something else, if it’s something I’ve done to upset you, please let me know. I’ve been driving myself crazy wondering.
Love Annabelle.
xxx.
Guilt sliced through me as I read her message. I was a pathetic excuse for a human being. I’d led this woman on and gone silent on her out of nowhere. I needed to fix the mistake. I needed to come clean to her. She deserved that much. Drawing in a deep breath, I drafted a reply.
Hi Annabelle,
First, please let me apologise for the silence on my end. I’ve been working through some things, but that’s no excuse. I’ve clearly hurt your feelings, and that was never my intention. I’m about to board a flight back to London, and once I get settled after I land, I’d like to meet up to talk in person. I have something important that I need to tell you, and I feel it would be a further disrespect not to explain everything face to face. If you’re free someday this week, please let me know. I’ll pay for whatever transport you need to come and meet me.
Sincerely, Callum.
Afric
My phone vibrated with a call from Michaela, and I picked it up right away.
“Hello, stranger! How are you? How was New York?” I asked, excited to hear from her.
“Hey, it’s so good to hear your voice,” she said. “New York was wonderful but exhausting. We got home last night, and I slept for thirteen hours.”
Nervous energy fluttered through me. If Michaela was home, that meant Neil was home, too. I figured he’d been sleeping after the flight as well because he hadn’t called or texted in over a day. It was the longest we’d gone without communicating since he’d left for the trip. The thought of seeing him gave me way too many feelings, the most prominent being anticipation.
“Oh, I love a long, delicious sleep after getting home from travelling. So, when can I see you?”
“Actually, I was hoping we could hang out today, but I have a favour to ask.”
“A favour?”
“It’s Isaac’s birthday, and Neil and I have been given the task of organising a small, impromptu surprise party. We’ve rented a private roof bar, but because it’s so last minute, we can’t get any staff except for a barman. Would you mind helping set everything up? Sarita and Mabel have already agreed to help, but I need one more person. Please say you’ll do it? There’ll be free drinks and snacks involved.”
“You had me at roof bar. What time do you need me there?”
“Can you make it by four? The party starts at six.”
“I can make it. But there’s something you should know before I arrive.”
“Oh?” she said, a note of curiosity in her voice.
“Drumroll, please … Neil and I have kind of become friends. Really good friends, actually.”
There was a pause on her end. I expected her to express surprise and shock, but instead, she exclaimed, “Oh, my God, I bloody knew it! I knew he was hiding something. Are you two ….”
“No, no, we’re just friends. We hit it off that time I covered for you at the private screening.”
“That’s so unexpected. I thought you both rubbed each other the wrong way.”
“We did, but then he realised how amazing I am, so here we are.”
“You are definitely amazing. I can’t wait to interrogate Neil about keeping secrets from me. Okay, I better go, but I’ll see you later. I’ll text you the address of the bar.”
“See you later.”
As soon as I hung up, butterflies filled my stomach. After all these weeks, I was going to see Neil in person. A memory from the other night surfaced. I’d been so eager to call him that I’d completely forgotten what I was wearing. I’d never revealed much skin in front of Neil before, and when he got a load of me in my tight, low-cut top, I swear he almost burst a blood vessel. It was clear he was embarrassed, and it was also clear he hadn’t disliked what he saw. The idea sent a fresh wave of butterflies through me.
You’re young and beautiful and funny and kind and brilliant, and you shouldn’t miss out on a lifetime of kisses.
No one had ever spoken to me like that. Dev, nor any of my previous boyfriends, had ever expressed such sentiments. I couldn’t believe that was what Neil thought about me. I never expected him, of all people, to think of me so favourably. The bit at the end about a “lifetime of kisses” had