“You’re shooting people on screen again, aren’t you?” I teased. “I can tell.”
“I’m about to. Give me a second, Aves.” Everything went muffled. I could hear him talking to someone and a female voice replying. Then a door closed.
“Sorry. Andrea came round. She was waiting for a lift back to Leeds,” he said, his tone wary.
“Really?”
“Really. She messaged me earlier and asked if she could come by to say hello.”
“Oh.” I wasn’t sure what else to say. We weren’ttogethertogether and I had left him in limbo.
“She spent most of the evening talking to Callum.”
I stopped walking and clutched my phone tighter.
“Evening, sis,” Callum’s voice came on the phone. “I think I’ve persuaded Eli’s ex that younger men are the way to go in future.”
“You mean you’ve ensured that the next person she dates isn’t male,” I said. “You are capable of turning a woman.” It was completely untrue, but I needed to make light of how I felt right now and poking Callum was the best option. Plus, I knew he was doing what he could to reassure me.
“Trust me, there are women queuing from London to Edinburgh to sample some of this piece of male perfection. I’m about to kick Eli’s ass at COD. What time shall I pick you up in the morning?” I heard Eli arguing about the ass-kicking in the background.
“Ten?” I said. “We’re only staying one night, so may as well get there for lunch.”
“Sure,” Callum said. “There’s a present for you at Mum’s too.” He always referred to home as ‘Mum’s’, never ‘Mum and Dad’s’.
“Is it edible?”
“Not telling. Here’s Eli.”
There was more noise, the sound of gunfire which I figured – and hoped – was from the game.
“Hey,” he said as the background went quiet. “I’ll let Callum have five minutes to warm up before he gets obliterated.”
“That’s kind of you.”
“Andrea was here because she asked if she could come round. It wasn’t a date or anything like that.”
“You don’t have to explain yourself,” I said, hating the fact he thought he needed to.
“I want to,” he said. “She’s split up with her boyfriend a few weeks ago and I think she’s after some reassurance.”
“Oh.” I was aware I sounded like a complete fool.
“She knows I’ve been seeing you. She’s seen your stuff in my apartment.”
“You don’t need to…”
“Ava,” he interrupted. “I don’t want you to be thinking things that aren’t true. This has got nothing to do with what happened that night. I’d be telling you this anyway because I’d be a shit if I didn’t. I’m not interested in Andrea. But I probably need to make that clear to her. Are we good?”
I choked back a sob, hating how emotional I’d become recently. “We’re good. We’ve always been good.”
And we had. I was realising that now.
The surprise Callum had for me was certainly not edible. Neither was it drinkable. Although it ate and it drank.
A lot.
It had four legs and a very waggy tail; black and white fur and it bounced over to greet me with a sloppy ball in its mouth.
