‘Whoa!’ Brooke interrupts with her hands up in surrender. ‘Yeah, it was a fuck up. But it’s done now. I just need to get it sorted and Erica’s offered to hold my hand.’
‘Are you sure you don’t need me to come with you too?’ she asks seriously. Bless her; judging one minute and concerned the next.
‘I’m sure,’ she nods with an eye roll.
‘Who was it anyway?’ Brooke looks to me in question.
‘It was Tom!’ I blurt quickly. Shit, why did I lay the blame at Tom? It’s Evelyn. She puts me too much on edge.
‘Tom!’ she repeats loudly in horror.
‘Someone say my name?’
We all turn to see Tom and Jack looking down at us. Shit, how long have they been standing there?
Evelyn glares at him. ‘Yes, we might have been talking about you,’ she snaps, glaring at him with disdain. ‘But don’t get a big head. It wasn’t complimentary.’
He frowns down at us in bewilderment. ‘Err...okay?’
Brooke pulls a grimace, as if trying to communicate that she’s sorry. Not that she can tell him what she’s sorry for without giving me up.
‘So...’ Tom says, looking between us all in confusion. ‘Will we see you guys at quad biking?’
‘Not us,’ I say with a head shake. ‘But Evelyn is going.’
Evelyn is basically growling at Tom, her upper lip quivering with rage. That girl really stands up for her girlfriends, even if she is a nutter.
‘Not that I’ll be anywhere near you, pretty boy,’ she snaps, whipping her head back to look at her breakfast.
Jack raises his eyebrows in question at me. I give a non-committal shrug.
‘Okay...well...we’ll see you later, then.’
Chapter Twelve
Erica
‘Brooke, I am so sorry you had to put up with that. Thank you so much for taking the hit.’
‘Ah, it’s fine,’ she dismisses with a wave of her hand. ‘Now we’ve just got to find the nearest chemist.’
See, this right here is how I could tell her. She’s such a good friend. Just willing to help me without attempting to give me a lecture. We make our way up to the holiday rep who looks no older than twenty.
‘Hello ladies, how can I help you?’ he asks, with a professional smile.
‘Err...’ I look to Brooke. ‘We need to find a local chemist.’
He nods. ‘Ah, well you’re in luck. The hotel carries paracetamol and aspirin, for sale at reception.’
He turns, as if to dismiss us, looking back down at his clipboard. Like pool Zumba is more important. I look to Brooke for help.
‘No,’ she insists, ‘you don’t understand. We need some proper medication. It’s kind of a private issue.’
‘Oh, okay,’ he says, eyeing us suspiciously. ‘Well there’s one at the other side of the island. You can get a taxi for fifty euros or take three buses for ten.’
I look to Brooke. There’s no way we have that kind of money for a taxi.
‘Bus it is then,’ I smile grimly.
‘Okay. Let me write down the directions for you.’
After two hours of sweaty buses and getting lost because that guy has worse handwriting than a doctor, we’re finally here.
‘This is it?’ Brooke asks, looking up at the shack like building.
It looks like it’s been crafted from thick mud, its roof made from straw.
‘Apparently.’ I mean, it does have a red cross outside of it.
We walk in, surprised to find it’s set out just like a normal chemist. I was half expecting to find a woman crushing up herbs on the floor. We scan over all of the foreign written labels. Crap, we’re gonna have to ask. I’m sure it’s an over the counter kind of thing anyway.
‘I sure hope they stock the bloody thing,’ I whisper in her ear.
She laughs, like this is no big deal. Like we didn’t just trek halfway across the island to be here to ensure I don’t get pregnant.
I walk up to the woman behind the counter and smile wildly. Please speak English, please speak English.
‘Hi!’ The woman looks back at me, no expression on her face. ‘Do you...speak English?’
She waves her hand about. ‘Little.’
‘Great!’ Brooke says, sighing in relief.
I smile, finally feeling positive. ‘Okay, I need the morning after pill please.’
The woman looks back at me blankly. Well, she obviously speaks VERY little English.
