Page 121 of Oar Than Friends

‘I don’t know, but if she needs to go somewhere outside of her classes can you go with her? She says everyone’s staring and right now it’s only her and her friend, Imogen …’

‘Is that the hot one?’

‘Yeah, she’s smoking,’ interrupted Brooks, unnecessarily loudly, before I could answer.

‘Then consider me their own personal bodyguard.’

I rolled my eyes. ‘Really? You’ll do it?’

‘Yeah, I know what it’s like to be part of your entourage, remember.’ He laughed. ‘I saw her yesterday as I was leaving Downing, and she didn’t look too happy to be outside. Send her my number, and send me the hot one’s number too.’

‘Thanks Ol. I’ll message Kate, but you’ll need to do your own dirty work for Imogen.’

‘Jeez,’ he tutted. ‘Do a favour for your best friend and get nothing in return.’

‘I’ll put in a good word for you. It’s the best I can do.’

‘You got yourself a deal then,’ he chuckled. ‘Seriously though, Oz, are you okay?’

‘I will be once this fucking race is over, and everyone’s got bored with reading about it.’

‘Hey Katey, babe. I’ll be a couple of hours, I’m just coming out of training and need to shower.’

There was silence on the end of the line when I should have heard some kind of‘yay, can’t wait’or‘get your cute butt over here’like I usually did.

‘Kate?’

‘Oz, I don’t think you should come tonight.’

I stopped walking; she’d said it so quietly I wasn’t sure I’d heard correctly. I hoped I hadn’t. ‘What?’

‘I don’t think you should come, it’s not a good idea right now.’

‘What’s happened? Did something else happen?’ I blurted. ‘Tell me.’

‘No, not something else, just a continuation of the same thing, and if someone spots you it will only make things worse.’

I sighed deeply and yanked off my beanie hat. I was suddenly too hot, too tense, too agitated at this whole fucking mess. ‘I know, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. But we haven’t seen each other in a week, I miss you.’

‘I …’ the way she paused again made my stomach churn more than it had been, ‘I can’t tonight. I need some space to wrap my head around what’s happening. I know you’re used to it, but I’m not and I’m here by myself. If anyone saw you coming to visit it would only create another wave of drama.’

‘But Olly’s going to look out for you.’

‘I don’t need Olly looking out for me, I need for peoplenot to care that we’re dating,’ she bit out in a tone I’d never heard her use before.

‘Kate …’

‘No, Oz, it’s too much right now on top of everything else. The press went to my parents’ house today. They knocked on the door. They’ve been asking around our town about me.’ Her voice was getting more and more shrill, in direct contrast to my stomach sinking further and further down. ‘My dad …’

‘I’m sorry,’ I whispered again. ‘I didn’t know.’

‘Of course you didn’t, and this isn’t your fault, it’s just …’

‘A consequence of being with me,’ I snapped more harshly than I meant to, but at least she didn’t hear the loud crack as my heart started to break.

She took a deep breath. ‘Oz, I love you, but …’

There was another fucking pause, like I was supposed to fill in the blanks. But I couldn’t. Even the thought of what I thought she was saying had my gut churning until I was ready to puke.

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