Page 69 of Away We Go

“Let’s meet downstairs when you’re done here.”

“Sleeping on a ten-hour day flight. So ridiculous…” she mutters as I leave the room.

My smile breaks free and I leave her to her annoyance at my over-protective/overbearing nature. These are both words she’s thrown at me in the two weeks she’s been in my home and under my watchful eye. I don’t mind what she calls me; as long as she’s no longer on death’s door.

The image of a pale, sickly Cherry is one I won’t shake for along time.

I head downstairs, texting Sue with the new flight details as I go. That Cherry was going to fly with the rest of the team is ludicrous, when I have a plane pretty much all to myself.

My phone vibrates in my hand, and expecting a response from my trusty PA Sue, I jolt when I see Matt’s name flash across my screen.

“Hey, man,” I answer, wiping my sweaty palm on the front of my jeans. I’ve called and texted with my best friend many times since the start of the season, but ever since the rumour mill kicked up about me and his sister, I’ve been reluctant to speak to him. He assures me he knows it’s all fiction, but given how real my feelings have become, I feel like a liar whenever he’s reassuring me of this.

“Hey, how’s Cherry?”

Matt’s voice has the same concern in it that I’m feeling. I’ve been keeping him and their parents up to date with how she’s doing, and I know they’re relieved she’s out of the woods.

“Better. Good.”

I enter my study and with my phone tucked between my shoulder and my ear, I pack my hand luggage.

“That’s good to hear. She’s been telling me she’s fine; but funnily enough, I don’t believe her. She could have the bubonic plague and would be telling us it’s just a sniffle.”

A laugh wrenches from me. The little minx used the ‘I’m fine’ line on me back in Imola. “Yeah, well, I’ve been keeping a close eye on her. She’s good.”

A long silence greets this, and I play back my words in my head. “I mean, not that I’ve been watching her or spending too much time with her or anything like that…”

My friend cuts me off with a laugh of his own. “Chill, man. I know you guys are just friends.”

There’s that word again.

Friends.

“Right.”

Another silence lingers, longer this time, and I scramble to fill it. “She’s going to Montreal this weekend. But don’t worry, I’ve made sure she’s well enough to travel.”

“I trust you, man. I know you’ll look after her.”

His words land heavily in my stomach long after we’ve said our goodbyes. Matt is more than a best friend to me. He’s like my brother. He’s the one person in the world who has never let me down and has always had my back. He trusts me with Cherry, and how do I repay him?

By falling for his little sister.

“Such a schmuck,” I mutter.

“What was that?”

I whip around to see Cherry standing in the doorway. She’s thinner than she was a month ago, her cheekbones more prominent in her face. There are shadows under her eyes and her skin is a shade paler than normal.

She’s beautiful.

“Hmm? Nothing.” I turn away from her and grind my molars to get myself in check. “Are you ready to go?”

“Yes.” She pauses. “Nicky. I’m good. I promise.”

I bite down on my urge to argue with her, to ask her again to stay home and rest. From the look of determination on her face, I know any argument would be futile. “Let’s get going.”

The car ride to the airport is quiet, broken only by Cherry’s conversation with James. Over the past months, they’ve developed a solid friendship between them, and I’m pretty sure if it ever came to it, he’d take a job with her over me any day and twice on Sunday.

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