RUBBY

"You can say no if you aren't comfortable with it," Alex whispered, but his eyes gave him away, they screamed and pleaded with me to say yes.

I stared at him, wishing he hadn't just asked the question. It felt as though every other person in the room had vanished, leaving just the two of us.

My mind scrambled to process his question, yet my heart knew the response, it wasn't just sure.

I looked at Dad again; he still had that soft, reassuring smile, nodding so gently as though ...