Only one way to find out, so I send her a message.
If you’re up call me. SOS
I stare at my phone – like that will help – and gnaw on my lower lip. Then I remember Nick told me not to do that, so I stop. The woman returns with an espresso, and I thank her, then drop my eyes to the phone.
‘Come on, Megs…’ I mutter to myself, and as if I’ve willed the call into existence, my phone rings. I snatch it up.
‘Hey, thank god you’re awake.’
She laughs. ‘Way to make it about you.’
‘Sorry you can’t sleep. What are you up to?’ I ask, picturing her rearranging furniture in the dark.
‘The twins’ science projects. I’m bucking for first and second place,’ she replies and I laugh, even though she’s probably serious. ‘So, what’s the SOS? Is Nicholas on his way or what?’
All she knows is what I told her in my latest text – that we were sent to different countries and we’re trying to figure it out. She obviously hasn’t heard about Mount Etna or she would have said, but then Megan rarely bothers with the news. Her little patch of the world is big enough for her.
‘Not even close,’ I reply, quickly filling her in.
‘Geez, Laney, a fucking volcano? That’s shitty luck.’
‘I love how your potty mouth turns on after bedtime.’
‘I’ve been holding it in all day! If wasn’t talking to you, I’d be sitting here surrounded by pipe cleaners muttering profanities to myself, just to maintain my sanity.’
‘Hah!’
‘Besides, Gabe says it’s hot – it’s his kink.’
‘I did not need to hear that.’
She giggles, delighted that she’s weirded me out.
‘So, have you talked to Nicholas?’ she asks. ‘Is he gonna stay in Iceland?’
‘Hmm, not sure. It’s early there and he hates?—’
‘Mornings,’ she says, talking over me. ‘You’ve said –manytimes.’
Her tone speaks volumes – she’s not his biggest fan. Actually, she’s not a fan at all, which is partly his fault and partly mine. His, because he’s never been to LA, which she considers unforgivable and also means they’ve never met. And mine, because sometimes I complain about him to her. She’s my sister from another mister, so I tell her everything. Except what his kink is – that would be going too far – and, besides, he doesn’t really have one.
‘Anyway,’ I say, getting on with it, ‘that’s not the SOS.’ I press my lips together, so I don’t accidentally bite through the bottom one. Megan may be my best friend, but I’m about to confess something big and saying it out loud will make it real.
‘The volcano’s not the SOS?’ she asks.
‘No.’
‘Okay. Oh! Are you breaking up with Nicholas?’
‘No! And if I was, you soundwaytoo excited about it.’
‘What is it then?’ she asks, and I ignore that she didn’t apologise. She bites into something crunchy and munches in my ear, and I almost chicken out – this is harder than I thought. But there’s that whole ripping off the Band-Aid thing, so…
‘It’s the other Nicholas James – Nick,’ I blurt out.
‘What about him?’ she asks with her mouth full.
‘Well, we were stuck in the same suite last night because the hotel’s fully booked, and they gave us this roll-away, but it was shit, so we ended up sleeping in the same bed.’