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CALUM: I’m not giving you the silent treatment. I’m giving you the space you need. I’m sure Arran’s told you the story. Take care. X
It was a copout, a total copout. The impersonal shit he did so well. Robot Calum was back. He could get up tomorrow, go to his office and work. Sunday was as good a day as any. Shutting down was easier than facing up to what had happened. Arran’s arrival gave him a cast-iron excuse to stay away. His side of the story didn’t matter. The bottom line was, he’d done it. Nothing could excuse it. He’d unleashed a violent attack on a classmate. End of.
With no shortage of jobs to do, he could occupy himself all week. The only thing he had to be around for was Beth’s wedding on Friday. Something he could do without. He wasn’t in the mood for a party, but if he attended the service, he could pay his respects and skip the evening do without feeling too guilty. She’d been a friend since their school days but they weren’t bosom buddies. If he wasn’t sitting on a pew come her big day, would she even notice? Would anyone? Some people might even be relieved by his absence.
He laid out his dress kilt on Thursday evening, gritting his teeth and forcing himself not to think of Rhona, but she kept popping into his brain. How much more fun would this be if she was on his arm? Infinitely. Well, she wouldn’t be there, though Arran would. Could he avoid another face-off?
He grabbed his phone and called Will.
‘Hey,’ Will said. ‘What’s up?’
‘Arran Lamond is back.’
‘Yeah, I heard that.’
‘I assume he’ll be at the wedding tomorrow.’ Calum paced, keeping the phone glued to his ear.
‘I think so. I met Frank.’
Frank was Beth’s best pal and the opposite of Arran. Frank always smiled, laughed and made mischief – the fun kind. At school, his antics had annoyed Calum but now… Well, maybe he’d had the best solution: laugh everything off, then leave the island at the first opportunity.
‘And?’
‘He said Arran had come back this week so he could attend. Frank wasn’t best pleased. Arran was always a bit mean to him at school, though you know Frank, he never takes anything too seriously.’
‘A bit mean? Christ, that’s like calling Satan naughty.’ The security of having his dad as a teacher in the same school had made Arran think he was invincible, until Calum had snapped.
‘Yeah,’ Will said.
Why was Will so accepting? How could anyone think what Arran had done was forgivable? He’d picked on Calum for his spots, Frank for being gay, Beth for being a tomboy, Will for not being sporty and Hannah MacDonald for being chubby – though it hadn’t stopped him snogging her to get one over on Calum – and they weren’t the only ones. But somehow, he’d stayed popular and unchallenged. Almost. Until that fateful day.
‘I wish I never had to see him again.’
‘Stick with us,’ Will said. ‘And it’ll be fine.’
Yeah. Just fine.Would anything ever be just fine ever again?
∞∞∞
Calum arrived early at the church and sat in his 4X4 watching the trees swaying in front of the compact and pleasing-to-the-eye building. It had that typical austere island style but a haunting charm hung about it with the rolling hills behind and the sea out front. Cars pulled up, lining the road on either side and Calum kept his head down, pretending to browse his phone, while peeking up to see if Arran had arrived yet… Or Will. Where was Will? Once he was here it would be safe to get out.
Familiar faces passed by dressed in their kilts, suits or best dresses. Most of the women were holding onto their fascinators or adjusting their hair as the wind picked up from the sea. Apart from a few strong gusts however it was a beautiful day.
Robyn and Carl Hansen, two former classmates who’d married the year before, arrived. Robyn was another one Arran had mocked for her shocking crime of being too intelligent. Donald and Ida Laird, Will’s parents, followed up the path. Still no Will. Then came Georgia Rose, a young local artist, dressed like a nineteen-fifties film star on the arm of her new husband, local landowner Archie Crichton-Leith. If Will didn’t show, Calum would be safe with those two. They were heavily involved in Rebekah’s affordable housing project and Calum could talk business with them for hours.
He raised his eyebrow as he watched them amble up the path. Like they’d want to talk shop? They looked totally loved-up. He glanced back at his phone before checking up again.Oh god.Arran was strutting up the road and he wasn’t alone. Rhona was with him.Shit.Why?
She was friends with Beth’s sister and had probably come along to support her… it made sense, but Christ, he’d ignored her for a week, shoved her out of his mind, denied himself every thought about her. She must have known he’d be there. She had to. Was she there to see him? Her pink satin dress clung to her curves and swung off her hips, fluttering around her knees. Stunning. Her hair was pinned loosely back with elegant curls escaping at the front but her head was bowed and her expression deflated. Not at all like the Rhona he was used to. His heart frosted over.It’s my doing.He’d hurt her. Not physically, but emotionally. She’d chosen to go with Arran on the boat and he couldn’t deal with it. Even now it made him sick. He didn’t blame her for choosing her family over him but he didn’t like it either.
A banging on his window startled him. ‘Jesus, Will. You gave me a heart attack.’
Will beamed in and waved. Calum jumped out. Beside Will, Morven smiled, stroking a pristine white bib down Angus’s front, covering a cute little sailor suit.
‘All looking good,’ Calum said. Will’s kilt seemed to bounce as he headed through the gate and Morven’s floral dress swayed.
A large green tractor was parked in front of the church with ribbons on the front tied in a huge bow.
‘Typical Beth.’ Will chortled.
