Chapter 25

Twenty-Five

LUCY

“I’ m sorry again about this, Mom.” I’ve apologized repeatedly for the snowstorm. Knowing I have no control over it, I still feel awful about it. She understands, but that doesn’t make it any better. This will be the first Christmas we will spend apart, and I hate to think of her alone.

“Oh, stop that. What are you going to do about the weather?” she says. “I promise, knowing you are safe on the ground is a much better way to spend the holiday. I can’t imagine spending the next week a nervous wreck, worrying about you flying back and forth during snow storms or being stuck in the airport with delays.”

“I’ll miss you.” My voice cracks as I let my sadness come up after many failed attempts to push it down.

“And, of course, I’ll miss you too, darling, but come in after the new year when there are far fewer people traveling, and we will pick a week with clear weather.”

“All right, sounds like a plan, Mom.”

“Besides, Ellie already stopped by to give me the lists of festivities I’m expected to attend at her family’s place over the next week. I’ll be plenty busy. And you will be too?”

“Yes, I’m leaving soon to go to Henry’s place with Oliver, Finn, Hannah, and Mia.”

“That sounds romantic! The holidays with your new man and his family.”

“His family, who were my friends before I met him,” I clarify. I’m still trying to downplay my fake relationship with Mom. I don’t want her to be too upset when I tell her it’s over.

“Of course. And do you want me to bring Ellie and her family’s gifts to them?”

“Yes, if you don’t mind, that’d be great.”

“Okay, then. Have a safe trip today. Let me know when you get there safely!”

I still need to grab some breakfast and double-check my bags before I leave. I probably packed too much, but I’ll be there for two weeks. Maybe this isn’t too much.

Mia

We’ll be there in 5 minutes.

It’s an hour’s drive to Henry’s home. There’s really no need for these butterflies to be dancing around in my stomach just yet. I grab my coat and check my hair one more time in the bathroom door. Even with being in contact every day, I’m restless to see him again, be in his presence, and beat him in board games, but what I’m looking forward to most is sitting next to him .

I carry each suitcase down separately and then lock up my apartment. Finn and Hannah’s cars are parked in front of my building. Everyone is on the sidewalk, and Oliver is talking to someone near the back of Hannah’s car. I look at Mia and Finn, and they give me an odd look but don’t say anything. Hannah begins to walk over to me as the man speaking to Oliver turns around.

“Lucy!” John yells loudly at me.

John…

John is here, in London. He walks over to me and pulls me into a hug. “Surprise!”

Is this a dream?

More like a nightmare. I shake my head in an attempt to wake myself. This surely can’t be happening. Looking around, fear sets in that this is not a dream, and my ex-boyfriend, John, is standing in front of me outside my London apartment.

My head feels like it’s going to spin off my shoulders, but I manage to get a couple of words out. “What are you doing here?” I ask quietly as if my friends haven’t already seen him.

“I didn’t want you to be alone on Christmas. Your mom told mine you wouldn’t be coming home. As soon as I heard, I booked a flight. I’m here to spend it with you.” He says the second sentence like it was scripted from a holiday romance movie.

I pull out of his embrace and turn to face my friends. They are all looking at me as if I were in a horrible accident. It must show on my face. “Wait here,” I tell John as I move him to the stairs leading up to my apartment.

Facing them, “I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting this.” I feel the tears welling up in my eyes. “I’m going to stay back. Have a good holiday.” I turn back to John and begin my return to my apartment.

Finn comes up on our side. “Nonsense, you’ve got to come.”

I give him a pleading look, hoping he will let this go and allow me to deal with the disaster that just literally landed on my doorstep. “I can’t,” I say quietly.

Oliver joins us, “John, it’s great to meet you. We are heading to my family’s house for the holidays. Would you be interested in joining us?”

No, no. No! I don’t want John coming to Henry’s home. “No, thank you, Oliver. We couldn’t do that,” I answer. What is he thinking? Inviting us to his father’s?

John ignores my answer and insists, “If that’s what you were planning, Lucy, I can accompany you.”

Of course, he would.

“No, I think it’s better we sort through things here.” I turn to John and lower my voice, “In private.”

“There’s nothing to sort though, I’m here to spend the holidays with you and I’d love to meet some of your new friends,” John says to Oliver and Finn.

Oliver agrees for some reason, “That sounds great. John, why don’t you ride with us and Lucy, you can go with Mia and Hannah.”

Finn continues, “Yeah, give us a chance to get to know you.” He has a little edge to his voice that it seems only Mia and I pick up on.

