Page 75 of I Knew You Were Trouble

‘You say that as someonewithfamily.’

We stand in silence. ‘What about Aidan?’ he asks. ‘Did you talk to him?’

‘Nope.’

‘Did I mess things up for you?’

I give a heavy sigh. ‘I would have had to confess to him eventually.’

I glance up. Aidan is talking to a young girl, perched on her bed. Her expression shows how in awe of him she is, and I don’t blame her. He has a magnetism that I can’t explain.

‘Did you say goodbye to Meredith?’ I ask Duncan.

He shifts his stance awkwardly, running his hands through his short hair. Meredith has returned to California for Christmas.

‘What is it?’ I ask.

‘Nothing. Doesn’t matter.’

‘Tell me.’

‘Figured I’d ask her out. You know… have to stop pining over you at some point, Lex.’

I feel warmth touch my cheeks, but I’m pleased to hear his statement. ‘I thought you weren’t interested in Meredith.’

‘Was when she was taking care of me in Malaysia. I just…’ He shakes his head. ‘She’s probably not interested in me, like.’

‘I disagree. Ask her out.’

‘Aye. I might. Shame I don’t look like Danny Miller.’

‘You look better than Danny Miller.’

We stand in silence again for a moment, soaking up all the commotion taking place on the ward, Cal keeping all the kids entertained with his clownish antics.

My eyes flit back to Aidan, wondering how the pair of us have been stubborn enough not to have even attempted a conversation in more than a week. I seem to have burned my bridges with him, and I’m even left wondering if I imagined our ten minutes of passion in his dressing room in Cape Town. Because we are worlds away from that ever happening again.

‘Hello,’ a voice blurts beside me.

I turn my head. Standing next to me is the woman I first saw in Paris, holding onto Aidan’s arm. It was impossible not to recognise her back in the hotel bar, because everything about her looks oddly familiar. She’s Aidan’s twin sister, Paige McArthur.

I straighten, moving away from the wall. ‘Hi,’ I say.

Paige sticks out her hand. ‘We haven’t been introduced yet. I’m Paige.’

‘Lexi,’ I say, shaking it. ‘This is Duncan.’

I note that she’s wearing strings of candy necklaces, which she has been handing out to some of the children. ‘You’re the Scottish one, right?’ Paige says.

‘Aye, that’s right,’ Duncan replies, also shaking her hand.

‘You’re the documentary crew.’

‘That’s right,’ I smile, finding myself staring at Paige and, now that she’s up close, counting the uncanny similarities to her brother’s facial features. She has his same dark hair, the same shape of nose, and she’s also tall.

‘Aidey’s told me all about you. I’m dying to see the finished product. How much longer are you filming for?’

‘Maybe another two to three months or so.’

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