Stuck With You

by Carla Burgess

  Daniel shrugged. ‘Doesn’t bother me.’

  I gave him a puzzled look. Alex would have been horrified if I’d got that drunk when I was out with him. In fact, I was pretty sure he’d have left me on a park bench somewhere rather than take me home in that state. Especially in the early days. But then Daniel was a very different man to Alex. He seemed kinder and far more laid-back.

  Even so, what man wants to bring home a puking wreck who says she’s going to steal something from your house for her box of souvenirs? It was damn freaky.

  ‘You’re a gentleman,’ I said, forcing myself to swallow the bacon. ‘Thank you.’

  Daniel smiled and continued to eat. He’d certainly got his appetite back. ‘What are you doing for the rest of the day then?’ he asked, reaching for his tea.

  ‘Sleeping.’ I picked up the slice of toast and nibbled the edge. ‘What are you doing?’

  ‘Well, tonight I’m going to Kev’s for a band rehearsal, unfortunately.’

  ‘Why unfortunately?’

  He gave me a searching look and then shrugged. ‘It gets a bit tense, sometimes. Everyone’s started arguing ahead of next week’s gig.’

  ‘Oh dear.’ I gave him a sympathetic look and took another bite of toast.

  ‘So, are you really going to go back to bed? Like, all day? What will you do tonight?’

  I shrugged. ‘I still feel awful. Besides, I’ve not got anything better to do.’

  ‘I’ll say I can’t go tonight, if you like? Take you out?’

  I almost choked on my toast. ‘Take me out? Why would you want to take me out?’

  ‘Why wouldn’t I want to take you out?’ He gave me a puzzled look.

  ‘Because I managed to make a complete fool of myself last night and spent a good deal of time puking in your bathroom.’

  ‘We’ve all been there. Besides, you’ve had a rough week. You deserve to let your hair down.’

  I stared at him. Was I dreaming this? It was far too good to be true.

  ‘What?’ he said, opening his eyes wide. ‘Am I being insensitive? Is it too soon after Alex?’

  I thought for a moment. ‘I feel like it should be, but actually I don’t think it is.’ I inhaled deeply. ‘Alex and I had been living like strangers for months. You can’t really call something a relationship when you spend your time avoiding each other and barely speaking.’

  ‘How did it get so bad?’

  I shrugged. ‘Just one of those things really. We stopped making time for each other and drifted apart. He works late and travels a lot, so I just got used to being on my own. And when he was there, he was tired and didn’t really talk or look at me or anything. The strange thing is, I didn’t really notice at the time. It’s only now I look back that I can see how, when I stopped trying to reach him and make him talk to me, we just became strangers occupying the same space. It’s kind of a relief to be back home with my parents. At least they talk to me. I didn’t realise how lonely I’d been. It’s like I’ve been living some weird half-life and am only just waking up to how bad things have been. Does that make sense?’

  Daniel nodded. ‘It’s sad though.’

  I shrugged. ‘Well, I’ve only got myself to blame really. I just buried my head in the sand. Do you like living with your parents?’

  ‘Yeah, they’re great. I’ve been looking for my own place though. I think it’s time I moved out.’

  ‘Really? Where will you go?’

  He shrugged. ‘I want an old house that I can do up. I’ve seen a couple.’

  ‘You like a bit of DIY, then?’

  He nodded. ‘I fancy a bit of a project. So, if it’s not too soon, would you like to go out?’

  It felt like the sun had come out inside me, but I was determined not to sound too eager and make an even bigger fool of myself than I had already. ‘Yes, but not tonight. You can’t cancel the rehearsal when you’ve got a gig next week.’

  ‘No, I suppose not.’ He looked disappointed as he gathered up the plates and put them in the dishwasher. ‘Are you sure you don’t want to hang out this afternoon?’

  I hesitated, bewildered by how keen he was to see me again. My heart said yes, but my head was telling me not to take it too fast. I shook my head. ‘I feel too ill.’

  He nodded and gathered up his keys. Slipping down from the stool, I took one last look at the photos on the wall.

  ‘Do you want to take the photo of me in the bath for your box?’ he said, with a cheeky grin and a twinkle in his eye. ‘Go on, I won’t tell.’

