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20
Sky
A reluctant Dylanlets me leave once I warn him about over protectiveness. He gives me a chaste kiss on the lips, presumably since Gwen hovers in the doorway too. Then I pull my brown woollen coat tight and set off through the winter’s day.
Two days living in Dylan’s flat is starting to suffocate me, a couple of days of his weird world engulfing. I relish the idea of a walk through the quiet streets and fresh air in my lungs.
With a few days until Christmas, the limited number of shops bustle with last minute shoppers, dashing from place to place and panic buying. I smile to myself when I realise the majority are hassled looking men.
I know Dylan hates Christmas, but if we’re spending the day together, he needs a gift to open. I’m at a loss what to buy him, the proverbial man who has everything. I toy with the idea of buying him some socks as a silly cliché but decide I want to be more personal than that.
Half an hour of aimless wandering later, I stop in the middle of the store, shoved by passersby. Maybe something for his cave? Or something to remind him of home? Eventually I pick up a small, red dragon on a wooden plinth, and head toward the checkout. He likes odd things, so why not an odd thing to put next to his shell monster? A Welsh dragon to remind him of his Welsh roots.
Waiting to pay for my gift, wishing they’d play some better Christmas music than Bing Crosby, I spot someone in the corner of the store, looking at Christmas wrap. If I were in a cartoon, I’d do a double take. The guy wears a beanie and his long-red hair is tied back, but he is unmistakably Liam. Nobody around pays him any attention. I stare for a moment until I’m interrupted by the cashier.
Once I pay, I pick up the small, white bag, and I turn back, immediately meeting Liam’s eyes. We both hesitate, and then I cross towards him.
“Hey, Liam. I thought you were in the States for Christmas?”
There’s something odd in his expression, as if he’s a kid caught stealing. “Yeah. I was. Decided to come home instead. Missing the place, you know. Why are you here?”
“Dylan is visiting his gran. I came along.”
“Really? Wow. St Davids prodigal son returns.”
“I think this is tough for him, Liam.”
“Yeah, I know the stories, Sky. I’m just surprised that’s all.” He’s half-listening, shifting his gaze around the small shop.
Should I ask Liam how Dylan coped over the last few months? Out of all the other band members who I met at the party, he’s the one I like the most. He has a calmer, friendlier aura.
“I’m also surprised to hear you’re with Dylan,” he continues. Now isn’t the time to discuss this, but he doesn’t pry any further. “I’m glad though. You’re good for him.”
A woman approaches Liam and I cringe inwardly. I guess even shopping brings recognition and requests for autographs. A toddler holds her hand, the girl wrapped in a puffed blue winter jacket and a matching woollen hat covering her brown hair.
“Did you find anything?” asks the woman then pauses and glances between Liam and me.
I do the same, looking between the two of them. Her face flushes and green eyes widen as we register each other. Tucking a strand of her bobbed brown hair between her ears, she looks to Liam for help. Oh god, have I walked into something I shouldn’t know about?
“Sky, this is Cerys.”
I smile and she returns mine with a nervous one. “Dylan’s Sky?”
I fight the urge to reply with ‘Liam’s Cerys?’
“Uncle Lim, did you find the chocolates?” asks the girl in a small voice.
“Oh, you’re Liam’s sister!” I say in relief.
Again, the shifty look between the two.Or not…
“No, Cerys is a friend. My sister’s friend.”
He’s over-excusing the situation, and I really don’t want to involve myself with this. Cerys’s hands tremble as she reaches into her bag and pulls out her purse. “I’ll pay for those, Liam.” She takes the Christmas gift wrap from his hands and heads for the checkout with her daughter’s hand firmly in hers.
“Don’t say anything to Dylan,” says Liam sharply the moment she’s out of earshot.
“This is none of my business, Liam.”
“She’s a friend,” he presses. “I’ve known her a long time.”
“That’s fine. You don’t need to justify yourself to me. It’s your life.”
His shoulders relax. If I were a bitch, I could ask where Honey is and if she knows he’s shopping with another woman. The idea of Honey in Cerys’s place amuses me; I can’t imagine her frequenting the town, never mind the less-than designer shops.
Cerys returns with her purchase and they say their goodbyes to me, heading out of the shop together. I pull my phone from my bag and call Dylan, asking him to meet me.
As I wait outside the store for him, I spot Liam and the woman looking in a shop window further down the street. The girl is on Liam’s back, clinging to his shoulders. From my vantage point, it’s hard to tell, but I’m sure he’s holding Cerys’s hand.
