The Lost Ticket, page 26
Libby widened her eyes at Laura, who grinned back at her.
“Oh, right,” Dylan said, looking awkward. “And how do you know Esme?”
“Laura!” A young man came bounding over and threw his arms round her shoulders. Laura turned to him, leaving Libby and Dylan on their own.
“I thought I should come and say hello,” Dylan said, staring at his shoes.
“How are you?”
“All right, thanks. You?”
“Yeah, fine.”
Up close, Libby could see a scar running along the edge of Dylan’s skull, above his right ear. He must have sensed her staring at it, because he put his hand up to his head and touched it.
“I almost didn’t recognize you in the church,” she said. “You look so different.”
“Yeah, this outfit was Esme’s idea. To be honest, I feel like a right knobhead in it.”
They must have both remembered Libby’s drawing at the same moment, because they looked at each other and smiled. Then Dylan looked away.
“I’m so sorry you ended up in hospital,” Libby said. “It must have been awful.”
“I don’t remember much about it, to be honest. One minute I was walking to the bus stop, and then the next thing I knew, I woke up in hospital three days later.”
“Bloody hell,” Libby said. “Was it a fight?”
“A fight? No, I was beaten up. Apparently one guy hit the back of my head and knocked me to the ground, and then him and his mate started kicking me. They ran off when they realized I was unconscious.”
“Bloody hell. Did the police catch them?”
“Nah. There were witnesses who gave descriptions to the police, but they never found them. Probably some pissed-up kids.”
“I’m so sorry, Dylan. Are you okay now?”
“Apart from this scar and my hurt pride, I’m fine. Can I get a top-up, please?” Dylan held his glass out to a waiter who was walking past, and waited for it to be refilled. “So, how’s everything with the pregnancy?” he said once the waiter had moved on.
“All good. Not long to go now.”
“And you’re back in Surrey?”
“I am.”
“That’s good.” He took a sip of champagne. “Simon all right?”
Libby glanced up; Simon was the last person she’d expected Dylan to ask about. “Yeah, he’s fine.”
“Dinner is about to be served,” the master of ceremonies called through the crowd. “Could everybody move into the dining room, please?”
There was a bustle as the guests started to head toward the door.
“I’d better get in,” Dylan said. “I’m sitting at a table with Esme and Johnny, so I can’t be late.”
“Okay. Maybe catch up with you after the meal?”
“Sure.” Dylan started to walk inside the dining room and then stopped. “If I don’t see you then, good luck with all the baby stuff, yeah?”
For a moment Libby caught something in Dylan’s eyes, a look that she remembered from her birthday night. “Thank you.”
“You deserve to be happy, Libby. I hope Simon realizes how lucky he is.”
“Pardon?”
“Everybody take your seats, please!” the MC shouted, and Dylan started to walk away.
“Hang on, Dylan. What do you mean?”
He looked back at her. “I meant Simon’s lucky to have been given a second chance. I hope he’s a good boyfriend to you, that’s all.”
Libby felt her stomach lurch. “Oh my god.”
“Come on, Dylan.” Esme’s mum was walking past and grabbed his arm. “We need to get in. Esme and Johnny are about to make their entrance.”
“I’m coming.”
He turned and followed her into the room. Libby watched him go, her head reeling.
“Wait!” she shouted so loudly that he turned around to look, along with several other people nearby.
“What?”
“Dylan, I’m not with Simon. I never moved back in with him.”
She watched his brow crease as he processed what she’d said; then his eyes went wide. Behind him, loud music kicked in, announcing the imminent arrival of the bride and groom. Dylan stared at Libby for a second longer, then turned and hurried into the room.
CHAPTER
47
The meal passed at a snail’s pace. There were speeches first and then three courses of food. Libby was seated at one of the round tables with Frank, Laura and her boyfriend, and several of Esme’s other friends. They were all lovely, chatting with her and asking questions about the pregnancy, but Libby could barely concentrate on anything anyone said. She kept glancing over at Dylan, who was sitting a few tables away with his back to her. She couldn’t see his face, but she could tell by the twitching of his head that he was distracted too.
As dessert was served, Esme’s friends were sharing funny anecdotes from her hen do, and Libby allowed her mind to wander back to that afternoon at the hospital. She could remember it so clearly: Dylan’s injured face, the old man in the adjacent bed telling her about Dylan’s girlfriend coming to visit, the feeling of despair, Simon’s name flashing up on her mobile phone screen. The moment she’d kissed Dylan on the lips, and those three words had tumbled out of her mouth.
I love you.
After that, Libby had run straight to the hospital toilet, where she’d cried so much that the Scottish nurse had come in to check she was okay. Through her snotty tears, Libby had tried to explain that the father of her baby wanted her to move back in with him, but she’d realized she was in love with another man, who probably had a girlfriend. The nurse had handed Libby some toilet roll to blow her nose and then told her in no uncertain terms that this all sounded far too complicated, and it was probably not a good idea to live with her ex if she was in love with someone else. And just like that, Libby had felt as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
“Are you all right?” Frank was watching her.