  ‘It’s very unkind to tease people,’ I said, my cheeks scarlet. ‘Especially when they’re not feeling well.’

  ‘Aww…’ Daniel put his hand on my back as I walked towards the front door. ‘You know I’m only joking. I’d really like to see that box of yours one day though.’

  I gave him a look over my shoulder, suspecting a double entendre.

  ‘What?’ he said, innocently. ‘I’d just like to see that newspaper cutting again, that’s all.’

  I frowned, remembering his smudged face where I’d kissed it. ‘I think it’s the same as the one on your Facebook page.’

  ‘Oh, that one,’ he said, his grin growing wider, and I could have kicked myself for revealing I’d been looking through his Facebook photos. I marched quickly down the path towards his truck as he locked up, resolving not to tell him anything else.

  It wasn’t far to my parents’ house. Daniel sang along to the radio as he drove through the leafy streets. The sky had clouded over now, threatening rain. My dad was in the front garden, frantically trimming his conifer hedge before the rain started. Daniel pulled up at the kerb and looked over.

  ‘Is that your dad?’

  ‘Yeah.’ I smiled and waved as Dad turned to look.

  ‘Does he need a hand? I’ve got some equipment in the back.’

  ‘Oh no, I couldn’t ask you to do that. It’s your day off and you must be tired after last night.’

  ‘A bit of fresh air will do me good. Besides, it won’t take long to finish that lot off.’ He opened the door and jumped down. ‘Hello,’ he called to my dad, going over to introduce himself. ‘I’m Daniel, a friend of Elena. She was a bit worse for wear last night so she slept on my sofa. Hope that’s okay.’

  ‘Oh!’ My dad looked flabbergasted as he reached out and shook Daniel’s hand. ‘Thank you very much. Good of you to take care of her. I’m Derek.’

  ‘Nice to meet you. Listen, do you want a hand with this hedge? I’ve got a bit of time and some tools in the back of the truck. We could have this done in no time.’

  My dad scratched his head. He looked across at Daniel’s pick-up truck, which had the words Tree Surgeon emblazoned on the side. I knew what he was thinking. ‘Err, well, how much are you charging?’

  ‘No charge. I’m not working today; this is just a favour.’ He was already walking back to his truck to get his tools. ‘Won’t take long.’

  My dad’s face broke out into a happy smile and he nodded at me approvingly. I was just as surprised as my dad.

  ‘Right, well, I’ll leave you to it then,’ I said, edging towards the front door.

  ‘Bring us a cup of tea out, will you, love?’

  ‘Okay,’ I said, opening the front door. Mum bustled up, wiping her hands on a tea towel. Her dark brown eyes scanned over me anxiously and I felt a wave of guilt.

  ‘Elena! Where have you been? I’ve been worried sick.’

  ‘Just at a friend’s house. Daniel, his name is – now don’t look at me like that, he’s just a friend, that’s all. He’s out the front helping Dad with the hedge. Oh, and Dad wants a cup of tea.’

  ‘Helping with the hedge?’ Mum said in wonder, moving to the front window and peering through the net curtain. ‘My goodness! Wow. Maybe you should make him more than a friend, in that case. Alex certainly never offered to help with anything, all the times he’s been here.’

  ‘Well, to be fair, Alex wasn�
��t a tree surgeon, and he was never very practical really.’

  ‘Well, there was that time when we asked him to get something out of the loft for us and he refused because he didn’t want to get dusty. I don’t think your dad ever recovered from that.’ Mum sniffed and peeked through the nets again. ‘He’s nice looking. Where do you know him from then?’

  ‘College, actually. I hadn’t seen him for years but then I got stuck in that lift with him and now I seem to keep bumping into him. He’s nice.’

  ‘Hmm.’ Mum made approving noises as she watched him. ‘He certainly knows how to use a pair of hedge clippers.’

  I laughed. ‘Always something I look for in a man.’

  ‘Well, it’s definitely a bonus,’ Mum said, seeming to miss my sarcasm completely. I laughed as I went into the kitchen to make the tea. Mum appeared in the doorway behind me.

  ‘Do you want one?’

  ‘Yes, please. So, did Rachel meet her boyfriend last night?’

