‘Lina…,’ he breathed as he stared at me. His chocolate brown eyes grew rich with hunger.
‘Well? Worth the wait?’ I smirked and wiggled my bottom.
Michael grinned wickedly. ‘Always. Now, come here, you.’
Chapter Fourteen
18th May 2012
The day had finally arrived.
No more exams, no more assignments, no more deadlines, no more studying. Three years of hard work had come to an end, and all I could do now was wait for the results to be posted later in the summer.
I was packing my overnight bag when my phone rang.
I smiled as Michael’s picture lit up the screen. ‘Hey, you,’ I answered happily.
‘All done, sweetheart?’ he asked.
‘All done!’ I replied with a grin. ‘The last assignment was handed in exactly one hour and three minutes ago!’
‘I’m sure you’ve done brilliant, Lina,’ he said. I could hear the proud smile in his voice.
‘Thanks. How about you?’ I asked. His last exam was this morning. ‘Did you revise the right stuff?’
Michael laughed, sounding relieved. ‘I did! The questions were almost identical to the practice ones I’ve been doing!’
‘Amazing!’ I beamed, moving to my drawer to pack some underwear one-handed. ‘I can’t believe we’re done! I’m so excited for tonight! Is Max coming?’
Michael was having a celebratory party at his house in Huddersfield. ‘Yeah, he’s getting in in a couple of hours!’
‘Brilliant! And all your mates?’ I asked, but there was one I was a little more curious about than the others.
‘Yeah, Simon, Neil, both Paul’s, Mike, Tom, and Sam,’ he replied, lowering his voice a little as he said the name of the last person on the list. I didn’t want to see her. I’d seen her a couple of times since I’d first met her, and to her credit, she hadn’t been as bad as she had the first time but she’d still been incredibly smug, annoying and a bit too flirty for my liking. ‘They’re all bringing people, too.’
‘Full house then?’ I said as casually as I could, trying to force away the Sam niggle.
‘Absolutely. I’ve decided to keep my bedroom door locked. I don’t want to find any nasty surprises in there when we decide we’re ready for some alone time,’ he flirted.
‘Good idea,’ I smiled, looking forward to getting him all to myself.
‘What time will you be here? Are you bringing the girls?’
‘Well, I’m just packing now, so I’ll jump on a train as soon as I’m ready. As for the girls, Roanna has a date and Kit went back to Dublin last night,’ I explained.
‘That’s a shame. It would have been nice to see them again,’ Michael said. He’d only met my friends a handful
of times.
‘Yeah.’ I agreed. ‘Although I only care about seeing you tonight.’
For the party, I’d bought a bold red maxi dress and some white sandals which I teamed with a denim jacket. I’d left my hair in a French plait overnight, and my hair was shiny and wavy. It was quite warm out, not too warm, but pleasant enough. It was that time of year in England when everyone is so unsure of the weather; some people played it safe by still wearing a coat, while others pulled out their shorts and mini dresses at first sight of the shameless summer sun. I felt I was floating in the region of happy medium.
My tummy flipped in anticipation as the train approached the station; I wasn’t looking forward to seeing Sam again. I didn’t know why I let her get to me so much. I just hated her smug demeanour, the way she acted like she was entitled to everything and everyone. And the fact that she obviously fancied my boyfriend just added to that.
Michael was waiting beyond the ticket gates when I arrived, and it seemed he’d been one of the aforementioned people who’d pulled out his shorts and a t-shirt at the arrival of the golden sun.
He smiled when he saw me, and I practically skipped into
his waiting arms.
‘We did it, babe,’ he said, and then kissed me on the lips. ‘We got those three years apart out of the way.’
I grinned and snuggled against him as we walked out of the train station. It was mid-afternoon, and the nearby pubs and bars were already getting busy as excitement streamed through the air in the delight of a sunny weekend. ‘I can’t believe it!’
‘Neither can I! It’ll be so nice seeing you every day again.’
His words warmed my heart. ‘I can’t wait. I want us to have a really nice summer before my internship starts.’
He grinned. ‘Oh, we will.’
