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“Not to Liam, and that’s what matters.”
“I suppose.”
Sky stands. “Don’t tell Dylan, but when I first met all the Blue Phoenix guys, I liked Liam the most. Partly because I was pissed off with Dylan at the time, but mostly because Liam’s a genuine guy. I’m glad he didn’t marry Honey. Are you hungry?”
I shake my head as Sky walks over to the guys. Liam told me Sky tells it like it is and her honesty and openness is refreshing, if not a little off-putting. As soon as she reaches Dylan, he encloses her in his arms and kisses her head, conversation with Liam over.
As the evening progresses, the more I’m aware how Sky and Dylan exist in their own world. They speak to us and are polite, but I feel as if we’re on the edge of something that they keep hidden. Maybe it’s because they are used to protecting themselves from scrutiny, or perhaps they don’t realise they’re behaving this way, but Sky and Dylan are intense.
A few wines later and Sky relaxes around me. We sit on cushioned benches on the paved patio near the pool, a long glass table covered in empty bottles and a half-finished meal. I whisper secrets I know about the teen Blue Phoenix, telling her about their disastrous first gigs and how painful that my best friend lived above their favourite rehearsal place. At first, Dylan appears put out by my revealing his embarrassing past, but Liam teases him that he cares about his image too much and Sky agrees. Another dent to his ego occurs when Ella appears in the glass doorway.
The sleepy girl wanders over and sits on my knee as I recline on the bench next to Liam. She barely registers Sky and Dylan, who watch curiously, as Liam switches his attention to Ella.
“Are you okay?” he asks her.
“I woke up.” Ella says.
“I can see that,” I say. “Were you dreaming about Magic Mountain?”
Ella smiles sleepily. “Liam was scared.”
“I was not.”
“You held my hand and squeezed really tight,” she says.
Liam puts his finger to his lips. “Shush! Don’t tell Dylan and Sky.”
Ella turns to them as if only realising they’re there. “Hello. I’m Ella.”
“Hi, Ella,” smiles Sky and nudges Dylan.
“Yeah, hello.” Dylan turns back to Liam. “Tell me about Jem and this band he’s discovered. You reckon they’re good enough to join the tour next year?”
“I was talking to Liam,” Ella tells Dylan. “Don’t interrupt. Mummy says that’s rude.”
Dylan flicks a stunned look between Liam and me. “Um. Okay.”
Sky sniggers into her wine. “Yeah,Dylan, not everybody is impressed by your rock god status.”
Dylan scowls at Sky, but he clearly has no idea what to say to Ella. I’m embarrassed she spoke to him like that, but I often stop her when she interrupts my conversations.
“Come on, Ella. Let’s find Emily. Maybe she can fix you a snack before you go back to bed.” I lift her onto the floor.
“Night, Liam.” Ella leans down and kisses his cheek. His discomfort with her affection lessens as the days pass, but this time he hugs her more awkwardly, and a shocked Dylan looks on. As far as Ella’s concerned, anybody I show affection to should get hers too.
“I’ll be back soon,” I say to Liam and kiss him gently on the mouth.
Luckily, he’s not as reticent about showing affection to me and gives me a slow, lingering kiss.
* * *
LIAM
I bracemyself for Dylan’s reaction as Sky unfolds herself from the sofa and heads toward the kitchen with her empty bottle of wine, still snickering.
“Dude...” Dylan shakes his head.
“What?”
