“Isha—”
My phone cut Dom off. I snatched it from his hand and turned it away from him as a message notification lit up the screen.
Jude:Shaqueela is working Saturday. I can come to London if you still want me to…?
I’d grown used to the way my heart habitually threw itself against my ribcage every time Jude linked up with me, but the hammering in my chest as I read his message was ridiculous. Blood roared in my ears, and I felt hot all over, fingers shaking as I tapped out a reply.
Isha:I want you to. In a meeting right now. Call you later?
Jude:I’ll be waiting.
I set my phone down with undue care. Dom’s expression was a riot of sardonic curiosity, but I ignored him. Jude’s absence in my life had left me apathetic about pretty much everything except Tam and Delilah, but as the fog cleared from my brain, everything I’d let slide seemed to come to life, including the fact that our half-built houses had no walls.
Jude’s coming to London. Jude’s coming to London. Jude’s coming to London—
Dom sighed. “You do realise you’re actually fucking blushing right now?”
I gave him the finger and opened my laptop.
Eighteen
Jude
Saturday morning came around with a heady mix of conflicting emotions. I hadn’t been to London in years, but the prospect of seeing Isha again was exciting enough to temper my nerves, despite the fact I couldn’t remember which London station I was supposed to end up at.
“Depends where you’re going,” Rae said around a yawn when I called and woke him up. “Euston is the easiest, but you’ll have to go to Bletchley first.”
I gnawed at my bottom lip. Isha had directed me to an address in Primrose Hill, but revealing that to Rae felt dangerous, despite the chances of him joining the dots being pretty much negligible. He didn’t know Isha was queer, let alone that he’d found himself in a secret relationship with one of his mates.
Secret. The word left a sour taste in my mouth. Rae was the closest I had to a best friend, and lying to him, even by omission was so wrong it left me nauseous. “Um, can I get to Primrose Hill from Euston?”
“The fuck are you going there for?”
I leaned against the bus stop and closed my eyes. “Snake rescue.”
“Jesus, do you ever stop?”
“Not on purpose.”
“You work too much.”
I didn’t answer, hoping it would spare me more untruths.
Rae sighed. “Whatever. I’m not your mother, but if you’re in London, you should drop by. Cash is cooking for the freezer today so there’s loads of food around.”
As if on cue, my stomach rumbled. Rae always raved about Cash’s kitchen skills—among other things—and in my hurry to get to Isha, I’d missed breakfast. “I don’t think I’ll have time, mate.”
“Got to get back?”
“Uh-huh.” It wasn’t lying if I didn’t say actual words, right?
“Fair enough. Next time, eh?”
“For sure. So I should go to Bletchley first? Then Euston?”
“Yeah.” The line crackled as Rae moved around in his bed. “Go to Euston, then get on the Tube. Northern line. You’ll have to walk from Chalk Farm, but it’s not far. And Isha lives around there. I can send him out to find you if you get lost.”
I cringed so hard my shoulders clicked. “I won’t get lost. Anyway, the bus is here. Talk soon, yeah?”