Page 85 of The Lucky Escape

‘Patrick?’

‘I’m trying not to let him factor in. Even though he does, obviously. But my baby sister? Yeah. She definitely sways me. I love the feeling of being somewhere new, and the possibility of leaving everything behind tobesomeone new, but at the same time …’

‘That’s a lot,’ she supplied.

‘Yeah. Maybe I should just be who I am, where I’m from. I can’t keep running away.’

‘Interesting,’ said Adzo, furtively. ‘Very interesting.’

‘What do you mean?’

My eyelids were getting heavy. I knew I’d nap like my life depended on it.

‘Well,’ she started. ‘Let’s just say, if you did stay in London, I might be able to help on the flat front. So don’t let money play in to your decision, okay?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I know about a place,’ she said. ‘It’s in your budget, and it’s nice. But don’t let that sway you! Appreciate Antwerp for Antwerp.’

‘How can I do that now you’ve told me you’ve found me a place?!’

‘Don’t listen to me,’ she insisted. ‘I shouldn’t have mentioned it. Have a snooze, have a night out with Jules, and when you’re back tomorrow call me and I’ll take you on an adventure. Okay? Promise me you’ll still think about Antwerp?’

‘I promise,’ I said. ‘Okay.’

I was lying, of course.

I dozed right through until the hotel phone rang. Jules was in reception, wondering where I was.

‘Oh, crap,’ I said groggily. ‘I lost track of time. Give me ten minutes, okay? No. Fifteen.’

He seemed quite mad by the time I got downstairs.

‘I hate waiting,’ he said. ‘Even for colleagues as charming as you.’

‘It’s like I’ve disappointed my dad,’ I muttered.

‘We’re late is all,’ he replied. ‘Anyway. Come on.’

He walked fast, which is how I could tell he was still pissed off, and it made me think of Patrick (again!), how every morning he’d say,Ready, ready, chicken jelly?And even when I wasn’t ready he’d sit and read a leaflet or look at the trees until I was. Patrick never once stormed off ahead of me, treating me like a naughty tween. Even when we were fighting, like now, he wasn’t emotionally withholding or nasty. Jules was kind of … mercurial.

‘Hey,’ I said. ‘I can show myself around the city if you’d prefer. I’m sorry I was late.’

‘Thank you for finally apologizing.’ His words were clipped. And then, softening, he added, ‘It’s fine. Let’s walk to the other side of the water to work up an appetite, and then we can have dinner. Okay?’

‘Okay,’ I said, but I could tell he was still shaking off his anger.

We walked in silence for a while, heading through the underpass to the other side of the river so that we could see where we’d come from light up as it got darker. The odd after-work jogger sprinted past, and parents with kids on an evening gelato run meandered by. I smiled at an older couple strolling arm in arm.

‘It’s a very romantic city,’ I said as a pensioner grinned at me before turning his attentions back to the wife he was clinging to. ‘People seem happy. Like they have the time to do as they please. Does that make sense?’

‘Absolutely,’ he agreed. ‘I’m very proud of where I am from.’

‘It reminds me of the harbour in Sydney. The water and the view. The people.’

‘I’ve been to Australia only once,’ he said, and I smiled asI took a breath to seize on this commonality with him. ‘It’s beautiful there, but it’s very far away.’

‘Yes,’ I said. ‘I was there recently, actually. I loved it.’

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