Page 136 of The Long Way Home

Thirty-Five

BJ

The next morning Jo and I leave the house a little after 7am to go grab the girls for the excruciatingly long drive ahead.

Tausie’s really into old shit, so for her birthday Jo organised a private tour of a bunch of ruins with an archaeologist he knows through Banksy.

Just a day trip, just the four of us.

Jordan offered to come too. Jo made up some shit about how it was an already booked tour with limited seats. Not believable at all, but Jordan seems unaware that Jonah’s increasingly off of her.

Grateful she’s not coming though. Need her not to be there. Need to be alone with Parks, feel out how bad I fucked up last night…

We pull up outside their place in Jo’s new Rolls Cullinan and he texts Tausie to come outside. A couple minutes later she appears and he gets out of the car to kiss her happy birthday.

I follow his lead, hug her, but as I do she gives me a cross look.

“Idiot,” she whispers under her breath, quiet enough for Jonah not to hear her.

And then out walks Parks.

Huge white puffer coat, hair out, sunglasses on.

Sunglasses.

Fuck me. I could count on my hands the number of times in our lives she’s worn sunglasses. She considers her eyes ‘too beautiful to cover up’ and only wears them when she’s hiding her eyes.

I walk up to her, chin as low as my voice. “Hey, can we chat for a sec?”

She walks past me to the car. “No.”

“Please?”

“In no world,” she barely whispers before climbing in and slamming the door shut.

Didn’t even clock that I’m wearing a grey hoodie. She loves me in grey hoodies.

I sigh, catch eyes with Taura, who’s not happy with me either. Walk around, climb in next to Magnolia.

Jonah peels out.

“Coffees?”

“Desperate for one.” Taura flashes him a smile and I get the feeling she’s been dealing with the mess I made all night.

We find an open coffee shop about ten minutes away and Jo and Tausie get out to go grab them.

“Parks, listen,” I start.

But she just swings open her door and walks over to them.

I lean back in my seat, let out a frustrated sound, and get out of the car anyway, because it’s a five hour drive up to Anglesey and I should stand as much as I can, I suppose. I was excited about a long drive with Parks before but now I just wish we took the plane. Taura’s mapped out a little scone tour though, best scones in Britain according to her.

Jo hands me a batch brew and a confused look.

Shake my head a bit.

Can’t believe he doesn’t know. In this friendship group? A fucking miracle.