There were already quite a few people at the house and in the garden when we arrived. Unluckily, that included Sam, who had chosen to show off most of her skin by wearing high-waist denim shorts that her arse all but fell out of, and a white crop top that her nipples burst through in the absence of a bra.
Luckily, however, I also spotted Max at the end of the garden, supping on a beer and chatting to a couple of guys I recognised, but for the life of me, couldn’t name.
I dashed over, and he grinned when he saw me approaching.
‘Max!’ I exclaimed happily, throwing my arms around his neck.
‘Lina! It’s so good to see you!’ he beamed back, giving me a tight squeeze. ‘I can’t believe I haven’t seen you since Christmas!’
‘Far too long! It’s going to be so nice being back together at last!’ I said cheerily, as we broke our hug. I was so excited to get both my boys back.
‘Lina!’ a voice sounded behind me.
‘Crap,’ I muttered under my breath. I turned around to see Sam. ‘Hi, Sam,’ I said as politely as I could, trying not to grit my teeth.
‘It’s so nice to see you,’ she exclaimed, her beer spilling as she gestured wildly with her arms. I saw through her façade, though. Her eyes told me that she really didn’t think it was all that nice to see me. I didn’t know why she felt the need to be fake. Couldn’t we have just stayed out of each other’s way to save us both the trouble of pretending to like one another?
‘I haven’t seen you for a while,’ I said civilly. ‘Glad to be done with all the assignments and dissertations?’
Her eyes widened, and she laughed. ‘Oh, Lina, you’re so sweet. I didn’t have to do a dissertation for my degree; we did a performance instead. Didn’t Mikey tell you?’
‘It didn’t come up,’ I said coolly. I caught Max smirking
in my periphery.
‘Ooh, darling, then I must tell you all about it while we get you a drink. Let me show you to the kitchen,’ she said, as though I’d never been there before, swinging her arm around my neck and walking me away from Max. I turned behind me and mouthed ‘help’ to him, and he laughed.
‘I’m gonna miss this place,’ she said dramatically, as we returned inside, through the crowds and into the kitchen. ‘I can’t tell you how many nights I spent here. How many mornings I woke up on the sofa after playing with Mikey all night. I’m gonna miss him sooo much. He gives such good cuddles.’
I didn’t know to respond, so I just asked, ‘When are you heading back to London?’
‘In about a month,’ she replied as she reached into one of the kitchen cupboards to retrieve a wine glass. I didn’t like how obviously at home she felt in my boyfriend’s house. ‘You have red, don’t you?’ she asked, but she’d already started to pour it.
I nodded. ‘Please.’
‘You know, Lina, it makes me so sad that we never got time, just you and me, to chat. You know, girl to girl,’ she said perkily, as she handed me the glass of wine and perched herself upon the kitchen worktop.
‘Yeah, a real shame,’ I said, taking a sip of my drink. It
‘was a bit warm and tasted like it’d been open for a while.
‘So, we’re alone now!’ she said with a wink.
‘Yeah, but I should probably try and find Michael. He’s been missing me.’ I cast her an apologetic look and made to leave the room.
‘It must have been hard. To be honest,
I’m surprised the two of you made long-distance work. You know, with all the… temptations that have been around,’ she said, and I really didn’t like her tone.
‘I’m sorry, but what on earth do you mean?’ I asked, turning back to face her. She looked smug. My heart started to pound a little faster, and my grip tightened around my wine glass.
‘Uni is a time for experimenting, is it not? I couldn’t have imagined being in a relationship during such a time. I think it’s cruel; it stops people finding out what they really like.’ She paused. ‘So, well done to the two of you for staying faithful. You were faithful to Mikey, weren’t you, Lina?’
I scoffed. ‘Of course, I was faithful, Sam. Why would I risk losing what we have? We’ve loved each other for years. We know what we really like.’
I felt a little smug when she faltered a little. She widened her smile, but her eyes told me she was anything but happy. ‘Good. I’m glad you were.’ She hopped down from the worktop and moved closer to me. ‘It just wouldn’t have been fair to find you hadn’t after he’s been so faithful to you. I’ve been laid bare before him myself, and he didn’t even bat an eyelid. He saw everything,’ she giggled, and I felt my blood boil.
