“Shit. I’m surprised,” Tom says, scratching the back of his head. “I didn’t think they’d ever break up—I thought they were, like,grossly in love.”
“Can’t say I am,” Will chimes in, folding a cable. “He’s an absolute twat. Never deserved her.”
Tom isn’t finished, though. “Why’d they break up?”
I exhale through my nose. “Apparently, he wouldn’t open up to her. Said he couldn’t be honest, and she figured if they couldn’t even have a proper conversation, there wasn’t much hope for the relationship.”
Tom wrinkles his nose. “Bullshit.”
“I know,” I reply flatly.
Will opens his mouth, his expression sly. “Do you think he?—”
“No idea, don’t care,” I cut him off before he can even finish the thought. “All I know is he fucked up.”
Will grins, the mischief in his eyes obvious. “Well, if you didn’t shag her, you’re a better man than me. She’s fit as fuck.”
My jaw tightens at Will’s comment, and I have to bite down the urge to react. Instead, I focus on pulling the strap off my bass, slinging it into the case with more force than necessary. I keep my tone flat as I say, “Can’t imagine why I’m still single, with you lot as role models.”
Oliver walks over and gives me a light-hearted clap on the back, the slap making my sweat-soaked shirt cling even tighter to my skin. Excellent.
Oliver’s my best mate—we’ve had each other’s backs since primary school. He’s been more of a brother to me than Lucas. There’s nothing I keep from him, and he always knows when something’s off.
“You good, mate?” he asks, his voice low.
“Yeah, man. I’m fine. Why?”
He shrugs, giving me that familiar, concerned look I’ve never liked. “Just checking in. I know Lucas?—”
“Oliver, it’s fine,” I cut him off, my tone sharper than intended.
He holds my gaze for a second, then nods slowly, accepting my boundary. “Alright, alright. See you at the gig.”
“Sounds good,” I say, giving him a quick fist bump.
And just like that, he drops it. That’s the thing about Oliver—he knows when to push, and when to let me be.
I wipe down the strings and then close my guitar case. “I’ll see you guys at the Mayfair Lounge on Friday,” I say, giving them a quick nod before turning towards the door. Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I head out without another word.
I need to focus on the music.
Chapter 14
April
Three months later …
After a long day at work, I slap on a hydrating face mask and open my laptop. After months of neglect, I decide to log into my Pinterest account. As I scroll through Pinterest, I begin deleting the vision boards I’d made for the wedding—thankfully, one we hadn’t planned yet. A task I’d been avoiding. One by one, images of idyllic garden ceremonies, lace dresses, and white rose floral arrangements disappear.
I’ve always loved roses, especially yellow ones; they were my mum’s favourite flower. Lucas, however, always brought me white roses while we were dating. I never had the heart to tell him that white roses felt lifeless to me, as though their stark colour drained the personality from the bloom. What’s the point of a white rose? They’re far too fragrant and beautiful to be so sterile.
With my mother in mind, I feel a surge of determination to start fresh and create a new board. One for myself, with things that make me happy. One brimming with vibrant roses, cats, ceramics and pastries. As I piece together my collage of cheerful images, I flutter around the kitchen, gathering a small teapot, a mug, and some milk before setting the tea to brew.
It’s Friday night, and lately, weekends have started to haunt me. As time has passed, I’ve grown to dread them. Other than hitting up Portobello Market on Saturday mornings, I don’t do much else. I usually keep to myself and read or watch TV. To be honest, it gets lonely. Even with the support of my wonderful friends, there are moments when the silence feels heavy, and I find myself wishing there was someone else—someone who could fill the space Lucas left behind.
Perhaps a hobby would be helpful.
A photo of a delicate, hand-thrown vase catches my eye, and I start to wonder if I could get back into ceramics. The thought feels both daunting and exciting.
