Page 89 of It Was Always You

She laughed nervously. ‘No, you got that right.’ More screams and shouting could be heard from outside, making her flinch and whip her head around.

‘Anyone unlucky enough to still be out there is pretty much a goner I’d say.’ Abe’s voice was croaky as he spoke. She turned back to see his eyes filled with emotion. She swallowed down the lump lodged in her throat.

‘Abe… Abe! Where are you, Abe?’ A frantic woman was coming towards them, her eyes scanning the room. The round-faced, well-made-up lady caught sight of Lily and Abe and came dashing over. ‘Oh, thank goodness, thank goodness.’ She grabbed Abe and pulled him tight into her large chest. ‘What would I have done without you, sweetie?’

‘You got Lily here to thank, Audrey. She’s been looking after me.’ He winked up at Lily as the woman turned and grabbed her.

Audrey pulled her in for a bear hug and almost squeezed her last breath out of her body. ‘Oh, sweetheart, thank you… thank you. Fifty-five years married and this happens. It’s the last time I suggest we go away for our anniversary.’ She dabbed at her teary eyes and then turned her focus back on her husband.

TRACK 36

‘NEXT TO ME’ (IMAGINE DRAGONS)

Adam stood in front of his mirror and stared at his reflection. His eyes were ringed with the dark circles of insomnia. Why hadn’t Lily messaged back? He’d checked the news online for updates, but they were few and far between. Apparently, a hurricane in Florida wasn’t nearly as important as random graffiti appearing on zebra crossings in the south of the UK.

‘Where is she, Monty? Why hasn’t she replied?’ he asked the dog who was staring intently up at him. Monty’s tail wagged and he nudged Adam’s hand, giving it a lick for good measure. Adam crouched down and buried his nose in the dog’s fur. ‘I just wish she’d message me,’ he said. ‘I’m terrified I’m going to lose her.’

His phone vibrated and he yanked it from his pocket, his heart racing and his eyes wide. It was just his mum asking if he’d heard anything. He quickly replied in the negative and then flicked to the last message he’d sent to his best friend in the whole world, his heart sinking once again.

Lil, please tell me you’re okay. This hurricane is doing a major number on the part of USA where you are. I’m terrified for you.

There had still, as yet, been no reply.

He was now regretting the fact he had agreed to meet some woman called Emily for a date. The Head of Performing Arts at school, Diane Silverman, had introduced him to Emily, a friend of hers who she felt was perfect for him. They had chatted via WhatsApp until Emily had suggested they should meet for a drink. This kind of woman was new to him, but it was quite nice not being the one to do the chasing.

In light of the last twenty-four hours, however, if it hadn’t been for the fact that Diane was one of his closest work friends, he would have cancelled. He couldn’t think straight. Going on a first date was probably not the best idea when he was this worried about Lily. For some bizarre reason the conversation he’d had with Jaz back in March sprang to his mind.

‘Man, I can’t believe you didn’t get together with her. You clearly have the hots for her, dude.’ God, his American accent was irritatingly cool, and Adam hated that.

‘Jaz, I’ve known her since we were in primary school.’ Adam remembered his face flushing. ‘We used to make mud pies together and play cops and robbers. She’s like my sister.’

Jaz’s smirk had irritated him. ‘Yeah? Maybe once, but it sure as hell seems to me like there’s something more there now.’

Adam’s heart had lurched and he’d had to ask, ‘Why? Did… did Lily say something?’

Jaz had paused and shaken his head before fixing him with a knowing look, as if he’d been proved right. ‘Nope… not a single thing. But looking at the way you are right now? That speaks volumes, Armstrong.’

That conversation had kept on popping into his mind, and he had played things over and over. Had he been so transparent? Had the feelings he had once had for Lily reared their ugly head again then? And what about now? This churning in his stomach was surely just because his best friend was in the path of a destructive weather front, right? Lily had never looked at him like that so what would be the point in feeling anything again after all these years? It hadn’t got him anywhere before and he’d managed to push the feelings down and move on.

Reluctantly, he met Emily at the pub in Hawick, the town where she lived and worked as a primary school teacher. She was waiting outside and he was struck by how pretty she was in real life. Petite with dark blonde hair and smiling eyes.

She pointed at him. ‘Adam, right?’

He smiled and nodded. ‘Emily?’

‘Guilty as charged, guv’nor,’ she replied with a giggle.

He liked her immediately.

Emily took a seat at a table in the corner of the busy pub and Adam went to the bar. He ordered a G&T for Emily and a lime and soda for himself. As he walked back to the table, he spotted the TV screen over the fireplace and stopped dead in his tracks. The footage showed the sheer devastation being left in the wake of Hurricane Erin. A cold shiver travelled the length of his spine, and he felt the colour drain from his face.

He walked over and placed the drinks on the table with shaking hands.

‘Are you okay, Adam? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,’ Emily said with a crinkle of concern to her forehead.

He lowered himself gingerly to a seat but kept his gaze fixed on the screen, bending this way and that when anyone blocked his field of vision.

‘Adam?’ Emily’s voice pulled his attention back to her.