Page 20 of It Was Always You

‘I’ve just got some things to sort out for work and then I’ll come over, okay?’

‘Hmm, can’t wait. Hurry up, okay?’

After leaving university, Eve had moved with her friends into a house on the outskirts of Edinburgh, on the road to Jedburgh. Her postgrad internship with a small local newspaper didn’t pay much, but considering she had three other housemates her rent was fairly low. She was stuck doing the births, deaths and marriages – AKA hatches, matches, and dispatches – at first but didn’t really mind. Adam had attended several interviews but had been hitherto unsuccessful. High-school English teacher vacancies were few and far between and the competition for each one fierce. More applicants than available posts; that was the issue.

This latest one had felt different. The high school was a fairly rural prospect, but the kids had been great. Very respectful, unless they were lulling him into a false sense of security – a highly plausible possibility.

Adam shared a house with a guy named Max that he too had met at uni. He had been working, along with Max, in a large bookstore in the centre of Edinburgh to tide him over, and his work colleagues were rooting for him.

Lily? Well, Lily had inherited a tidy sum from a Spanish aunt and had gone travelling. She had spent less and less time around them lately and had a string of loser boyfriends who she joked she was just using for sex. Travelling had been something she had always dreamed of. And so, when the opportunity arose, she grabbed it with both hands. Her gift of the gab meant she quickly made contacts and was soon busy working as a freelance journalist as she travelled, which kept her in the lifestyle to which she had become accustomed.

Every so often either Adam or Eve would receive a postcard or a letter containing a photo of her in the arms of some Italian/Portuguese/Spanish man – delete as applicable. She looked as if she was having fun and Adam hoped she was.

As if waiting in the wings, the phone rang as soon as he had hung up from his call to Eve.

It was Lily.

‘G’day, Adders! So are you soon going to be teaching the children of some poor unsuspecting Scottish parents or what?’

He held the phone away from his ear as Lily’s voice boomed down the receiver into his ill-prepared cochlear. ‘Hey, Lil. No news yet. I think it went well though.’

‘Fantastic! So what are you up to? Is Eve there?’

‘No, not yet. She’s coming over soon, though. Where are you?’

She snorted down the line. ‘Durrr! Australia! Didn’t you get that from my greeting?’

He nodded as if she could see him. ‘Ah, yes, sorry. Fried brain. Having a good time down under?’

‘It’s awesome, Adders! And I have met the most goooorgeous guy! His name’s Bodhi Knight and he’s really hot. He’s a bloody underwear model!’ she squealed.

‘Hmm, great. He doesn’t sound like a stereotypical surfer dude at all.’ He winced at his own sarcasm. ‘So, what happened to Alberto?’ He remembered the last photo he had received.

‘Oh, he went back home. Didn’t follow the rest of us to Aus. We said we’d keep in touch but…’

Another notch marked on Lily’s imaginary bedpost.

Hesitantly, he offered, ‘Lily, be careful, okay?’

She giggled. ‘What? Me? I’m always careful. I’m just having so much fun!’ Her voice was bright, but Adam couldn’t help the concern rising within him. ‘Hang on, Ad— What? Now? Okay, I’ll just be a minute.’ She spoke to someone in the room with her. ‘Look, Adders, I have to go. I’ll call in a few days to see if you’ve heard anything. Bye!’

Before Adam could respond, the line went dead. A sense of unease niggled at his gut. He knew she was out there to experience life and to have fun, but she was taking it to the extreme. It seemed there was not only a different job at each stop-off point on her travels but a different man too. He just wanted to know she was okay, but he got the feeling that even if she wasn’t, she wouldn’t tell him.

He climbed from the sofa and went to the kitchen to get a bottle of wine. Max was there, rubbing at his damp blond hair with a towel.

‘Oh, hiya, bud. How was the interview?’

Adam nodded. ‘Yeah, it went well, I think.’

Max smiled. ‘Excellent, excellent. Fingers crossed, eh? Is Eve coming round tonight to celebrate?’

Adam felt his face warming. ‘Aye, she is. Are you heading out?’ he asked, noting Max was wearing his favourite green shirt.

Max grinned. ‘Sure am. Off to meet Tia from work and staying at her place tonight so don’t wait up.’ He finished his sentence with a wink.

Adam chuckled. ‘As if I would’ve waited up anyway, you nob.’

Max laughed. ‘I love you, too, bud. Have a good one.’ He slotted his towel over the radiator, ran his fingers through his hair and grabbed his jacket.