Chapter Thirty-Three
‘Yeah,’ said Lucy, squirming in her seat at the memory of the ten minutes she’d spent making out on the sofa in Nate’s dressing room. Her face actually hurt from grinning.
‘I really hadn’t expected your stupid idea to go to plan in quite such style.’
‘You and me both. We actually excelled ourselves.’
‘Hey, don’t give me any credit,’ laughed Jonno, wafting her away. ‘I just held one end of your stupid banner.’
‘It was a very important job,’ said Lucy.
‘I feel bad that you have to leave. Felt like it was turning into quite the reunion party.’
‘It doesn’t matter,’ shrugged Lucy. ‘You’ve done enough for one day, and I’m going to talk to Nate tomorrow.’
‘So, where did you leave things? What’s the next chapter of the Nate and Lucy love story?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Lucy. ‘I mean, I’m pretty sure it’s going to be OK, but I’m not sure exactly how the story goes yet.’
‘Is Nate Lambert about to enhance his superstar swoon narrative by falling in love with the beautiful woman who shared the avalanche adventure where it all began?’ said Jonno, in his movie-trailer-guy voice.
Lucy laughed. ‘When you put it like that, it’s a pretty good story.’
‘I mean, him ending up banging Taylor Swift would also have been a pretty good story. But I like your version better.’
‘Yeah, me too.’ She paused, trying to process everything that had happened in the past few hours. ‘I think I’m going to be away a lot, over the next few months.’
Jonno nodded. ‘I assumed as much.’
‘But I’m going to try for the job in London, rather than New York. I’m not ready to be that far away. From Nate, or my family. Or you, for that matter.’
‘Well, I’m delighted to be third on that list.’
Lucy punched him playfully on the arm. ‘I just want you to know that, whatever happens, you will always be my best friend.’
‘Honestly, Lucy, you really don’t need to do this.’
‘Yes, I do,’ said Lucy, putting her hand on his arm. ‘I’ve been thinking about what you said on the drive up, and I’ve never thanked you for saving me over the past eleven years. I lost my brother, and found a friend. You’ve never let me down.’
‘It has been my pleasure,’ he said, glancing at her with a watery smile. ‘Genuinely.’
‘But that doesn’t change, if I move away or go travelling or whatever. Friends for life.’
‘Stop it,’ croaked Jonno. ‘You’re making me cry.’
‘Yeah,’ said Lucy, swiftly wiping the tears away with the back of her hand before the floodgates opened again. ‘Me too.’
‘You deserve this,’ said Jonno firmly, placing his hand over hers. ‘You deserve to be with someone who worships you the way I worship Marcia. You deserve to be happy and excited about the future.’
‘I know,’ said Lucy. ‘It took me ages to realise it, but I know that now.’
‘You want to crash in our spare room?’ he asked, as Lucy yawned. ‘Marcia won’t mind.’
‘No, drop me home,’ said Lucy. ‘I need a shower, a glass of wine and some quality masturbation. In that order.’
‘You and me both, babe,’ muttered Jonno.
‘Well, as long as we’re not thinking about the same thing, that’s absolutely fine.’
‘Go to sleep,’ said Jonno softly, reaching over to pat her on the arm. ‘I’ll wake you up when we’re back in Bristol.’
‘You sure?’ asked Lucy. ‘You don’t need me to keep you awake?’
‘Nope,’ said Jonno. ‘I had two Red Bulls from that free bar, I’m absolutely caffeined off my tits.’
Lucy smiled and cranked her seat back, pulling Jonno’s jacket over her to shield her from his icy air conditioning, which he’d set to ‘hypothermic’ to help him stay alert.
She let her face relax as the highlights from today drifted through her mind like scenes from a silent movie.
In the end it was just Nate singing, and smiling at her, and the heady feeling of being surrounded by friends who wished them nothing but happiness.
‘Lucy, wake up,’ said Jonno, pulling her out of a sleepy fug.
‘Mmm?’ she said blearily.
‘We’re home.’
