Just Between Us (23 page)

             
“
So you missing lover boy?” Ashley asked, lying on my bed.

             
“No,” I said defensively, pinning my hair back in the mirror.

             
“It’s okay if you do.”

             
“I don’t.” I shook my head, “It’s fine. I’m fine.”

             
“Whatever you say,” she laughed, “look let’s go out to dinner and you can tell me all about it.”

             
I groaned, “Fine, take me out and help me forget.”

             
Ashley laughed and threw her arm around me. “If I knew the secret to that I wouldn’t even remember Vinnie’s name.”

Ten days after Kyle left I was horrendously bored, and I craved his touch like a drug. His texts weren’t as frequent, and I had dreams about him meeting a busty bimbo in Spain who he was now engaged to or something as equally disgusting. I felt ashamed of myself for pushing him away and started to panic that the way I had behaved these last few weeks may have left him thinking I didn’t care. I had an appointment at the fracture clinic that afternoon, and Mum was taking the afternoon off work to take me.

             
“So,” she said on the drive there, “you seem a little low this week.”

             
“I’m fine,” I sighed, looking out of the window, “just bored at home, and I can’t drive anywhere.”

             
“I know,” she said cheerily, “it’s been tough for you to be at home stranded all summer and Kyle being away.”

             
“I don’t care that he’s away,” I snapped, perhaps more defensively than I should have.

             
“I know,” she laughed, “I know there’s no love lost between you two, but he has been pretty good since you’ve been incapacitated,” she urged.

             
She had no idea. “Mmm …” I murmured in a non-committal voice.

             
“Well hopefully that cast will be off today then you can scoot around in that BMW to your heart’s content again.”

             
“I hope so,” I said glumly again.

             
“Sophie, you’re scaring me. I think you’re depressed.”

             
“Oh God.” I rolled my eyes and turned to Mum smiling. “I’m not depressed, I’m just sick of hanging around the house.”

             
“You’ll be out of there soon enough.” She laid her hand on mine and squeezed it lovingly. “My baby off to university and then there’ll be no end of fun.”

             
“I hope so,” I said cheerily, although the thought of it just gave me an overwhelming feeling of dread. I couldn’t imagine going away to university and finally ending things with Kyle. There was no way we could continue this once we went to university. It could never be a relationship that everyone knew about, and so going away would finally mean the end of our stolen moments, and that plummeted my mood even further.

             
“Come on,” Mum said, as we parked the car, “Cheer up and think happy thoughts about getting that cast off.”

             
They removed my cast and did another X-ray. Mum and I sat in the waiting room for almost two hours, reading magazines and watching the news on the waiting room television. Eventually I was called back into the doctor’s office, holding my shrivelled arm in my good hand out of habit rather than anything else.

             
“Well,” the doctor said, as we entered the room. My x-ray was on a white, highlighted back-board that didn’t give me much indication to the prognosis, but she seemed to know what she was looking for. She was a plump middle-aged Asian woman, who was extremely smiley. “The arm has healed well,” she said, her arms folded on top of her desk. “It isn’t 100% perfect, however I don’t think a further cast is required. I would like you to wear a sports bandage for strength and attend some physiotherapy, but for today you are discharged from fracture clinic.”

             
“Great news,” Mum said, looking over to me with a smile.

             
“Yes, great.” I grinned.

             
“Here are some bandages,” the doctor said, sliding them over the desk. “You can get more over the counter at the chemist.”

             
“Great, thanks,” I said, taking the bandages.

That week my wrist still felt weak, but I had been driving and doing the exercises that the doctor had instructed. On Friday Ashley, Kathryn, and I walked to the local pub and had a few drinks. On Saturday my mum took me shopping to Preston where she bought me lots of new things to go away to university with. It took my mind off Kyle and excited me for the next chapter of my life at Newcastle University. It was the beginning of August, and I only had a month until I would drive off there. Saturday night Ashley and I watched a movie in the party room and she slept over.

             
I saw my dad on Sunday. He took me out for brunch and then we went for a long walk and had an ice cream. He was interested in whether I was going to get my job back at the café now my arm was almost better. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but I told him I would ask. He offered me cash as he always did and also wanted to take me shopping for things for university. My dad was always keen to match whatever Mum had done for me, and so I wasn’t surprised.

             
I arrived home Sunday evening tired and slightly sun-burned to the smell of my mum’s Sunday dinner wafting through the air. I wasn’t sure how it had happened, but I had managed two weeks without Kyle, and tomorrow he would be home. I was excited, nervous, and worried that things wouldn’t be the same after having some time apart. Maybe he wouldn’t have missed me, or maybe he would realise that I wasn’t worth all the anguish after all. He still texted me each day, but mostly about day to day stuff. There was never anything gushy. He never said he missed me, or anything like that, and so I questioned if he actually did.

             
“Hi Mum,” I said, breezing into the kitchen as she checked the oven.

             
“We’re going to eat on the patio,” she said, “Nice day with Dad?”

             
“Yep,” I chirped.

             
“You seem happier.” She grinned. “Glad the cast is off?”

             
“Yes,” I said, giving her a peck on the cheek. “How long until dinner?”

             
“Ten minutes.”

