Page 50 of Hearts Colliding
“Yes.”
“What I said, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that, honestly. It’s just that us, who we are and what’s happening, it’s what makes everything so complicated. It’s a small community. Things you think are private don’t tend to stay that way for long.”
“Has she actually asked you?”
A brief silence on the end of the line before, “No. But she knows I’ve been seeing someone. I’m surprised she hasn’t, though, because it’s not like she’s shy about asking stuff. Maybe she’s waiting for me to say something, I don’t know. But it’s not just her. A couple of my friends, they…”
“They don’t know, because if they did don’t you think they’d have confronted you? But they haven’t, so all they’re doing is fishing. A man like you, they probably think you should have a string of lovers on the go.” Lovers… the word echoed in his head, reverberated in every corner of his body.
“Lovers? Is that what we are?”
Ryan’s voice grew deeper, huskier. Alex shivered. Yes. No. Christ, other than a complication, he didn’t know what they were.
“What I mean is, you’re a catch, as they used to say. At least in a small place like Love’s Harbour.”
“A catch? That’s what my nan reckons I am. It makes me sound like a fish.”
“A prize West Country pilchard.”
Ryan huffed, and Alex smiled. The tension of the last few minutes easing, thank god.
His smile vanished as he took another look at his watch. If he didn’t leave in the next few minutes…
“Can I come over tonight? As long as Nan doesn’t try and follow me.”
“She wouldn’t dare, because with her hair she’d be spotted a mile away.”
“Are you dissing my old nan? And as from this morning, it’s been Malibu Glow, for your information.”
“What colour’s that?”
“A kind of dull orange. You know, like the last wrinkled satsuma left in the bowl after Christmas.”
They both laughed, a welcome release.
“Can I? See you later, I mean. I’ll come in disguise if it helps.”
“That’s the thing. I was about to call but you beat me to it. I have to leave for London and I’m already running late. Something’s come up, with another project I’m working on that I have to deal with in person. I’m catching a flight from a private airfield, and I’ll be away for about five days. Come with me. We’ll stay in my house.”
The words tumbled from his lips, the thought barely formed. A few days away, from everything that defined and hemmed them in, where they could be Alex and Ryan out in the world. Ryan said nothing, giving him all the answer he needed.
“I’d love to. You don’t know how much, but I can’t just up and leave.”
“But you can take holiday, can’t you?”
“Alex…”
“Of course you can’t. Not at the drop of a hat. It was a stupid suggestion, so just forget I asked.”
“It wasn’t, please don’t think that. It was lovely — nobody’s ever asked me to go away with them. Perhaps we could plan to go someplace?”
“Maybe. We’ll talk about it when I’m back.”
“Okay,” Ryan said, his voice flat and expressionless, after the tiniest silence that seemed to stretch into infinity. “Call me, when you’re away?”
“I’m going to be flat out, because there’s a lot of crap to sort. I’ll do my best but can’t promise.” Alex scrunched his eyes up as a sharp pain pierced through his head.
“Oh, all right. See you when you’re back, then—”
