Abby grew abruptly pensive. “I worked for this fairytale, worked harder than you’d believe. It hasn’t always been easy with Nick. People like him and James... Well, their world isn’t what people think it is. It comes with a price, a weight that’s never really lifted.” She glanced over at me suddenly, as if she was worried she’d said too much. “I promise, though, it’s all worth it in the end.”
We stared at each other for a moment, before I took another sip from the flask. I swallowed the warming liquid and let out a sigh of disappointment. If only I was at that stage, the point where I’d have to decide whether or not life with an international celebrity is something I really want. As it stood, I didn’t have a choice. At the moment, James had yet to put that on the table. I was willing, and I had put myself out there, but something seemed to hold him back, something I didn’t understand, something I feared was stronger than either of us. Is that the weight she’s talking about? I wondered. And more importantly, will we ever be able to crawl out from under it like these two did?
“What about you?” Abby’s coaxing voice brought me out of my reverie and back into the present. “It isn’t often that James introduces anyone to us. What’s up with you two?”
My shoulders collapsed as the very question that had been haunting me audibly left someone else’s lips. “That’s the problem,” I said suddenly, staring down at my hands. “I-I just don’t know. We’ve been together for a little over a month. I know that isn’t that long, but in all that time, we haven’t really talked about it, not a word. At this point, I don’t even know what to call him. I mean, I don’t know if he’s my boyfriend or just...” I glanced miserably at Abby, seeking some sort of sisterly sympathy, but there wasn’t a trace of it on her face. If anything, she looked excited.
“Wait. Over a month, you say?”
I nodded slowly. “Yeah, just about.”
Her face lit up with a beaming smile. “Honey, that’s about seven years in James time. The guy never stays with anyone for more than a few days. Hell, he never stays in the same place for more than three weeks. How long has he been in London this time?”
A little smile curled the sides of my lips. “Longer than that.”
Abby grinned knowingly. “And how has he been spending all his time here?”
I flushed, trying to ignore the little butterflies taking flight in my stomach. “With me.”
We shared a secret smile before she turned back to the men and offered a little wink. “Well, there’s your answer.”
As if on cue, the men in question marched suddenly across the site, abandoning their mission entirely.
Nick snatched the flask from Abby’s hand and poured half the vodka down his throat. A second later, he passed it to James. “We don’t really need a fire,” he said confidently. “
The early pioneers survived without them, didn’t they? We can follow their example, live off the land.”
I glanced up at Nick, nervous to disagree with him but unable to let the point go. “Even the cavemen had fires,” I said.
“She’s right, you Neanderthal,” Abby teased.
James smacked him in the shoulder. “I told you. Shit,” he said and collapsed on the bench beside me, dropping his head into my lap and gazing mournfully into the sky, as if pleading with the fire gods to help him. “As if this trip could get any fucking worse.”
Abby turned quickly to hide her face, while I bit down on my lip to keep from laughing.
“James, we’ve been out here for less than an hour.”
His dark eyes locked on mine, full of adorable despair. “Has it only been that long? It feels like a lifetime.”
Abby snorted with laughter, then pushed briskly to her feet. “Okay, I’ll tell you what. How about you boys go out and do something important, like finding a couple big rocks we can use for protection. Della and I will get out the rest of the booze and take care of your little fire problem.”
Big rocks for protection? Does she really think that will work?
“Brilliant!” Nick’s eyes lit up as James simultaneously leapt to his feet. “How many rocks do you think we need, babe?”
“What do you say, Della?” Abby asked, turning to me speculatively. “Sixteen?”
I folded my arms across my chest with an authoritative nod, trying my very best to control the expression on my face. “Sixteen is pretty standard for a site like this.”
James nodded seriously. “Maybe a few extra, in case you were wrong about the bears.”
Nick strode forward for a valiant kiss. “Don’t worry, love,” he said, dipping Abby low to the ground in a cinematic show of passion before setting her back on her feet. “We’re on it.”
She smiled sweetly, waving them off. “That’s my man.”
I knew they just played along to have some time away from the girls. Maybe Nick wanted to ask him if he was serious about me or what was going on between us.
The second they were out of sight, we burst out laughing, doubling over at the waists and bracing against our knees as the hilarity of it overtook us completely. Little tears sprang into our eyes as we rode it out, until finally, we were able to get ourselves under control.