The Art of Letting Go (The Uni Files) by Anna Bloom Read Free Book Online

crash your girls’ night, do you?” Ben asks with a distracting blue eye twinkle and freckle crinkle.
    “Yes,” I reply just as Meredith pipes in with, “No.”
    “Good that’s sorted then.” He smirks as he shrugs out of his jacket.
    I try very hard not to focus on the removal of clothing, ignoring the flash of skin above his jeans, which exposes a strip of firm abs. He catches me looking and gives me a wink.
    Damn it.
    I flush beetroot red.
    I need a cigarette, or Valium, or something.
    “I am going for air,” I announce, pushing away from the table.
    “You okay, Lilah? You look a bit hot,” Meredith asks, completely oblivious.
    “Mmm, great,” I mutter back before turning and attempting to make it to the door without face-planting the floor.
    I am so far from cool right now, a heat-seeking missile could pick me out in a crowd.
    It is fair to say that Ben Chambers brings out the worst in me. How did I go from sounding like a crazy stalker to agreeing to a date all in one conversation?
    It makes no sense.
    Why did he even bother to ask me out, when it is apparent I am completely and utterly bloody deranged? Why did I even say ‘yes’ when I know I shouldn’t have done?
    He did ask me out, right? Or did I just imagine it?
    I could have done. I am heading into Crazyville at a rapidly increasing pace.
    Cigarette Break
    It takes approximately three minutes for Ben to accompany me down the dingy alleyway I have found, lighting a cigarette of his own. He takes a deep drag and blows the smoke away into the air above him. I am not sure how he manages to make it look so sexy, but he does.
    Oh, he really does.
    “What’s up?” he asks once he’s finished artfully blowing smoke in a mesmerising manner.
    “Nothing,” I say, looking anywhere but at him.
    “Really? Nothing?”
    “That’s what I said.”
    “Any reason you don’t want me around?”
    Yes. I fancy the hell out of you but also have a fiancé.
    I look up to meet his gaze. “Uh, no not at all.”
    “Sure?”
    “Sure.”
    “So you’re not ignoring me on purpose then?”
    “Um, nope.”
    “Okay.” He eyes me with an amused expression on his face.
    It makes me want to punch him or kiss him. It’s a fifty/fifty split. “Okay.”
    “It’s just I would hate it if I made you feel uncomfortable by kissing you the other day.”
    God, this is just mortifying.
    “Not at all, Benjamin.”
    The smirk gets bigger.
    “That’s okay then, Delilah.”
    “Good.”
    “Good.”
    I can feel his fingers seek out my own. I am too scared to look in case he moves away.
    We stare at each other for a few moments: blues meeting greys, fingers touching loosely, but not letting go.
    “Come on, let’s go and rescue Meredith,”
    I tug at his hand keeping my hold on his fingers as we head back inside. Turns out she does not need rescuing. Tristan the Arse is sitting in what was my seat. I am going to tell him something along the lines of "F’off," but then he makes a point of staring at my hand, which is still clasped in Ben’s so I don’t say a word. I just let them get on with it.
    23rd September
    I am a stalker.
    Last night after I was assured by Meredith that she was more than happy with my brother’s company (can’t think bloody why), Ben and I walked out into the pub’s courtyard garden where we played a game of ‘get to know you.’
    Well, I played a game of ‘let’s stalk Ben Chambers so I can write it all down in my diary when I get home and re-read it forever more.’
    These are things I found out:
    Ben’s band ‘Sound Box’ is doing well, but they are at the point of make it or break it.
    Ben comes from Dorset (I drunkenly suggested we should go for a walk on the beach there one day because that is where one of my favourite books is based. So kill me now.)
    He has never had a proper girlfriend before (This little nugget of information caused me to spray my spritzer all over the table.)
    “As bloody if!” I exclaim once we have stopped