Page 23 of Almost Ours

She points frantically into the crowd and starts talking but I can’t hear her.

I point to my ear, dipping my head towards her. “SORRY?”

She gets even louder and even more frantic but I have no clue what she’s saying and I can’t work it out. Neither does Brooke, both of us shaking our heads. Abi looks between us and the speakers hanging from the ceiling before letting out an exasperated groan. “COME ON!” She grabs Brooke's wrist. Brooke grabs mine, and suddenly I'm being dragged through a sea of people with no idea where we're going.

“Abi!” I laugh, feeling slightly delirious. “WHERE ARE WE GOING?”

She glances back over her shoulder. “SMOKING AREA!”

“NEITHER OF US SMOKE!” Brooke squeaks.

“SO?” Abi is undeterred, pulling us harder.

Brooke gives me a baffled look. “THEN WHY ARE WE GOING THERE?”

“BECAUSE I NEED TO TELL SOMEONE ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME!”

We stumble out into the corridor, Abi dragging Brooke with her and Brooke dragging me.

“Are you alright?” Brooke asks Abi, her voice finally returning to a normal volume. “Has something happened?”

“Yes!” Abi cries. “My ex-boyfriend as of three weeks ago is here!”

I wince. “You didn't know he was coming to Lincoln?”

“No! It's so random! He was meant to be staying in London.”

“Are you sure it's him?” Brooke asks carefully.

Abi gives her a withering look. “I should hope so, since I dated him for two years. And him coming up to me and screaming ‘surprise’ certainly sold it.”

My eyes widen. “Oh, shit.”

“I’d know his stupid, psychopathic face anywhere!”

Brooke’s eyebrows disappear upwards. “What do you need us to do? Do you need a hug?”

“No.” Abi grimaces, letting go of Brooke’s arm. “Do I look like a hugger?”

She looks totally mental, I’ll be honest. She’s wearing some odd plastic poncho, and she’s the height of a giraffe, her blonde hair is in this weird half-up, half-down bobble thing, and her pink lipstick is a little smudged.

“Do you want us to go and talk to him?” Brooke offers, releasing me.

“And say what?”

“I don’t know… Piss off?”

Abi’s face softens. “You’d do that?”

Brooke shyly shrugs. “If you wanted me to?”

“Oh my gosh!” Abi squeals, pressing a hand to her chest. “That is so sweet!”

Brooke shoots me a glance. “I don’t know if I’d be any good at it.”

“Doesn’t matter.” Abi vigorously shakes her head. “The fact you offered is enough.”

“I’d come too.” I hear myself tell them. “I’m not sure how much it’d help, but strength in numbers and all that, right?”