Page 34 of Going Overboard

Our situation. Ha.

‘I had the same message,’ I tell him, frowning.

‘Oh, God,’ Nikki cries. ‘Oh, God, no. Is that why there are two bedrooms?’

‘There are two bedrooms?’ I repeat in disbelief. Surely not…

‘That’s what I just said!’ Nikki snaps, gesturing wildly like I’m a pigeon she’s trying to frighten away from her chips.

Todd sighs.

‘I think… given that we were all making so many changes, the only thing Emma could do was move us into the same room. A two-bedroom suite,’ he says.

This is information I will absolutely keep to myself, but I do wonder if Emma had to put us all in here together, or if she thought it might be a fun way to get back at me for – let me check my notes – asking her to do her job.

It is nice in here. There’s a big open-plan living space with big, squishy-looking sofas, a little kitchenette, and a balcony with a few chairs out there. There are two doors leading off either side of the suite, so presumably they are the two bedrooms. Thank God they’re on opposite sides. The idea of sharing a wall with those two? I’d rather jump overboard.

‘I guess we’re just going to have to make this work,’ I say, sighing as I finally close the door behind me. ‘For Kelsey and Neil. We’re all adults.’

‘Ha!’ Nikki snaps, flopping back down onto the sofa like a stroppy toddler. ‘We’re adults. You tackled me the last time you saw me.’

‘I didn’t tackle you,’ I say through gritted teeth. ‘I fell.’

‘Fell into me,’ she says, folding her arms.

‘Enough. Jessa’s right,’ Todd snaps, causing Nikki to visibly recoil with horror. ‘We just have to learn to share the space. We’re all here for the same reason, our friends.’

‘That’s easy for you to say,’ Nikki huffs. ‘It’s your bloody ex who’s here, not mine.’

Right on cue, the door swings open again… and in walks Brody.

And then there were four.

He’s wearing one of his trademark tight t-shirts (or maybe they’re just t-shirts, but his muscles stretch them out) and he’s got what looks like a beer, something he’s carrying like a prop, to show just how cool he is.

When he sees the three of us all together, staring back at him, he bursts into a fit of laughs.

‘Oh, mate, what is going on here?’ he asks through a grin.

‘What are you doing here?’ Todd snaps, puffing up his chest in a way that is frankly embarrassing.

‘This is my room,’ Brody says. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘This is our room,’ I tell him – meaning mine, Todd’s and Nikki’s too, but Nikki misunderstands me and flies off the handle.

‘Oh my God. Are you two sharing a room together?’ she says, gesturing between me and Brody, her jaw briefly hanging in disbelief. ‘Seriously? I know you spent the night together at the wedding but are you, like, a proper couple now?’

I glance at Brody. I know, I misled people into thinking we had slept together, and I probably shouldn’t have done so without telling Brody, but this is different. This is a much bigger lie.

He glances at me and I can see the mischief in his eyes. Oh, God…

‘Yes,’ Brody says smoothly, without missing a beat.

I try not to react in any way but I feel like steam might be about to shoot out of my ears.

‘So you’re in that bedroom,’ Nikki says, pointing. ‘And we’re in that one. And we all have to share this suite?’

‘Erm, yeah, I guess so,’ I reply as casually as I can.

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