I wince at the mention of fire. I guess that’s always going to be a bit of a sore spot.
“I’ve already found that out the hard way,” I tell her, unscrewing the water bottle I keep by the bed and taking a grateful gulp. “Although I should probably have guessed that Mum would be the very first to come crawling.”
“Shit,” Summer says, clamping her hand over her mouth. “Sorry, Lex, I meant to ask. How is she? I saw the article, obviously. You’re looking pretty good for 33, by the way.”
“Shut it.” I glare at her until she can’t hold her laugh in any longer.
“Sorry,” she says again, getting a hold of herself. “I know I shouldn’t be laughing. Your poor Mum. Is it true that you’re going to Scotland to see her?”
I hesitate.
“Yes. I mean no. I don’t know.”
I start nibbling on my thumbnail as Summer raises her eyebrows.
“Well, glad we cleared that up,” she says. “Love how decisive you’re being about this.”
“God, Summer, it’s a complete mess,” I groan, putting my head in my hands. “Mum’s fine, though. I can say that for certain.”
This is true, as it happens. I called the hospital again last night, as soon as I got back to the hotel, and the nurse told me Mum wasn’t even close to being as ill as the article in the Gazette made her sound. She sounded pretty pissed about it, actually.
“So, are you going to Scotland? You and Jett?”
“Honestly? I don’t know. I don’t even know if I’m going to see him again after last night?”
Summer gives me The Look.
“Ohhhh, Lexxxiieeee,” she sighs. “Why would you not see him again? It’s Jett Carter, for fuck’s sake.”
Her eyes light up.
“If you don’t want him, can I have him?” she asks excitedly.
I pluck a pillow off the bed and throw it at her.
“It’s … look, it’s complicated, Summer,” I tell her, once she’s stopped shrieking at me. “I really wish I could tell you more, but I can’t. I’m really sorry.”
“The NDA,” she nods. “I get it.”
She looks at me speculatively, chewing her bottom lip, the way she does when she’s worried.
“Are you okay, Lex?” she asks, unexpectedly. “It’s just this whole thing—” She looks around the hotel room again. “I mean, it’s amazing, don’t get me wrong,” she goes on. “And I’m so happy for you, seriously. We all are. Well, maybe not Amy. But you know what I mean.”
I nod, taking another swig of my water.
“Areyouhappy, though?” Summer asks, watching me. “Because, if you don’t mind me saying, you don’t really look like a girl who just started dating Jett Carter. And I’m not talking about the fact that you have mascara all over your face. Oh, you have mascara all over you face, by the way,” she adds. “Rough night, huh?”
“Yeah, something like that.”
I stare back at her, wondering how much I can tell her without getting myself into trouble.
“I’m fine, Summer,” I say eventually. “Everything’s just a bit weird right now. You know, with Mum.”
And with the fact I’m lying to everyone. Even you.
Summer looks unconvinced, but she seems to accept this. She spends the next thirty minutes chattering on about Jett and how crazy it is thatheturned out to be the bearded guy she had to throw out of the bar a few nights ago.
“And I didn’t even recognize him,” she says for what has to be the 10th time since she arrived. “I just can’t get over it, Lex. Imagine if you’d come with me and Amy that night instead of locking up on your own? You probably wouldn’t be sitting here now.”
