Truly, Madly, Like Me - Jo Watson Page 0,114

would see her more, but she started her world cruising a few years ago and I’d rarely seen her since.

Mark sat forward. “Families are complicated.”

I nodded. “Say that again.”

“My brother hated me for years because I broke the band up and because when we were in the band, I was the more ‘popular one,’ and now that he’s gone . . . I wish we’d healed all that. So if you can, don’t leave things the way they are with your sister.”

I nodded half-heartedly at this. And then we fell into a deep silence; I think we were both deep in thought.

CHAPTER 57

I woke up the next day in Mark’s cottage. We’d spent the rest of the previous day cleaning it together; he’d put some new linen on the bed and I’d made a dog bed for Harun in the corner. We’d spent the entire time talking about everything. He’d told me more about his years in the band, his brother and his family. And I’d told him about my life, the Little Miss Daisy pageants, the food I turned to, the teasing, being in my sister’s shadow. I told him about Kyle and our relationship and my social media life. I told him almost everything. It had felt comfortable and easy talking to him. And he was a better conversationalist than Harun, because he actually spoke back.

“So . . . first day at your new job,” Mark said, through the door while I was showering in his bathroom. I’d come in that morning and he’d made me coffee and breakfast, which was really sweet of him.

“Samirah says I can take Harun to work with me,” I said, as I wiped myself down from the shower and put on clothes. When I opened the door and walked out, Mark was standing so close that I bumped into him.

“Sorry!” I grabbed a hold of his elbow as an automatic reflex.

“It’s okay,” he said, also grabbing onto me. We held onto each other for just a little too long, until we finally let go and moved apart.

“We have rehearsals tonight,” Mark reminded me.

At that I shook my head. “Rehearsals?”

“For the festival.”

My eyes widened. “We actually have to rehearse this thing? Aren’t we just walking down the street?”

He grinned. “This town takes the festival very seriously.”

“It would seem,” I said sarcastically.

“It’s fun though. You’ll like it. You’ll meet everyone and feel part of something.”

“I don’t think the people around here like me. Not after movie night and then yesterday.”

Mark shook his head, his hair falling into his face in a way that I was really starting to appreciate. I liked this casual version of him—this unpolished, unglamorous, version of him with the stubble and the floppy hair and those cute glasses that seemed just a little bit too big for him and the old worn shirts with bands’ names on. He ran his hand through his hair and swept it back up, a gesture I enjoyed watching. The way he put it all back in place, only for it to fall back down again, like it always did.

“People around here are very forgiving, you just have to make a bit of an effort.”

“Okay. I can do that, I guess.” I gave a firm nod.

“I’m heading to the store now—do you want me to drop you off at Samirah’s and then we can meet at rehearsals later?” he asked.

“Sure,” I said, trying to hide a huge smile that was spreading across my face. This was all rather odd and strange and a little exhilarating too. Playing a weird kind of house together. Breakfasts and shared bathrooms and driving into work. In all the time I’d been with Kyle, I don’t think I’d ever done this much with him. I’d done more things with Mark in the week I’d known him, than I think I’d done with Kyle in the entire two years. Well, things that actually mattered and meant something. That weren’t just for show.

My first day as a veterinary assistant hadn’t gone as planned. I’d been peed on by a nervous dog, scratched by a cat, and finally a rather forward parrot had hit on me and called me “sweet cheeks.” But it had been nice working with Samirah, learning about the different kinds of care for the various animals, and what everything in the surgery was and what it did. I also realized that because this was a small town, her veterinary business wasn’t exactly busy, but despite this, she really needed