Before Jamaica Lane (On Dublin Street 3)

My throat closed as I looked up at them. They had to work this out. They were that couple. If they couldn’t work out their problems, what chance did the rest of us have?

I got up quickly, giving Braden’s arm a squeeze of affection before I left. I hoped to God when Joss woke up the two of them would start communicating.

Being around them had done nothing to lessen my own heartache, and so, not wanting to be alone, I went to my dad’s. Like old times, he cooked me dinner and we hung out, watching TV, just keeping each other company. He knew something was wrong, but for once he didn’t ask questions. He was just there for me, like always.

I didn’t go home. If Nate used my key I wouldn’t know about it.

Avoiding Benjamin had become a challenge these last few weeks. I locked myself in the staff toilets the first time, I hid behind book stacks – moving from one to the other as Benjamin moved around them – the second time, and I’d even hidden in a coat stand. There was a coat stand behind the help desk and it was the first hiding place I seized upon when Benjamin came through the front entrance of the library.

Praying that the coast was clear, I’d stepped out of the coats to four curious gazes.

‘What the hell was that?’ Angus had asked.

I’d blinked, not sure there was any explanation on earth that would work. ‘Bee?’

He had stared at me for a moment and then abruptly strode off into the back office without another word.

The day after my visit to Joss and Braden’s, my pattern of avoiding Benjamin changed. Whether it changed out of circumstance or because of the weirdness between me and Nate, I wasn’t sure.

I was standing at the help desk, flicking through a book in between assisting customers, when a shadow fell over me. I looked up to find Ellie smiling at me.

‘Did you have a nice weekend away?’ she asked brightly.

‘Hey.’ I grinned and then turned to Jill. ‘Can I take five?’

‘Sure.’ She smiled at me and then at Ellie. ‘Hey, Miss Carmichael. I heard it’ll be Dr Carmichael soon.’

Ellie flushed as I walked around the counter toward her. ‘Soon, yes. It’ll be strange, though.’

‘It’s awesome.’ I pulled her into a hug before leading her toward an empty couch near the main staircase. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘I came to thank you.’ She turned to me, her eyes bright. ‘I heard you popped around Joss and Braden’s last night.’

‘Yeah?’

Ellie shook her head. ‘The last few days have been awful. I couldn’t bear to be in the same room with them and I didn’t know which one of them to be angry at, so I just decided to be sad for the both of them, which was really no help.’ She smiled sheepishly. ‘I’ll stop babbling and get to the point. I don’t know what you did or what you said, but it helped. Adam just called me to tell me Braden is in a much better mood. I called Joss and she sounds good too. I’m heading to see her next.’

‘I’m glad.’ Relief whooshed through me. ‘But I didn’t do anything.’

Ellie shrugged. ‘Braden mentioned you to Adam, so I think you did something.’

‘I think they were close to fixing things themselves. I just happened to be there at the right time. That is not a couple who can be mad at each other for long.’

Apparently I was wrong, because Ellie laughed. ‘Jesus, you should have seen them when they broke up. That is a couple that can do mad at each other and do it well. That’s what I was worried about. Anyway, it doesn’t matter now. They’re sorted and Joss seems tentatively excited about the pregnancy, so I’m going to seize upon that. I’m going to be an auntie!’ she squealed as if it had just suddenly hit her.

I laughed, glancing around us to find students smiling in bemusement at us. One of those students caught my eye and the laughter fell from my lips as he began to make his way across the foyer toward me.

‘Liv?’ Ellie asked.

‘Olivia?’ Benjamin stopped, towering over us. He grinned down at me, his friendly, gorgeous smile flickering to Ellie and then back to me. ‘I haven’t seen you in a while.’

There was no avoiding him.

And for the first time in weeks I wasn’t sure I should. I stood up, and Ellie did also. ‘Hi. Benjamin, this is my friend Ellie. Ellie, this is Benjamin.’

‘Call me Ben.’ He smiled at me before turning to shake Ellie’s hand. I felt the heat of Ellie’s burning curiosity on my face.

‘Have you been on holiday?’ he asked, his focus entirely on me, which was really nice considering that Ellie was a tall, stunning blonde.

‘No. I think we must just keep missing each other,’ I lied.

‘That’s a shame,’ he murmured. ‘But it’s good to see you now.’

‘You too,’ I replied with a smile.

We stared at each other a moment too long.

Ben cleared his throat. ‘I suppose I better get on,’ he said, seeming reluctant.

‘You know,’ Ellie said, ‘a group of us will be hanging out at Club 39 on Saturday night. Maybe we’ll see you there.’

Understanding flashed in his eyes and he grinned at me. ‘Yeah, maybe.’

As soon as he was gone I turned to her. ‘What was that?’

‘I’m just helping along a courtship that was going as slow as mine and Adam’s. I don’t want you to have to wait five years, Liv.’ She patted my shoulder. ‘It’s not fun.’

Ellie’s news that Joss and Braden were okay and Ben’s obvious interest in me brightened my day a little, helping me to bury the increasingly excruciating hurt and uncertainty I was feeling over the whole Nate situation.