Page 67 of You Belong With Me

‘Thanks,’ Alan said, giving her a tobacco-stained smile.

Edie bounded back upstairs and said to Declan: ‘Fancy making your paparazzi pics debut?’

‘He wants me in it?’ Declan said, double-taking. ‘Why?’

‘I think he wants thecaught unawares on a standard day, being standardPeeping Tom vibe.’

‘Urgh. Grimy swine,’ Declan said. ‘Stalking women for cash. If you want me to, sure.’

Edie said: ‘Very, very grateful.’

It was nice having a wingman.

‘Wait, won’t your being in this make the Jess clique go even madder?’ Edie added.

She felt remorse at the fact that blameless, bright Declan had already had her shadow cast over him.

‘Oh, fuck that,’ he said, pulling his duffle coat on. ‘They’ve banished me from the kingdom anyway. Imma sexy exile.’

Edie guffawed.

Alan waved, camera down, as they passed, and Edie did a thumbs up in return.

‘You’re being very nice – I’m not sure I could be,’ Declan said, pushing his thick, fashionably unkempt hair out of his face after they turned the corner. They paused as a car came hurtling past them over the speed limit, Declan instinctively and unobtrusively holding his arm an inch from Edie’s back, before they walked on.

Edie realised theJess may have particular regard for himrevelation had been right there to be made the whole time, but Edie was too spoiled by being Miss Elliot Owen to assess anything about other men. Ironic, really:your target couldn’t be in safer hands, Jessica. My hands are full.

‘Elliot’s publicist explained to me that if the pictures will be taken either way, you might as well exert any influence you have over them.’

‘You must really like this guy to put up with all this?’ Declan said, then reeled. ‘Sorry! Fuck. That was so personal …’

‘No!’ Edie said. ‘Look at what I’m asking you to do right now – it’s not. I like that we can talk openly and honestly. A bit more of that in my old Ad Hoc life would’ve been a good idea. I do really like him, but I’d be lying if I said what comes with it isn’t miserable sometimes.’

Edie hadn’t thought this through before, and she was glad of Declan giving her the chance.

‘… By the time I knew how I felt about him, it was a done deal and the famousness couldn’t stop me. That’s how it is getting together with anyone you don’t meet on a date, I suppose? You start in the middle. If there are difficulties, you simply take them on. You fall in love, then work out what it’s going to entail, in that order.’

Falling in love is a temporary insanity.

‘Very true,’ Declan said. ‘You do the crime, then find out the time. I vowed to myself after Aisling … you know, my long-term ex … I’d not get together with anyone who wanted to live somewhere I didn’t. That’ll be in my first three questions, now.’

‘You really don’t like Dublin?’

‘Ah well, Aisling wanted a rural area, four kids, hens and an Aga. I was whevsy on staying in Ireland, but it was a whole specific vision within that. I’m not a farm type lad. Nor am I big city, as you know. I’m a pointless in-between who likes a lot of green but also a decent coffee.’

Edie nodded.

On their way back, grasping hot beverages, Alan crouched and snapped.

Declan muttered: ‘Feels like submitting to a molestation, doesn’t it? Poor Mariah Carey.’

Edie laughed, hoping she didn’t have a double chin.

A horrible illogical stupidity of her situation was knowing she’d be constantly assessed as to whether she was sufficiently attractive enough to be a correct companion for Elliot Owen, despite the fact she was by definition sufficiently attractive to be a correct companion for Elliot Owen, because Elliot Owen found her attractive.

The worst thing was: it didn’t make simple evident sense to her either.

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