Page 49 of Mine After Midnight

We lie there for a few minutes, talking quietly. Her hand brushes mine, and I squeeze it, feeling much more relaxed now that I’m back with her, even though I’m always on edge here, waiting for the moment I get caught and banished from the house, to never see her again. Every moment is sacred.

A creak on the floorboards snaps me out of my daze. My eyes widen. I hear footsteps, slow and deliberate. I have come to recognise the differences in the footsteps of the people in this house. These belong to Bryn’s stepdad.

‘Bryn! We’re heading into town, get ready! Your mother wants us all to come along to the markets.’

I dive under the covers, hoping my long legs are completely concealed, just as the door swings open. My mouth clamps shut as I hold my breath, flattening myself into the mattress. Bryn sits up.

‘Come on,’ Grant says, sounding thankfully oblivious to the boy hunched underneath Bryn’s fluffy doona cover. ‘We’ve got to get a move on if we want the best pick of the fresh fruit.’

‘Okay,’ Bryn replies, her voice still laced with sleep.

The door shuts, but I still don’t move as she swings her legs over the side of the bed. I can feel my pulse in my throat as I stay perfectly still, counting to ten with each slow, deliberate breath.

‘Don’t be long,’ he calls before heading back down the hall.

I peek out from under the bed. Bryn glances around the room, giving me a sly, guilty smile. ‘Good hiding.’

I release a quiet laugh, flopping back against her pillows, adrenaline still coursing through me. ‘Quick reflexes. Like a cat.’

She giggles, brushing her hair out of her face. I watch Bryn move around the room, the soft shuffle of her feet on the carpet, the jangle of hangers clashing together as she picks out clothes.

She turns to face me. ‘Sorry I have to leave after you’ve travelled all this way.’

I wave my hand dismissively. ‘Don’t be silly. Seeing you now is more than enough. I’m happy to wait for you, or I can leave, if that’s easier.’

‘No!’ she blurts, looking alarmed. ‘Please don’t leave.’

I smile, feeling touched by her words. ‘I’ll be here then, waiting for you to get back.’

‘Don’t get into too much trouble while I’m gone.’

I tuck my arm behind my head, leaning back onto it and flashing her a grin. ‘No promises.’

She laughs quietly as she pulls on her shoes. Swinging her bag onto her shoulder, she trots over to me, planting a soft, lingering kiss on my lips.

‘I’ll miss you,’ she whispers.

‘I’ll miss you more.’

She heads for the door and disappears through it. I watch her go. I stay in her room for a while, just soaking in the quiet. It feels like my home away from home, although I’m not naive enough to think I could ever live in a place like this.

Car doors open and shut, the engine starts and they leave. I stay in Bryn’s bed, scrolling on my phone, then switch to reading. After almost two hours, my stomach growls loudly. I haven’t eaten today, and it’s starting to catch up to me.

My eyes shift to the door a few times before hunger wins over my rational thoughts. Taking a deep breath, I slip quietly toward the stairs, careful not to make a sound. Maybe there’s something good left over from breakfast in the kitchen. I bet they eat a big breakfast every day, unlike me, skipping meals simply because I can’t afford food.

The kitchen smells like oranges when I enter, and my stomach growls again. I tiptoe toward the counter, scanning for anything that’s easy to grab. My search snags on a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, and some bananas and apples in a fruit bowl. Reaching for a banana, I peel it and begin eating, looking out the window at the quiet street before me. For a second, I pretend this is my life. I imagine what it would be like to come home to a warm house with food in the fridge, a clean space that isn’t polluted with smoke and loud music that makes my ears bleed.

I’ve just grabbed an apple when a throat clears. I spin around, dropping the apple to the floor as I lock eyes with Isla, Bryn’s older sister. She’s standing in the doorway, arms crossed, one eyebrow arched as she scans me from head to toe. I freeze, a weird dipping sensation in my stomach. I thought she’d gone to the markets with Bryn. I thought the coast was clear.

‘Hi …’ I eventually say.

She steps closer, her eyes glinting with curiosity. ‘And who might you be, sneaking around my kitchen?’

I open my mouth to answer, but nothing comes out. My heart is hammering, and I can feel warmth creeping up my neck. She’s tall, confident, and radiates that ‘I know everything and you don’t’ energy that only older sisters seem to have. I’ve heard a lot about her, but never had the pleasure of meeting her in person. I’ve seen her from a distance before, but now that we’re standing face to face, she’s just as Bryn describes.

Isla is tall, slimmer than Bryn, with cheekbones you notice straight away. Her gaze cuts into mine with unsettling intensity; she wears her confidence like armour. Her beauty is obvious, the kind that demands attention whether you want to give it or not. Bryn is nothing like that. Bryn is shorter, with muscle packed into soft curves and the strength of a track runner who spends her time doing many laps of a field. Her eyes are kind, warm, and her strawberry-blonde hair is always a little messy, like she’s been moving too fast to tame it. Isla’s beauty hits you head-on. Standing here, looking at her, I can see why the world responds to Isla the way it does, but I don’t understand why Bryn thinks she comes second. To me, Bryn is the most beautiful girl in the world.

‘Ash,’ I reply, deciding that honesty is probably the best approach. I’m not sure what Bryn has told her, if anything.