“That’s what we’ll tell people, then.”
“Wait, don’t say it’s because I said you’re boring. I don’t want to be the bad guy here,” she says.
“We can just say we want different things,” I add.
Georgia nods. “I’m still going to ask Megs to take me home. You can have him to yourself for the rest of the evening.”
“I’ll order you an Uber.”
She thinks about it for a second and realises I’ll be paying for it with my account. “Okay.”
There’s a sound like stilettos on wooden floorboards. Megan approaches as though on cue.
“It’s over,” Georgia says, getting to her feet as her best friend draws nearer. Eggo waits just beyond the pergola. “We’ve ordered a taxi. Will you come with me?”
“Of course,” Megan says without hesitation, wrapping her arm over Georgia’s shoulder.
I stand up.
This time she doesn’t turn to look at me, and Megan doesn’t turn to look at Eggo. The pair disappear around the outskirts of the marquee.
“Pard,” Eggo says, immediately beside me. “Fuck, what happened?”
“She knows. About us. She found out a few weeks ago.” I puff all the breath from my lungs slowly. He doesn’t ask about Megan, whether his own girlfriend knows, but I tell him anyway. “George said she doesn’t want to cause any more damage by telling everyone the real reason, so I don’t think she’ll say anything to Megs.”
“Okay,” he says, though he doesn’t seem remotely bothered about his relationship. “And how are you?”
I shrug. A painful lump in my throat forms and blocks off any words.
“Do you need to cry?”
I shake my head. Swallow. Nod. Then I’m in his arms bawling.
“It’s all my fault. Why does it hurt so much?” I say when the initial wave of tears has died down.
“Do you want me to drive you home?”
“No. I mean, I do. But it’s Gadget’s big day. I have to stop putting my own fucking feelings before everyone else’s for once.”
He holds my face between his hands. “You know for a fact that Gadget is going to flake out at around ten. Stay until he leaves, and after that I’ll take you home, okay?”
“I need a drink,” I reply.
“That . . .” Eggo pulls an uncorked bottle of wine from his inside jacket pocket. “I can arrange.”
Chapter 29
Finn
Saturday 1st May 2027
Pi chugs the entire bottle of prosecco in under two minutes. He belches, and I think he’s going to vom, but he raises the empty into the air and shouts, “More!”
Honestly, I must be growing as a person because my immediate thought is one of trepidation. That it’s . . . not a great idea for him to be hammering the booze like this.
Me, Finn Eggington, had the notion that something stupid and potentially dangerous might not be the greatest plan for this moment.
Who have I become?