‘Morning after pill?’ I repeat.
She shakes her hand again. ‘Little.’
Fuck. I’m guessing that’s the only English word she knows. I look to Brooke. I’m going to have to act this out.
I start cradling a pretend baby. ‘Morning after pill,’ I say again. I pretend to drop the baby and shake my hands away as if to show that I don’t want the baby.
‘Ah.’
Thank God, she gets me. She leans under the counter and produces a small box. I pick it up. It’s foreign but I can see from the pictures that its plasters. Damn.
‘No.’ I shake my head. ‘Morning after pill.’ I do the baby cradle thing again, then shake my head and point to my right.
‘Ah.’ She produces what looks like children’s calpol.
Okay, I’m clearly having no luck with the whole baby thing. Instead I start gyrating my hips against Brooke, pretending to have sex with her. The woman looks even more confused. I spin a giggling Brooke round and pretend to take her from behind. She shakes her head about as if it’s real.
‘Ah.’ This time we get condoms.
I sigh heavily. Okay, we’re getting close. I pretend to shag Brooke, then point wildly to the right and then cradle my arms like I have a baby. Then shake my head. I’m sweating now. Please God she’ll get it this time.
‘Ah! Ah!’ She seems excited.
‘Yes!’
She grabs a phone and calls someone speaking wildly in her language. I’m sure even if I spoke the language I wouldn’t be able to cotton on to what she’s on about. Within a minute another guy runs into the chemist, speaking to her. She gestures wildly at us.
‘Come on,’ he says in broken English. He grabs us and drags us out to his jeep.
‘Wait, where are you taking us?’
Is he trying to kidnap us so that we can be sold as sex slaves?
‘To your hotel,’ he answers. ‘To deliver the baby.’
Brooke bursts out laughing. I groan. ‘No, there is no baby. I just need the morning after pill.’
He stops in his tracks. ‘Oh. Oh, very different.’
He takes us back in the chemist and speaks with the lady behind the counter. She looks at us as if we’re filthy animals. I suppose they don’t get many people asking for morning after pills here. She begrudgingly hands over a box with two tablets.
The doctor explains how it should be taken.
‘Thank you so much,’ I say, my cheeks practically puce. ‘I’m not normally like this. Not this kind of girl. You see, he’s my first love and... well, it just kind of-’
‘He doesn’t care, Erica,’ Brooke laughs. ‘But are you going back inland? We could use a lift?’
The lovely man dropped us at the quad biking as it was actually closer than the hotel. We thank him and make our way over to the instructors.
‘Now remember what I said, Brooke,’ I warn, ‘you have to help me hide it.’
‘And like I told you, you need to ride on anyone but Jack’s quad bike. Understood?’
Dammit, I know she’s right, but it doesn’t mean I’m not already mourning the feel of my arms around his waist. Any excuse to touch him sounds great, but she’s right. Evelyn will sniff it out like a greyhound.
We introduce ourselves to the English woman running it.
‘Your friends are over there,’ she explains, pointing far off somewhere. ‘We can radio some back so you can jump on the back of theirs if you like?’
‘Yeah, that would be great,’ I nod, already letting the nerves get the better
of me.
‘Get Jack and Tom for us, will you?’
Jack
Our quad biking tour guide pulls over, gesturing for me and Tom to follow him.
‘We need to go back,’ he shouts through his helmet. ‘Your other friends have arrived.’
Ah Erica’s finally arrived from wherever the hell she’s been. It’s crazy but I’ve missed her. How pathetic is that!
We follow him back to the starting track. As soon as we’ve pulled over I yank my helmet eye screen up so I can take her in. Is it crazy that she looks hotter than this morning? I really need to pull myself together. She’s only been away a few hours. I wink at her. She smiles back, clearly swooning.
I wait for her to jump on my quad bike but she seems to be walking towards Tom. What the hell? She takes a helmet held out by the instructor and jumps on, clinging onto his back.
What. The. Actual. Fuck?
Brooke jumps onto mine, but I can’t acknowledge her. I’m too fucking confused and pissed off with Erica. She looks back, appearing apologetic before Tom zooms off. With my bloody woman.