Well, I have a choice, I can break down on this London street and explain to them the embarrassing story that is my history with John, or I can try to save some face and go with them, corner John the moment we get there and insist he leave as soon as possible and hope that Henry can forgive me for this intrusion on his families holiday.

Hannah approaches, “Let me help you get your bags in the car.” Mia is frozen like a statue with her arms folded, staring John down as he moves into Finn’s car. I nod but can no longer find the words to say to them. Getting into the backseat, I feel my phone buzz, but I already feel sick enough. I don’t need to be looking at my phone during the hour-long drive.

How could I have been so naive to think my past wouldn’t catch up to me? I thought I could run away, but even an ocean wasn’t enough distance to get away from John. What is he doing here? He’s going to say it’s because he loves me. Yes, I’m sure he will say that, but I’m sure he has a text log full of other women he’s told the same thing to. Why couldn’t he go spend the holidays with one of them? Because he is going to say I’m the only one he actually wants to be with . This type of grand gesture may have been successful if it came years ago, but that girl is gone.

A tear falls from my eye, and I wipe it away. So much for the new me, the idea of becoming the person I’ve always wanted to become. Just like at home, I’ll be looked upon with pity by my new friends. The girl who everyone thinks can’t get over her ex.

I was finally forgetting my embarrassing romantic relationship past. John barely crossed my mind since I saw him at Thanksgiving. Spending time with Henry gave me hope that there is a possibility for me to have another chance at a normal relationship. Who am I kidding? All of that was fake too. Another tear falls. What will Henry think when I show up with another man? We discussed posting photos of us together for his accounts to show us as a couple spending the holidays together for the first time.

I know deep down, there was never a chance of Henry and I becoming anything more than friends, which even that was questionable some days. But I began to really enjoy that friendship, and look forward to his calls, and just this morning, I was so excited to spend time with him again.

“Are you okay back there, Lucy?” Mia sticks her hands behind her to hold my hand.

“Just surprised,” I answer, not able to say much more. “I had no idea,” I plead, hoping they know this isn’t something I planned.

“Oh, we know. Anyone who saw your face would know,” Hannah says. “But surprised good or surprised bad?”

“Just surprised. Still trying to process him being here. With how things were left and even when we saw each other at Thanksgiving, I didn’t ever expect him to show up,” I say, trying to save face. I need a plan.

Okay, when we get to Henry’s, I’ll give him my apologies and find a place to speak with John in private, tell him how greatly inappropriate this is, and demand he leave at once, claiming a sick relative or something.

Lost in thoughts, the drive to Henry’s home passes quickly, and before I know it we are pulling into the driveway of what is much more than he described to me. He called it a cottage, but it looks like something out of a storybook. Larger than I expected but more beautiful than I could have imagined it would be. Hannah’s car pulls up first and Henry is waiting at the side door for us. He looks so handsome…and cheerful.

“Welcome, ladies,” he yells to us, but I’m frozen in the car. Hannah and Mia exit and must give him a look of concern, and he moves to open my door. Time to face the music.

“Lucy, welcome. How was the drive?” he asks with caution.

Finn’s car pulls up next, and Henry notices the third person in the car pulling his attention away from me. “Who’s with them?” he asks.

I lower my head and hold back tears as I say the only thing I can think of, “I’m so sorry.” I should have texted him during the drive. I should have warned him, but I was too concerned with myself.

He cocks his head to the side in confusion. Finn breaks the silence as the men exit the car. “Pop, we have an extra guest. Come meet, John.” Henry doesn’t catch on yet, but Finn clarifies, “You know, Lucy’s old boyfriend from the States.” Henry looks back at me but I’m too afraid to meet his eyes. I know I’ll cry if I look at him, and I can’t do that if I’m going to try and blow this all over.

“Hi Henry, nice to meet you, I’m John.” Henry takes a couple of steps away from me.

Oliver intervenes to explain, “When we arrived at Lucy’s apartment building, John was there to surprise her, so I invited him to come up here and stay with us.”

“You did,” Henry says with ice in his tone as he takes another step away from me .

John moves to my side, taking my bag and putting his arm around my shoulder before leaning down to ask, “How was the drive? You feeling all right?” I nod and move to put distance between us. He addresses everyone else, “She gets carsick on long drives sometimes.” As if he needs to prove our history.

“Right.” Henry’s voice is more rigid than I think I’ve ever heard it. “Well, let me show everyone to their rooms. First will be the room for Lucy and her long-lost lover.”

Out of reach from John’s embrace, I follow behind Henry, neither of us attempting to make eye contact.