‘Whoa, Sam, what on earth are you talking about?’ Michael’s voice came from behind us.
I turned to face him. He looked angry.
‘Hey, Mikey! I was just telling Lina about-’
‘Yeah, I heard every word. Why are you making it sound like that? Why are you telling her about me seeing you naked?’
‘Because you did, Mikey,’ she laughed. ‘Relax. It’s just a body.’
‘I saw you naked because I walked in on you and Paul having sex in the kitchen, for crying out loud! You made it sound like you were waiting in my room for me or something,’ he snapped.
‘Whoa. I think you might have had a bit much to drink, Mikey. Why are you getting so angry?’ She put her hands on her hips.
‘Because whenever Lina is here, you always act this way. Why?’
Sam reached out to touch him, but he flinched away. She scowled. ‘What way?’
‘Like we’re way closer than we are; like you’re some kind of threat when you’re not!’ His voice raised slightly, and then he sighed. ‘You’ve been a good mate, but the way you behave around my girlfriend, my best friend, really makes me not bothered about seeing you again. You’re always trying to put ideas in her head, and it’s ridiculous.’
‘But, that’s pathetic, Mikey,’ she said, aghast. Clearly, she was a bit miffed that she’d been caught out.
‘I don’t want to hear it, Sam,’ he said evenly. ‘I’d like to enjoy the party with my girlfriend. Come on, Lina,’ he said to me, outstretching his hand.
I smiled and took it. ‘See you later, Sam. Have a nice evening.’
Chapter Fifteen
31st July 2019
Time without Michael: 1 Year, 7 Months, 14 Days
We arrived in London just after noon on a busy train platform. I hadn’t been to the capital since I’d moved up north and I’d forgotten just how chaotic the streets were. People rushed past in a flurried hurry, each going about their days as though they were the only people in the world. I found people more stand-offish than they were up north and wondered why I’d never noticed it when I’d lived down south.
I took Lydia to Harvey Nichols first.
‘I want you to pick out something fancy to wear this evening. I’m treating you,’ I told her, as we weaved in between the racks of clothes. I idly browsed the rails, taking curious glances at the price tags of what I deemed to be basic garments. There were t-shirts for hundreds of pounds! Even if I were a millionaire, I could never justify spending a few hundred quid on something I could get for a tenner. I’d been taught about the value of money, thank you very much.
Now, I didn’t mind, however, spending a bit of money on a dress for Lydia. This was a very special occasion, and even if she never wore the dress again, she’d think of this day whenever she caught a glimpse of it in her wardrobe. She’d think of Michael and the fact that this day was all because of him. How could I possibly put a price on that?
‘How fancy are we talking here?’ Lydia looked a little concerned.
I gave her a reassuring smile. ‘Just pick something you’d wear if you were going to a film premiere.’
Her eyes widened. ‘And then where will I wear it? I haven’t been in many films recently.’
I laughed. ‘Too many questions. Just pick a few dresses, and we’ll head to the fitting rooms.’
Lydia eventually picked out four dresses. It took her about an hour, and I’d spent most of that time trying to tell her not to worry about the price.
‘I’m not sure about this one, Lina,’ she said from behind the curtain of the fitting room, a note of apprehension in her voice.
‘What’s wrong with it?’ I asked from where I sat on a hard stool outside her fitting room. I wished I’d brought a cushion. I had a feeling we were going to be here a while, which was fine, but my bum would probably get very sore.
‘I don’t know,’ she said in a worried tone. ‘I just feel like I’m trying to be someone I’m not.’
‘Lydia, you own loads of nice dresses. You’re the best-dressed woman I know,’ I said, and then after a moment, I
added, ‘but don’t tell my mum I said that.’
‘I suppose. I guess I just haven’t had the excuse to dress up recently,’ she said. Since Michael’s death, she hadn’t been to as many events where she’d dress up fancy. She used to hold charity balls every month, but she’d been busy writing a book about handling grief, which so far hadn’t allowed her the time to attend or organise any other events. She invested any other spare time she had volunteering in charity shops and giving talks on grief to other parents who had lost children.
