Page 36 of The Layover
But that kiss. That night we spent together.
That wasn’t a lie. That was real, and it mattered; it isn’t some collection of tactfully distant text messages that could be misconstrued.
Maybe it sounded to Gemma like what Marcus and I have isn’t anything worth fighting for, but I know how he makes me feel. I know howdifferentit is to all the other guys I’ve dated. I know those butterflies that erupt in my stomach whenever his name pops up on my phone, the giddiness when he smiles at me when he sees me, the way my skin tingles when he touches me or hugs me.
That’swhat matters.
And it’s worth risking it all for.
It has to be.
I don’t stop to ponder what kind of man Marcus must be if he chose Kayleigh, knowing that she’s the kind of person capable of all those heartless, selfish things Gemma told us about. Stealing promotions and screwing her over with accommodation and cutting her own grandmother off.
I have to have faith. I have to see this through.
I have toknow.
I’ve already spent the last few years wondering what if; don’t I owe this tomyself, at the very least?
‘Are you …?’ The words leave my mouth before I can check them. They’re raspy, and I wet my lips, trying again when both Gemma and Leon glance over. I ask Leon, ‘Are you still going to talk to Kayleigh before the wedding?’
He opens his mouth, but has no answer.
I feel so awful for him. He’s stuck in such an impossible situation, jeopardising his own relationship with Kayleigh for his family’s sake and to try and salvage it for all of them, and worse, now he’s faced with the idea that it might not be worth it at all.
I know we got off on the wrong foot, but I think I misjudged him badly.
Nobody who would do something like that can be so terrible at their core, not really. And the pressure he must’ve been under in the build-up to such a conversation, it’s no wonder he was a bit short-tempered with me. Or with anybody, really.
Gemma lets out a dry bark of laughter. ‘You’vegotto be kidding me. You’re still going to try to break them up, aren’t you? You still think Marcus is going to pickyou.’
I bristle. So maybe I don’t have designer coats and cashmere jumpers, and my idea of a weekend splurge is to order some takeaway and open a bottle of wine, maybe visit my family for a board-game night or have a group video chat with the gang from uni, and maybe I don’t get my nails done unless it’s a special occasion, and I’m a bit on the short side – so what? I don’t own my flat and I can’t drive and no matter how many TikToks I watch I’ll never figure out what my colour palette is to make the most of my wardrobe, butso what?
I know how he held me when he kissed me. I know how he smiles at me, how he hugs me, how I’m on his mind so often he texts me about all these little nothings, just to share them with me.
My lips purse tight and my shoulders bunch. ‘So what if I am?’
And when neither of them says anything, I add, ‘You’ve both made it quite clear that you don’t like Marcus – or even Kayleigh, really, if I had to hazard a guess – and I don’t imagine either of you would be too sorry to see the wedding called off. What does it matter to you if Iamstill going to talk to him?’
Gemma’s face is lined with disdain, and I realise how much she must have been masking her emotions earlier. She drags a hand through her hair, shaking it out, and regards me shamelessly.
She says, ‘I didn’t say I was going to stop you.’
Gemma looks at Leon, then, and I automatically follow suit.
He looks a bit startled, but shrugs. ‘Yeah, go … go for it. Not like it’ll make things worse, is it? Shit.Shit, what am I going to do? My parents are going to be wrecked.’
I reach to give his arm a little squeeze, but stop myself like I did earlier. We aren’t friends; he still probably doesn’t like me, let alone want my comfort or reassurance.
He buries his face in his hands. ‘How much longer have we got?’
Gemma checks her phone. ‘Well, I hate to break it to you, but the flight’s delayedagain, so now we’re not taking off until nearly four o’clock. Which gives us, oh … nine hours, thirteen minutes. I think we’re actually worse off than the last time we checked.’
Leon groans in distress, but I almost get the impression he hopes it would be longer.
Gemma must think the same, because she jokes, ‘Do you need more time to get your head around all this? I can probably make that happen. I already almost lost my bridesmaid’s dress – which is another reason your sister is totally heinous, for the record, it’shideous– and accidentally sort of manifested not making it to the wedding at all. I’ll just point my finger and make it happen, say the word.’
She points, wielding her index finger like a weapon, and pulling a theatrical grimace.
