Page 88 of Snowed In with You

Lucy paused for a moment, processing Sasha’s request. Her instinct was to tell Sasha to do one, but this wasn’t about her and Sasha. It was about Nate, and what he needed right now.

‘Fine,’ said Lucy. ‘I can do that.’

‘Thank you,’ said Sasha, looking relieved.

‘But I need to know that you aren’t going to get in my way. I know I don’t seem ideal, on paper. But I know him, and I really care about him. I’m not going to mess him around.’

Sasha stared at her, like she was taking the measure of Lucy and deciding whether she was worth going into battle with over Nate.

‘OK,’ said Sasha. ‘I won’t get in your way. He’s a grown man who can make his own mistakes.’

‘Good,’ said Lucy. ‘Can I tell Jonno that you’re Nate’s mum?’

Sasha pulled a face. ‘Why would you want to do that?’

‘Because I want to video his reaction, it’s going to be epic.’

Sasha thought about it for a moment, then gave a heavy sigh. ‘He’s going to find out eventually, obviously. Can you give that a few weeks too? And persuade him not to tell anyone?’

‘Sure,’ said Lucy.

‘Fine,’ said Sasha, wafting her away. ‘It will save me the horror of that conversation. Send me the video, though. God knows I need a laugh.’

They stared at each other for a moment, as Lucy weighed up the decision she’d just made. Yesterday Kristoff, today LUNA. It was turning out to be a fairly momentous few days.

‘I’ve always respected you, Lucy,’ said Sasha. ‘I think we’re very alike, in lots of ways. Are we going to be able to come back from this, do you think?’

‘I don’t know,’ said Lucy. ‘If I’m wrong about how Nate feels about me, it won’t matter.’

‘But if you’re right?’ asked Sasha, raising her eyebrows.

‘Then we’ll work it out, for his sake. It’s what adults do.’

‘Yes, it is,’ said Sasha, seemingly satisfied for now. ‘Just give him three weeks.’

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Three weeks later

‘I can’t believe I’m doing this,’ said Jonno, tanking his car down the M4 at eighty-five miles an hour. ‘It’s your last day, we should be pissed at your leaving party right now.’

‘There isn’t a leaving party,’ smirked Lucy. ‘Unless somebody organised one without inviting me.’

‘Oh my God, Fran would totally do that,’ laughed Jonno. ‘What are you going to do next?’

‘I’m not entirely sure,’ said Lucy. ‘I’ve got a couple of interviews lined up, both really good agencies. But I’ve also told both of them that I’m not available until January, so it depends on how happy they are to wait.’

‘What are you going to do between now and then?’

‘Do some freelancing. Maybe take some time off.’

‘And do what?’

‘Well, that depends on how tonight goes.’ The basket of snakes in Lucy’s belly wriggled and squirmed, and she wondered if she was going to make it through this evening without throwing up. She’d had too long to think about this plan, and it already felt entirely stupid and destined to fail.

‘Whether Nate goes for this ridiculous overblown gesture, you mean?’ asked Jonno.

‘Yes,’ said Lucy, wishing that, just occasionally, Jonno could be a tiny bit less honest.