I . . . er . . .’ I nodded towards the corridor behind her. ‘I didn’t know you were here with
anyone.’ I grinned.
    ‘You kept that quiet.’
    Siobhan’s eyes sparkled as she blushed. ‘There’s nothing going on,’ she said coyly.
    I rolled my eyes. ‘That’s not what it sounded like from in here,’ I said.
    Siobhan slapped her hand over her mouth. ‘You never heard us,’ she squeaked.
    I stared at her. I’d never seen her look so animated. So alive.
    ‘A little,’ I admitted. ‘Enough to know he’s massively into you.’
    ‘D’you think?’ She smiled excitedly at me. ‘He’s asked me out and I really like him, but . . .’ She bit her lip. ‘I don’t know.’
    I patted the beanbag beside me. ‘Come and tell me,’ I said.
    Siobhan slid over and sat down. ‘Promise you won’t say anything?’ she said.
    ‘Who to?’ I said. ‘Your mum?’
    Siobhan shook her head. I glanced down at her hands.
Jeez
. They were trembling. ‘She knows. At least she knows Gary’s asked me out. It’s not her . . .’ She looked
down.
    Of course
. ‘You don’t want Flynn to know?’ I said. Siobhan shrugged nervously. ‘He’ll get mad. He’ll worry Gary’ll hurt me or something. You know
how overprotective he gets, all that walking me home from the salon.’
    I frowned. ‘I thought you liked him doing that?’
    ‘I did,’ Siobhan admitted. ‘But now . . .’ She tailed off.
    ‘Now there’s Gary . . . ?’
    Siobhan nodded.
    ‘Tell me about him,’ I said.
    Siobhan hesitantly explained how Gary was a hair stylist – the son of the man who owned the salon where she worked. From what she said, he sounded not only lovely, but awesomely hot. For a
moment, Siobhan’s eyes lit up as she spoke, then she sighed. ‘But I still don’t know if I should go out with him.’
    ‘Why? What’s the problem?’ I stared at her, bewildered.
    Siobhan curled up on her beanbag. ‘I’m scared,’ she said. She looked at me. ‘I mean, suppose he turns out to be like Da . . .’ She paused, twisting her