Llewellyn’s head snaps up.
Nora breezes into the Hub, rolling a suitcase behind her. She has a new haircut, a curly bob fluffy around her face which makes her look young and carefree. I hate to admit it but she looks sexy in a very short, flared skirt barely three inches longer than the hem of her knitted jumper over black polka-dot tights and knee-high boots.
“Nora,” is all Llewellyn says, standing up, his face a picture of surprise.
“Did you miss me?” She stops in front of his desk, pops a hip and waits for him to admire her. Even from this distance, I can make out the shape of her breasts because the loose knit jumper is so fine it’s semi see-through. Not a classy look when you have large boobs and no bra. (Sorry. I know – meow.)
“Why are you here?”
“Where else should I be, baby?”
“Nora, we broke up.” His voice shakes like a man forcing himself to stay calm.
“I know. It’s not the first time. We always do that: we fight, we break up, then you miss me too much and beg me to come back.”
“I didn’t beg you—”
“I know,” she twinkles. “I’m here to give you a chance to do it now. Upstairs.”
“Nora. No. Not this time. It’s over.”
I don’t know if Llewellyn’s forgotten I’m here, but I shouldn’t be. This is a very private conversation. Unfortunately, it’s already progressed too far for me to just get up and walk out right in front of them. If only there was a window nearby, but there isn’t. As quietly as possible, I roll my chair back, gather my laptop and hug it to my chest – high enough so it covers half my face like a shield – then I sidle from behind the row of desks.
It doesn’t work. Nora whirls around, her expression instantly furious. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“She is working,” Llewellyn answers for me. “It’s a work Hub, remember?”
“So let’s finish this talk upstairs. Away from eavesdroppers.”
“No.”
It’s the last thing I hear as I slip out into the corridor and hurry as fast as I can, without really looking. Slam into a solid body.
Out of the frying pan and into the last man I wanted to see. “Hey, hey, what’s the emergency?” Osian steadies me.
Now, with his hands on both my arms, the stupid hopeful part of me that never read the message about this being a no-go area, that part lifts up its head and starts looking. It sees that we’re alone near the stairs, with nothing but the smell of paint and solvent in the air and the half-finished mural nearby. Osian’s beautiful face, the dark blue eyes full of concern and kindness, the wide lips… It occurs to me with a sense of unreality that we almost kissed two nights ago, that he had those same hands tangled in my hair, on my back, crushing me to him.
I screw my eyes shut, trying to remember my resolution.
“What’s wrong?”
The concern in his voice is even worse. It makes my heart pretend things are easy and nice, to forget. What was it? That he doesn’t want me. That he got close, so close, then thought better of it and changed his mind.
“Evie?”
I open my eyes. “Sorry. It’s just in the Hub, sorry. Nora and Llewellyn, sort of arguing.”
“Oh.” A world of understanding in this tiny word. “Then we’d better get out of the way.” He turns towards the back stairs, the way up to his apartment. And mine. “Coming?” He waits, one foot on the bottom step.
There’s nothing I want more than to go up with him, nothing. “Just a minute. Sorry. Need… er… something from the kitchen. Sorry.” Even my verbal autopilot has turned its back on me. Saying the word ‘sorry’ so many times is a clear clue to my mental chaos.
“Okay, I’ll wait here. The fewer people milling around within earshot of the Hub, the better.” He sits on the steps with the air of someone prepared to wait.
It’s easy to see what he’s doing. He’d have to be blind not to see how flustered I am. Now he wants to make it better, to be friendly, to normalise the relationship between us. But just this once I wish he wouldn’t be caring healer-man. It’s easier to resist him, to get over him, if he acts like a selfish, heartless git.
I go to the kitchen, hoping to find my strength there. But no such luck. What I do actually find as I burst in through the door is Llewellyn and Nora.
“Oh, flipping hell.” Nora spins around.
