Page 135 of I Knew You Were Trouble

‘That our cue to leave?’ Cal asks.

‘Oui,’ J.B. clips, as though he’s simply had enough of speaking in English.

‘Cheers for everything, mate,’ Aidan says to Duncan, holding out his hand for Duncan to shake.

‘I’m gonna hug ya, big man,’ Duncan says, and the two men embrace, slapping one another on the back.

‘Next time you can punch Miller in the face as many times as you like. I won’t stop you,’ Aidan says when they pull apart, Miller grimacing and looking to his shoes when he overhears him.

‘I’ve sent you the video,’ Duncan says, winking at Aidan.

‘Can’t wait to watch it,’ Aidan replies, looking to me. ‘Thank you both. See you guys soon, yeah?’

Paige grabs my hand, pulling me away from Aidan. ‘You will come and see us, won’t you? I mean after you’ve… kissed and made up with Aidan. It’s our birthday next week.’

‘I know,’ I say with a grin, giving her another hug. ‘Of course I’ll come and see you.’

‘He loves you,’ Paige whispers close to my ear. ‘He loves you with everything he has. I should have told you that when you came to see me.’

My heart swells again, tears springing back to my eyes.

‘And I know you feel the same way about him.’ Paige grins, saying what the lump in my throat is preventing me from saying, squeezing my shoulders as I nod frantically. ‘He would have told you that too if I hadn’t taken his phone,’ she adds with a giggle.

When the goodbyes are complete, the van leaves with the band piled into the back, Paige doing the driving.

Duncan and Meredith depart on foot, Duncan turning and walking backwards, giving me a thumbs-up as they leave, then returning his attention to Meredith. He puts his arm around her as they disappear into the darkness.

Outside my flat, in the warm air and in the silence under the streetlights, I feel Aidan’s fingers gently entwine with my own. I turn in to him, placing my free hand against his chest.

‘Come inside,’ I whisper, and lead the way to the door.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

The moment the door to my flat is closed, Aidan lowers his backpack to the floor and pulls me into his embrace. My arms curl upwards underneath his, my fingers splaying out against the muscles of his upper back, my face buried in his neck as he crushes me to his chest. For the longest time we hold onto one another in the shadows, saying nothing.

‘Is that your mother?’ he questions eventually.

I let go of him, turning to see the photograph on my shelf. ‘It is.’

‘She’s beautiful.’

‘She was. And very wise.’

‘Will you tell me about her?’

‘Yes.’

Aidan’s gaze skims around the flat. ‘Nice Oscar.’

‘Thank you.’

He walks over to it, picking up the statuette. ‘Wow, heavy,’ he says before his brows draw together in a frown. ‘Why is there this dent in it?’

My lips twitch. ‘I may have thrown it at the wall… when I was annoyed at being given a job I didn’t want.’

I point to the divet in the wall opposite and he smiles. ‘Well, I’m pretty glad you took that job.’

‘Me too.’

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