“Why?” Isla asks cautiously. “What happened?”
“Nothing. It’s fine. Or it will be.”
Poppy’s face shifts, and she looks at him more seriously. “You like her, huh?”
Hugo’s instinct is to laugh or make a joke, but he feels too worn down to pretend right now. “Yeah,” he says. “I do.”
“Knew it,” says Alfie.
“I know it’s a bit weird for you because of Margaret,” Hugo says, still talking mostly to Poppy, “and I didn’t exactly plan this. But I just—”
“Hugo,” Poppy says, tipping her head to one side the way she always does when she’s considering something. “If you like her, I’m sure she’s great.”
He lets out a breath. “She is. And I do.”
“Okay then,” she says, all business now. “Whatever you did, just apologize.”
Isla nods. “But not in that blustery, flustery way you usually do. Say exactly what you did wrong and be heartfelt about it.”
“And tell her how you feel about her too,” says Oscar, out of nowhere. They all turn to him in surprise, but he just grins. “What? I think it’s important to be honest.”
“What if it doesn’t work?” Hugo asks, and there’s a catch in his voice.
“It will,” says Poppy, and though she can’t possibly know that, there’s something so reassuring about it that he simply nods.
“Right,” he says. “Thanks.”
“Let us know how it goes,” Isla tells him, and the others bob their heads. All except Alfie, who clears his throat exaggeratedly.
“You know,” he says, “this wasn’t actually meant to be a group therapy session. We were ringing to let you know we made an appointment with the university tomorrow.”
Hugo frowns. “Why?”
“To tell them that it’s one for all and all for one,” George says, and when Hugo just stares at him, uncomprehending, he shrugs. “If they won’t let you take a gap year, then none of us will go.”
“What?” Hugo says, too stunned to think of anything else. He adjusts his grip on the phone and turns his focus on Alfie, who looks rather pleased with himself. “I thought I told you not to say anything.”
“I thought you knew I had a big mouth,” Alfie says with a shrug. “Besides, it was George’s idea.”
George smiles ruefully. “Listen, if this family were a cake—”
“Seriously?” Poppy says, rolling her eyes.
“Do I get to be the sugar in this metaphor?” asks Alfie.
“Well, now I’m feeling a bit peckish,” says Oscar.
“All I’m saying,” George continues, “is that I like it when we’re all together. But I also want you to be happy. And I can see that you are. So we want to help.”
Hugo blinks a few times, dangerously close to tears. “That’s…” He shakes his head. “That’s incredibly generous. But I can’t let you do it.”
“It’s okay,” Oscar says. “We’ll only be bluffing.”
“Yeah, if they say no, we’ll back off,” Isla tells him. “It’s not like we have any other options at this point, and the rest of us still want to go. But we figured a show of solidarity might help with your situation.”
Hugo shakes his head. “What if they call your bluff?”
“We’ll sort it out,” says Alfie. “It’s worth a shot, though, yeah?”
