Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 60851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Ewan’s mood had rebounded to cheerful as the game progressed. Dev suspected it had something to do with the wine that he and Rupert were still drinking.
Ewan changed two cards the first time, and so did Josh. They couldn’t raise the stakes because Ewan had nothing left to offer. The second time, Ewan swapped one card while Josh stuck.
“Showtime,” Josh said, his face impassive.
Ewan’s face spread into a broad smile as he laid out his cards. “Read ’em and weep. Full house, aces on queens.”
Josh flipped his cards over. “High straight.”
“No way.” Ewan leaned forwards to check. He shook his head. “You jammy fucker!” His cheeks were pink and his voice loud.
When Rupert laughed, Dev noticed he was flushed too. The second bottle of wine was nearly empty. That probably accounted for their slightly glazed expressions, but it was good to see Ewan smiling and laughing again after being quiet and withdrawn for a while earlier.
“One more round?” Rupert asked, shuffling the cards.
“Definitely,” Ewan said enthusiastically.
Josh glanced at the clock and then caught Dev’s eye. Dev shrugged. “Sure.”
“Go on, then.” Josh leaned back in his chair and stretched, yawning as he addressed the rest of them. “If you think you can take another crushing defeat.”
“You’re so cocky.” Rupert started to deal.
This time it was much closer. Nobody lost all their chips, and although Josh was still doing the best, the others managed to stay in.
The game went on and on. Josh yawned more frequently, and Dev was knackered too. Rupert and Ewan seemed immune to tiredness, intent on the game and enjoying every minute of it.
Finally, Josh said, “I’m sorry, guys, but I’m going to need to duck out. I’m knackered, and I’ve got a lot of revision planned for tomorrow. But feel free to carry on without me.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, babe.” Rupert looked contrite. “I hadn’t realised how late it was.”
“Yes, we should go,” Dev said. It was nearly midnight.
Josh and Rupert saw them to the door, and they all exchanged hugs and kisses on the cheek as Ewan and Dev thanked them for dinner.
“The poker was really fun,” Ewan said. “Even if you’re hard to beat.”
“You guys should come over again soon,” Josh said. “Maybe you’ll have better luck next time.”
Ewan glanced at Dev and his smile slipped a little. “Yeah. Maybe.”
As the lift carried Ewan and Dev down, an awkward silence filled the space between them.
Dev stared at his shoelaces and wondered what Ewan was thinking. If only people had thought bubbles, like in comics… although maybe not all the time, because that could make life awkward. But sometimes it would be really useful to know what another person was thinking.
“That was a fun evening.” Dev finally raised his head to look at Ewan, but the words didn’t come out sounding very certain.
The lift came smoothly to a stop and the door slid open.
“Yeah,” Ewan agreed as they walked out of the lift. “They’re both really cool.”
“It was nice to get to know Josh better.”
Outside, the air was cold, the sky above mostly clear, and the wind had dropped.
“How long have Rupert and Josh been together?” Ewan asked. “They seem really happy.”
“About a year, I think.” Dev put his hands in his pockets. He was aching to reach for Ewan, to take his hand. But after Ewan’s strange coldness earlier, he was afraid to try. He remembered his conversation with Rupert and wished he had Rupert’s confidence in Ewan’s interest.
Dev was so confused. The kiss they’d shared on the balcony could make him believe Rupert was right, but then afterwards, Ewan had behaved so differently. Maybe the alcohol had lowered his guard and he now regretted his impulsiveness.
This is why people need thought bubbles.
Dev sighed. They needed to talk. Things weren’t right between them. Their previous easy connection had morphed into something tangled and tense. But it was late, and now wasn’t the best time. Dev decided he would try and talk to Ewan tomorrow, when he’d had a chance to sleep on it and Ewan had sobered up.
They walked the rest of the way back in uncomfortable silence. Dev wanted to break it, but he didn’t know how. Ewan was miles away, his usual easy chatter noticeably absent. When they reached their street, they paused on the pavement.
“Goodnight, then,” Dev said miserably. He turned to walk up the steps to his house, but Ewan caught his hand.
“Wait.” There was an urgency to his tone that caught Dev’s attention.
Dev turned back, and Ewan’s face reflected his own unhappiness. “What?”
Dev wanted to go to bed, to wrap his duvet around him, close his eyes, and sleep. Maybe everything would make more sense in the morning, and perhaps then he could find the courage to talk to Ewan and fix whatever was wrong.
Ewan tugged on his hand, pulling him closer. He put his hands on Dev’s cheeks and leaned in to close the distance between them, pressing their lips together.