Lockdown on London Lane [PUBLISHED w/ WATTPAD BOOKS]

Part 1: Getting to Know You - Chapter 4

Do you think my life is chaotic?

LOL

obvs

what kind of question even is that?

Nvm

it's a mess

but like

one I love very much, ofc

But like

Okay

Not my life, but do you think *I* am chaotic? Like, ME? PERSONALLY?

oh, hundred and eight percent

Lucy follows it up with a picture from a couple of weeks ago – it's one I sent our group chat, of a TV aerial on the house next door, with my bra hanging off it, after I'd left it on the bathroom windowsill and it blew outside. #BraGate had made us all giggle for days.

I can't even manage a faint smile now.

Lucy follows up quickly asking if I'm okay – it feels like too much to explain, and I'm not even sure how to answer that, so I tell her of course I'm okay and ask how she's coping, locked down with her future sister-in-law. She responds, but I ignore the texts, the glow of my phone shining up at the ceiling as I lie on my back in Nate's bed, completely unable to sleep.

"No, no," he'd said earlier, smiling but insistent. "Really. You take the bed. I'll sleep on the sofa."

"That's not fair. It's your bed. I'm the one who got stuck here."

"You're the guest."

"Not by choice."

Nate had scooped up a pillow and a pile of carefully-folded blankets, his smile gone and a stern look on his face. His eyes had been doing that adorable crease-around-the-edges thing, though, like he was trying not to laugh. "You're taking the bed, Immy, and I'm taking the sofa. It's my house, I make the rules."

And, fine, I'll admit: even if the whole chivalry thing was just an act, it was still hot.

"You could just share the bed with me, you know. I don't mind. We did last night. We did a lot more than share a bed last night, mate."

Nate blushed, but shook his head. "Yeah, but that was... different?"

"If you say so."

I feel like such an arsehole right now, though. Taking up this lovely, comfy double bed, wide awake and likely not going to sleep for a few more hours yet, while he's stuck out there on the sofa.