Page 125 of Oar Than Friends

‘No, it’s my turn. If I want to be proud of you, I’m going to be damn well proud of you. Iamproud of you,’ she paused, taking a deep breath, ‘but it sounds like you’re not proud of yourself.’

I picked up a paperclip from my desk and began uncurling it, ‘Mom …’

‘Katey, if you don’t know what you’re doing, then take some time to figure out what you do want to do. And figure how to make yourself proud, whatever that may be.’ She looked hard at me again, ‘Maybe get some sleep while you’re at it.’

Yeah. Sleep. I definitely needed sleep.

I picked up a tissue and blew my nose loudly, ‘Thanks, Mom.’

‘That’s what I’m here for. Now go and sleep, while I get this pie filled.’

‘Okay, I love you.’

‘Love you, too.’

Throwing my phone to the side I scooched down onto my pillow. I’d allotted myself two hours for studyingbefore I had to leave again for training but only had twenty minutes left. It was pointless studying now anyway, when the time could be used more effectively for a power nap. My eyelids were tugged down by an invisible string.

They’d barely closed when a heavy thumping on my door had me sitting back up. It wasn’t Imogen or Hannah; we’d gotten to the point where we walked straight in without knocking. The Downing College orderlies didn’t bang quite so hard. The only other people who’d ever been in here were Will Norris and Mary Heston, and after this morning it wasn’t going to be her.

My heart pounded as I ran through the list of people it could possibly be – a very short list – before panic set in. I wasn’t about to answer the door to a stranger, especially one who’d quiz me about Oz or snap a photo before I could stop it.

I was still deliberating on whether to open the door, when the thumps started up again. On second thought they sounded more like hard kicks.

‘I know you’re in there, Kate.’

I frowned; the voice was vaguely familiar, but not familiar enough to instil the confidence I needed.

‘Who is it?’

‘Olly. Open the door, or I’m going to drop this.’

I flung it open, ‘Drop wh … whoa.’

I assumed it was Olly, though I couldn’t see him for the giant vase of roses he was holding in his arms, just his legs. It was enormous. I’d never seen so many in my life outside of a garden; there were easily several rose bushes’ worth of stems. I wondered if there were any roses left in Cambridge.

And the scent … like a summer’s day on Nantucket, a trip to the beach, cold beers and lobster rolls.

‘Kate, move out of the way!’

‘Sorry.’ I jumped into action, and guided him in as he wobbled through, rushing to clear space on my desktop, though I wasn’t sure it was big enough. Olly must have decided the same, because in the next moment he’d placed the vase on the floor.

‘How … where? Um.’

He stood up, stretching out his back, and pulled a thick envelope from his pocket which he handed to me. ‘Here.’

I took it, but was too busy staring at the roses. Even with the vase on the floor they were nearly as tall as I was. ‘How did you carry these?’

‘I convinced the florist to drive them close to the steps, then I carried them up.’ He grunted as his spine let out a loud crack. ‘Last time I do any favours without checking the fine print. He owes me, I’m telling you.’

But I was still staring open-mouthed at the display. I tried counting the stems but lost my spot when I got to thirty. It had to be a hundred, all big fluffy heads and deep red petals. I’d never been given so much as a card before from anyone who wasn’t my mom, and now I had enough Valentine’s roses to last me a lifetime.

I bit down on my lip. I didn’t know how I had tears left, but they were there. Olly reached one long arm out and patted me on the shoulder, which was exactly the amount of comforting I needed.

‘They’re not from me, obviously, they’re all Osbourne. You know that, right?’ He looked so panicked that I’dthink they were from him, that it dried up my tears enough to laugh.

‘Yeah, I got that.’

‘Good,’ he nodded, his mouth straightening into a hard line as he glanced to the door, then back at me. ‘He’s miserable, by the way. Really fucking miserable. I saw him yesterday and he was revising.Revising!’

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