  ‘Yes, they’re taking his daughter to Disney on Ice this afternoon.’

  ‘So, what’s he like then?’

  ‘Who? Patrick? I don’t know, I’ve never met him.’

  ‘Haven’t you? But why?’

  I shrugged as I filled the kettle. ‘He works away a lot. She thought he might be leading a double life or something at one point because he was so cagey about his personal life and hardly ever had time to see her. But now they’re seeing more of each other since he told her about his daughter, so I might meet him yet. I hope so anyway. It’s weird not knowing who her boyfriend is.’

  Mum sniffed and peered through the kitchen door towards the front window, bending her knees to get a better look at Daniel in the front garden. ‘I suppose it gets like that as you get older though. You both have your own lives and you grow apart.’

  ‘Well, not exactly that, Mum,’ I said, not liking the thought of Rachel and I growing apart. We were always going to be friends, weren’t we? I couldn’t imagine a time when I wouldn’t want to talk to her on the telephone or meet her for a coffee. She was the first person I called when I was upset; the first person I told about Alex. ‘I don’t think Rachel and I will ever grow apart.’

  ‘Maybe not, but things can change. Especially when you get married and have kids.’

  ‘Well, neither of us has got married and had kids, have we! And besides, me moving in with Alex didn’t affect our friendship, and I’m sure her seeing Patrick won’t either, no matter how serious it gets.’ The kettle boiled and I snatched it up and poured the water over teabags in four mugs. Mum watched, tight-lipped and disapproving that I hadn’t used a teapot, but I ignored her. I was irrationally annoyed by her comments about Rachel. She had tapped into my fears about her moving away and I didn’t like to think about how that might affect our closeness. Would she leave me behind? Especially now I was back living with my parents.

  I’ll take the mugs out to your dad and Daniel,’ Mum said. ‘Unless you particularly want to, that is?’

  ‘No, that’s fine,’ I said. ‘I’m going for a shower.’

  ‘Okay.’ Mum smiled and, taking the two mugs of tea, headed through the lounge towards the front door. I watched her go, knowing she couldn’t wait to go outside and have a good look at Daniel. As much as I was longing to watch him being all manly with power tools, I felt like I couldn’t be seen to be ogling him after he’d found out about the box. I’d humiliated myself enough and needed to try and play it cool. Besides, I knew I looked awful and I really needed a shower.

  ‘Hello!’ I heard Mum say as I passed the front door on the way up to the bathroom. ‘I’m Rosa, Elena’s mum. You must be Daniel? Thank you for looking after her last night.’

  I winced and walked slowly upstairs with leaden feet. What the hell!? She made me sound like a runaway dog or something! I heard Daniel laugh and my heart speeded up a little. I thought he was amazing to stick around to cut my dad’s hedge. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t know anyone else who would offer to do that. My mum’s voice floated up through bathroom window, still talking to Daniel. I placed my tea on the side and switched on the shower.

  ‘Thank you so much for helping us out with this hedge. That’s so lovely of you. Elena tells me you’re a tree surgeon?

  ‘Yes, that’s right.’

  ‘We’ve got an apple tree in the back that needs the top taking out of it. Any chance you could come and have a look at it sometime? We’ll pay you, of course.’

  ‘I’ll have a look after I’ve done this, if you like, then I can give you an estimate.’

  ‘That’s brilliant.’

  The hot water felt good on my tired, aching muscles and sore head. I was mortified that I’d got so drunk I didn’t know what I was doing. And why would I tell him about the box? It seemed like I was destined to make an idiot of myself over Daniel for the rest of my life. And the worst thing was that I felt like I was falling for him again. I needed to be careful. He said he wanted to see me again, but what if he just wanted to reminisce about our college days and feel young again. He might lose interest in a week or so. But then again, so might I. I wasn’t seventeen any more, and the things that appealed then might not appeal now. I laughed to myself. Yeah, right. Daniel was hotter than ever and a really nice guy to boot. I might not be so keen on the seventeen-year-old Daniel if I met him again, but the older version certainly didn’t disappoint.

  I stepped out of the shower, dried myself quickly and brushed my teeth. I’d left my bathrobe in my room, so I was just wrapped in a bath towel when I opened the door.

