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‘Oh my goodness, yes!’ He sits next to Lara at the counter. ‘All right?’ He beams at her.
Quick as lightning, Lara grabs her fork and starts to bring it down on Caleb’s hand. Caleb is quicker, thankfully, and moves it away.
‘You’re feral!’ He laughs at her.
‘Best believe it – and if you think that’s my last attempt, you’re in for a shock.’
‘Ariella, will you tell your friend that she’s a nutcase?’
‘Say that again, and I will fucking lamp you.’
‘Breakfast, guys,’ I announce.
For a few blissful minutes, there’s silence. Caleb and Lara’s sparring is pleasing to watch, but if you didn’t know either of them you’d probably be a hair’s breadth away from calling 999.
After breakfast, the three of us go for a long walk on the Heath, then hit the pub for Sunday lunch. Caleb is expecting Nicole later, so we don’t stay out too late and return to watchThe Sopranos.
‘I better go to the bathroom and head out,’ Lara declares as soon as the door goes, announcing Nicole’s arrival.
I am immediately suspicious.
‘Hi,’ Nicole says, breezing in. She is overjoyed to see Caleb, who really needs to commit to this girl or let her go. She may be intense, but anyone can see that she is completely in love with him.
‘Hey,’ he grunts without any real emotion.
No, Caleb. What are you doing?
She spots me, and all her warm, fuzzy feelings evaporate. ‘Hello, Ariella.’ She looks at me like mud on her shoe.
‘That was amazing. I’m out of here.’ Lara emerges from Caleb’s room, wearing the corset top and shorts she had on last night. She is holding her jacket,mybra and her shoes to her chest. ‘Hi, Nicole!’ She smiles coyly, then tiptoes up and kisses Caleb on the cheek. ‘I had the best time, Cay. Maybe again, sometime soon?’ She looks at me and waves shyly, whispering: ‘Bye, Ariella. Thanks for having me over.’
I had no idea that, all this time, Lara knew how to whisper. She breezes past Nicole and walks out of the door. My first thought is that she had better bring my bra back into work tomorrow. My second is to get out of the way because Nicole is going to blow.
‘I’m going to bed, guys. Goodnight.’
Oh, Lara. She got Caleb back in the worst way possible. Nicole starts screaming at him before I’ve shut my bedroom door.
Today has been a good day. Caleb and Lara really came through for me. Hanging out all day pointlessly with them has been refreshing and spontaneous – but exhausting. I shower, settle into bed and look at my phone for the first time in over twenty-four hours. Twenty-two missed calls and a whole bunch of texts from Isszy, Zachary and Jasper, asking me to come home.
I turn off my phone. This is home now.
SIXTEEN
CALEB
Lara Scott has a wicked streak. Unfortunately, I loathe and admire her in equal measure for it. Right now, loathing is where my dial is. She is completely nuts, but hides it with raw, wild charm. She served her purpose, though, because Sunday was the most I have seen Ariella laugh. At one point we thought she was having another attack, because she was laughing so hard she was struggling to breathe. I had such a good day with those two.
Just when I thought I was safe, though, Lara pulled that stunt with Nicole. The next forty-eight hours were painful. I resolved to break it off as soon as I got back from my whirlwind trip to Singapore, just to make sure none of Mel’s contacts were firing us. They weren’t. And I made sure of it, because no one was left disappointed, if you catch my drift. It was nice to leave everything behind for a few days, but I did miss home and was pleased when my car stopped outside my building.
‘I’m home!’ I chime as I walk into the flat, which is filled with Ariella’s usual apple and grapefruit smell. I’ve always wanted to say that. It sure is nice to come back to a warm home. Normally, I’d be dreading freezing my bollocks off during the time it takes for the apartment to heat up after a trip. No response from Ariella. It isn’t 10p.m. yet. Surely she isn’t in bed already? She usually doesn’t start yawning and stretching like a kitten until ten thirty. She’s probably in the shower. After five minutes I give up waiting to wash the aeroplane from me. I’ll wait for a little bit to scratch her behind the ears. I smile. She’s a sweet girl. She needs a bit of looking after, but she’s all right, really.
It isn’t until I am clean and wander back into the kitchen that I see the sticky note on the fridge.
Your sister called. I tried to reach you. Your mum has been taken to hospital. Have gone up to Liverpool to lend a hand until you get there. Call me when you get this. X
Shit.
I scramble around for my phone and charger. I shouldn’t have let it die. It takes a few minutes for it to spring to life with a flurry of texts from Ariella, followed by texts from two unrecognised numbers that turn out to be my sister and father. I call her, but her phone is off, which is highly unusual. I have no choice, and dial the number that belongs to my father.
