Page 75 of One Night in Edinburgh

Mikey:

Really sorry, wee sis. He seemed like a top guy. Hope you’re OK.

Kayleigh:

What did you do, Steph? I hope you didn’t bore him with your do-gooder stuff or try to bring home a stray cat from one of your dates!

Kayleigh:

By the way, how about you pass me his number? A hot, successful guy like that is probably more my thing than yours.

Mikey:

Kayleigh, shut your mouth or I’ll come round and do it for you. You’re seriously out of order.

Kayleigh:

I was only kidding. You know that, right, Steph?

Dad:

Mikey, don’t talk to your sister like that. Kayleigh, show a little compassion, please.

‘OK, it’s official – I hate my family.’ I burst into fresh tears, unable to muster any level of self-control.

‘You don’t mean that.’ Connor gently takes my phone from me and sets it down on the sofa. ‘They’re lacking in some of the more “caring” life skills, which creates an issue between you, but you don’t hate them. And you definitely don’t hate Mikey. He looks out for you.’

‘That is true.’ My watery gaze is focused on the duvet. ‘He’s generally a good one. Just a bit overprotective at times.’

‘Which is not such a bad thing. How about I switch your phone off? They know now. You don’t need to respond until you’re feeling stronger.’

‘Sure.’ I give a pathetic sigh and blow my nose.

Connor turns off my phone, then gets up and moves it across to the dining table.

‘Just in case you’re tempted to reach for it.’ He gives me a little wink. ‘Now, shall we get back to watching this middle-aged woman meet her untimely and somewhat embarrassing end?’ He tilts his head a little and examines the unfortunate freeze-frame the TV character has been caught in.

He settles back down beside me and I snuggle into him, his armpit providing a very comfortable and reassuring cocoon. Anna pats my leg gently and hits play on the remote. The scene starts up again and the woman meets her brutal end. But I have no idea what happens after that, because within minutes, I’m overcome with drowsiness and I don’t have an ounce of energy left to fight it.

When I finally waken, the blinds are down and the living room lamp is on. I’m also stretched right across the sofa, and there’s no sign of Connor or Anna. I sit up groggily and reach down for my phone to check the time, then remember that Connor switched it off and put it on the table. Throwing back the duvet, I get up and wander across to retrieve it, and as I do, Connor walks into the room.

‘Hey, sleepyhead.’ He smiles at me. ‘I wondered when you were going to come round. You’ve been out for ages.’

‘What time is it?’ I ask through an all-consuming yawn.

‘Nearly nine p.m.’

‘What?I’ve been asleep for over four hours? You should have woken me rather than being confined to your room all that time.’

‘Don’t worry, I wasn’t. I made my dinner and ate it in here with subtitles on the TV. You didn’t even stir.’ He chuckles at this memory.

‘Oh.’

I’m a bit embarrassed by the idea of Connor going about his life around me as I lie there unconscious, though I’m not sure why. We’ve lived together for years and seen all aspects of each other that we’d never want anyone else to know about.

‘I made enough for two and put a plate in the fridge for you,’ says Connor. ‘Quorn spag bol. Want some?’

My stomach rumbles hungrily as he says this. Though I’m clearly heartbroken, my appetite is still fighting fit.

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