‘Shit, really?’
‘Sort your face out, you’ve got a visitor.’
‘Who?’ said Lucy, cranking her seat back up.
‘Take a look.’
She sat up and peered out of the window into the murky darkness of the street. It took her a moment to process that it was gone 2 a.m. on a Saturday in July and Nate was waiting on the steps to her flat.
‘Oh God,’ she gasped, her heart pounding. ‘Can you buy me some time? And have you got any mints?’
‘In the glove box,’ said Jonno, driving slowly to the end of the road as Lucy hunted amongst the family detritus for a packet of Polos. She crunched down two and raked her fingers through her hair as Jonno performed a laborious three-point turn in the parking area.
‘Lip balm,’ said Lucy, rummaging in her pocket and unearthing a tube of Burt’s Bees caked in lint. She wiped it off on her coat and hastily applied it. ‘Will I do?’
‘You look glorious, as ever,’ said Jonno, as they pulled up next to Nate. ‘Seems like you might get the live action version of your wank fantasy, after all.’
Lucy leaned in to hug him. ‘Thank you for everything tonight, J. And for the lift. You’re the best.’
‘Yeah, I know,’ he said. ‘Just remember me when you’re a superstar WAG. Tell French Exit I want a family ticket to the brITs.’
‘I will move heaven and earth to make that happen, just to show how much I appreciate you.’
‘Oh, let’s not pretend any of this is about me. Bugger off and message me tomorrow.’
‘I will,’ she said, giving him a final squeeze. ‘Love you.’ She reluctantly let go, relishing how safe he made her feel. Everything outside this car was entirely unknown, and for a moment she was scared to leave.
‘He’s waiting,’ said Jonno gently. ‘Your whole future is waiting. Go and get it.’
‘Yeah,’ said Lucy taking a deep breath. She grabbed her bag and climbed out of the car, hoping Nate didn’t notice how nervous she was.
‘Hey,’ said Nate, standing up to greet her. The air was warm and still, a sultry July night in the city. Rain was forecast for tomorrow, but Lucy wouldn’t have cared if her flat had been washed away in her absence. She only had eyes for Nate.
‘Hello,’ she replied. ‘How did you get here so quickly?’
‘I’ve got a faster car than you,’ said Nate with a shrug. ‘With a driver who was waiting outside the venue.’
‘Get you, Mr Bigshot Celebrity,’ said Lucy playfully. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘Sasha told me you’d left the party.’
‘Yeah, I’m sorry,’ said Lucy. ‘I really needed to let Jonno get back. Unlike me, he has family commitments.’
‘It’s fine,’ said Nate softly. ‘I understand.’
Lucy raised her eyebrows, waiting for him to say what he’d come here to say.
‘I just couldn’t wait until tomorrow. It felt too long.’
God, he’s adorable, thought Lucy. ‘Really?
‘And also I lost you for a long time, and I didn’t want to risk losing you again. Is that cheesy?’
‘Yes,’ laughed Lucy. ‘It’s a giant fondue of a chat-up line, but I’ll allow it.’
‘Thank God for that,’ said Nate. ‘Can I come in? I don’t actually have a flat in Bristol any more.’
‘What would you have done if I wasn’t here? Jonno offered me a sofa at his.’
‘I’ve got his address from Sasha too.’ He tapped his forehead with his finger. ‘Covering all bases, see.’
‘I need a shower,’ said Lucy, very conscious that she’d been wearing the same clothes for eighteen hours and her face was tight and blotchy from all the crying earlier. ‘And I’ve got no food in.’
‘I also need a shower,’ said Nate. ‘And I’m not hungry.’
‘Fine, then we’ll both have a shower and not eat.’
‘Is it three-minute-showers only?’ asked Nate, giving her a challenging look. ‘Or can we stay in there a bit longer?’
The intent behind ‘we’ made her shiver, and she fought the urge to drag him upstairs immediately and rip his clothes off. But there was no hurry, and there was a part of her that wanted to draw out the romance of this moment for as long as possible.
