‘Yeah, it’s romantic,’ she says with a shrug.
‘You sound really convinced,’ I retort sarcastically.
‘Okay,’ she says, leaning forward and sitting cross-legged again. ‘Going on what you just said, this trip was Pippa’s idea. Am I right?’
‘Yes,’ I reply, unsure where this is going.
‘So, she had the idea, she found True North, thensheconvinced you to do it.’
I look away, taking this on board. That’s almost verbatim how it went. Something occurs to me, and I look over.
‘That’s how it happened with you and Nicholas, isn’t it?’
‘Yep,’ she replies, clearly conflicted. ‘So, guess what would have beenreallyromantic?’
‘IfI’dthought of it – or any trip. If it had been my idea and I’d planned the whole thing and Pippa didn’t have to lift a finger.’
‘Exactly.’
‘Exactly,’ I echo.
Only now I’m not just talking about this trip, because isn’t that what Pippa did with the wedding? Her planning it as a surprise – in a foreign country with only a few days’ notice to get everything in place – that was her being romantic. She’s been giving me what she wantsmeto giveher.
And I’ve failed her – twice, maybe more.
‘You see what I mean?’ asks Delaney.
I swing my head in her direction and nod. Do I tell her? Do I tell Delaney the real reason Dan and Becks are in Iceland? This might be a good time.
‘Can I say one more thing?’ she asks before I get a chance.
‘Sure.’
‘None of this makes you a bad guy.’
‘How do you mean?’
‘If you and Pippa haven’t talked about this stuff – which, I’m guessing you haven’t…’ I shake my head. ‘Well, then how can you be expected to know?’
‘Because Ishouldknow – we’ve been together for ages.’
‘But you’re not a mind-reader. Even if you’ve been with someone for a long time, they’re going to keep things from you, and it’s unfair if they punish you for not guessing their secrets.’
I stare at her, taking in her words.
‘How do you know all this?’ I ask. From what I can tell, her current relationship hardly qualifies her as an expert.
She laughs drily, seemingly at herself.
‘Hard-won experience,’ she replies vaguely and right when I’m sure that’s all she has to say, she continues. ‘It was a relationship from my twenties that went sour,’ she says evenly. ‘He thought that “I love you” came with the power to read his mind. When it turned out that –shockingly– it didn’t, he broke it off. And sure, I dodged a bullet – that was really messed up – but it hurt like hell at the time. Anyway, all I’m saying is that you may know each other really well, but it doesn’t mean you share a brain.’
‘Mmm, fair point,’ I say, finally beginning to understand. With me and Pippa – it’s neither of our faults that we’re so misaligned and, at the same time, it’s both of our faults.
‘And there’s something else,’ Delaney says, drawing me back into the conversation.
I lean closer, enthralled by this new perspective.
‘I’m doing the same thing with Nicholas and I’m only now realising it – right this second. It pisses me off that he won’t come visit me in LA, but do I ever say anything? No! I go visit him in London, like a dutiful long-distance girlfriend, dropping casual hints that he should reciprocate. But I’ve never come right out andaskedhim to come to LA.’