Page 119 of The Home Grown
“Okay,” she says, eventually. “Couple of things.”
“Shoot.”
“Number one,” she holds a finger up. “How do younotremember getting married?”
“I remember theexperience,”I say. “But we both thought it was just that. An experience. And then Ellie saw a video online and?—”
“Two,” she says, holding up a second finger, cutting me off. “I thought she was engaged—oh, my God, is that why she reached out? Because she’s due to get marriedand?—”
“No. I said she reached out because she saw a video online. And she’s not engaged.”
But Kelly’s clearly not paying my words much attention. She paces instead and because I’m lost for things to say, I watch her.
Back and forth. Back and forth.
Eventually, there’s a knock on the door and Kelly turns on the spot and strides towards it, pulling it open to find Johnny on the other side.
She says nothing to him. She simply resumes her pacing, letting him close the door as he lets himself inside.
“I take it you told her then?” he says, slipping onto one of the bar stools.
I offer him a‘what do you think’look.
“Right,” he mutters, and because I don’t know what else to do, I move to the fridge to grab Johnny a beer.
We both watch Kelly pace. Like she’s doing a sponsored walk or something. And I’m close to intervening for the sake of my floor when she comes to an abrupt stop. Pivoting on the spot to face me.
“What now, Mike?” she says. “Do Mam and Dad know?”
I open my mouth to speak, but she’s not done.
“Are you getting an annulment? Is it even real? Have you spoken to a solicitor? Because I assume she doesn’t want to stay married if she’s engaged.”
Johnny’s eyebrows shoot up.
“She’s not engaged,” I say. “I found the wrong profile before.”
Johnny sets his beer down. “Before? What do you mean, before?”
I blow out a breath before telling him about the pact and my Facebook stalking experience.
“Well, that’s a relief,” Kelly says. “But you can get an annulment, right? You can square this all away.”
But my non-answer is answer enough.
Kelly gapes at me.
“You’ve…” She swallows. “You’ve slept with her,” she says. “Oh, my God.” She covers her mouth with her hands, her eyebrows practically hitting the ceiling.
“In my defence, you can still get an annulment if you’ve consummated … on the grounds that the marriage was entered into without consent. And since neither Ellie nor I knew…”
“You’ve done your research,” Johnny says. “I assume this is to make things easier when you’re done doing what you’re doing?”
“But if you’ve slept with her…” Kelly says, still focused on her reveal. “You’re … not involved, are you? I mean, not realising you were married is … well… wow. But actually, getting close and?—”
But I’m fixed on what Johnny said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I snap, putting my attention on Johnny.
