Going Overboard, page 20
For once, his usual cocky smile is absent, replaced by something far more peaceful. Even his dimples look like they’re still snoozing.
We slept on the balcony under the stars. Honestly, it was bloody freezing, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. It was magical – not just the sex, after that, lying there, talking, falling asleep in each other’s arms. I’ve never had an experience like that before and I still can’t quite believe it happened.
Blinking away the sunshine, I sit up slowly, taking a moment to stretch out my back, which isn’t happy about sleeping on a hard floor. But to be honest, I don’t care, because last night was amazing and now we’re here, looking out at a postcard-perfect Palermo, with its beautiful buildings and rolling hills in the background. The sun is shining, the sea is sparkling, I’m going to say the birds are singing too because, when you’re this happy, it’s like the world has a filter on it. I defy anyone to upset me today.
He arches his back with a relaxed groan, blinking slowly as he squints at me through one sleepy eye.
‘Are we still locked out?’ he asks, his voice deep and low, like he’s half asleep.
I glance over at the door and see that it’s not only unlocked but it’s open too, meaning someone had to have done it for us, meaning they saw us snuggled up asleep and didn’t go mad.
‘Erm, no, the door is open,’ I tell him. ‘And we’re here – we’re in Sicily.’
That simple statement seems to do the trick. He’s awake now, sitting up with a stretch that flexes his biceps in a way that makes me want to lay him straight back down.
‘Wow, it’s beautiful,’ he says.
‘I can’t wait to explore the place,’ I reply. ‘Maybe when the wedding is done, we…’
‘I would love to,’ he says, putting me out of my misery.
He turns to me, his hair a dreamy mess, tousled and sleep-rumpled, and a lazy smile spreading across his face.
‘It’s almost as beautiful as you,’ he tells me, his tone playful yet sincere.
I roll my eyes, but I can’t help the smile that creeps onto my face. I can’t stop smiling, honestly. Something has shifted between us – changed for the better. We’re not pretending any more, not doing anything to impress anyone, or for anyone’s benefit but our own, not trying to put on an act.
And honestly? I’m not sure I ever was putting on an act, not really.
I kept telling myself that he was annoying and infuriating and I didn’t like him at all. A walking tabloid headline, a certified top shagger, the bad boy of cricket. I convinced myself I didn’t like him, I really did. In hindsight, I think it was almost like a reflex, some common sense from somewhere, trying to bully me into not falling for the first bad boy to flex his muscles at me while I was on the rebound.
Now though, he doesn’t seem all that bad to me.
‘Did you open the door?’ he asks me.
I shake my head slowly.
‘Nope,’ I reply.
‘Todd? Nikki? Maybe?’ he says, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. ‘We’re alive, so my money would be on Todd.’
I laugh.
‘That’s exactly what I thought,’ I tell him. ‘Well, if he’s done it, perhaps we have his blessing, even if we don’t have Nuclear Nikki’s.’
‘Yeah, maybe,’ he says with a smile. ‘Perhaps they’ve both calmed down now. We do all have a wedding to go to, and even Nikki wouldn’t make someone else’s wedding about herself… would she?’
He looks like he isn’t so sure.
‘I don’t know but if we could all have a fresh start, that would be great,’ I reply. ‘Or if we could all pretend to have a fresh start, until Kelsey and Neil are married and safely off on their honeymoon, that would do too.’
‘It has to be,’ he replies, and we exchange a look of intrigue and maybe just a touch of apprehension. But for the first time in a while, it doesn’t feel like we’re bracing ourselves for a fight, a confrontation, or any kind of dramatic scene. There’s an unspoken understanding lingering in the air around us, a sense of possibility. Maybe this is the fresh start we both desperately needed – a clean slate. A strange kind of peace.
Brody stands up, extending his hand toward me, and without a second thought, I take it, intertwining my fingers with his.
‘Sicily seems like a great place for a fresh start,’ he says, inhaling the sea air, exhaling slowly as he looks down at me.