             
We were settling in at the outside table fifteen minutes later. Mum had plated up a huge pile of roasted chicken and vegetables. It was a lot more than I wanted to eat, but I attempted the mountain of food politely whilst Mick ripped through his.

             
“So have you found a man to pick up Kyle then?” Mum asked casually as we ate, my stomach lurched at the mention of his name, and my ears pricked up.

             
“Well I can’t do it, that’s for sure.” Mick shook his head and shovelled more mashed potato in. “I’ve asked Derek and Gary from the garage, but I’m not sure who’s free. Someone will.”

             
“I will,” I squeaked. They both looked at me. Mum narrowed her eyes, and Mick just stared.

             
“Really?” Mum said, “You would collect Kyle from Manchester Airport?”

             
I nodded, taking some carrots into my mouth.

             
“It’s a long drive,” Mick grumbled, “and your arm is only just out of the cast.”

             
“I’ll be fine,” I said casually.

             
“But you and Kyle aren’t exactly best friends …” Mum said cautiously.

             
“We’ve come to an understanding this summer,” I said matter-of-factly, which was an understatement, “and I’m not doing anything. Surely you want the men to work rather than skip off picking Kyle up?” I said to Mick.

             
He sighed. “It does make sense, Mags, she’s home alone, and we’ve got to work. It’d do me a favour.”

             
Mum nodded and looked at me. “If you’re sure?”

             
I tried to act unaffected when inside my heart was beating like a drum.              “Well, I’ll let him know,” Mick said.

             
“No,” I said a little too quickly, they both looked at me. “I mean, don’t say anything because he’ll say he would rather get the train, not wanting to put me out. It’s fine, I’ll just meet him there, and he’ll have to let me bring him back.” The excitement of surprising him at the airport was already fizzing through me.

             
“Okay,” Mick said, he gave Mum a wide-eyed smile. “Terminal 2, do you need a map?”              

             
“I’ll find it,” I said, “What time?”

             
“Eleven am.”

             
The rest of the meal I was day-dreaming about what I was going to wear, and I was excited to be there to see Kyle the minute he walked through arrivals.

The next morning I was up early, shortly after Mum and Mick left for work. Mum left me Kyle’s flight details and some cash for petrol. I showered, shaved, washed my hair, and quickly ate some breakfast. I was getting used to being able to use my arm again, but I still found myself doing things with one arm out of habit, which slowed me down. I dried and straightened my hair, applied make up, and moisturised my tanned body. I chose a cute denim skirt that showed off some serious leg and a snug white t shirt with a big red heart on it. I slipped into some purple wedges that accentuated my legs and was happy with the result. Kyle had texted to say that he would be home for dinner and hoped to see me then, I responded that I would be in.

             
I set off from home at nine thirty for the hour’s journey, and my stomach was a flutter with nervous anticipation. I was worried that Kyle would think this was too much. What if he thought I was some crazy stalker? What if he had bad news for me about our relationship status, and I was the last one he wanted to see? I had to push that all out of my mind and focus on how excited I was to see him because I had to hope that he would feel the same way.

             
I arrived after an hour and ten minutes and a few wrong turns, parked in the short stay car park, and made my way over the bridge to the arrivals terminal. I checked the arrival times on the television and found that his flight was ten minutes early and about to land. I purchased some chewing gum, a magazine, and a diet coke, and took a seat. I could barely read the articles with anticipation, and my stomach was churning at the surprise that I was bestowing. I had never done anything like this before, and it felt crazy, reckless, and certainly not like me. After twenty minutes large groups of people started to filter through the arrivals door, and so I ran to wait.

             
I stood behind a couple of gents holding signs up with people’s names, standing far enough back so that I wasn’t obviously visible but far enough forward to have a good view. I saw his hair first. He casually walked through arrivals, his head down, ear phones in one ear, pulling on his suitcase. He was so God damn cool that I again felt unworthy. He looked awesome, bronzed, and refreshed, his hair perhaps a little longer than I was used to. As he walked forward my mouth hung open at the mere sight of him, and I had to regain myself. He glanced up as he reached the final exit, and I pushed forward between the men in front of me. He snapped his head back at the sight of me, and a genuinely huge grin filled his face. I smiled back shyly and walked towards him. He reached me, and we stood facing each other, with matching smiles. The instant he was close enough I inhaled him, that alone made me want to reach out and touch him.

             
“Sophie,” he said, “are you alone?”

             
I nodded, “Just me.” I shrugged. In that second he dropped his bag and pulled me towards him, his hands on my bum and his lips instantly claiming mine. With no one around that knew us, we could finally have a public display of affection. We stood unable to move for what felt like forever, his tongue roaming my mouth hungrily as my body gave into him.

             
“Ah Soph,” he groaned, “I missed you.”

             
“Me too,” I said softly. He reached down and took my hand.

             
“No cast?” he asked, pulling my hand up to his mouth and kissing it. “All better?”

             
“Getting there.” I sighed with contentment, unable to take my eyes off him as we walked away. “Come on, let’s get to the car, and I’ll take you out for lunch.”

             
“More like …” he said, pulling me closer to him, “let’s get to the car, and I can get my hands all over you.”

             
I rolled my eyes. “You look good with a tan,” I said.