Almost Home

Chapter Twenty-Two

'Tom, I heard back from Mrs Greenfield this morning. She said the flats ready for us to move in to and that we can pick up the keys as soon as we're back. I can't believe it's actually happening!'

'That's great. There's no turning back now Miss Bennett, you're all mine.' I watch him get up and move to stand behind Chloe's chair, giving her a hug from behind and planting a big kiss on the top of her head. 'I love you.'

'I love you too,' she simpers, reaching up to pull his lips down to hers.

My heart gives an involuntary pang of jealousy and I turn away from them. I'm not saying I'm not happy for them. I am. But the last thing you want to see when you've recently been cheated on and you're currently nursing a broken heart over a guy you like who doesn't like you back is for two people to start smooching right in front of you. Especially when one of those people is your brother. Blurgh!

'Oh, I just remembered. I saw the most gorgeous throw in town the other day,' Chloe talks on as Tom strokes her hair. 'It was quite expensive so I didn't buy it but I think it would look perfect in the bedroom. Personally I love it but I'd rather you come and see it too, see if you think it's worth the money or not. What do you think?'

'Babe, if you want, we'll get it.'

Okay, now it was just bordering on sickening. If they're going to be like this for the rest of the trip I'm moving out. I hate happy people.

I check my phone for the twelfth time this morning, hoping to have gotten a reply from Sam but the empty notification box leaves me glum. I'd messaged her last night as I was waiting for Jamie, telling her all about what had happened and I thought she would have raced to reply to me but in her defence it was still super early in the morning and I had messaged late. I know I'm being impatient but Sam gives the best advice and I thought maybe she could help me out with the Jay situation. Hopefully she sees it soon because this is unbearable.

'Earth to Emma!' I snap out of my melancholy to see Tom staring at me from the kitchen table, holding a spatula in one hand like Mary Berry. 'Breakfast? Do you want some?'

'No, thank you. I'm not hungry.' I curl my legs up further underneath me from my spot on the sofa and glance once again in the direction on Jamie's bedroom, wondering when he was ever going to appear.

We were all meant to be spending the day together, tackling one of the bigger slopes and besides the fact that I was feeling a bit fed up, I was also feeling terrified. Tom approached me the second I'd woken up this morning asking me to come along and I'd agreed without really taking in what he'd said, more so to get him off my back then anything and now I couldn't get my legs to keep still even with me sat on them. I wasn't ready for the bigger slope. I could barely get to grips with strapping my own board on let alone plummeting down a mountain on one but it was too late to back out. Tom had spoken about nothing else all breakfast and kept telling me how proud he was of me for giving it a go so now I'll just have to try and survive the day without breaking anything. Or killing myself...

'You're going to have to eat something Emma. You're going to need energy if you want to keep up with us all,' Tom demands and I resist the urge to lob a cushion at him. I was getting sick of all the mollycoddling this trip.

'I said I'm fine!'

'Tom...' Chloe says simply and places a hand on his arm. He shrugs his shoulders in defeat and takes a seat back at the table, picking up his coffee mug and disappearing behind it.

I don't have time to fret though as at that exact moment Jamie finally appears from his room and walks straight over to the fridge, opening it and grabbing a carton of juice from inside. My heart starts beating ten to the dozen and I will him to turn around and give me a smile. Anything to let me know that he wasn't completely mad at me.