Page 27 of Weekends with You

“Like what?”

“Truth or dare?” he suggested.

“That’s a child’s game,” Finn said, eyes half closed.

“Then it’s perfect for you, Finny,” Jan said, handing him the bottle.

“Piss off. You first, then. Truth or dare?”

“Dare, obviously.”

“Text that bloke you’ve been staring at all night,” Liv said. “You’ve been doing a lot of talking but not a lot of doing.”

“Hardly a dare, because he obviously fancies me, but as you wish.” He had to squint his right eye to look at his phone, which was never a good sign. We laughed, the endearing, head-shaking kind of laugh. Jan might have been a bit abrasive at times, but I had to admire his bravado.

“All right, Hen. You’re next,” Jan said, sliding his phone back into his pocket and wearing a satisfied smile.

“Why me?”

“Because we’re going clockwise.”

“Says who?”

“God, Hen, could you be more difficult?” Raja asked. I was still on the ground, back to him, so I couldn’t read his facial expression.

“I probably could if I tried,” he teased. “Right, then. Go on.”

“Truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

“Boo.”

“Shut up, Finn.”

“What’s the real reason you’re so keen to leave London?” Margot asked before any of us had a chance to think of a question. “I mean, there has to be more than this soul-searching rubbish.” My breath lodged in my throat while I waited for the answer.

Henry shifted in his seat, rubbing his hands on his thighs and forcing me to sit upright. I was almost too distracted waiting for his response to be disappointed we weren’t touching anymore.

“Right, er, not quite sure trying to find my place in the world counts as rubbish, does it?” he said.

“But what makes you so sure you couldn’t find yourself in London?” Liv asked, her voice noticeably kinder than Margot’s.

He exhaled long and slow, like he was in a losing fight against a dramatic sigh.

“There’s nothing for me in London,” he said eventually. Factually. Like there was no disputing this, no changing his mind.

“How do you know?” Liv asked, taking the words out of my mouth.

“Lived here all my life. Just worry it hasn’t much left to offer, I guess. But it’s hard to say, isn’t it? Doesn’t everyone feel that way about where they grew up?” We sat in silence, collectively unsure how to respond. “I mean, look at you lot. Half of you left home in search of something different, didn’t you?”

“The man has a point,” Cal said.

“So it might be my time to do the same. Or at least to think about it.”

“Well then, that’s one way to kill the mood,” Jan said, stumbling to his feet.

“You asked,” Henry protested. “If you play stupid games, you win stupid prizes.” We all rolled our eyes, most of us lovingly, and got ready to head home.

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