He takes my face in his hands and kisses me, only lightly, only for a few seconds, but it’s heaven.
‘Let’s get dressed, find the others, and get this wedding back on the road,’ I say, suddenly feeling like I could do anything, like nothing could possibly rattle me.
‘It’s nice to see you looking so happy,’ he tells me as he tucks my hair behind my ear.
‘It’s nice to be so happy,’ I reply.
And I am, for the first time in what seems like ages, truly happy. I’m not out to prove anything, to get back at anyone, I’m just happy.
And it feels amazing.
33
It’s a beach resort, where Kelsey and Neil are tying the knot and, honestly, if I’m ever lucky enough to get married to someone I love, I’m thinking it’s going to have to be by the sea because this place is like a dream.
The resort sits right on the edge of the beach, all perfectly white walls and terracotta tiles. Everything smells so good too, like the air is just cleaner here, like there’s always this faint citrusy smell but you know it’s not a diffuser or a scented candle, it’s real.
Emma, the wedding planner (and I know this now, because the wedding coordinator is here, and she is lovely), unsurprisingly did not do her job, and I would say I was more convinced than ever now that she was acting maliciously because I annoyed her, but to be honest she’s done me the biggest favour, giving me and Brody our own little bubble to fall for each other in. Well, she’s struck again, because she hasn’t altered our hotel booking, meaning there are still only two rooms for the four of us, but Brody and I said we would be happy to share, leaving Todd and Nikki to have the other one – not that any of us have seen them since the ship docked.
Our room has these huge shuttered doors that open straight onto a little terrace, where two loungers are tucked under a canopy – not that I’m planning on sleeping out here, but it looks much more equipped than the ship balcony did. It’s good to know we have options, because you never know with us.
Inside, the bed is massive and draped in white linens that look so, so comfortable. After a night partly on the floor (partly on Brody) I could happily get in right now, curl up in a little ball, and fall asleep. There’s a large free-standing bath at the foot of the bed, meaning there’s an obvious joke to make. I’m keen to crack it before Brody does.
I drop my suitcase and turn to face him.
‘Okay, so who’s taking the dreamy-looking bed and who is sleeping in the bath?’ I ask, completely straight-faced.
He stretches, arms up, shirt rising just enough to distract me completely.
‘I mean, I’d offer you the bed… but I was the last one to sleep in the bath so… I guess it’s your turn,’ he tells me. ‘Officially, we take turns, and we don’t want to break tradition, do we?’
‘Oh, so it’s tradition now, is it?’ I check. ‘Are we going to do this forever?’
‘For as long as you’ll have me,’ he replies with a smile.
‘The gentlemanly thing would be to take the bath first, right?’ I say as I sit down on the bed, claiming my spot.
‘Well, there’s where you’re wrong, because the gentlemanly thing is: ladies first,’ he corrects me.
‘Ladies first in the bed,’ I reply.
‘Okay, then I’ll flip you for it,’ he says.
‘What, like tossing a coin?’
‘No, like this…’
Brody launches himself at me, grabbing me as the two of us fall back onto the bed together. He flips me onto my back, pinning me down.
‘If this were wrestling, I would have just won,’ he points out.
‘Well, I can’t argue with that, can I?’ I reply. ‘Are we going to resolve all of our issues like this?’
‘It’s like I said before… for as long as you’ll have me,’ he jokes.
‘Well, I suppose we could share it,’ I suggest. ‘We are already both in it, so…’
‘…so I suppose we could,’ he says. ‘But can you keep your hands off me, that’s the issue.’
‘Says the man who is currently on top of me,’ I reply.
‘Want me to move?’ he asks, although from his smirk I can tell he already knows the answer.
‘No,’ I reply.
He leans forward and kisses me, holding my wrists above my head with one hand while the other takes his weight.
‘Is this a wrestling move?’ I ask between kisses.
‘Yes,’ he replies. ‘Perfectly platonic, no funny business, just sports.’
‘Ah, and I do love sports,’ I say sarcastically.
‘Just wait until I take you to your first cricket match,’ he says.
