‘Three years, a hundred days, sixty-five hours and ten seconds ago.’ Sam’s lips thin. ‘I’m joking, obviously. About three years ago.’
‘And you stayed friends?’
‘We did.’
‘And you’re happy for him?’ The lights turn bright green, and Sam moves on.
The day Ollie went ‘Instagram official’ with Alec made me call off sick from work. Honestly, it fucking broke my heart.
‘Um… do you know what? Not really.’
‘Oh?’
But I can’t say– won’t say– anything more.
‘But he invited you to the wedding,’ Sam says. ‘So that’s a good sign.’
‘Or a sick joke.’
‘Whatever. You’re here, and that’s the main thing.’
Biting my lip, I mull it over. ‘I guess I needed a little bit of a change of scenery.’ I’m not going to tell him what I’m here for. Some things Sam doesn’t need to know. But there are other deciding factors beyond my quest for Ollie and my inability to get my money back. ‘Life back home is… stressful. There’s a lot going on. I mean, I’ve let it all… kind of… happen to me, you know? Mainly because I was comfortable, I guess. Never stepped outside of my comfort zone. But it’s like Ollie got engaged, and then my fish-scented boss told me I might lose my job, and thenmy bestie also got engaged, and all of a sudden, it’s like the loop I’ve been living in broke and I realised something needed to change.’
‘Your boss smells of fish?’
‘That’s all you took from that?’
Sam gives me a lopsided grin. ‘Does your bestie getting engaged bother you?’
I shake my head. ‘No. Yes, but no. Like, I’m so happy for her. Her name is Alice. I can’t wait to see her get married and like plan every little detail with her. But also… Shit, I don’t know. Why does she have to get engaged now? Why is everyone so set on marriage all of a sudden?’
‘You don’t like marriage?’
‘It scares me,’ I say. ‘Oh, you wouldn’t know, would you? But Mum and Dad divorced.’
Sam flicks the indicators, turning down a long street. ‘Shit. I’m sorry, Will.’
‘A while ago now. I’ve had time to accept it.’ I sigh. ‘Still.’
Sam shakes his head. ‘I guess marriage can be pretty scary.’
‘Scary, but also, it changes everything, doesn’t it? It’s normal. It’s what people do. But suddenly all the familiarity is shattered by change. I don’t like it. It’s like when you left.’
‘You were upset?’
‘Only for an hour or so,’ I say, casually.
‘Right.’ Sam pulls over to the kerb, behind a Sights of Athens tour bus. ‘We’re here.’
I flap my T-shirt, trying to feel a breeze. I can’t wait to change. Bustling bodies head in every direction, almost disorientating me. In the distance, a grand building flies a fluttering Greek flag.
‘Pleasant area,’ Sam says, his hands slipping into the pockets of his shorts.
This whole time he’s remained topless, and I still haven’t got used to it. Keep eye level. Always stay at eye level.
Except his eyes are pretty.
Too pretty.
