Chapter Fifteen
FIFTEEN
Callum is leaning against a glass wall, waiting for me in Perth’s arrivals hall.
I try not to feast my eyes on how good he looks, to remind myself that I’ve got enough going on right now and certainly don’t need to be ogling the artist formerly known as Lord Voldemort who thinks we should forget about our aeroplane clinch, at this particular juncture in my life.
‘Good flight?’ he asks.
‘Not really, Callum.’
‘Trouble with Humphrey?’
‘It’s Hamish,’ I huff irritably.
‘He likes you, a lot,’ Callum says.
‘How do you know that?’
‘He told me. We were sitting together for quite a bit of the first flight, after you and I—’ Callum clears his throat.
‘Hamish and I got chatting. He started telling me in great detail about his first girlfriend, this fiery redhead from Cornwall, who he’d just seen again for the first time in years.
He was clearly feeling wistful. He said he should never have let her go. ’
‘Why are you telling me this?’
Callum sighs as I trot along beside him. ‘You said you needed him for something. I didn’t know if this information might be useful.’
‘You know what would be useful?’
‘What’s that, Moss?’
‘It would be useful if I could just wake up tomorrow and find that it’s not actually Monday, again.’
Oh boy. I’m saying it. The fuck-it mantra of this loop is still going strong.
‘Yes, that’s right, Callum. I keep waking up on Monday morning. I’m in my own personal Groundhog Day, also known as hellfire. And the only way out of here is the path I really don’t want to take and you’re the one who has messed it all up. It’s all your fault!’
Callum is frowning at me like I’m a lunatic which, when you look at it rationally, is exactly where I am at mentally right now.
‘Moss,’ he begins in that delicious deep voice that seems to rumble through me.
‘I know, I know, I’ve lost the plot.’ I wave my hands around, actually knocking the passport out of his hand this time. ‘But look, I’ll prove it. Your middle name is Aleksander spelt with a K and I didn’t even look inside your passport this time. Do you know how I know that?’
Callum narrows his eyes at me and I swear he looks amused. ‘Do tell.’
‘Because I’ve been here before. This is my fifth fucking Monday in a row.’
‘You really are bringing a lot of energy to the airport today, Moss.’
‘I’m being serious!’ I shout, exasperated. ‘I can’t get out of it. I’m trapped, and I can’t even see my ticket out of here right now because he got sick on the flight, the selfish bastard.’
‘Now that seems a little unfair.’
‘Don’t you stick up for Humphrey!’ I shout.
‘Isn’t it … Hamish?’ Callum’s eyes sparkle at me.
‘Oh for God’s sake! Whatever! You should not like him at all because you should want me to pick you, even though I can’t because of the circumstances.’
Callum stands stock still, arms folded across his chest, looking at me with fascination.
‘I do want you to pick me.’
‘No, you don’t! You want me to, and I quote, “forget about it”.’
‘Ah. So now you’re shouting at me.’
‘Yes! I’m cross with you. And with this whole situation! Did you not hear the bit about me time-looping, Callum Aleksander Bang? Shouldn’t you be offering support or having me admitted to an institution or at the very least, asking some more questions?’
Callum continues to regard me with his head cocked to one side.
‘You are even more delightful when you’re angry,’ he announces.
‘Do you want me to scream? Because I will! I will scream the place down even though I do not like making a scene.’
‘What with you being so small and all, I’m not sure many people would actually hear you.’
‘Argh!’ I wail, literally stomping my feet up and down, which feels like a real low point. Fellow passengers walk by, giving me the look you’d give a tantrum-ing toddler. Which tracks, I guess.
The next thing I know, Callum has taken my hand and pulled me close.
My frazzled heart is beating so fast I’m sure he can feel it too.
I’m in such a state that I just stand there, letting myself be comforted by this incredibly irritating man who I like a lot. I wrap my arms around his waist, inhale that clean citrussy scent of his, and feel my breathing slow down to a less frantic pace.
‘We’ll get you out of this,’ Callum says after a while.
I look up into those beautiful green eyes of his. And even though I know he can’t help, I let myself believe it, just for a while. For sanity’s sake.
I offer him a watery smile.
‘Thank you, Cal.’
‘My pleasure, Nina.’
There’s something very intimate in the exchange of new names for one another. I let the sound of my name on his lips reverberate through my brain.
‘Nina,’ he says again, as if he knows the effect it’s having on me. Maybe he does.
‘Yes,’ I reply, spotting the luggage buggy out of the corner of my eye and wincing. I don’t want this moment to end. I want to stay wrapped up in these arms forever.
‘Can I ask a favour?’
‘Anything,’ I whisper.
‘Please don’t push me directly into the airport buggy this time. I’m getting a real complex about it.’
It takes me a whole second for these words to sink in. For the full force of what they mean to hit me square in the face.
And then, I spend the final few moments of my life, before it is tragically cut short, screaming: ‘WHAT THE FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK?’