I cough. “Laura Ashley.”
Lexy smiles, and her eyes are twinkling in excitement. “Okay, then Alec can drive us to Laura Ashley, we'll spend all your Dad's money and come back and supervise them re-papering and painting. We'll do the easy things, like set up new kitchen appliances.” I glance at the bare sides. “And pretty your front room and bedroom. They can do the hard stuff.”
“I like the way you think, girl, I like the way you think.” I grin.
“So...” she says hesitantly. “Alec said something about you leaving the Bay on bad terms with Carl?”
My jaw clenches, and I slam my mug on the side, sloshing tea everywhere. “Don't even mention his name to me. He's being a butt-headed pratface. Seriously, I asked him to come up for the weekend in a couple of weeks once I'd settled in and got this place sorted. I know he doesn't work at the weekend, and I know the farm doesn't pay him much so I even said I'd pay his fare-”
“But you're a student.”
“Precisely!” I exclaim, grabbing a cloth and wiping the side vigorously. “But he still refused.”
“But why? I don't get it. Half term is six weeks away.”
“Oh he said he'd come up alright. He thinks he'll come up in half term. You know the problem with that, my dark haired little friend? The bloody problem with that is the shitbag will be working all week and I'll be in Lilac Bay anyway seeing my family! My sister is pregnant-”
“She is?” Lexy smiles. “That's great!”
“Yep.” I grin, happiness and excitement breaking through the dull ache in my chest for a second. “I found out last night. Anyway, they're booking a private scan for the half term so I can see the little shrimp that will be my niece or nephew. But back to Carl – he's totally winging it. And he'll say he'll see me December break but I'll be home then. Same for February. And probably Easter. And May. And then summer. He won't come to London. He's too goddamn small town!”
I throw the cloth at the sink, breathing deeply. God knows I love the boy, but he’s annoying enough to drive me up the outside wall of the Shard – and that’s a big fricking wall. “Okay. I'm good,” I say after a minute.
“You sure?” Lexy raises an eyebrow.
I nod, and pick my tea back up. “Yep. I'm good.”
She looks at my mug. “Need some whisky or something in there?”
“Vodka would be good,” I mutter.
Her eyes travel around my kitchen. “Got any?”
“Bottom cupboard on the left by the cooker,” I mumble.
My best friend grins at me. “For real?”
My mood lightens slightly. “For real.”
She shakes her head, and opens the cupboard. She steps to the side, showing me the bottle of vodka, Malibu, and three bottles of Vino that are sitting there.
“You sure came prepared,” she says wryly.
“You know me.” I wink, taking the bottle from her hand. “I'm prepared for every situation. Did you know I keep a stick in my bag?”
She frowns. “Why the hell do you do that?”
“So...” I put a dash of vodka in my tea. “...Whenever your brother annoys me, I can shove it up his ass.”
“Makes sense.”
“It does, doesn't it?”
~
ALEC
Jen grins widely at me as she climbs into my car. Lexy is chewing her lip uncomfortably.
“What's up, Princess?” I ask her as I pull away from Jen's flat. “Was Jen farting all night?”
“Get lost, Johnson!” Jen kicks the back of my seat. I laugh.
“Jayna called me this morning,” Lexy says in a wary voice. “It's her birthday tomorrow, and everyone is going out tonight. She said she wants to see me since I 'fucked off to Devon and deserted her all summer'.” Her jaw is clenched when she finishes speaking.
“And what did you say?” I ask hesitantly.
“I told her I was busy helping you and Jen settle in, and if I could go out, I would.”
“And you don't wanna ask what happened then!” Jen shakes her head. “Oh, hell to the no you don't.”
Well, of course I want to f**king know now.
“Princess?” I touch her thigh.
Lexy gives a frustrated sigh. “She said if I was shallow enough to pick my new boyfriend and “some chick” I haven't spoken to for years over her, then I'm not as good a friend as she thought.”
My teeth grind, and I focus back on the road. “I don't know where I'm going, by the way.”
“Nice topic change there, Al,” Jen snipes sarcastically.
I glance at her in the rear-view mirror, narrowing my eyes slightly. “I'm not kidding.”
Lexy sighs. “Left, right, right round the roundabout, and right into the car park. We'll walk from there,” she mumbles.
I swallow a lump of annoyance, and nod once. My fingers tap against the steering wheel as I make the turns she said.
I knew coming to London would be hard, but it's only been a week and Lexy is already having issues with her friends. But then, are they really her friends if they have a problem with her being happy? I have no idea.
“Are you going?” I ask, parking the car.
Lexy unclips the seatbelt, and leans her head back against the headrest. “I suppose I have to.”
“Don't do it if you don't want to,” Jen pipes in. “I mean, I know I don't know her, but she sounds like a prize cow. If she was at the North Devon Show, she'd win first prize, rosette and all.”
I snort but quickly disguise it as a cough.
“Mmm,” Lexy says uncertainly. “I'm just not looking forward to seeing all my friends again, I guess. I didn't realise how much I changed in Devon until I spoke to Jayna again.”
She jumps from the car and I climb out, stopping her before she walks away. I grab her hand, and smooth some hair back from her hair. She turns her face into my hand.
“You have changed since I first met you, Princess,” I mutter. “But it's a good change. If your friends can't see that for what it is then they don't really deserve to call themselves your friend. You're damn amazing, Alexis Edwards, I mean that.”
Lexy presses her lips to my wrist and touches her hand to mine. “Will you come with me? I hate to ask, but if I get annoyed I can leave.”
“You know I'll come with you.” I turn her face to mine and softly kiss her. “I love you. I followed you to London, I think I can follow you to a nightclub.”
She smiles, her lips curving up into that adoring smile she keeps on reserve for me. “I love you, too.” She kisses me again.