Page 115 of The Alternate Captain
“You okay, Kel?” Tom wraps his arm around me this time, pulling me in.
I take a gulp of my drink and nod, trying to push Sarah out of my mind. But she’s heading towards us, and she double-takes when her eyes land on mine. I do that thing where I pretendnot to recognise her, because maybe she’ll go away, but her face breaks out into a grin as she edges closer.
“Kerry, right?”
It’s hilarious. I want to say something witty back, but I’ve lost all my nerve. At least, I have for a split second. Until a second wind hits me.
“I’m sorry. Have we met?” I say, cocking my head to the side.
God, shereallyis pretty.I want to throw my drink in her face.
“At least, I think we have? You’re seeing Johnathan Koenig, right?” She’s got a Canadian accent. And it’s sweet, probably sickly, actually. It makes me really self-conscious about my own.
“Oh, right. You’re his ex. Of course.” There’s an audible gasp from Tom’s direction, then a gulp as he takes a swig of his drink. “Nice to see you again.”
She looks me up and down before smiling at the bartender to get his attention. She orders a drink and then turns back towards me.
“Kerry, actually, I’m glad I bumped into you. Do you mind if we have a quick chat?”
My stomach tightens. I try to respond, but nothing happens. I can’t even will myself to shake my head, because I really don’t want to be having a chat with her. Quick or otherwise.
Unfortunately, she takes her own initiative and grabs my elbow, steering me away from my friends.
“I just thought you should know,” Sarah says, lowering her voice, “Johnny’s not the man you think he is. And before you get too excited, he’ll never love you. I don’t think he’s even capable of it, Kerry. He doesn’t have a firm grasp on his own emotions, let alone the ability to let anyone else in. I’d say, do yourself a favour now and get out while you can. Before you’re forced to seek the love and desire you need from a man elsewhere.”
I’m quite literally too shocked to say anything. No witty comment or second wind this time. She grins at me, flicks herhair, then strides back to the bar to grab her drink, joining a dark-haired guy at the table near the window.
“What the hell was that about?” Tom says as I amble back over to them.
I pick up my drink and knock it back, hoping it’ll kick me into gear, but it doesn’t. I don’t even know what to tell Tom and Charlotte. Because they’ll both want to march over to where Sarah and her date are sitting and cause a scene.
“Would you believe me if I say it was nothing?” I say.
“No,” they say, simultaneously.
“Johnny’s ex just asked you for a quick chat... that can’t have been nothing.”
“Well, can we just leave it?” I ask, digging in my bag for my bank card. “I’ll get us another round, yeah?”
But I can’t fully relax until Sarah leaves twenty minutes later. My gaze lands on hers one last time as she exits. I’m wondering if I should tell Johnny since his reaction last time pushed him over some invisible edge, and I’m terrified if it happens again, he won’t come back.
“I think my sister’scoming to the game tonight,” Bettsy says, tossing his phone back into his bag.
My heart jerks in my chest.
She didn’t mention anything to me, I’m sure she didn’t. I pull my phone out from my bag, trying to be discreet as I check my messages. All that’s there is the stuff we were chatting about on the coach, which only entailed questions about porn.
Kelly
Random, but what porn do you watch?
Johnny
Is this a trick?
Kelly
No,just wondering.
