Page 97 of The Night Before Christmas
James looked tired, his blond hair even more mussed up than usual. He gave a wry smile and trundled into the hallway holding the pizza boxes aloft like he was a silver service waiter. He lowered them onto the side with a flourish and turned towards her.
‘You know more Japanese than me, and I’ve been to the flipping country.’
Tentatively, she moved into his arms and his lips brushed her hair.And breathe.
‘How was it?’ she murmured into his chest. His lovely, comforting Disney chest.
‘It was rough. Let’s eat, then I’ll tell you all about it.’
And so they did, huddled together on the sofa watchingBritain’s Got Talent, munching on stringy cheese and soft Italian dough in virtual silence except for the occasional snigger at the dreadful auditions. But, thought Felicity, as they watched an elderly gentleman balancing five plates on his nose while playing the harmonica, it felt like a good silence. An I’m-tired-and-I’m-appreciating-my-pizza silence. Not an I’m-about-to-break-up-with-you silence. Not an I’ve-just-had-two-weeks-of-amazing-sex-with-my-beautiful-Japanese-ex-girlfriend silence.
Not that.
Please God, not that.
When they were finally full, and each of them had polished off a bottle of beer to boot, James started to speak.
He told her about the funeral – ‘tough, there were lots of tears, but it was nicely done’ – he told her about the beauty of the landscape of Japan, or what he had seen, at least – ‘I’d love to see it in cherry blossom season’ – and he told her about the incredible sight that was Mount Fuji – ‘like it’s been painted on the sky’.
They sat side by side for a few moments, and then Felicity cracked.
‘And how was Erika?’ She tried to keep her voice light. ‘I mean, I assume she was there…’Please God say she wasn’t there.
‘Ah. Yes, of course she was there,’ said James, running a hand through his hair.
‘And?’
‘And what?’
‘Well… I mean, she’s lost her dad, so I guess I’m asking, how was she?’
‘That’s not what you meant.’
‘No. You’re right. It’s not. But then I felt like an absolute cow because she must be really going through it–’
‘She wants us to get back together.’ James was staring at the floor.
Andrea was right.
Felicity bit her lip to stop herself saying ‘I bloody knew it’ as she realised that being right wasn’t the most important thing right now. It was also to stop herself from crying although that felt horribly inevitable suddenly.
‘And what do you want?’
‘I don’t know,’ said James, and there was a moment or two of silence as the world spun off its axis.
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
Say something,Felicity.
Anything.
Just say some words.
‘You… don’t… know?’ she managed eventually. Whispered, really.
James looked up at her with his big blue eyes filled with tears.
‘Of course I know, you bloody idiot. How could you doubt it?’
