Page 64 of The Layover
‘I didn’t … I mean, I don’t want you guys to think … All that stuff I told you about Kayleigh, what I think of her … I don’t … It’s not like I go around telling everybody. I’m not two-faced about it. Or, I am, but – only to myself. I don’t go whinging about her to other people.’
‘I didn’t think you did.’
Gemma’s brow furrows, making her glasses shift on her face. She pushes them back into place. ‘I know I’m not a good person—’
‘What?Where did you get that from?’
Her mouth opens, but she doesn’t seem to have an answer.
I wonder if this is to do with her ex – or her dad, like Leon mentioned. Maybe it’s to do with Kayleigh, or maybe it’s all three and then some. And while I felt a bit distrustful of her earlier, she didn’t strike me asbad news.
Leon did, being all surly and short with me, but he’s softened up since, too.
Gemma just … seems to say what’s on her mind. She called me out about those texts with Marcus and our emotional affair, but she wasn’twrongto do so. It’s not like I was squarely in the right, after all.
She’s certainly been friendly enough in the last few hours. She’s obviously got a bit of a bond with Leon despite them not being especially close, and she’s even treated me like we’re old pals, with all that open affection and good-natured teasing that feels like we’re in on the joke with her instead of the butt of it.
‘I know it’s not worth very much coming from me, because we don’t really know each other,’ I say, ‘and Iamin the process of trying to steal your best friend’s fiancé before he can make it to the altar, so I don’t think that says very much about my character, either – but I don’t think you’re a bad person, Gemma. I actually think you’re very cool and funny and loyal and the sort of person I’d want to be friends with.’
And I mean it.
I really do.
A few hours ago, if you’d told me that I’d want to be friends with Kayleigh’s maid of honour – I would’ve baulked at the very idea. I’ve never taken to Kayleigh and don’t think very much of her, and while I can admit I may be a bit biased there, tonight has only shown me I was right. I wouldn’t have thought very much of her friends either, merely by association.
But Gemma just has thiswayof drawing you in.
I feel like I stand a bit taller around her, which is nice. She didn’t hesitate to try to bolster me up in duty free – or even try to hype Leon up about his dating life a bit, too. And I always think it’s nice to have friends that lift you up and make you feel comfortable about yourself just by being around you.
Gemma’s like that, I think.
I can’t imagine why she wouldn’t be able to see that about herself, and why she thinks she’s not a good person.
She sniffles, a few tears clinging to her eyelashes. She butts her glasses out of the way to wipe the back of her hand under her eyes. ‘You wouldn’t say that if you knew, Fran.’
‘Knew what?’
Gemma looks at me, forlorn and dejected, and I want to hug her. I want to wrap her up in a blanket and let her know it’ll be alright. I feel so wretchedforher, because it must be bad to lay someone so self-assured so low like this.
And she tells me, ‘You and Leon … aren’t the only ones with a plan to ruin the wedding. I was, too.’
Time until ‘I Do’
8 ½ hours
Chapter Thirty-one
Gemma
I have visions of Francesca pointing at me and screaming ‘Bitch!’ like some Salem witchfinder of yore, and running to Leon who has somehow already found the video even though it’s on my other phone, not the one I left him with, and the lights dimming except for eerie spotlights on the pair of them as they shame me and tell me what a heinous, horrible human being I am and then dramatically turn their backs and then I’m ousted from the wedding by security I know Kayleigh doesn’t have as everybody stands to watch my downfall …
Except this is real life, not a movie, so none of that happens.
What actually happens is that Francesca’s face furrows in confusion and she looks at me for a long moment before saying, ‘What do you mean? I thought you said … Earlier when I asked you—’
‘Yeah, I’m not trying to call it off because I’m in love with one of them, or anything. I don’t want tocall it off. I said I was planning toruin it.’
‘But … I don’t understand,’ Fran says. She’s still peering at me like she’s searching for answers, but she also doesn’t bother to ask why, because I think I’ve made that pretty clear by now with everything I’ve offloaded about my bestie. ‘How? What were you going to do, Gemma?’
