Chapter 2 #2
Freddie swigged his beer and cleared his throat.
‘Not really had a chance to talk to you yet this evening.’ He set his pint down, rolled up his T-shirt sleeves and clasped his hands around his biceps, which were toned from his daily workouts in the gym as a PT.
Apart from Fabs and Zoe, Rhys knew Freddie better than anyone, which was why his frown and obvious discomfort was out of character.
Freddie looked down. ‘But I, um… I didn’t want you to hear it from anyone else, but me and Zoe, we’re, um, together. ’
Rhys’s heart stilled.
‘Together. As in you’re going out with each other?’ he managed to utter. ‘Since when?’
‘Just a few months.’
‘A few months!’ Rhys’s grip tightened on his bottle of lager. ‘And you’re only telling me now?’ No wonder Zoe had kept her distance. ‘How did you even get together?’
‘We don’t live far from each other now, so we met up for drinks a few times. Things progressed.’ He shrugged. ‘I know it’s a bit weird as she’s your ex and all, but it’s been a year since you guys split. We all good?’
That was it? That was going to be the extent of the conversation?
We’re together, have been for a while, hope you’re okay with it.
Rhys wanted to rage and yell and tell him in no uncertain terms that of course it wasn’t all right that his friend and his ex were together, but instead he found himself saying lamely, ‘Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t we be? ’
Freddie patted his shoulder. ‘That’s a relief; I’ve been shitting myself all evening, getting the nerve to tell you. You want another drink?’
At Rhys’s shake of the head, Freddie gave him another friendly thump on the shoulder and strode off towards the outside bar.
The friends surrounding Rhys became a blur, the conversations loud and muddled. He only caught snatches of words as his mind raced, Freddie’s blow having hit him harder than an actual punch to the gut. He needed to get away to clear his head and sort through the tangle of emotions.
The terrace was still bathed in sunshine and people were everywhere, making the most of the hot, dry August evening. Clutching his lager bottle, Rhys wound his way towards the inside bar.
‘Rhyster!’ Gareth said as they nearly collided into each other in the doorway. He flashed Rhys a grin and with his arms did Smithy’s ‘Gavlar’ movement from Gavin and Stacey . ‘Feels like old times tonight – fucking ace!’
‘Yeah,’ he said, trying to push past.
Gareth gripped his shoulder. Beer sloshed around his nearly empty pint glass.
‘You realise I’m only across the bridge in Cardiff.
’ Gareth’s eyelids were droopy, his heavily Welsh-accented words slurred.
The few times they’d gone out together at uni he’d always been a heavy drinker, and slightly obnoxious with it.
Perhaps little had changed, although Rhys didn’t know him well enough for that to be a fair judgement.
‘Isn’t your family in Wales?’ Gareth continued.
‘Yeah, Mam and Dad are in Caerphilly.’
‘We should go out. You, me, Barnaby. Freddie and Zoe too since she’s moved in with him – Worcester’s not too far. Maybe we could do a whole weekend.’
Rhys’s insides clenched. ‘He just told me they were together, but he didn’t say anything about them living together.’
Gareth raised his eyebrows. ‘Yup. I’m surprised as fuck it took them this long to get together.’
Rhys frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Wasn’t it common knowledge they had a thing for each other at uni?’ Gareth said. ‘They were the definition of friends with benefits.’
The chatter from outside faded away as Rhys focused on Gareth; his heart beat faster and sweat beaded his top lip as the words played over.
‘Me and Zoe were together at uni,’ Rhys said slowly. ‘During most of our first and second year before she did her year abroad.’
‘Were you? I did not realise that.’ Gareth slapped him on the shoulder. ‘Maybe I got it wrong then.’ He lifted his nearly empty pint glass. ‘Need another drink.’
He shot off, making a beeline for the crowded outside bar before Rhys could answer.
Rhys stepped into the pub and drained his lager.
It left a bitter taste on his tongue. What did Gareth know?
They’d had separate social circles while at university and had been on different courses and in different halls of residence, although they’d known each other through Fabs, which meant he would have known Zoe then as well.
What if there was truth to what he’d said?
Rhys and Zoe hadn’t survived her going abroad although they’d remained friends, and by the time she returned to Bristol for her final year of her degree, Rhys had changed his mind about pursuing a career in law and had started a teacher training course with a placement teaching English in Tuscany.
Rhys put his empty bottle on a table and navigated his way through the bar to the toilets.
He shut himself in a cubicle. Eight years after he’d graduated and they’d gone their separate ways, he and Zoe had reconnected romantically and had stayed together for more than three years, with her eventually moving in with him back in Bristol.
He’d never once had an inkling that she’d been unfaithful to him during that time, but when they’d been at university?
The thump thump of pop music played over the speaker in the men’s toilets.
Rhys put the toilet lid down and sat with his head in his hands.
Those anxious thoughts that had kept him company on the taxi ride once again returned with horrible clarity.
Only a few weeks before Zoe had announced she was leaving him for a new job in another city, Rhys had been looking at engagement rings.
They’d lived together and he’d loved her, yet sometimes he’d questioned if they were right for each other when they seemed to want different things.
Gareth might just have proved that Rhys’s gut instinct had been right, not that it made him feel any better.