Chapter 12 #2
‘I’ll head down and see if Dad needs any help with anything,’ Luke said, before leaving them to attempt to cobble something together.
*
After a frustrating session of trying on Hannah’s clothes, the two quickly came to the conclusion none of the dresses Hannah had brought over, worked. They just about fit, but were either too short or the wrong colour for her. Nothing felt right.
As Holly was about to throw the towel in and head to her party in the old jeans and faded t-shirt she had on, Hannah said, ‘There’s one option left.
But you’re going to have to trust the process.
’ Picking up what Holly had assumed was a black skirt, Hannah handed over what was in fact, a black satin corset.
‘I can’t wear that!’ Holly gasped. Not only was it too daring for her, she was a little distraught at the prospect of wearing something her soon to be sister-in-law had possibly worn to seduce her brother.
‘Trust the process, remember. Now find me your favourite jeans.’
At Hannah’s no-nonsense tone, Holly dutifully rummaged through her drawer, until her hands found the soft dark denim of her Diesel jeans.
‘Perfect,’ Hannah cooed as she saw them.
A few minutes, and some rough pulling of laces, later, Holly had to smile as she looked at herself in the mirror.
‘See. The process can be trusted.’ Hannah grinned from behind her. ‘And don’t worry, this is new. I haven’t worn it for L–’
‘Don’t finish that sentence. I’ve been battling with my subconscious to banish visions of you, and Luke, and corsets.’
‘But I was saying I haven’t worn this one for him.’
‘Eugh, but you said this one. Which suggests there had been others.’ Holly grimaced, flexing her hands into fists as she worked to block any would-be images from sneaking in.
Hannah laughed. Holly turned from the mirror to look at her. The devilish glint in her eye surprised her, but made her realise this was just another reason why Hannah and her brother were so perfect for each other. At Holly’s expression, Hannah laughed again before schooling her features.
‘Sorry?’ she offered.
‘She’s not,’ Luke teased from the doorway. ‘I know that tone, she’s definitely not sorry.’
‘I’m starting to see why you two are so good together,’ Holly said, looking between them, and then directing her next words to his fiance, ‘You really aren’t as squeaky clean as you seem, are you?’
‘No comment,’ she said as she looked up at the ceiling to avoid further eye contact.
‘Ready for the ball, Cinderella?’ Luke said as he offered her his arm.
Holly gratefully took it, and with the teasing completely gone from her voice she said, ‘Thanks, Hannah. You really saved the day.’
‘Don’t mention it. I was happy to help.’
‘Who fancies a drink downstairs before we head to The Dolphin?’ Luke asked.
‘Can’t. I want to be there early. You know, in case anyone turns up… early.’
Luke stared at her. He always knew when she was withholding information. Under his appraising stare, she caved.
‘Alright. I might have passed a message on to Seb saying that if he fancies me as much as I do him, he should meet me at The Dolphin at 7:30.’
‘Oh, I love that,’ Hannah said at the same time as Luke said, ‘Sounds a bit complicated.’
‘Luke,’ Hannah playfully hit his arm, ‘it’s romantic.’
‘Wish me luck?’ Holly asked in earnest.
‘Not that you need it, but good luck,’ Hannah said, as she leaned in and kissed Holly on the cheek.
*
Holly sat at the bar in The Dolphin, alone, as the clock behind the bar ticked up to 7:43pm. Thirteen minutes past the time she’d asked him to be here. Thirteen agonising minutes.
Her head shifted to the door as it opened - as it had each time that had happened since she’d been waiting. But each time, it was someone else, anyone but the one person she wanted to see. This time it was Sloane’s face that greeted her from the doorway.
‘He’s not coming, is he?’ Holly asked, already knowing the answer.
Sloane shook her head. ‘No. I’m sorry, Holly.’
‘What did he say?’
Sloane chewed her bottom lip, as if she didn’t want to answer her.
‘Sloane?’
Sloane approached slowly, and pulled up a stool next to Holly, looking down at the bar instead of at her friend. ‘He said he’s never thought of you like that. His exact words were;’ Sloane lowered her voice to imitate Seb, ‘Eugh, she’s like a sister to me.’
‘Eugh? He said eugh? He was disgusted at the idea?’
Holly’s world bottomed out. She wanted to flee, to escape to the cliffs and let the wind take away this onslaught of pain. But in fifteen minutes her friends and family would be stepping through the doors to wish her a happy birthday.
Sloane shrugged. ‘Yeah. It really bothered him you saw him as anything other than a friend.’
Holly could actually feel her heart fracturing. She scrunched her eyes to hold back the tears that threatened. She could feel them, sharp, in the bridge of her nose. But she wouldn’t cry any more on her birthday. She wouldn’t.
‘His loss - yeah?’ Sloane offered.
‘Yeah,’ but Holly couldn’t help but feel she was the one losing out.
‘Vodka?’
If she couldn’t run away, she could drown her sorrows. ‘Definitely.’
One vodka and orange juice later, Holly was feeling a little numb to Seb’s disgust at her feelings for him.
When Hannah and Luke had arrived with her parents, she’d brushed off their questions about what had happened, and about where Seb was.
Hannah had pulled her aside, and she’d told her it wasn’t a big deal, that he just wasn’t interested.
But Hannah knew. She knew him not being interested, let alone not coming to her birthday, was a big deal.
*
As the evening progressed, Holly did her best to push thoughts of Seb away. Sloane had stayed by her side the whole night, and for the first time in such a long time, it felt like she had her friend back. A little after half nine, Sloane slipped away outside. Holly watched her leave.
‘Where’s Sloane?’ her mum said as she sidled up beside her.
‘She popped outside, why?’
‘I thought we could do the cake - I figured you’d want her here for that?’
‘I’ll go and tell her,’ Holly said as she moved towards the door.
She found her outside.
What she saw splintered her fractured heart into tiny jagged shards.
Sloane had Seb up against the wall of the pub. Her arms locked around his neck, her mouth on his. Holly staggered backwards, her voice stolen by the shock of what she was witnessing. Stumbling back into the pub, she found herself in the arms of her brother, and she buried her head into his chest.
‘Holly, what’s wrong?’ Luke said as he tightened his arms around her.
‘I–’ but she couldn’t form words. All she could manage was, ‘Seb,’ before she broke down in tears, dampening his t-shirt as he pulled her in even tighter.
‘He’s an idiot if he doesn’t want you, Holly.’
She hugged her brother back and made her decision. Just like her anger with Sloane earlier, it was draining her to hold on to this despair. Wiping the tears from her cheeks, she drew in a fortifying breath.
‘Let’s get drunk, eat birthday cake, and never talk about this night ever again. His loss, yeah?’