Holding On (Memories) (2 page)

I'm wrong.

“And what did you say to Carl?” she whispers tightly.

“I told him he was a prick and Jen would go and see him if it was the other way around.”

She nods, satisfied with my answer. “Good.”

She turns back to her food before Jen strikes up a conversation with her about the university they'll both be starting next week. Jen doing Fine Art and Lexy studying Fashion Design. Bing looks at me and rolls his eyes. I figure we picked the wrong seats, here. I should have guessed that after a week of mere daily texts discussing the same university, they'd need time to talk about in person.

“Haven't you two been discussing university all week?” Si smirks.

“Yep,” Lexy replies. “But the thing is, Dad, is it's a big thing, and we need to be prepared. Both of us have waited years to get into this
uni for different reasons, and I'm not gonna go in there not knowing where I'm going or what I'm doing. This is the start to the rest of my life.”

Emily beams at her and Si smiles proudly. “Of course, darling, I was merely suggesting you leave the university talk until tomorrow and just enjoy dinner. Do you think you can do that?”

“Don't discourage her, Simon,” Emily admonishes him playfully. “It makes me proud when she speaks like that.”

“I'm proud too, Emily, but one night relaxing won't hurt her.” Si winks at me. “Besides, I'm glad she hasn't thrown it all away for love.”

“That's because you only get one shot at your future dream but you can have several at love,” Jen interrupts. “If love was the most important thing, I'd be at Exeter University right now, not ready to start a new life in London.”

“And Carl?” Bing tilts his head to the side.

“What about him?” Jen stabs some pasta with her fork.

“Doesn't he mind you being so far away?”

“Why, Samuel.” Jen cocks her head to the side. “If I didn't know better, I'd say you almost sounded like you actually care.”

Bing snorts. “Not likely, Jennifer. I was being polite.” He smiles at her.

“Oh, you can be polite?” Jen raises her eyebrows and looks at Emily. “Did aliens abduct your son overnight? Because I'm pretty sure he doesn't have a polite bone in his body. At least, not where it concerns me.”

“You don't have a polite bone for him either, Jen,” I remind her. “You two go at each other like an old married couple.”

“He has a point,” Si agrees and nods his head.

Bing snorts again. “The day the idea of even kissing Jen – let alone marriage – crosses my mind, I'll put a gun to my head.”

Jen batters her eyelashes and smiles sweetly at him. “If that ever crosses your mind, let me know, and I'll pull the trigger.”

Lexy puts a hand on my thigh and leans into me. “On second thoughts,” she whispers. “You could be right about those two.”

“At least the décor is in
better condition than Alec's.” Lexy leans back against the kitchen counter, wrapping her hands around a mug of tea. “Your wallpaper is actually attached to the walls.”

I wrinkle
my nose. “Yeah, but it's not exactly tasteful. Dad said he'd transfer some money into my account tomorrow for me to go shopping to redecorate so I don't have to dip too much into my loan. It'll take ages for me to paint this whole place, but at least it'll get done.”

“Ha! Like you'll be doing it alone. Alec will help, and Bing will too.”

“Your brother will not help redecorate my flat. I'm pretty sure he'd rather have his balls run over by a tank.”

She
shakes her head. “My brother's balls are way too precious to him.”

“His crown jewels.”

“He'd like to think they were worth as much.” We both giggle. “Anyway,” she continues. “He'll help, because I'll tell him to. Alec doesn't start work until next week and Bing doesn't even have a job yet, so there's absolutely no excuses. Alec can drive us to B&Q or Homebase-”

I cough
. “Laura Ashley.”

Lexy
smiles, and her eyes are twinkling in excitement. “Okay, then Alec can drive us to Laura Ashley, we'll spend all your Dad's money and come back and supervise them re-papering and painting. We'll do the easy things, like set up new kitchen appliances.” I glance at the bare sides. “And pretty your front room and bedroom. They can do the hard stuff.”

“I like the way you think, girl, I li
ke the way you think.” I grin.

“
So...” she says hesitantly. “Alec said something about you leaving the Bay on bad terms with Carl?”

My jaw clenches, and I slam my mug on the side, sloshing tea everywhere.
“Don't even mention his name to me. He's being a butt-headed pratface. Seriously, I asked him to come up for the weekend in a couple of weeks once I'd settled in and got this place sorted. I know he doesn't work at the weekend, and I know the farm doesn't pay him much so I even said I'd pay his fare-”

“But you're a student.”

“Precisely!” I exclaim, grabbing a cloth and wiping the side vigorously. “But he still refused.”

“But why? I don't get it. Half term is six weeks away.”

“Oh he said he'd come up alright. He thinks he'll come up in half term. You know the problem with that, my dark haired little friend? The bloody problem with that is the shitbag will be working all week and I'll be in Lilac Bay anyway seeing my family! My sister is pregnant-”

“She is?” Lexy
smiles. “That's great!”

“Yep.”
I grin, happiness and excitement breaking through the dull ache in my chest for a second. “I found out last night. Anyway, they're booking a private scan for the half term so I can see the little shrimp that will be my niece or nephew. But back to Carl – he's totally winging it. And he'll say he'll see me December break but I'll be home then. Same for February. And probably Easter. And May. And then summer. He won't come to London. He's too goddamn small town!”

I throw
the cloth at the sink, breathing deeply. God knows I love the boy, but he’s annoying enough to drive me up the outside wall of the Shard – and that’s a big fricking wall. “Okay. I'm good,” I say after a minute.

“You sure?”
Lexy raises an eyebrow.

I nod, and pick my
tea back up. “Yep. I'm good.”

She
looks at my mug. “Need some whisky or something in there?”

