Page 84 of The Life-Changing Magic of Falling in Love

Ashleigh

With that cliff-hanger hanging in the air (and I honestly cannot believe I admitted to that or that I’m now going to have to tell him the whole sorry tale) I wait until George has closed his bedroom door before getting out my phone.

Zach picks up on the second ring. ‘Hey you.’

‘Zach? Hi. I—’ Um, what do I say that won’t make him feel how easy it was to tell George I could bail on tonight?

‘Why are we whispering?’ Zach asks. ‘Ooh, sexy times? Nice.’ His voice drops too so that I have to press my ear tight to the phone as he says, ‘What’s your ETA? I bought wine. Oh yeah, I also got candles.’

He sounds his usual easy-going Zach but there’s a tiny element of nervous-excited breathlessness in his voice and it’s adorable. Listening to him now, I can’t understand how I allowed myself to get into such a state about spending tonight with him. I take a big breath and say, ‘Zach, I’m afraid it’s not so much sexy-times as I’m really sorry to do this to you times … I can’t make tonight.’

‘Oh. Okay. What’s up?’

‘I—’ Am I going to lie? It feels like I’m going to. My big left toe is tingling in the way it’s done ever since Sarah’s mother caught us both coming in from drinking at Billy’s house and gave us a million chances to tell the truth but I stuck to our well-rehearsed lie right before my grand exit which featured me stubbing my big left toe on the kitchen doorframe before throwing-up Billy’s dad’s warm beer. I could hardly walk for a week afterwards which meant Sarah got to spend lots of time hanging out with Billy and I got to hear about it. Lots.

But why should I lie now? As I draw circles with my toe on the hardwood floor all I can think is why would Zach want to feel as if I’m choosing another guy over him tonight of all nights?

Not that helping George is anything like that at all.

I glance to the bedroom and decide to simply tell the truth. If Zach doesn’t like what he hears, well then, he won’t like what he hears.

‘Zach, I’m actually with George. He’s had the worst day ever. Is dealing with some bad news and I’d be a really crappy friend if I didn’t stay and let him talk it out.’

‘Oh. So, rain-check on tonight?’

‘Yeah. I’m really sorry.’

‘Hey, it’s an emergency, right?’

‘It really is.’

‘Then, no worries. I can head out to where the boys are.’

I can’t actually think of anything to say so I repeat, ‘I’m really sorry.’

‘We’ll reschedule. You do want to reschedule, right?’

‘Absolutely. For sure.’ I wince as I hear how over-bright my voice sounds. ‘You want to find out when we can get your place to ourselves again?’

‘Sure. Any nights you can’t do?’

It’s funny, isn’t it? How once you’ve scheduled it, you can’t go back to before. No more dates where it may simply happen naturally. Only this meeting of diaries. I wonder if George and Anya synced work calendars and then wonder why Anya ended their relationship and why George decided to be fine about that? I wonder if he realises his heart is sick or broken again, but this time not from something physical?

‘Ashleigh?’

‘Um … I think I’m free every night.’

‘Cool. So, I’ll let you know?’

That was it?

I should be pleased my boyfriend is so easy-going that when his girlfriend tells him she’s spending the evening with another guy he’s so understanding about it.

So unaffected.

So cool.

‘Wait—’ Boyfriend? Girlfriend?

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