3. Chapter 3
Oli sucked in a long, slow breath, trying to will his hands to stop shaking. It had nothing to do with the weight of the heavy trunk he was carrying and everything to do with the human roadblock they’d just had to edge past on the narrow stairway.
He’d known exactly who it was the second he heard her voice. Ruby Hutchinson was back in Crumbleton. Of course - it wasn’t exactly a surprise that she was back in town. What was a huge surprise was his reaction to her. He’d kept his eyes down the entire time… but not looking at Ruby hadn’t helped. His entire body had just reacted to being so close to her again after so many years.
It was no good. Oli’s arms were shaking, his heart pounding, and his breath was coming in short gasps.
‘Can we take a sec?’ he grunted, before setting his end of the trunk down on the next available spot to shake out his hands.
‘Dude - you okay?’ asked Lee, following suit before staring at him with a raised eyebrow. ‘Crikey - you need to get back to training if carrying this little thing is proving to be a bit much.’
Oli smirked at his friend and rolled his shoulders, playing up the ready-made excuse he’d just been handed for all he was worth. The last thing he needed was for his piss-taking mate to figure out that his current predicament had nothing to do with carrying the heavy piece of furniture down the hill, and everything to do with a certain famous author they’d just seen sneaking into town via the back route!
‘I’ll be fine in a sec,’ huffed Oli, willing his heart to calm the actual eff down.
Of course, he’d known that he’d be bumping into Ruby in the next few days… but he’d planned the encounter down to the finest detail. He knew exactly what he wanted to say and how he wanted to say it. He’d make it light and breezy – like it didn’t still bother him that he’d been so in love with her six years ago, he’d flown to America with nothing but her face in his head. Like he hadn’t been replaying their final moments over and over again for far longer than was sane.
It had taken him a while, but Oli had forgiven her for cutting him out of her life so completely. After all, they’d both been kids at the time. What hope did two eighteen-year-olds have of keeping a long-distance relationship alive when they were up against adults who thought they knew better. Or - one particular adult in this case!
Still, seeing Ruby back in Crumbleton after all this time was bound to stir things up again, wasn’t it?!
‘Dude, was that Ruby Hutchinson?’
Lee’s voice made Oli jump. He’d been so lost in the past that he’d almost forgotten where he was for a second.
‘Erm… might have been?’ said Oli with a small shrug, his heart renewing its ridiculous pounding at her name on Lee’s lips. ‘Didn’t really get a proper look - I was too busy trying not to drop this stupid thing,’ he added, toeing the trunk.
‘You definitely need to lay off the pastries and get back in shape!’ chuckled Lee. ‘Crumbleton’s clearly not doing your reputation as a racing snake any good!’
‘I’m a reformed racing snake!’ said Oli. ‘I’m allowed as much cake as I can fit in these days.’
‘Fair enough,’ said Lee. ‘The fatter you get, the cuter I look standing next to you.’
Oli snorted and rolled his eyes. Lee had always been a bit of an idiot - and not much had changed since they’d been on the school football team together. Still, it had been a nice surprise to discover that his old friend still lived in Crumbleton. He was easy company and always up for a pint at the end of the week.
‘I remember Ruby from school, you know,’ said Lee. ‘Always thought she was pretty cute… for a total nerd.’
‘Mmm,’ said Oli, hoping the noncommittal grunt might signal just how uninterested he was in talking about how cute or nerdy Ruby had been at school. It was dangerous territory and Lee was like a terrier with a bone if he caught even the slightest whiff of potential gossip. Oli had managed to keep this particular secret for a very long time and he didn’t much fancy letting it slip out now!
‘I mean, obviously, I wouldn’t have done anything about it,’ said Lee, glancing up the steps with a raised eyebrow, as though he was chasing after Ruby in his mind’s eye, ‘but nerds are more acceptable now, right?
‘Maybe,’ muttered Oli, ‘but that was a long time ago. She’s probably married with a bunch of kids by now.’
‘Eww!’ huffed Lee. ‘But still… she’s pretty cute…’
Oli grabbed his end of the trunk and hefted it so that Lee had no choice but to take his own end again. With any luck, it would distract him enough to make him shut up and drop the subject. Oli really didn’t need a trip down memory lane where Lee decided to retrospectively lust after his ex-girlfriend… or ex-whatever Ruby was to him.
They’d never really put a label on what had happened between them. They’d never told anyone about it either – other than Caroline of course – but they hadn’t had much choice when it came to her. She was Ruby’s best friend - and his cousin. Add to that the fact she was also the nosiest person in Crumbleton and they hadn’t stood a chance of keeping it from her. Luckily enough, Caroline was also loyal to a fault and knew how to keep a secret.
It had been a magical summer – one where the pair of them rarely left their happy little bubble-for-two. Of course, the summer had ended with his first and only broken heart. Still – his time with Ruby had changed his life forever. He couldn’t deny that.
‘Dude, you sure you’re okay?’ said Lee, a look of real concern on his face as they continued their tortuous shuffle down the hill.
‘I’m fine!’ huffed Oli, taking another treacherous step backwards.
‘But… you’re puffing again, and you’re all red in the face!’ said Lee.
‘Just cursing Andy for choosing today of all days to work on that wonky patch of cobbles. If anything should be moved with the help of a van, it’s this monstrosity!’
Of course, his discomfort had nothing whatsoever to do with the three hundred steps they still had to face until they’d be able to load the blasted thing into the van waiting for them in the Dolphin and Anchor’s carpark. It did however have everything to do with the fact that right now, Ruby was probably heading to her parents’ house. Then she’d be wandering around Crumbleton… visiting the café… visiting the bookshop…
‘I can’t believe she’s back!’
Oops. That particular thought had escaped his lips.
Lee raised an eyebrow at him. ‘Right?’ he said. ‘Who’d have thought someone that successful would come back to this hole!’
‘Oi,’ huffed Oli. ‘I happen to love this hole.’
‘Of course you do,’ chuckled Lee. ‘But then, it turns out you’re as big a nerd as she is! Like… a nerd in jock’s clothing. Hey - maybe if she isn’t married and doesn’t have babies, you two nerds can get together and have little nerdletts!’
Oli promptly lost his grip on the trunk and almost dropped it on his toes.
‘Dude - watch it!’ laughed Lee. ‘Seriously man - you need to start working out more.’
‘You know, you don’t have to keep asking for my help whenever your grandmother sells something heavy and ropes you in to carry it down the hill!’ grunted Oli.
‘You know you love me really,’ said Lee with a grin.
‘Yeah… somewhere very deep down,’ sighed Oli, taking a deep breath before getting a better grip on the trunk. He needed to focus on what he was doing before one of them ended up getting hurt.
And there it was - the root of the problem. Whenever Ruby Hutchinson was anywhere near him, Oli lost his head… then his heart… and then he got hurt.
Well, at least their little encounter had sorted one thing out - six years apart hadn’t been quite the cure he’d been hoping for!