Part 14 (1/2)
”I've been waiting for you outside the studio,” Grace said, waving an airy hand down the road. ”Then I followed you down here.”
”You did what?” I stared up at her, open-mouthed.
”Well, if you won't answer a girl's e-mails, then what's she supposed to do?” Grace stood next to me, hands in her pockets. She looked just like I'd remembered, to be honest. Most people change a bit in two years don't they? Different hairstyle, a little weight gain or weight loss-but not Grace. She looked exactly as she'd done the last time I'd seen her when I'd gone to her parents' house only for her to tell me she was leaving me.
Her hair was just as I'd remembered it so many times in my dreams about her and in the days, weeks, and months of longing for her after she'd gone-black as night, hanging in tendrils around her shoulders. I'd always loved her hair, so beautiful, framing her striking olive-skinned face and her gorgeous dark eyes, deep brown, like chocolate that you wanted to dive into and lose yourself in.
”Aren't you going to introduce me?” She nodded her head towards Elise.
I snapped myself from my trance and glared at her. ”No, I'm f.u.c.king-well not.” I sc.r.a.ped my chair back noisily and stood up, making some other people who'd been sitting outside look over at us.
I glanced down at Elise, sitting in silence, watching what was going on.
”I have to go,” I said, reaching down for my bag, my hands shaking. ”I'm sorry.”
I ushered Grace away from the table before Elise could even answer, practically frog-marching her down the road before any wise guy watching what was going on thought to either photograph it or video it on their phone and sell it to some tabloid.
I walked with her, occasionally glancing over my shoulder to make sure no one was following, back to the studio car park, not saying a word to her all the way there.
I was fuming. How dare she think she could come and find me when I'd made it clear-or at least thought I had, by ignoring her e-mails-that I didn't want to see her? Was she so arrogant that she hadn't cottoned on that my lack of contact with her meant I didn't give a d.a.m.n?
I unlocked my car and told her to get into the pa.s.senger side, which she did without a word. I watched her as she settled herself into the pa.s.senger seat and looked uncertainly over at me. It was like the last few years had never even happened, and we were both eighteen again, just about to finish school, so full of love for each other and so full of plans.
”h.e.l.lo would've been nice,” she finally said.
”What did you think you were playing at?” I swung round to face her. ”Waiting outside the studio, then coming to find me, like some b.l.o.o.d.y stalker!”
”You're not pleased to see me, then?” Grace raised an eyebrow. ”I would have thought after two years you would be.”
”I'm not,” I said bluntly. ”What do you want?”
”I just wanted to see you.” Grace shrugged. ”I sent you three e-mails but you didn't reply, so I thought I'd come find you, in case you hadn't got them.”
”Of course I got them!” I spat. ”I chose to ignore them like you've chosen to ignore me for the last two years.”
”I just thought it would be good to hang out while I'm in London,” Grace said. ”Catch up on old times.”
”Great idea!” I said. ”Maybe we could re-enact the day you p.i.s.sed off to Spain without a second thought for me.”
”I always regretted that, Holly,” Grace said.
”Only once Pillow, or whatever her name is, dumped you.”
”Pilar, Holly. Her name was Pilar. And she didn't dump me,” Grace said. ”We just drifted apart.”
”And then you thought you'd drift over to me?” I said. ”Well, think again.”
”That's not what I meant, and you know it,” Grace said. ”I just wanted to catch up, but I can see you don't.”
She looked across to me, one playful eyebrow arched. ”You're still looking hot, though, I have to say.” She looked me up and down, making me feel uncomfortable.
”Don't mess with me, Grace.” I surrept.i.tiously shuffled in my seat.
”Who's messing?” Grace said. ”I mean it. You always were hot, though.”
”Not hot enough to stop you dumping me, hey?” I turned and glared at her.
We didn't speak for a few seconds after that, the awkward silence filling the car.
”How long are you in London for?” I finally asked.
”Just until tomorrow,” Grace said. ”That's why I came to find you, 'cos I knew time was running out.”
”Time ran out a long time ago.” I turned my head from her, desperate not to start crying.
”What I did was s.h.i.+tty, and it was immature of me just to leave you like that,” she said. ”So I'm sorry.”
”Whatever.” I didn't look at her.
Grace didn't say anything for a minute. Instead, she stared out through the windscreen of my car, deep in thought.
”She looked nice,” she finally said, glancing at me from the corner of her eye. ”The girl you were with. Who is she?”
”You really don't watch Portobello Road, do you?” I said, turning to face her again. ”It's what I'm in. Remember?”
”I know what you're in.” Grace shook her head. ”But, no, I don't watch it. Not for years,” she said. ”Not since, well, since you and I were together.”
”She's called Elise. The girl, I mean. She's Elise.” I loved how her name sounded when I said it.
”And is she your girlfriend?” Grace looked at me curiously.
”No,” I snapped. ”She's my co-star in the programme.”
”She's fit!” Grace playfully slapped my arm.
I didn't answer her. Instead I chewed, childlike, at one of my fingers, wondering just what I could do to get myself out of this situation.
”So are you seeing anyone at the moment?” Grace asked.
”Maybe,” I said. ”Maybe not.”
”I'm only in Ireland for a few weeks, Hol.” Grace reached over and touched my leg. I looked down at it for a second, thinking about how much I loved it when Elise called me Hol, and how I'd give anything to be with her right now, rather than stuck in a car with Grace.
”Don't,” I said, taking her hand and putting it back on her own leg.
”We could get together when I get back...” Her voice trailed off.
”Or not,” I said brusquely.