‘Well, today, you are dressing up, and you’re going to look gorgeous,’ I told her firmly.
‘Oh, I’m just not sure it suits me,’ Lydia stressed.
‘Well, at least let me see it!’ I said with a warm laugh.
Lydia sighed and pulled back the curtain with a ‘whoosh’.
I smacked a hand to my mouth and gasped. The dress she’d tried on first was a silk number a shade of midnight blue so dark it was very nearly black. The strapless piece had a fishtail skirt and hugged curves that she hadn’t emphasised in years. She’d pulled her dyed light blonde hair into a loose bun, and a few loose strands framed her face.
‘Is it that bad?’ she asked with a wince.
‘Lydia, you look amazing!’ I told her happily.
She managed a small, surprised smile. ‘Really?’
‘Yes! Look at you!’ I stood from the stool, placed my hands on her shoulders and turned her to face the mirror. ‘You look gorgeous!’
She smiled again, and her eyes twinkled a touch, confidence growing behind them. ‘Do you think I look like I could be in Sex and the City? You know, the older one? What’s her name?’
I laughed and nodded. ‘You do look a bit like Kim Cattrall now that you mention it. And I always thought she was the prettiest.’
‘I suppose it isn’t too bad!’ she said with a relieved sigh. ‘But when on earth would I wear it?’
‘It’s better than too bad, and that’s for me to know and you to find out,’ I said. ‘Do you want to try the others on?’
Lydia looked at herself in the mirror. She smiled at what she saw, and it warmed my heart. ‘I’ll try them on. You know, just in case.’
Lydia tried on the other three, but none were a patch on the first one, though they were each beautiful and elegant in their own ways. One was a deep red with lace, another was satin emerald, and the last was classic black. She tried the first one again after she’d tried on the others, ‘just to be sure’, she’d said, but I knew she just wanted to see herself in it again. I was more than happy to wait for her. She looked so pleased after at first being so worried about how it looked.
Once she’d taken it off, I took it to t
he register to pay while she changed, and then I sprung the next surprise on her.
‘We’re getting makeovers?’ she exclaimed as I told her on the escalator that led to the cosmetics floor.
‘I’ve booked for Estee Lauder to do our makeup,’ I said with a smile.
‘Wow,’ she said. ‘It’s been a very long time since someone did my makeup for me. I hope they do it right.’ Lydia always did her own makeup very well, but I didn’t want her to waste time in front of the mirror tonight.
‘Don’t worry. You can always tell them if you don’t like something.’
‘Oh, believe me, I will,’ she said with a laugh.
In the end, neither of us needed to tell the makeup artists we didn’t like anything.
Mine had done me a bronzed, sun-kissed look, and she’d topped it off with a striking dark brown lip. It wasn’t something I usually wore, but I loved it and ended up buying everything she had used on me. I didn’t like spending a lot of money on myself, so I had a battle with myself at the register, telling myself it was okay because I deserved a treat too.
Lydia had been given an evening smoky eye look with a dark red lip, and she looked so classy and elegant. She didn’t look sixty at all! She loved her look too, so I also bought her the items she wanted.
‘Lina, you’re spending too much money on me. Please let me pay for our lunch,’ she said on the way out of the shop.
I shook my head, smiling. ‘It’s already bought and paid for,’ I told her.
‘What? Where are we going?’
‘We’re going to Harrods for afternoon tea!’ I said happily.
‘Lina, why won’t you let me pay for anything? I have money,’ she said.
I sighed. ‘I know. But today is about you. I want to spoil you today. I will tell you why. Soon. I promise.’
Lydia pursed her lips. ‘Fine. But I’m taking you out when we’re back home. And you’re not paying a penny.’
I laughed. ‘Deal.’
It was a good thing I hadn’t booked an evening meal because we were stuffed. We were seated at half-past three, and in the past two hours, we’d eaten countless sandwiches, scones, and cakes.
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