‘Together,’ I said succinctly, smiling at her reflection in the washroom mirror. ‘A force of nature, you could say.’ That, at least, amused me, although obviously it sailed straight over her head.
I stepped aside for someone else to use the basin, but Helen followed me to a dressing table area set up for hair and make-up repairs.
‘I’m not sure if you’re aware of this,’ she said, pausing to slick blood-red lipstick onto her pursed lips, ‘but Annalise is actually one of my best friends.’
Well, that explained everything. It was no wonder she was practically feral now that the others were no longer around. I drew in a deep and steadying breath. I couldn’t fault her for her loyalty. I’d probably be exactly the same if anyone was threatening Mel’s happiness. But it meant I had to tread even more carefully on a tightrope that I couldn’t see above an abyss I was probably going to tumble into anyway.
Rescue came in a timely and unexpected manner when a middle-aged woman holding a clipboard burst into the bathroom, declaring importantly: ‘We’re about to start presenting the awards. If I could ask any nominees to please retake your seats.’
I gave Helen a look that I hoped said Oh, what a shame we can’t stay and chat and reached for my bag.
It was only half a dozen strides to reach the exit, but just far enough for me to feel each one of the invisible daggers Helen threw at my exposed back.
‘Is everything okay?’ Rhys whispered as I took my place beside him.
‘Sort of,’ I whispered back, under cover of the MC’s welcoming speech. ‘Although a heads up that Helen and your ex are BFFs would have been useful.’
Rhys reached for my hand again, only this time he didn’t hide doing so beneath the table.
‘I’m sorry. I didn’t think she’d say anything. Can I explain later?’
I nodded.
The award Rhys and his colleagues were nominated for was the last of the night to be presented. The cycle of envelope opening, applause, and acceptance speeches made further conversation almost impossible. But in a gap between awards, I leant into the space between Rhys’s chair and mine. The warm, spicy aroma of his cologne almost derailed me, making it hard to concentrate.
‘Why am I here tonight, Rhys?’ I whispered in his ear. ‘Why did you ask me to come?’
He turned in his chair to face me, looking so thrown by my question that I almost let him off the hook. But I had to know. The moment stretched on, and just when I felt sure he was about to explain, Charlie suddenly materialised beside us. Once again, he enthusiastically clapped Rhys on the back.
‘We’re next,’ he declared excitedly.
Rhys, in contrast, appeared outwardly calm, although his fingers were drumming lightly on the white-clothed table in a revealing tell. It was the first time, since witnessing him being resuscitated in the park, that I’d seen him look like this. Vulnerable. Was this my doing? I acted purely on instinct, laying my hand on top of his, and was rewarded with a look of gratitude that I found difficult to look away from.
‘And the winner is . . .’
My thoughts had been wandering, and it took a moment to realise that chairs were being pushed back from our table as Rhys and his colleagues got to their feet. They’d won.
Applause ricocheted from every corner of the room, snapping me out of my own head, with its jumble of conflicting emotions. I joined in enthusiastically. I may even have allowed a totally inappropriate whoop to escape as my fellow table members approached the stage to accept their trophies. Rhys flashed a quick smile my way as he climbed the steps to the waiting MC. I clamped my lips, silencing any further embarrassing exclamations of delight, butthere was no stopping me from clapping so hard my palms would probably be scarlet by the end of the evening.
Rhys gave the best acceptance speech of the night, bar none. It was easy to see why the group had chosen him as their spokesman. He was funny, humble, and generous in praise, both for his colleagues and the other nominees. Before stepping away from the mic, he paused and looked down at the trophy in his hands. ‘This award is a testimony to teamwork but also to friendship,’ he said, aiming a smile at his fellow prize-winners, who were all beaming with pride and champagne.
And then he looked directly at me. ‘Because when you have the right people beside you, anything is possible.’
Internal organs aren’t capable of actually melting, but mine felt decidedly less than solid as his words slipped over and under every single one of my barriers. My eyes remained fixed on his as he descended the steps from the stage and returned to the table with the others. Everyone was talking at once, but their words flowed past us, as though we were an island in the sea of noise.
‘That was a great speech.’ I paused, teetering on the edge of bravery before taking a leap of faith. ‘I especially liked the last bit.’
‘Thank you, Ellie.’ His voice was low as he leant even closer towards me. ‘I meant every word of it.’
The moment was ripped out of our hands when someone suddenly called out ‘Smile’ as a phone was pointed towards us and a photograph taken. I flinched at the flash. It was something I was still struggling to control since the lightning strike. Rhys threw up a protective hand, shielding my face as Helen attempted to take a second snap. She frowned, clearly unhappy at being thwarted.
‘Just trying to capture the moment, guys,’ she said sulkily before turning away.
Rhys reached for his chair and set it down at an angle, with his back to the rest of the table.
‘I’m sorry about Helen.’
‘I’m sorry about whooping when you won. It was very uncool of me,’ I counter-apologised.