Page 95 of Spiralling Skywards
“Come to mine for Christmas. Be nice to her. Let her know that you’re a good bloke, not a lying, cheating, devious arsehole.”
“Why have I got to prove all that to her when Will can just rock up and take her to the cinema and for dinner?”
“Because Will didn’t fucking lie to her. You did. Fuck me, Del, what part of this are you not getting? You lied. You got caught. You’ve got to earn her trust again.”
“How? How do I even do that?” I was shouting again. Luke just glared. I felt like a child, fuck, I was behaving like one too, but I didn’t care. I hated how I felt. I hated this whole situation.
“That’s for you to work out.”
He sipped his drink and looked over his glass at me.
“Look, I’ve said more than I should, so I’ll add this then shut up. She’s miserable. She says she’s doing fine, but I know my sister better than anyone, and I know she’s sad. She changes the subject or leaves the room every time your name is even mentioned.”
“Great. That makes me feel a million times better.”
He let out a long exhale, displaying his own frustration as he shook his head.
“Stop behaving like a pussy. Leave her alone these next few weeks, come over and spend Christmas with us, and try to talk to her then.”
I made sort of a grunting sound, still behaving like a child and sipped my drink.
“So is that a yes?”
“What fucking choice do I have?”
“You can always sit at home and pull crackers with Shaino out there. Maybe throw some prawns on the barbie and crack open a VB.”
“You’re a complete cunt sometimes, d’ya know that?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “Cunts are useful, so I’ll take that as a compliment. Is that a yes or a yes?”
I glared. “Petulant Brat” was my new middle name. I’d seen my nieces in action, so I knew how that shit worked.
“What? Can’t hear you.”
“Yes. Fucking yes, all right?”
This would be my final shot at winning her back. I couldn’t carry on the way that I was. I couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, and I couldn’t focus. I would give up the flat too. Seeing her coming and going without being a part of her life was killing me and if this split was permanent, I’d move. In just one month that girl had me falling head first in love with her, but as much as it would hurt to let her go, if Will was who she wanted, I’d do it. I’d go ahead with my original plans of getting things set up here, and then I would just go back to Australia and make a life there.
“Good, I’ll text ya later and tell you what your contribution to dinner will be and to let you who you draw in the Kris Kringle.”
“Great, can’t fucking wait.” Yep. Child. A sarcastic, Drambuie-drinking child with stalker tendencies.
