Page 62 of Kiss Me Ever After
Alex hauled himself up. “I’m going to hit the sack. Spare room is made up when you’re ready.”
“I think I’ll wait for Amber to come home. See if I can get her to tell me what Lennon’s thinking.” I swirled the last of my whisky around in the bottom of my glass.
“Good luck, buddy. Hope you get some sleep.” He squeezed my shoulder on his way out of the room.
Alone, I pulled out my phone. Tempting though it was to call or message Lennon, I held myself back. Instead, I scrolled through the photos I’d taken on our trip to London, reminders of happier times before this shit storm hit. Would we ever be able to go back? As I got further back in the year, I discovered I still had pictures of Candace. If I compared the two sets, it was easy to see which of them made me content. My expression with Lennon was more relaxed, joyful even.
I fired off a quick message to Lennon, asking if I could come over. The app told me she’d read it, but there were no dots telling me she was replying.
Shit.
The one person I really wanted in my life was shutting me out, not letting me explain.
All I could do was wait for Amber to return, and maybe I could get an answer.
While I waited, I turned on the television and found a comedy channel which was playing reruns of a series I’d seen more times than I could count. At least I didn’t have to concentrate. The humour had me chuckling at the stupid situations taking my mind off real life. As the time ticked by, I finished the bottle of whisky. I’d owe Alex a new one.
So sure I wouldn’t be able to sleep, I stretched out on my back on the sofa, resting my feet on the arm. The episodes blurred into each other and I didn’t know how many I’d watched or what the time was. Amber still hadn’t come home. My eyelids drooped until I couldn’t resist any longer, and I drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
If only I’d waited a little longer, I would have been able to speak to Amber.
28
Lennon
When my alarm went off,I was truly grateful for once. After Amber had gone home, I barely slept. Each time I closed my eyes, I saw Candace’s face and the smug expression she had after telling me about her and Justin’s baby. It was practically burned into my retinas. I tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable without success.
At least I had work to distract me, even though I felt like utter shit.
I dragged my exhausted body from bed and got in the shower. The warm water went some way to washing off the events of last night, not to mention the alcohol. It wouldn’t be the first time I’d turned up to work with a hangover, but I’d make sure it was my last. Bryony and Si deserved better.
By the time I got to the Blue Goose, I felt a little more normal.
“Morning, Lennon,” called Bryony as I walked in. “How was Amber’s birthday?” She observed me through narrowed eyes. “You look dreadful.”
“Thanks, I can always rely on you to cheer me up when I feel like crap.” I forced a small smile.
“Not for much longer, though.” Bryony fashioned a sad face. “We’ll miss you around here. Who can I shout at for putting eggs on the vegan breakfasts now?”
I managed to laugh. “Come on, I have improved…”
“Don’t flatter yourself. Now, go and help June with the cake prep.”
The mornings were quieter without the tourist trade, and most of the customers now came in for morning coffee and cake. June had decided to try her hand at baking, to see if she could save Bryony some money during the winter months by making cakes inhouse. She’d been trialling various recipes and today had chosen something with beetroot that she’d seen a contestant do on Bake Off. When I went into the kitchen, she tasked me with grating the veg for a new batch. Before too long, my hands looked like they’d been in a bloodbath.
“I said you should have worn gloves,” commented June.
“I guess I’ll wash them before starting out front.” I walked out of the kitchen to head into the staff room.
The cafe door opened, and I glanced over to see who’d come in.
My heart froze as Justin and Candace walked in. She had her arm threaded through his and chatted animatedly to him. Dark circles rimmed his eyes, skin pale. His hangover was clearly much worse than mine.
What the hell were they doing here?
Hoping they hadn’t seen me, I scuttled off into the back. I turned the taps on full and scrubbed at my hands with the soap, almost scalding my skin as I cranked up the temperature.
Could I hide out here until they left? Maybe they’d get takeaway drinks and leave straightaway.
