‘Sure.’ She stood and gave her brother a hug. ‘And thank you for coming to meet me at the airport. It was …’
‘Unexpectedly nice from me?’
‘Yeah, exactly.’
‘What can I say? I’ve kind of missed you.’ He planted a kiss on her cheek. ‘Kate, I guess I’ll see you … well …’ He shifted awkwardly, eyes darting everywhere but at the two of them. ‘Yeah … whenever.’
‘Great!’ Her friend visibly tensed, her smile false and overly bright. ‘See you around.’
‘See you.’ Kyle shuffled out, slamming the door behind him, leaving Kate and Olivia in silence.
‘So …’ Her friend inched closer to her on the sofa. Olivia felt the pain that she had been holding back begin to seep through the cracks in her defences. ‘You want to tell me what’s going on?’
Olivia’s mind felt as though it had been pumped full of smoke: cloudy, impenetrable and completely disorientating. Jetlag and heartbreak were a potent combination.
Where the hell did she begin?
‘It’s Jacob …’
‘What’s happened? Is he OK?’ Kate placed a hand over hers. ‘Did he do something to you? Did he hurt you?’
Yes. But I hurt him too …
‘Come on, Olivia, you have to give me something here. You were a complete state when you came through at the airport. Talk to me … please.’
Whatever else she was feeling towards Kate and Kyle and their new romantic dynamic, the look on her friend’s face and the touch of her hand finally broke Olivia.
‘Oh God,’ she cried, letting the tears free at last. ‘It’s so messed up.’
‘Hey, I’m sure whatever happened can be fixed. Nothing is ever that bad. Now’ – Kate wrapped Olivia up in her arms and held her closely – ‘tell me everything. From the very beginning.’
Olivia peeped her head out from the safety of her friend’s embrace and began to tell the whole story. The surprise trip to the beach; the night they’d spent together. The beautiful candlelit dinner, the champagne, the walk afterwards, and then the argument. The fighting. The cruel words shot back and forth, scarring one another, hitting their marks where it hurt the most. If Kate was mad that Olivia had kept all this from her, she never showed it. Instead, she sat, hand never leaving hers, listening in silence the entire time.
‘And …’ Olivia wiped her nose with the back of her other hand. ‘That’s how we left it. I haven’t heard from him since. There’s been nothing.’
‘Gosh, that’s a lot.’
‘I told you. It’s completely ruined.’
‘I wouldn’t say that.’ Kate tucked a loose strand of hair behind Olivia’s ear. ‘I know this might sound crazy, but have you thought of being the one to message him?’
Olivia jerked her head back in horror. ‘What?’
‘Look, you’d both had a bit too much to drink and youbothsaid hurtful things.’
‘He said worse.’
‘Maybe …’ Kate was evidently trying to navigate Olivia’s emotional landscape with caution. ‘And maybe he’s being a typical man and waiting for you to reach out to him.’
‘Well, then he’ll be waiting a long time.’
‘Comeon, Olivia, at least think about it.’ Kate cradled her cheek with her hand. ‘He clearly means a lot to you; do you want this to be how it ends?’
‘I don’t know.’ She shrugged. ‘Some of the things he said …’
‘Were completely and totally out of order. But remember, it was in the heat of the moment, and we all say things we don’t mean. Even you.’
The truth of her friend’s words sat like a weight on Olivia’s chest. She had said a whole host of terrible, unforgivable things. Yes, she was hurt, and yes, she was feeling rejected. Did that justify her saying whatever she liked? Was she any more innocent than him?
