Page 20 of Will You Stay Another Day?
She looked at the photo again.
There was something about Dylan, something that told her if they slept together again, she’d fall hard for him, and by doing so, she’d risk losing someone special again, risk getting hurt.
She couldn’t go through that a second time.
Keep the sock. I’m nothing if not generous! Thanks again. All the best.
Lili took a deep breath and deleted Em’s number from her contact list.
13
Monday. End of day. Just another ordinary day. Lili yawned and went up to the stockroom. She hadn’t slept well last night, two days on from Halloween, lying awake, taking it in, the cold hard fact that Em really wouldn’t hit thirty after all. Yet she still couldn’t quite bring herself to cancel the hotel in Vegas. She hadn’t told Tommo and Meg about her Halloween meeting in Bodmin with Dylan, and now it was over she was glad she hadn’t. Lili had been so wrong about Em coming back from the dead.
She looked around. Good old Tommo had done a brilliant job as always, leaving everything tidy before going downstairs to put out stock. A new arrival, a mirror with a frame like sunflower petals, caught her eye, already priced up, along with a tall pile of Terry Pratchett novels. Plus a T-Rex soft toy; little Jack would like that. His dad, Callum, still hadn’t been back.
Footsteps sounded and Meg appeared. ‘I’m off,’ she said in a reluctant tone.
‘Everything okay?’ asked Lili.
‘Sure.’
‘Dating woes?’
Meg sighed. ‘No. For once.’ She managed a self-deprecating smile. ‘Gran ones. She messaged today; said could I be quieter getting in if I’m out late again as last night I woke her up and today she was getting up super-early for a swim.’ Meg gave an even deeper sigh. ‘I can’t wait to move out, but she doesn’t know anything about it yet. She’ll be devastated.’
‘She might surprise you.’
‘I don’t think so. Gran’s talked about dipping into her savings to build an extension so that I can have my own workroom, with a sewing machine and racks for the clothes I make or old ones I upcycle. She’s in it for the long run and I get it, I’m basically her whole family without my parents around. And she’s mine. But it’s time for me to branch out on my own. It’s not like I’ll go far. I was going to share a place with a mate, but that fell through. Renting’s so expensive. I’m saving as hard as I can, but then I’ve got this year-long online business studies course to pay for that I’ve recently begun and… I don’t want to upset her. I’ve hardly seen my parents over the years. Last I heard they were squatting in Edinburgh. We couldn’t even contact them for Granddad’s funeral. I owe Gran so much.’ Being brought up by an older generation was probably why she got on so well with Lili and Tommo.
Lili nodded. ‘But you also owe it to yourself to live the life you’d never have had if your gran hadn’t been so amazing. When you know, you know, right? About moving out? Try to talk to your gran, sooner rather than later. She’s going to find out anyway.’
Meg shrugged and went downstairs.
After the divorce, neither Mum nor Dad’s place had felt like home as Lili was shuttled between them, but eventually the new norm felt easy. And she didn’t miss the arguments. The new situation also made it easy for Lili to strike out on her own, being away from England for weeks on end with her travel. Yet her big move to Cornwall had shocked them both, and in their own way they’d each sounded her out, made sure it was the right decision. In fact, they’d actually agreed to pool resources and gift Lili enough money to cover her half of the deposit on the cottage. Dad had hired a van and driven her and Em down. And as if she were a teen again, Mum had taken Lili clothes shopping before she left, and out for lunch.
Footsteps sounded again and Meg hurried in once more, followed by Tommo.
‘Where have you been hiding him?’ Meg hissed.
‘What? Oh, that big porcelain robin with a Santa hat on? Striking, isn’t it?’ said Lili. ‘It’s a bit early for Christmas stock but I couldn’t help putting it out. It’ll sell quickly, I reckon and?—’
‘Gal, we aren’t talking about a robin,’ said Tommo. ‘We’re talking about… Woah, if I were forty years younger…’
‘Or if I were into guys…’ Meg interrupted.
Lili frowned. ‘What are you two talking about?’
‘I think you mean who,’ replied Meg. ‘I’d just flipped the open sign around when a man turned up, asking to come in.’
‘Black wavy hair and like a fishing boat master, who could ride the wildest seas with his eyes closed, the sun on his face, salt in his lungs. Looks like he knows what to do with a tiller between his hands.’
‘All right, Tommo, calm down,’ said Meg. ‘But yeah, a striking guy and pretty tall.’
‘Kind eyes,’ said Tommo. ‘They remind me of Joe’s. That was the first thing that attracted me to Joe, in fact – even though he was standing next to his new red Suzuki.’
No. It couldn’t be.
Tommo pretended to warm his hands against Lili’s cheeks, rubbing them together in the air. ‘I could have done with this fire on my beach walk at the weekend.’
