Page 58 of Chasing Blue

“We could be doing that together,” I tell her through a smile as I imagine her lying on her couch in her pyjamas.

“We could, but I’m here, and you’re there.”

“I could come there.”

There’s a long pause before I hear her sigh. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know, I’m trying to think of an excuse.”

“Why? Why’d you need an excuse? Why not just let this happen?”

“Because it scares me, Jack. Fucking terrifies me.”

“Why? What is it you’re scared of?”

“You, me. Us. It’s all still there. Everything I felt for you eighteen years ago is still there, almost with the same intensity, that’s what scares me. Last time I felt this way about a man, he left and broke my heart.”

“I didn’t leave, Blue, you’re the one who left.”

“You stood me up. You fucked me for the first time one night, didn’t show the next, or the next. No calls, no texts, nothing. Then I’m standing behind the bar at work, and my brother’s girlfriend—yourgirlfriend’s best mate—kindly tells me in front of everyone, Eden’s pregnant, and you two are back together.”

I sit up straight at this news. It’s the first time I’m hearing it.

“Sloan said that?”

“Yep.”

“That’s why your brother wanted to rip my head off? She actually said that? Fuck me, Scar, that is so far from the truth of what happened.”

“My brother wanted to rip your head off because he thought you’d been banging his little sister and your ex at the same time. Neither of us realised at the time how far pregnant Eden already was.”

“So, Sloan told you I was back with Eden, but she didn’t tell Asher, Eden got pregnant before me and her broke up, not after?”

“I think that’s a pretty accurate account,” she says, sounding as pissed off as I feel.

I breathe in through my nose and try to rein in my temper.

“Can I come over? I wanna see you, not do this over the phone,” I eventually ask.

I turn my head to see my sister’s narrowed eyes on me, knowing full well she’s muted whatever she’s watching and has listened to every word of my conversation.

I flick my finger at her, in a get on with what you’re doing gesture, and get a middle finger response.

“Jack . . .” Scarlett sighs my name down the phone—I mean, it could’ve been a huff, but I’m going with sigh because that’s better for my ego—preventing me from throwing something at my nosy sister.

“Do we really want to do this? It all happened a long time ago. Do we need to drag it up? And maybe, for the sake of our working relationship, we should just keep things in the friend zone . . .”

“No. We’re not in the friend zone, Blue, never have been, never will be. There’s too much chemistry between us for that. Eighteen years, and it’s all still there and don’t fucking lie to me and tell me it’s not. I might have had a bang on the head last night, but I remember how it was, how you felt. What apartment you in, I’ll be there in about thirty minutes?”

She’s silent again. My sister’s not.

“You’re not allowed to drive today, the doctor said . . .”

“Good job I’ve got you to take me then.”

Milly opens her mouth to argue and I shrug. “Fine, I’ll call an Uber.”