“Vodka would be good,” I mutter
.

Her eyes travel around my
kitchen. “Got any?”

“Bottom cupboard
on the left by the cooker,” I mumble.

My best friend grins
at me. “For real?”

My mood lightens slightly
. “For real.”

She shakes her head,
and opens the cupboard. She steps to the side, showing me the bottle of vodka, Malibu, and three bottles of Vino that are sitting there.

“You sure came prepared,” she
says wryly.

“You know me.” I wink, taking the bottle from her
hand. “I'm prepared for every situation. Did you know I keep a stick in my bag?”

She
frowns. “Why the hell do you do that?”

“
So...” I put a dash of vodka in my tea. “...Whenever your brother annoys me, I can shove it up his ass.”

“Makes sense.”

“It does, doesn't it?”

~

Jen grins widely at me as she climbs into my car. Lexy is chewing her lip uncomfortably.

“What's up, Princess?” I ask her as I pull away from Jen's flat. “Was Jen farting all night?”

“Get lost, Johnson!” Jen kicks the back of my seat. I laugh.

“
Jayna called me this morning,” Lexy says in a wary voice. “It's her birthday tomorrow, and everyone is going out tonight. She said she wants to see me since I 'fucked off to Devon and deserted her all summer'.” Her jaw is clenched when she finishes speaking.

“And what did you say?” I ask hesitantly.

“I told her I was busy helping you and Jen settle in, and if I could go out, I would.”

“And you don't
wanna ask what happened then!” Jen shakes her head. “Oh, hell to the no you don't.”

Well, of course I want to
fucking know now.

“Princess?” I touch her thigh.

Lexy gives a frustrated sigh. “She said if I was shallow enough to pick my new boyfriend and “some chick” I haven't spoken to for years over her, then I'm not as good a friend as she thought.”

My teeth grind
, and I focus back on the road. “I don't know where I'm going, by the way.”

“Nice topic change there, Al,” Jen snipes sarcastically.

I glance at her in the rear-view mirror, narrowing my eyes slightly. “I'm not kidding.”

Lexy sighs. “Left, right, right round the roundabout
, and right into the car park. We'll walk from there,” she mumbles.

I swallow a lump of annoyance
, and nod once. My fingers tap against the steering wheel as I make the turns she said.

I knew coming to London would be hard, but it's only been a week and Lexy is already having issues with her friends. But then, are they really her friends if they have a problem with her being happy? I have no idea.

“Are you going?” I ask, parking the car.

Lexy unclips the seatbelt
, and leans her head back against the headrest. “I suppose I have to.”

“Don't do it if you don't want to,” Jen pipes in. “I mean, I know I don't know her, but she sounds like a prize cow. If she was at the North Devon Show, she'd win first prize, rosette and all.”

I snort but quickly disguise it as a cough.

“
Mmm,” Lexy says uncertainly. “I'm just not looking forward to seeing all my friends again, I guess. I didn't realise how much I changed in Devon until I spoke to Jayna again.”

She jumps from the car and I climb out, stopping her before she walks away. I grab her hand
, and smooth some hair back from her hair. She turns her face into my hand.

“You have changed since I first met you, Princess,” I mutter. “But it's a good change. If your friends can't see that for what it is then they don't really deserve to call themselves your friend. You're damn amazing, Alexis Edwards, I mean that.”

Lexy presses her lips to my wrist and touches her hand to mine. “Will you come with me? I hate to ask, but if I get annoyed I can leave.”

“You know I'll come with you.”
I turn her face to mine and softly kiss her. “I love you. I followed you to London, I think I can follow you to a nightclub.”

She smiles, her lips curving up into that adoring smile she keeps on reserve for me. “I love you, too.” She kisses me again.

“Oh-
kay
!” Jen whistles. “Can we go now? I don't wanna break up the lovey-dovey show goin' on, but I have shopping to do.”

I laugh and release Lexy, wrapping a friendly arm around Jen's shoulders. “Oh, how dull my life would be without you, Jen.”

Jen tilts her face upwards as we walk, and raises an eyebrow. “You act like you'd actually miss me if I wasn't around.”

“Well,” I say thoughtfully. “I wouldn't miss the constant headaches I get but...”

“Asshole!” She laughs and elbows my side. I let her go and laugh, slipping my fingers through Lexy's as Laura Ashley comes into view. I smirk as I see Bing stood outside the giant store, his hands in his pockets, and his eyebrows drawn together in a frown.

“I hate you for this,” he mumbles to Lexy.

She pats his arm. “I love you, too, brother dear. Now shut up and let's get on with it.”

I grin at their banter
, and let Lexy link arms with Jen. “We'll just wait here for you, yeah?” I call hopefully. “I mean, we'll just get under your feet and that so...”

Lexy stops at the door and turns, looking at us sternly. “Nice try, Alec Johnson. Move it, guys.” She flicks her head and turns with an attitude-filled flair. Goddammit she's sexy when she turns that attitude on.

I roll my shoulders. Not the time or place.

“Fuckin' girls. Fuckin' shopping. I don't even like Jen,” Bing grumbles as we walk into the shop. “She drives me mad.”

“Jen drives everyone mad,” I reply. “She just saves a little bit of special madness for you.”

Bing huffs
, and follows a blonde sales assistant with his eyes as she passes. He whistles low, and she looks over her shoulder, sees us, and smiles. Lexy spins to us with her eyebrows raised. I crook my thumb towards Bing with a shrug.

“Back in a minute,” Bing mutters
, and walks towards her. I swallow a bubble of laughter as they begin talking.

“Fucking pig.” Jen curls her top lip in disgust
, and goes back to her perusal of the wallpaper.