  Daniel was waiting outside, one hand on the banister. I stopped and stared at him and he stared back, looking slightly startled by my state of undress.

  ‘I just came to say goodbye,’ he said. I noticed the knotted guides on his forearms, his white knuckles gripping the banister tight, the way red was spreading up his throat to his face.

  ‘Oh, right,’ I said, cheerfully. Brazen it out, Elena. ‘Thanks for helping my dad. That’s really good of you.’

  ‘No problem.’

  He continued to stand and stare at me. I felt a droplet of water trickling from my neck to my chest. ‘Right, well…’ I indicated the door to his left and, reaching past him, opened the door to my bedroom. The sky was grey now and a few drops of rain speckled the windowpane. The apple tree Mum wanted Daniel to look at swayed in the breeze at the bottom of the garden.

  ‘I’ll come and do the tree in the week,’ Daniel said from the doorway.

  ‘Lovely.’ I grabbed my dressing gown and slipped an arm in, holding the towel with the opposite hand. What was he doing, just standing there, watching me? I turned my back as I slipped my other arm in and caught sight of The Box sticking out from under my bed. My heart quickened and I tried to kick it back under without Daniel noticing.

  ‘So, I guess I’ll see you next week sometime?’ I said, my voice two octaves higher than usual.

  ‘Well, actually, your mum’s invited me to Sunday lunch tomorrow.’ He looked awkward and his eyes narrowed slightly as if trying to work out if that would be okay with me. ‘I can say I can’t make it if you don’t want me to come?’

  ‘No! Of course it’s fine. I just didn’t know. No that’s… just… lovely. Great!’ I felt a rush of happiness at the thought of seeing him tomorrow and smiled at him. He looked so masculine and strong, standing in the doorway of my childhood bedroom. I wondered what my teenage self would say if she could see me now.

  ‘Right, well, I’d better go.’ Daniel turned and stepped out of my room. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’

  I knelt down on my bed, listening to his footsteps on the stairs, and then my dad’s voice saying, ‘That was smashing, that. A good job well done. I don’t think that hedge has ever looked that good, you know.’

  ‘No problem at all. I’ll see you tomorrow then.’

  Their voices continued outside, muffled and unclear. I strained to hear Daniel’s voice for as long as possible, then
sat down on my bed.

  Chapter Nine

  My phone rang early evening, rousing me from my nap. I didn’t know where I was for a moment, blinking around my bedroom, wondering if it was already Monday and I had overslept. Eventually, I picked up my phone without looking at the caller ID.

  ‘Hello?’

  ‘Elena?’ Alex’s voice was stiff and formal. He cleared his throat. ‘It’s Alex. How are you?’

  I squeezed my eyes, wishing I hadn’t answered. I didn’t want to talk to him. Opening them again, I stared up at the ceiling. ‘I’m fine, Alex. How are you?’

  ‘Good, thank you.’ There was an awkward silence and I sat up in bed and reached for my water.

  ‘I keep meaning to drop your key round,’ I said.

  ‘Oh, good. That’s what I was calling about actually. That and the small matter of a lot of your stuff that you’ve left behind.’

  ‘What stuff?’

  ‘Cushions and blankets and general girly crap. I’ve put it all in bin bags.’

  ‘Can’t you use it? I took everything I wanted.’

  ‘I’d rather you came and collected it. I’m moving out and I can do without the extra stuff.’

  ‘You are? Where are you going?’

  ‘I’m moving in with my new partner actually.’

  ‘Wow, that was quick!’

  ‘Well, the lease on the flat is up at the end of this month so I was looking for somewhere anyway. New start and all that.’

  My mouth fell open. It wasn’t that I was jealous. I was just offended by his lack of tact. Didn’t he have any consideration for my feelings? Obviously not. ‘Well, good luck,’ I said, once I’d gathered myself. ‘What’s her name?’

  There was a short silence. ‘I hardly think that’s your business. I’d be grateful if you could pick your stuff up as soon as possible. I’m fed up of tripping over it.’

  ‘Okay, when would be convenient?’

  ‘Tonight, or tomorrow. I don’t want you sneaking in with your key when I’m not here, like you did when you left.’

  I frowned. ‘What are you talking about? It’s hardly sneaking in if I already live there.’