Page 7 of It Was Always You

‘Hey, Lil, we could take Eve on the tour we did when we started here,’ Adam suggested eagerly.

Lily shook her head. ‘Oh, I can’t… I have to… erm… go… and get some books… Yes, there’s a book I need, and I need to go get it today.’

Eve turned to Lily. ‘Isn’t there a bookshop on campus? I’m sure I saw a sign⁠—’

‘Oh, yes,’ Lily interrupted. ‘I’ve tried there. I really need to go into town to Blackwell’s. You two go on the tour though.’

Adam shook his head. ‘Nah, we’ll go when you get back. It’s fine.’

‘No, don’t be daft. You should go. Show Eve the delights of Forrest Hill.’ Lily smiled.

Adam knew there was no way Lily could have missed his reaction to their new friend. She appeared to be giving him an opportunity to get to know Eve alone. He’d have to thank her later.

Seriously, he owed her one for this. ‘Okay, great. What do you say, Eve?’

A blush spread from Eve’s neck up to her cheeks, and she nodded shyly. ‘Thanks, Adam. That’d be great.’

His heart swelled in his chest. She was so sweet. So different. There was definitely something about her.

After waving Lily off, Adam and Eve set out on their tour. The thought briefly crossed Adam’s mind that Lily had seemed distracted by something, and he doubted it was a book. She was nothing if not prepared for study, so he wondered if everything was okay at home. He vowed to make a point of chatting to her about it later, checking in as they always did for each other.

‘So, have you always lived in Glentorrin?’ he asked Eve as they strolled around the large campus, weaving in and out of the other students.

‘I’m from there originally. But we moved to a village north of Portree when I was going to high school.’

‘Oh, wow, lucky you, I remember Portree from my family holiday. Stunning scenery.’

‘It’s completely different to here though and to Sheffield too. I still feel a little like a fish out of water when I come back to uni. A country girl in the big city and all that.’ A wistful expression washed over her face. ‘I do love the views from home though. I can just about see the tops of the Old Man of Storr from my bedroom if I stand on my tiptoes. I kind of miss that.’

‘Ah, yes, I remember that place. It’s quite spectacular. Out of interest, why is it called the Old Man of Storr?’

She smiled. ‘It’s simply because people think that the rock formation looks like an old man.’ She giggled.

‘Really? Oh, I’d never really thought about that, to be honest. I’ll have to look it up and see.’

There was a pause in conversation where Eve peered off into the distance and seemed to be taking in her new surroundings. Eventually she spoke. ‘Thanks for this, Adam. I really appreciate it. I’ve been so nervous about transferring here. It’s like being the new kid in school all over again. Friendship groups are already established and I’m already quite shy as it is. So, after two academic years it’s been quite an emotional upheaval which has made being away from my family even harder. My dad insisted I didn’t quit my studies, so this was a compromise. I’ve been toying with the idea of just going home anyway. Well, I was until I met Lily and you.’ She tucked a golden strand of hair behind her ear, and the pink hue rose in her cheeks again.

He completely understood how she felt. ‘I think it’s hard moving away from home as it is, but if your dad’s ill, it must be compounded for you. I only moved up from Jedburgh, but even now, a couple of years on, I still miss my mum and dad. Although Mum insists it’s her cooking I miss most.’ He chuckled.

‘I’ve never been to Jedburgh. What’s it like?’

‘It’s not a huge place. But we do get a bit of tourism. Mainly people stopping off on their way to the Highlands though. There’s an abbey and an old jail. Oh, and it’s where Mary, Queen of Scots, stayed, too. Lots of history for a wee town.’

She smiled as he spoke. ‘It sounds fascinating. I’d like to visit one day.’

‘Yeah, well, one day is probably all you’d need.’ He laughed. ‘Nah, it’s a lovely town. I lived there all my life until I moved here to study and like you, I find it quite different.’

A comfortable silence settled on the pair as they strolled the campus. She glanced up and around as he watched her from the corner of his eye.

He turned so that he was walking backwards right in front of the gorgeous blonde girl. ‘So, Eve, what’s your ambition for when we’re done at this place?’

Eve pursed her lips and glanced skyward again. ‘Hmm, I’d like to maybe go into editing, or writing in some capacity. But my dream is to have my own publishing company one day.’

He cringed. ‘Wow… my ambition kind of pales into insignificance against that.’

She scrunched her brow. ‘Oh, I doubt that. What do you want to do?’

He grinned. ‘You’ll probably think I’m mad.’