Page 66 of Fix Them Up
‘It’s fine.’
I kept shoving clothes into my bag. ‘It’s not. We don’t know each other like that. You’re doing me a favour. I don’t have any right to comment on your family situation.’
Liam’s hands came to mine, stilling me. ‘I should have told you. I was going to. I needed to speak to Yas first. What happened with Yas’ – he gestured outside – ‘well, some of it, I deserve. She shouldn’t have jumped down your throat, but I made some mistakes. We’ll talk later, yeah? I’ll explain everything.’
‘Okay.’ I bit my lip.
‘You’ll stay?’ Liam stepped closer, holding out his pinkie finger. A ghost of a smile on his face. His attempt to lighten the mood.
Come on, play with me.
I smiled, taking it and shaking it with my own.
‘I’ll stay.’
‘Then I’ll see you later.’ Liam left the annexe, glancing back at me like I might disappear at any moment.
Once Liam was gone, I collapsed on the bed, my head in my hands. I couldn’t believe I just vomited insecure attachment style all over the place. I glanced down at my phone.
Lydia: Pick you up in half an hour?
‘For fuck’s sake.’
Chapter Twenty-Two
‘And exhale,’ Lydia said serenely as the class of fifteen yogis shifted back into downward dog, with mixed success. I pushed my arse into the air, feeling my hamstrings tighten.
Don’t be sick, don’t be sick.
But as the blood rushed to my head, it wasn’t sick rising up my throat. Heartburn that rose, burning through my chest and up my throat. I collapsed onto the yoga mat, the noise of my body hitting the floor making everyone glance my way.
You okay? Lydia mouthed at me, her face marred with concern.
I gave a strained smile and nodded. ‘I’m fine.’
‘What’s going on with you?’ Lydia asked as we queued up in the gym’s cafe after class. Lydia’s gym was posh and busy on a Tuesday morning.
People were working on laptops while parents rushed their kids to swimming lessons. It had indoor and outdoor tennis courts and pools, several saunas and steam rooms, and even a children’s pool with a water slide for all the little Timothys and Jemimas to enjoy. Lydia was nauseatingly popular. We could only take two steps before she was stopped by her clients or regulars, gushing about their personal bests or bemoaning their injuries. Lydia smiled, laughed, and remembered everyone’s name. Her brain never lagged and she didn’t perform or change into anyone else either.
She was herself – bubbly, approachable, kind.
It made me feel like a pathetic excuse of a human being.
‘A bit hungover,’ I mumbled.
‘Kat,’ Lydia said, as we shuffled further down the queue, ‘you should have said. I wouldn’t have minded if you needed to cancel.’
‘I know, I just – I needed something to do today anyway,’ I said, picking up a protein bar. It would taste like plastic, but I needed to restore my vitals.
As we got to the front of the queue, a girl with cropped brown hair was taking orders, and her brown eyes lit up when she saw her next customer.
‘Hey, Lydia.’
‘Hey, Casey.’ Lydia smiled.
‘The usual?’ Casey asked breathlessly.
‘Yes, please, and a –’