“I might step outside for a minute. I’m really hot in here.”
“Would you like me to come with you?”
“No, I’ll be fine, thanks.”
She stood up and made her way toward the exit. As she did, she passed by Dylan’s table, but he was deep in conversation with Johnny and didn’t look up.
Libby stepped outside onto the hotel terrace, inhaling the cool evening air. There was a dull ache in her pelvis from all the standing up today, so she crossed to the far side of the terrace and sat down on a bench. After the noise and excitement of the wedding, it was quiet and still out here, and she took several deep breaths as she looked out over the garden, bright in the moonlight.
Libby heard a cough behind her, and when she turned around, she saw Dylan standing in the doorway, silhouetted against the light from inside. At the sight of him, she felt another throb in her stomach.
“Frank said you were out here,” he said as he walked across to join her. “You all right?”
“Yes, just needed some fresh air. This little one is pummeling me today.”
“Aren’t you cold?”
“Not really.” As she said it, Libby realized she was starting to shiver.
“Here, have this.” Dylan took off his jacket, and before she could say anything, he wrapped it round her shoulders.
He sat down next to her, and for a moment neither of them spoke.
“About the—”
“I wanted to—”
“Sorry, you first,” Libby said.
Dylan was staring at his feet. “I really thought you’d got back together with Simon.”
“What on earth made you think that?”
“You told me when you came to see me in hospital. I mean, it was you who came, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, but I never said I was getting together with Simon. Where did you get that idea from?”
“The old guy in the bed next to me. When I came round, he told me that a pregnant woman had been to visit me and that he’d heard her say, and I quote, ‘I’m going to say yes to Simon. It’s what’s best for the baby.’ I assumed that meant you were getting back with him.”
“I had no idea he was eavesdropping!”
“Yeah, Sam was a nosy old sod. He knew everybody’s business on the ward.” Dylan gave a small laugh, then turned serious again. “But what happened, then? What were you saying yes about?”
Libby paused, wondering how honest she should be with Dylan. Part of her wanted to tell him what had really happened: her moment of realization in the hospital that she was in love with him. But then she remembered his girlfriend.
“Simon asked me to move back in with him in Surrey, and I very nearly said yes. But then I realized that I’d just be repeating the old pattern of making my life decisions based on what other people want me to do. Simon and my mum were so desperate for me to live with him again, and they’d almost convinced me that I couldn’t do it on my own. But they’re wrong. I can and I will.”
“So where are you living now?”
“I’ve rented a tiny flat outside Guildford. My parents aren’t far away, and they’re helping me cover the rent until the baby’s here and I can get a job again. They’re being pretty good about it all, actually.”
“And Simon?”
“He’s involved. He’s been coming to my appointments and stuff, and he’s helping out with money too. Simon’s going to be the child’s father, but nothing more than that.”
Dylan was watching her as she spoke, his dark eyes on her face. “So you’re not with him, then?”
“Nope. I’m single and carefree, me. Out on the pull every night.”
Dylan gave a soft laugh; then his shoulders fell. “Bloody hell, Libby. This whole time, I’ve thought you were in a relationship with him again.”
“I’m so sorry. It never occurred to me that you’d think that.”
“It’s not your fault. I blame old Sam and his bat ears.” He leaned back against the bench and exhaled.
“While we’re talking about Sam . . .” Libby paused, chewing the inside of her lip. “When we were talking at the hospital, he told me that your girlfriend had been to visit you.”
“My girlfriend?”
“Yes. And your dad told me about her too.”
“Hang on a sec—you talked to my old man?” Dylan was looking at her, his eyes narrowed. “He didn’t come to the hospital, did he?”
“Not as far as I know. But that first day when you didn’t turn up at Frank’s, I went looking for you at your flat. And your father answered the door.”
“Oh, Jesus,” Dylan said, throwing back his head. “I had no idea.”
“He told me that you’d run away with your girlfriend, and that was why you’d gone missing.”
“What? That bloody man!”
Small red dots had appeared on Dylan’s cheeks, and Libby was suddenly reminded of the first time she’d met him, when he’d shouted at her on the bus.
“He’ll have done it on purpose,” Dylan said. “He can’t help himself; it’s like he enjoys fucking up my life.”
“Dylan.” Libby reached out and rested her hand on top of his, and she heard him take a quick breath.
“Sorry,” Dylan said, his voice dropping. “My dad has this ability to wind me up; he always has. What else did he say to you?”
“Not much, we didn’t chat for long. But he did mention your mum.”
Libby saw a flash in Dylan’s eyes. “What did he say about her?”
“That she’d run away when you were little.”
“He said that, did he?” Dylan gave a sharp laugh and shook his head. “She didn’t run away; he drove her away. My father is a cruel bastard, and he made her life hell. In the end, she had to get out for her own safety. If she’d stayed, I don’t think she’d still be alive today.”
“Oh my god.”
The rage had gone from Dylan’s eyes, replaced by a weary sadness. “It wasn’t just the violence, although there was plenty of that. He made her think that she was worthless, that she was a bad mother and wife. He ground her down so much that she started to think everything was her fault—every time he got drunk and hit her, she thought she deserved it.”
