Page 49 of The Truth About You and Me
And here it is. This is why I’ve been holding back, ignoring the attraction I’ve been feeling for her since the minute the lights went on and I saw her standing in front of a cinema screen. I don’t want to lose this,her.
‘This?’
‘You and me. It…’ Her voice is scratchy, pained. ‘It’s not going to work. We can’t have…’ She meets my eyes. ‘There are things you need to know and, and… I can’t even touch you and?—’
I was so certain. So convinced that I wasn’t ready… and now I might have blown it. For the first time in months, I’ve felt like me. But she’s scared too.
‘Maggie?’
I hate that there are tears in her eyes.
‘I like you. A lot,’ I begin.
A smile twists in the corner of her mouth. ‘I know. I like you a lot too. But?—’
‘Can I ask you a question?’
She exhales long and hard.
‘If this was a scene in a film, what would you want to happen?’
‘This isn’t a film, Jack.’
‘Humour me. Let’s say we have this couple, they are friends butI thinkthere might be something more there, but there are the usual – OK, notusual– barriers standing in their way. What would you want to happen next?’
‘I…’ She looks away, and then back to me. But there is a moment’s hesitation, a hint of possibility. ‘If this was a film? I’d want them to overcome those barriers, I guess.’
‘Even if it might be hard? Even if they’re scared to let themselves get close?’
She nods. ‘But this isn’t a film…’
‘Or a book. But they always find a way, don’t they? Our heroes? Even if it might get a bit complicated along the way.’
‘This isn’t a fairy tale. We don’t get to have a happy ever after. Fairy tales aren’t real.’
‘Who says?’
She throws her hands up. ‘Everyone!’
‘Most stories are based on the truth. And OK, the Grimm brothers were pretty Grimm, and Goldilocks was a selfish little know-it-all, but stories at their core are all about the journey. We’re at the beginning of ours. Please don’t tear up the script. Not yet.’ I close the car door, step a little closer, hope clutched tightly in my chest. I incline my head towards the shop. ‘It’s book club night…’ My voice trails off as I look towards the window, a display of new books matching the stickers in the window, then back to Maggie. ‘Can you wait here?’
‘I…’
I take off my jacket and hand it to her. ‘Keep this; you’ll need it.’
‘What? Jack, I…’
‘One more scene?’
She gives me the briefest of nods. ‘One more scene.’
* * *
I push open the door and rush through, taking the steps to my flat two at a time. Thoughts bouncing around inside my mind like a ping-pong ball.
I gather everything I need, shoving it into my overnight bag. I hurry down the stairs and back into the shop, where I’d left Nell with a look of surprise and her questions about why I’m back so early and what I’m doing. I take the two hot chocolates I’d asked her to make and pour them into a flask. The buzz of discussion is heated; the book of the month has clearly divided the readers. Nell springs up from where she was perched on the edge of a chair as I hurry across the room.
‘Jack!’ She tails me. ‘What’s going on?’ I stumble over my words as I explain about the events of the day, grabbing a handful of sugar sachets. ‘She’soutside?’ she asks aghast, then practically skips towards the window. She cranes her neck, a beaming smile across her face. I follow her line of sight. Maggie is sitting across the road on a bench, looking along the street. Nell chuckles. ‘You’ve given her your jacket? That is socute!’