‘Oh, boy, can’t wait,’ I reply.
I’m teasing him but I actually can’t wait. I know, I don’t like sport, and I definitely don’t understand cricket, but I can’t wait to see him in action, doing his thing. I don’t care if it’s on the field, on TV or just him coaching kids.
Being here together, sharing this room, it feels so different to sharing a room on the ship. Obviously we don’t have our room-mates – not sad about that at all – but this time it feels like ours, like something has shifted between us.
‘You want to be careful,’ he warns me. ‘Because this is starting to feel pretty real.’
‘I think it might be real,’ I joke.
Brody fakes a gasp as he strokes my cheek.
‘No more pretending?’ he replies.
‘No more gym, no more spa…’
‘Oh, but I did love the spa,’ he replies. ‘I don’t remember the last time I laughed so much.’
‘And I’ll miss the gym,’ I tell him. ‘Even if I did mostly go just to perv over you.’
‘It’s comments like that, princess, that make me think that you might struggle to keep things platonic later,’ he jokes.
‘Only if you play your cards right,’ I reply.
I really could stay here all day, in his arms, but we’ve got a dinner to get dressed up for.
This is it. No more secrets, no more pretending. Just us.
Tomorrow we’ll watch our best friends tie the knot and then after that… who knows? But I’ll bet it’s going to be good.
34
The hotel coffee bar looks like something you would see on Instagram and instantly wish you could go there – the kind of thing you see and forward to the person you love or your bestie. Well, I don’t need to, because Kelsey is here with me.
It’s all marble counters and rustic furniture that give the place a good mix of luxury and charm. Everything is so ornate. Fresh-cut flowers sit in miniature vases on every table which is a really nice touch. Over in the corner, there’s a man playing piano – a quick takeaway coffee back home is never going to hit the spot again.
I spot Kelsey at a table near the piano, legs crossed, looking really relaxed, sipping away at a massive cappuccino. She’s got one for me too – I assume.
I sit in the seat across from her.
‘Please tell me that’s your first cappuccino and not, like, your third,’ I tell her. ‘And that the other one is for me.’
‘Of course it is,’ she replies, raising her cup to me. ‘The pastries are to share too. They’re called sfogliatella – I may have already tried one.’
‘It’s your wedding weekend, I’ll let you off,’ I reply with a smile. ‘This place is gorgeous.’
‘This whole place is unreal,’ she replies. ‘I don’t know if I want to marry Neil, or basically everything I eat and drink.’
‘I’d marry this,’ I say through a mouthful. ‘Perhaps Neil will share you.’
‘Perhaps,’ she replies.
I feel like she’s watching me – observing me, studying me… The kind of look only a best friend can get away with. The prying kind, that sees too much.
‘You seem happier today,’ she says, her voice hinting at a deeper meaning. ‘You seemed happy yesterday, but you seem really happy today.’
I shrug, trying to play it cool.
‘I guess I just am,’ I reply. ‘Really happy. I’m so excited for your wedding.’
‘Hmm.’ Her brows lift slightly – suspiciously I’d say.
‘Really. I’m excited for you,’ I say, meaning every word. ‘It’s going to be a beautiful day.’
‘I’ll accept that answer – for now,’ she says. ‘But I still think there’s something you’re not telling me.’
I take a long sip of cappuccino as I try to find the right words.
‘I’m really happy with Brody too,’ I tell her.
That makes her smile.
‘He seems like he makes you… lighter,’ she tells me.
‘He does,’ I reply. ‘He’s made all my silly problems seem, well, silly, like they don’t matter.’
It’s true too. And I thought I was going to stumble, being honest with Kelsey, but the words come out so easily. As easy as it feels to be with him.
Kelsey glances down at her coffee for a second, then back up at me. It’s time for me to read her mind now.
‘You’re nervous?’ I check.
She nods her head.
‘Is it that obvious?’ she replies.
‘Isn’t it always obvious, between the two of us?’ I point out.