“Your poor mum.”
“It’s a miracle she got out, really, and I’m grateful every day that she did.”
“And you?”
Dylan let out a slow sigh. “She wanted to take me, but he said he’d kill her if she tried. And she was so scared of him, she believed him. I only found that out years later, though, when she got in touch again.”
“How old were you when she left?”
Dylan blinked slowly. “Seven.”
Above them, a solitary firework burst into the sky, its golden sparkles fizzing above their heads. Libby looked back at Dylan, but he was staring at his hands clasped in his lap.
“That’s why I got so pissed off when Simon turned up at your birthday and tried to blame you for his shitty behavior,” he said. “I know he’s not the same as my old man. But that behavior when he tried to say that the breakup was your fault . . . It triggered something in me from all those years ago with my dad.”
He stopped, and Libby wanted to reach across and put her arm round Dylan’s shoulder. “You must be so angry at your dad.”
“I was for a long time. I became a right tearaway, got expelled from two different schools. And then I fell in with the wrong crowd, got into drugs and all sorts of trouble. It was punk music that saved me. This might sound weird, but when I discovered it, what it stood for, I found somewhere healthy I could channel all that anger.”
“But still, it’s amazing that you’re able to live with your dad now. I think if it were me, I’d never want to see him again.”
“I didn’t see him for a long time. But he got diagnosed with lung cancer last year; he’s not a well man. And I know he’s made a lot of mistakes in his life, but I can’t abandon him now.”
Libby watched Dylan as he spoke. She wasn’t sure she’d ever met such a kindhearted, generous person, someone who was so willing to see the good in people.
“I think you’re extraordinary, Dylan,” she said, and she saw his cheeks color.
“I dunno about that. But we should really get you inside; you’ve started to shiver again.”
“Okay. But before we go, can I check one thing?”
“Sure.”
“Are you saying that your dad and Sam were both wrong about the girlfriend thing?”
“Of course they were wrong,” Dylan said, sitting up straight. “The woman they were both referring to is Cass, an old mate of mine. She has a band, and she called me on that Monday to say her drummer had broken his arm and would I stand in for him? That’s why I texted you to say I couldn’t meet you that afternoon, because I was helping her out at a gig. And then I got beaten up when I was on my way home after the gig. Cass was there, so she saw it all, and she came to the hospital to visit me the next day.”
Libby felt relief flood through her body so strongly that she was sure Dylan must be able to see it.
“Right” was all she managed to say.
“I would never have said those things I said at your birthday if I’d had a girlfriend, Libby. I’m not that sort of guy.”
“I know. And I’m sorry for doubting you.” Libby glanced down at her lap, feeling suddenly stupid. When she looked back up, Dylan was staring at her with a look that made her heart beat a little faster.
“What a mess this has been,” he said in a voice so quiet it was almost a whisper.
“It would be funny if it weren’t so tragic.” For some reason, Libby found she couldn’t take her eyes off his lips.
“I’ve missed you so much, Libby.”
“Really?”
“I’ve wanted to call you every day and I nearly did a thousand times. But I knew what a difficult decision it must have been for you to go back to Simon, and I didn’t want to make things any harder for you.”
“And this whole time I’ve been convinced that the man I love had lied to me.”
Libby realized what she’d said and flicked her eyes up to Dylan’s, worried she’d see them fill with panic at the word “love.” But instead, she saw his pupils dilate as they moved closer to hers. Libby’s breath caught with anticipation, but then she pulled her head back.
“Dylan, I’m thirty-six weeks pregnant. Are you sure you—”
But she didn’t get to finish her sentence, because suddenly Dylan’s lips were on hers, his hands twisting into her hair as he pulled her toward him.
CHAPTER
48
By the time they went back into the venue, the tables had been pulled aside and the dancing was well under way. Esme and Johnny were in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by their friends and family. Frank was sitting in a chair to one side, talking to another of the older guests, and Libby and Dylan walked over to join him. He looked up as they approached, and Libby saw his face light up when he saw they were holding hands.
“Well, this is very good news indeed,” he said.
Libby could feel her cheeks glowing with pleasure, and she was about to sit down next to Frank when Dylan suddenly leaped in the air.
“What’s the matter?” she said.
“This song, it’s ‘White Wedding’ by Billy Idol. Come on, let’s dance.”
“I’m not sure I’m really up for dancing in my state,” Libby said.
“And I’m far too old,” Frank said.
“Don’t be soft. Come on, you two.”
Dylan reached out a hand to pull Frank up, then led them over to the dance floor. He spotted Esme and Johnny and pogoed across to them with such carefree abandon that several dancers had to move out of his way. Libby joined him, feeling self-conscious, but Dylan’s enthusiasm was contagious, and before long she too was bouncing along to the music. Beside her, Frank was dancing with a young girl, spinning her round and round. Libby smiled, watching him, and then felt her hand being grabbed as Dylan spun her round and dipped her back, kissing her again, in front of everyone on the dance floor. Behind her, Libby could hear Esme cheering and whooping with delight.
