Page 53 of Kiss Me Ever After
For the remainder of the journey I dozed, occasionally checking my phone to see if Lucas had come back to me. Not knowing was driving me to distraction.
When we got back to the station, Amber waited on the platform.
“Alex is working. He told me to tell you to meet him in the pub later,” she said, directing the instructions towards Justin.
“Any particular pub? And what time?” he asked.
“I’m just passing on what I was told. Do I look like I know all the details?” She rolled her eyes. “Message him, Justin. Or call him. You know, like you would normally? And can you hurry up? I’m parked on a double yellow line and there’s a parking officer hovering around.”
Obediently, we did as we were told, and Amber drove us back. She pulled up on the Kane’s drive.
“Why don’t you take all our stuff back to the house?” I smiled sweetly at Justin. “Then I can give Amber an update on what happened in London.”
“I get it. Girl talk.” He kissed my forehead and grabbed the bags before heading next door.
“Enjoy your guy talk too!” I called after him. “Don’t tell them everything.”
Amber clutched my arm. “On the contrary, Lennon, you need to tellmeeverything.”
There was no one else home, so we had the place to ourselves. I followed Amber into the kitchen.
“Do you want a drink?” She opened the fridge and poked around and produced a three quarters full bottle of Pinot Grigio. “Wine okay?”
I nodded, instinctively reaching for the silver feather at my throat.
Her eagle eyes missed nothing. “Did Justin give you that?” She pounced on me, gently running the feather through her fingers. “Gorgeous, lovely quality too. The boy did good.” She turned back to the cupboard and got some glasses, sloshing wine into them. “You had a good time then?”
We sat at the table.
“Yeah. I guess we did.” I traced a pattern on the wood and avoided looking at Amber.
“Sounds ominous. What happened?”
Briefly, I told her about the flat hunt and showed her some of the pictures I’d surreptitiously snapped in the dream apartment. Amber agreed it was perfect and hoped I’d hear something soon. The longer it went on, the more depressed I got. Surely if Lucas did want me to move in, I’d have heard by now? If it turned out not to be the case, I’d be back to square one with nowhere to live and another search to do.
“Justin and I had a bit of a misunderstanding.” I sipped my drink.
“About?”
“He thought I didn’t want to continue our relationship when I moved back to London.”
“You do though, right?” Amber got up and grabbed a family bag of crisps from the side, hungrily tearing into them. “God only knows what Mum’s cooking for tea, but I’m starving.” She shoved a handful into her mouth and crunched loudly on them.
“Of course I do! He’s caring, sensitive, gorgeous, fit…” I struggled to find more words.
“Ugh, don’t. I’ve seen him in his skanky boxers after he and Alex have been on a bender. Seriously, it’s enough to put anyone off.” She screwed up her face. “What did you say to convince him?”
“I told him the truth. I want to work hard, get good grades, look at all the internships I missed out on this summer, but I want him with me.”
“Awww, you two are so cute! Although it’s almost vomit inducing. I mean, Curtis and me have been a couple way longer than you have and we’re only just talking about moving in together now. You’ve had almost the entire summer living in the house next door.” Amber paused. “Although I guess the circumstances are different.”
A part of me wondered what would have happened if I’d got the chance to go to New York. But then I wouldn’t have what I had with Justin. Honestly, I wouldn’t swap it for the world.
I changed the subject. “What are we doing for your birthday? It’s the last big event before I go back to London.”
“Do you really have to go? It’s been great having my bestie so close.” Amber pouted.
“Don’t you start!” I drained my glass and refilled it before doing the same to Amber’s. “Back to birthday plans.”