Brooke wraps her arms around my waist. ‘Come on cowboy. Let’s ride!’
I roll my eyes and race after them. Wherever they’re going I’m following. I don’t want to give Tom a chance to try it on with her. This morning I was sure she’d turn him down. Now I’m not so sure.
We race through the wildlife, burnt rusty roads whizzing past us. He finally slows down and eventually stops. Shit, we’ve done the track already. I’ve been so focused on them I haven’t noticed.
‘Whoo!’ Brooke screams, kicking her legs up in the air. ‘That was amazing, right? Oh my God, the views!’
I ignore her, too busy watching as Tom swings his leg off the bike. I quickly take my helmet off so I can hear what he’s saying.
‘How was that gorgeous? You have the ride of your life? he says, with a wink.
She rolls her eyes. ‘I won’t be repeating it, that’s for sure,’ she drawls sarcastically.
I smile, glad she’s rebuffing his advances. That’s got to mean something. Right?
Brooke runs off to the others, obviously sick of me ignoring her. Tom holds out his hand for her to get off. She places her shaky hand in his.
‘Wow, you really didn’t enjoy it, did you?’ he grins.
She swings her leg over and climbs off. ‘You can say that again.’
‘Oh wait.’ He looks down to the floor. ‘Something fell out of your pocket.’ He bends down to pick something up.
I can’t see it. I didn’t think she’d dropped anything. She checks her pockets. Her face suddenly pales.
He picks something up and looks back up at her. ‘What’s this?’
‘It’s nothing,’ she says, attempting to grab it off him. He holds it higher.
‘It doesn’t sound like nothing.’
I shake my head. Tom can be a nosy prick sometimes.
‘Leave her alone, Tom,’ I snap, snatching the box from him.
She looks even more nervous now, a sheen of barely there sweat on her forehead. Why is she being so weird around me?
I glance down at it, nosy bastard that I am and go to hand it back before snatching it back and having a closer look, my eyebrows narrowed in concentration.
‘Morning after pill?’ I read out loud, dumbfounded.
She squirms under my intense stare. Morning after pill. As in she’s not on the pill? What the hell?
‘No way!’ Tom giggles. ‘Get you, you little dark horse.’
‘It’s mine actually,’ Brooke says, snatching them from my hand.
Oh, thank fuck for that. I’ve never been more relieved.
Tom’s face falls. ‘What? What the fuck are you talking about Brooke? We used a johnny. Didn’t we?’ His eyes widen. ‘Shit, didn’t we?’
‘What makes you think it’s even for you?’ she asks cockily, hand on her jut out hip.
Ouch. That’s gotta hurt his self-esteem.
‘Nice,’ he grunts. ‘Real nice Brooke.’
‘Oh, so it’s okay for you to sleep around, but just because I’m a woman I’m a slut?’
They start going at each other, but I’m too busy watching Erica curiously. I take her hand and pull her away from them.
I know Erica too well. It’s hers. The way she can barely meet my gaze tells me everything she can’t say.
‘It’s yours, isn’t it?’ I ask, letting go of her hand.
She goes red, tucking a bit of hair behind her ear as she stares at my trainers. ‘Um...’
‘For fuck’s sake, Eric,’ I sigh. ‘I assumed you were on the pill.’
How could she not tell me? Something so important like this? And more worryingly, how could I not have double-checked with her. I know fucking better.
She rolls her eyes, suddenly seeming defensive. ‘I don’t remember you stopping to ask any questions.’
She’s right.
‘Yeah, well you should have stopped me. Why didn’t you?’
She sighs heavily. ‘I guess I got carried away in the moment, just like you. If I remember, it wasn’t exactly planned.’
She’s right. ‘Yeah I suppose. So, have you taken it?’
‘Taken the first pill. I need to take the second one in twelve hours.’
‘Okay.’ I nod, my eyes creased in worry. ‘Just make sure you remember.’
