Page 78 of Retrograde
‘Okay, all set?’ Lucie asked.
‘Cleo, text me the address. I’m taking Mum’s car, I’m almost out of petrol. Don’t tell her. Or do, I don’t really care.’ Piper shrugged, keys already in her hand as she herded Lucie back down the garden path.
‘Pipes. If he’s sober, you’re about to witness a grand declaration of love. I know it makes you sick, so if you want to stay outside…’
‘And what if he’s not sober, Lucie?’ Piper challenged. ‘I’m coming in.’
‘Okay. Thank you,’ she mumbled, startled when Piper squeezed her arm in reassurance. She was scared for what they were about to find, but knowing that she didn’t have to do it alone helped.
‘I don’t think he’s going to be drunk, Luce. I really don’t. He went to a bar before, right? Last time you were here, to meet Sienna? He didn’t drink then.’
‘Yes, but then he got drunk at that event in Monaco, so…’
‘Doesn’t mean anything. He’s been around alcohol all summer and he’s been fine.’
‘But now he’s heartbroken.’
‘He’s also hanging out with his friend Felix tonight. He told us they were watching a film at the cinema, but I guess they’ve made other plans.’
‘Oh. Does this Felix guy know?’
‘He went and spoke to him yesterday. He wouldn’t let him drink; if he even attempted it, Felix would get him home. Trust me, I know him. He loves my brother as much as we do.’
‘What if he’s not with Felix?’
‘He is.’ She gestured at her phone where a text from Felix had just popped up. It read ‘Cleo texted me. We’re at Vision with the boys. None of us are drinking.’
‘Okay, so we don’t need to panic.’
‘You sure you still want to go? Confess your feelings?’ Piper wrinkled her nose in disgust.
‘Yep.’ Lucie took a deep breath as they turned down the street where the club was located, thankful there was barely a queue. It was a Tuesday night, not exactly the best night for clubbing. Although it was Sydney, full of tourists who wanted to have a night out in Australia’s most popular city.
With the car abandoned on the side of the street, the girls hurried to get through security. One glance at Piper’s outfit and they smirked, knowing full well that she had thrown her outfit together last minute. Her fluffy socks were peeking out above her boots.
‘In you go, ladies. Have a good night.’
‘Thank you!’ they called out and rushed past the people taking their sweet time, blocking the way to the main room of the club.
With no luck by the first bar, Piper grabbed Lucie by the hand and dragged her through the crowds towards the dance floor. They spotted Felix first, who looked like he’d seen a ghost. But he’d known they were coming. He had told them where they were, so why did he look so surprised? And then Lucie saw him. Them. Brett was in the middle of the dance floor, his tongue down Sienna’s throat.
‘Fuck,’ Piper bit out, tightening her grip on Lucie’s hand. One of Brett’s friends gave him a shove and Brett pulled away, angering Sienna, who stormed off the dance floor alone.
‘Sunny –’
Lucie didn’t give him a chance. She was out of there like a shot. Not that she wanted him to relapse, but she couldn’t help but wonder if that would have hurt less than seeing him kissing her. Avoiding one girl who had hurt him to run right into the arms of the other. She couldn’t tell him how she felt now. She was embarrassed. He might love Lucie, he might be hurt, but he still wasn’t over Sienna. He could have chosenanyoneelse.
Sitting down on the pavement, Piper having stayed behind to berate him and Felix and double-check he was drinking soft drinks, Lucie sobbed. There was a growing queue of people now, but she didn’t care. She shouldn’t have come. She should have let him get things out of his system, given him more time. He had Felix and his family. He didn’t need her. Marco could’ve come, but she’d been too impatient, too focused on what she wanted to say without questioning whether now was the time for Brett to hear it. If he had forgiven her, if he was ready to, wouldn’t he have come to her?
‘Faith?’ Lucie sniffled into the phone.
‘Luce? What’s happened?’
‘Can I come stay with you and Jules in Malmedy?’
31
Bea’s sofa had been replaced with Faith and Julien’s. Realising that Lucie was here to stay, Julien was in the process of transforming the office into a guest room so they could have their living room back. They had insisted that she wasn’t going back to Italy where she had so many fresh memories of Brett, and she didn’t really know where else to go.
