‘It’s fine, go on,’ I reassure him, even though it’s not fine and I’m not sure I want him to go on.
‘It was Kate who swayed me,’ he continues without further encouragement. ‘She showed me some of the reader reviews. I couldn’t believe how many people desperately wanted a sequel. Kate thought that I had a responsibility to them. She felt that Nicki would’ve agreed with her.’
‘Maybe she’s right,’ I say, feeling grateful to Nicki’s sister for convincing him. Nicki’s teenage diaries haven’t given me the best impression of her, but they were both only young when Nicki wrote about her, and she’s obviously very supportive of Charlie now.
‘Yeah.’ He sighs. ‘Anyway, the additional money coming in fromConfessionsmeans that I can work less and look after April. IknowNicki would have prioritised her daughter over her book, so I guess someone else finishing it might be what she would have wanted, after all. I’ve been consoling myself thinking that, in any case.’
‘That makes sense,’ I say as he takes a deep breath. I think he wanted to get that off his chest.
I hope he feels better for having done so, even if his confession has made me feel queasy. If this were a film, Nicki would probably haunt me into getting the sequel exactly how she wants it. Christ, what a thought! It’s just as well I don’t believe in ghosts.
‘Thanks,’ Charlie says. ‘Now we should probably talk about something else or I’ll end up crying into my pint.’
No argument from me, there. I’m more than happy to change the subject.
‘This is my first night out since she. since we lost her,’ he adds.
My eyes widen at his revelation. No pressure to make tonight a good one, then.
Chapter 17
‘You’re here!’ Adam jumps to his feet and engulfs his brother in a bear hug, before giving me one, too. He’s found a table outside the pub in the early-evening sunshine. ‘So glad you guys made it. What are you drinking?’ He digs into his pocket for his wallet.
‘I’ll go,’ Charlie says.
‘Sit down,’ Adam replies firmly. He takes our orders and heads inside.
Charlie climbs over the bench seat facing the pub’s courtyard and I slide in opposite him, looking up at the quaint buildings lining the other side of the road. Adam returns a couple of minutes later, spitting out two packets of crisps from between his teeth, and settling himself beside his brother.
‘Cheers, you bastards, here’s to a good night!’ he says.
We chink pint glasses and then he rips the crisp packets open and sets them in the middle of the table.
‘What have you been up to this week?’ he asks, and the first pint slides down to the sound of amiable general chitchat.
Pint two is a bit different. ‘That girl over there looks really familiar.’ Adam frowns as he stares past me.
‘Which one?’ I ask nosily.
‘Light-blonde hair, black top, two o’clock my time. Don’t make it obvious.’
‘I won’t, I’m good at this game.’ I oh-so-casually tuck my hair behind my ears, turn my head, and give the two o’clock tables a quick once over before returning my gaze to Adam.
‘Pretty,’ I say, nodding.
He’s still frowning with the effort of trying to place her. ‘I think I might’ve shagged her once,’ he says.
Charlie puts his pint down. ‘How can you forget someone you’veshagged?’ he asks.
‘Because I’m a great big slag,’ Adam replies with a grin. ‘It’s all right for you, you’ve only had sex with two people, they’re easy to remember.’
‘Fuck off,’ Charlie replies with annoyance.
‘I haven’t had a shag inwaytoo long.’ Adam gives the girl across the courtyard a lustful look. After a moment, he purses his lips and gazes into his pint.
‘I give it an hour,’ Charlie says, raising his eyebrows at me.
‘Before he hits on her?’ I don’t need a reply because Adam’s cheeky face says it all. ‘Best of luck,’ I say sarcastically. ‘I’m sure she won’t be in the least bit offended that you don’t remember having sex with her. But of course, there’s also the very real possibility that you were completely forgettable, yourself.’