‘Don’t worry, Jack,’ she scoffs with an eye roll. ‘I’m not trying to get pregnant.’ She crosses her arms over her chest and walks off towards the others.
‘Eric!’ I call after her. A few people turn round. Shit, I’m drawing attention to us. I chance a worried smile her way.
She smiles sadly back. She might as well have gutted me with a hook. She turns away from me. Shit. Well I’ve completely fucked this up.
Chapter Thirteen
Erica
I still can’t believe he reacted like that. I know it must have been a shock, but bloody hell, no need to freak out quite so much. It’s not like I sent him a devastating text that’ll haunt him for fifteen years. No, that was him. Well I don’t care how much Jack apologises tonight; he’s not getting back into my pants on this holiday. He can beg me for all I care.
My door knocks. I bet it’s Jack trying to start his grovelling.
‘Brooke, can you get it?’ I shout from the bathroom, still doing my make-up. I want to look extra hot tonight so I can feel confident when I tell him to go to hell.
I hear the door open and muffled voices.
‘Erica, I think you’re gonna want to see this,’ Brooke calls through to me.
A thrill travels through me. Has he turned up dressed in a tuxedo with a dozen roses? I know that’s far-fetched, but he must have done something interesting for her to be talking like that.
I turn on my heel and skip out, ready to tear him a new one. Only, instead of him it’s Karl. Dumped over an email fucking Karl! I stand motionless, staring at him, my mouth practically touching the floor.
‘What the hell are you doing here?’
He smiles. ‘Surprise!’
He’s fucking telling me.
His face falls when I don’t run over and fling myself into his arms. What the hell is going on? Did he not get my email? I’m sure I pressed send. Didn’t I? Oh Jesus, I feel sick at the thought of him having not read it yet.
‘Karl.’ It’s all I can say.
His face falls. ‘Aren’t you glad to see me?’
He can’t have got the email. Holy fuck, the guy thinks we’re still together. Meanwhile I’ve fucked Jack. Jesus, that means I’m an adulterer.
‘No, err…of course I am!’
Brooke looks at me, her eyes raised so high they’re practically in her hairline.
‘It’s just…err, we were on our way out. I thought you were one of the girls.’
‘Well, I don’t want to stop you.’ Bless him, never wanting to put anyone out. ‘I’ll come with.’
Oh shit. I don’t want him bumping into Jack. He doesn’t even
know about him!
‘Really?’ I shrill, clear panic in my voice. ‘Why don’t you chill out here for a while? You must be knackered after that long flight.’
‘No, I’d really like to come with you,’ he smiles, taking my hand. It feels so foreign in mine. ‘I fancy a cocktail right about now.’ Has he always been this camp?
Shit.
‘Oh…okay.’
He turns, heading for the door. Brooke’s eyes nearly gouge out of their sockets, clearly panicking on my behalf. I can do nothing more than stare back at her, grimacing in dread.
The whole walk there I’m looking over my shoulder, expecting to see Jack at any minute. I have no idea what the hell I’m going to say. I mean, I managed to pull my hand out of Karl’s, claiming sweaty hands, but he keeps trying to take hold of it again. How the heck am I going to explain this?
There I was worrying about Jack being an arsehole and I’m the one who’s had their boyfriend turn up on the same holiday. The boyfriend I’m pretty sure I dumped. Damn it, that’s karmas way of telling me off for trying to break up with someone over email.
We walk towards the others, already waiting in a group at reception. I can already see Jack, laughing along to something Charlie’s said. Crap, this is going to be awful. I feel like a balloon animal, knotted and twisted up in all the wrong places.
Molly’s the first one to see us. She waves wildly, before her hand falls down and her face pales. They all seem to turn at the same time, their faces priceless. The girls take one look at Karl and their eyes widen in horror. They look to me, their eyebrows raised in a mix of shock and pity. Brooke’s trying to signal something behind me but I can’t make out what.
The guys look him over suspiciously, obviously wondering where the hell he’s come from. Maybe they think I picked him up earlier. I’ve avoided looking at Jack the entire time, but I know I can’t avoid it forever.
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