She dropped her bag on the step and sat down, waiting for him to join her.
Their thighs were close enough to touch, and as he put his arm around her shoulders and she let her head fall on his shoulder, it felt like they were back in Zermatt.
The feel and smell of him, the anticipation of his naked body against hers.
They’d be having that moment again soon, but in the decadence of her bed rather than two deflating airbeds.
Nate would be the first person who’d slipped between her luxury sheets since Kristoff, and hopefully the last. She shivered, then turned and held his piercing gaze for a moment.
‘I can’t give you a definite answer yet about coming on tour,’ she whispered, the words feeling thick in her mouth. ‘I’m pretty sure it’s a yes, but everything is happening a bit fast.’
Nate smiled and took her hand, his long fingers weaving between hers. ‘Things have snowballed again, sorry. I know it’s a big decision to make when we’ve literally spent three days together in total.’
‘But I’m definitely up for us spending more time together,’ said Lucy, watching his thumb press the back of her hand and feeling a pool of warmth flooding the pit of her stomach.
‘I’ve revised my plan,’ said Nate, brushing the hair from her shoulder so he could lean in and gently kiss her neck. ‘I’ve decided it might be better to spend the next couple of weeks persuading you to fall in love with me, THEN ask you to come on tour.’
Lucy gasped and closed her eyes as his grip tightened and his lips carved a trail to her shoulder. ‘Nate,’ she whispered helplessly. ‘I’ve been in love with you since you sang Ed Sheeran to an audience of eight drunk people.’
‘I always assumed it was when I hit you in the head with a snowball,’ he whispered, gently moving her shirt to one side so he could kiss her collarbone.
‘No, it was Ed,’ said Lucy, the words catching in her throat. ‘But the snowball definitely sealed the deal.’
‘I wrote a song about that,’ said Nate, his hand now stroking her back in a way that made her want to sit astride him and ravage him right there on the hard, cold steps.
‘I know,’ breathed Lucy. ‘You just sang it to me in front of a thousand people. There’s video evidence and everything.’
Nate kissed her gently on her lips, one hand buried in her hair as the other continued to make featherlight trails around her waist in a way that made her arch her body towards his. ‘Kind of cute though, right?’
‘Mortifying. Please don’t do it again. When do you have to be back at work?’
He pulled away and clasped her hands in his. ‘I’m supposed to be in the studio tomorrow, but Alex has just given me three days off. Turns out that as well as being a hard-nosed taskmaster, he’s also a hopeless romantic.’
‘Well, I have no plans at all.’ Until January, thought Lucy, feeling breathless with excitement at the prospect of what lay ahead.
‘Can we hang out for a few days? Like we did in Zermatt?’
Lucy laughed. ‘Will I need to be rescued at the end of it?’
‘No. I was kind of hoping we might rescue each other.’ Nate leaned in to kiss her again, deeper this time. He tasted vaguely of mint, and Lucy wondered if he’d done some strategic teeth-cleaning in the car on the way down.
She stood up and held out her hand, waiting for him to stand up too so she could slide her hands around his waist and press herself into his body. ‘You want to stay here?’ she asked, glancing at the sports bag on the step. ‘Until you have to go back to work?’
‘If that’s OK.’
Lucy nodded and kissed him again, wishing she could freeze this moment for as long as it took to remember every detail.
It felt like the whole night was laid out in front of them, full of promise and opportunity.
And then tomorrow, and the day after that, and then the weeks and months ahead where they would each build their own careers, but also a life together.
‘The only place I want to be right now is wherever you are,’ he said, pressing his forehead against hers.
Lucy sighed and closed her eyes for a second. Being this in love, and being loved in return, was like being warmed by the sun from both sides. And Nate was here, on her doorstep at two in the morning, because he knew, and because he felt it too.
She fished her keys from her pocket and led him towards the door, feeling like she’d been given back a piece of her soul that she’d never realised was missing. The more you make me whole, thought Lucy, as the butterflies in her stomach danced to a song that hadn’t even been written yet.