‘True,’ she confirms. ‘It’s not that I’m worried about marrying Neil. That bit is the only thing I’m not nervous about. I just want the day to go well, you know? No disasters. No wardrobe malfunctions. No fallings-out…’
‘Well, we have Al, and he’s basically like having the world’s scariest doorman, so he’ll make sure no one scraps,’ I tell her. ‘And, you know, if anyone needs a car moving, and can’t find their keys, he’s on hand to do that too – by hand.’
‘I’d pay to see that,’ she replies. ‘That would make the day memorable.’
‘Remind yourself you said that when he’s shirtless, doing press-ups with Neil’s mum on his back,’ I joke – but that’s one of his party tricks, so I wouldn’t be surprised.
‘I should be careful what I wish for,’ she replies.
Kelsey gives me a grateful kind of laugh, but I can tell she’s still worrying so I reach across the table and take her hands in mine.
‘Listen,’ I say gently. ‘No matter what happens tomorrow – rain, bad food, trousers splitting, shirtless bodybuilders – none of it matters as much as what comes after. The wedding’s just a day. The marriage is the rest of your life. And it’s going to be perfect.’
‘Thanks, Jessa,’ she says, squeezing my hands. ‘You always know exactly what to say, to make me feel better.’
‘And you aways know what snacks to buy me,’ I reply. ‘Sfogliatella, you say?’
She nods.
‘I’m going to sneak a thousand home in my suitcase,’ I half-joke.
Kelsey lifts her cappuccino, clearly feeling more like herself again. ‘Just promise me something,’ she says.
‘Anything,’ I reply. ‘What can I do?’
‘No falling in the fountain,’ she jokes. ‘Just get through the wedding dry, like normal people, please?’
I laugh. I wasn’t expecting her to say that.
‘Kelsey, just for you, I will refrain from getting in the fountain – and even if I’ve got form for it, it’s okay, Brody will have my back,’ I promise her. ‘Do they even have one?’
‘I don’t know, but I do know you, and if there’s something to fall in, you’ll find it…’
‘I mean, yeah, you’re talking to the girl who tore a ligament while spectating PE,’ I remind her.
‘You loved that though – you got a note for weeks,’ she points out.
‘Yeah, it was almost worth spending the summer on crutches,’ I say. ‘At least I got to miss sports day.’
‘We’re so different sometimes,’ she says with a laugh. ‘But so similar too. You’re like the sister I never had.’
‘I never wanted a sister,’ I tell her. ‘I don’t know anyone with a sister who makes me feel like that is something I would want. Having you is so much better. We’re not close because we’re related, we opt in, every day, to love and care for each other. The best relationships are the ones we’re in because we want to be.’
‘If they ever invent a wedding or a marriage kind of thing for best friends, I’m popping the question,’ she jokes.
‘Not if I ask you first,’ I reply.
‘I wouldn’t be surprised if Brody asks you something, before I get the chance to,’ she half teases. ‘He really likes you, you know. I know, I know, I’ve said it before, but I’ve never seen him like this before.’
‘Really?’ I reply, all doe-eyed, because now that we’re sort of together, it really matters to me.
‘Yep,’ she replies. ‘I told you, that bad boy rep, it’s all just the press. He’s a sweetheart and he’s just been looking for the right girl. Nikki was never right for him. But you… you’re perfect. The two of you are perfect together. It makes me so happy, to see you both, and it’s just going to make my wedding even better. It’s the only present I want.’
‘Oh, shall I return the expensive thing I bought from the list you sent around then, because…’
‘Don’t you dare,’ she replies with a grin.
‘I’m only teasing,’ I reply. ‘You can have both – seeing as though you’re my bestie.’
‘Maybe I’ll return the favour one day.’
‘You’ll be my bridesmaid and get with the best man?’ I say. ‘Neil might have something to say about that…’
‘Neil won’t mind at all,’ she replies. ‘Because my bet is that it will be Brody you’re marrying, and Neil will be the best man – and everything is coming together so well.’
‘Don’t get ahead of yourself,’ I tell her.
