Hearts on Air
Page 26
When we arrived at the train station, Neil was in charge of handing out tickets, so I didn’t need to worry about that. We were admitted to a sort of VIP lounge and I’d just sat down next to Trev, handing him a coffee, when I overheard the conversation.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m going out and getting some arse tonight,” Callum said loudly, earning a sharp glare from Leanne.
“It’s okay for you. You’re not in a relationship,” said James. “I’m gonna miss Diana like crazy these next few weeks.”
“Isn’t she flying over to Barcelona for the last leg of the tour?” Trev asked before dipping his head to me. “Diana’s his fiancée.”
“Oh,” I said, feeling bad for him. It must be tough being separated like that.
“Yeah, but that’s not for another two and a half weeks,” James sighed while Callum made a face.
“Just come out with me. Diana will never know.”
“You’re disgusting,” Leanne spat and rose from her seat, heading for the bathrooms.
“I’m just honest, babe,” he called after her, and she flipped him off as she walked away. I hid my smirk behind my paper coffee cup. Even though I didn’t know her well yet, I suspected I was going to get along with Leanne.
“Why do you have to goad her like that?” asked Paul. “It doesn’t achieve anything.”
“It pisses her off, doesn’t it? That’s achievement enough for me.”
God, I was starting to understand why Leanne had such a problem with him. He was kind of an arsehole. Then again, I didn’t know their history. Perhaps he had reason to be.
“Cal, take it down a notch, yeah?” said Trev, and some of Callum’s confidence wavered. He mumbled something under his breath, then nodded like he’d just been told he was a bad puppy. I studied him a moment, but instead of the cocky, arrogant smile he’d been wearing a minute ago, his face had fallen flat. His brows furrowed, like he was thinking of something painful. I wondered what could’ve caused such an anguished expression.
I was distracted when an announcement came over the speakers saying our train was now boarding, and everyone started getting up to leave.
I touched Trev’s elbow. “I’ll go grab Leanne.”
“Okay, see you on the train.”
When I reached the bathroom it was empty. Just one cubicle had the door closed so I gave a light knock. “Leanne, are you in there? The train’s boarding.”
I heard a tiny sniffle then, “I’ll be there in a minute.”
I knew I should leave, but I hesitated. From the scratchy sound of her voice I suspected she’d been crying. “Are you okay?” I asked gently.
There was a moment of silence and then the door unlocked. She stepped out, not looking at me as she went to wash her hands. “I’m fine,” she said and turned on the water.
I knew she was lying but we weren’t familiar enough for me to push for the truth. “Okay, well, I’ll see you out there.”
I just reached the door when she spoke. “I don’t expect you to understand.”
I turned on my heel. “Pardon?”
She blew out a watery breath, her eyes rimmed with red. “I said I don’t expect you to understand what it’s like to be around someone you have feelings for when they have complete and total disregard for you, for everything.”
My heart did a quick thump. Little did she know, I knew exactly what that felt like. “I thought you both gave as good as you got. That day at the gym it seemed like you enjoyed taunting him.”
She exhaled shakily. “Yeah well. Sometimes I’m my own worst enemy. He’s just always had this way of provoking me, so I act like a dick. He acts like one back, and the cycle continues.”
She held my gaze for a second then returned her attention to washing her hands. A moment of silence fell before I spoke, “You’re wrong, you know. I’ve, well, I’ve actually been in a similar position to yours.”
Her blue eyes flared. “You have?”
I nodded and glanced over my shoulder to make sure nobody was eavesdropping. “Trev and I used to . . . have a thing. We were friends for a long time, it briefly became more, but then it fizzled out.”
“Was it his fault?” she asked, drying her hands with some tissue.
“I’m still not too sure. Sometimes I blame myself for getting ideas about someone I knew deep down could never commit. You know about his condition, right?”
She nodded. “Yeah. He has therapy every week. There’s a clause in our contract preventing the film crew from including footage of us discussing anything to do with his treatment.”
Well, that was interesting. And a good sign. Although I worried about him taking three weeks off to film. Perhaps he’d arranged to meet a therapist while we travelled. I focused my attention back on Leanne. “He seems to have matured a lot, and the therapy must be working because he could be just as careless as Callum back then. So yeah, I know how you feel. If you ever want to talk, well, we’re going to be sharing a room for the next three weeks, so I’m sure we’ll have ample time.”
That got a small smile out of her and she nodded, surprising me when she said, “I’d like that.”
When we boarded the train, I was startled to see several members of the film crew already recording. I thought they weren’t starting until Wednesday, but they must’ve wanted to catch footage of the journey. It didn’t look like anyone had been hooked up to microphones, so I presumed they were going to use it for a montage or something like that. Those watchful glass lenses made me self-conscious in my ripped jeans and grey jumper, but I quickly brushed it off. I was going to have to get used to cameras over the coming days.
Trev seemed able to read my thoughts when he said, “Don’t worry. I bet the camera loves you.”
His reassurance took me off guard, especially that last bit. I frowned and went to grab my suitcase. We were in the first-class section, so the seats were a little fancier than typical. There were also food menus for later. I lifted my bag to put it on the storage shelf above my seat when Trev approached from behind and took it from me.
“Let me,” he murmured, his warm body at my back.
I shoved aside how his closeness made me feel and slid onto my seat, glad it was by the window. A second later my nerves kicked in when Trev took the one right next to me.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m going out and getting some arse tonight,” Callum said loudly, earning a sharp glare from Leanne.
“It’s okay for you. You’re not in a relationship,” said James. “I’m gonna miss Diana like crazy these next few weeks.”
“Isn’t she flying over to Barcelona for the last leg of the tour?” Trev asked before dipping his head to me. “Diana’s his fiancée.”
“Oh,” I said, feeling bad for him. It must be tough being separated like that.
“Yeah, but that’s not for another two and a half weeks,” James sighed while Callum made a face.
“Just come out with me. Diana will never know.”
“You’re disgusting,” Leanne spat and rose from her seat, heading for the bathrooms.
“I’m just honest, babe,” he called after her, and she flipped him off as she walked away. I hid my smirk behind my paper coffee cup. Even though I didn’t know her well yet, I suspected I was going to get along with Leanne.
“Why do you have to goad her like that?” asked Paul. “It doesn’t achieve anything.”
“It pisses her off, doesn’t it? That’s achievement enough for me.”
God, I was starting to understand why Leanne had such a problem with him. He was kind of an arsehole. Then again, I didn’t know their history. Perhaps he had reason to be.
“Cal, take it down a notch, yeah?” said Trev, and some of Callum’s confidence wavered. He mumbled something under his breath, then nodded like he’d just been told he was a bad puppy. I studied him a moment, but instead of the cocky, arrogant smile he’d been wearing a minute ago, his face had fallen flat. His brows furrowed, like he was thinking of something painful. I wondered what could’ve caused such an anguished expression.
I was distracted when an announcement came over the speakers saying our train was now boarding, and everyone started getting up to leave.
I touched Trev’s elbow. “I’ll go grab Leanne.”
“Okay, see you on the train.”
When I reached the bathroom it was empty. Just one cubicle had the door closed so I gave a light knock. “Leanne, are you in there? The train’s boarding.”
I heard a tiny sniffle then, “I’ll be there in a minute.”
I knew I should leave, but I hesitated. From the scratchy sound of her voice I suspected she’d been crying. “Are you okay?” I asked gently.
There was a moment of silence and then the door unlocked. She stepped out, not looking at me as she went to wash her hands. “I’m fine,” she said and turned on the water.
I knew she was lying but we weren’t familiar enough for me to push for the truth. “Okay, well, I’ll see you out there.”
I just reached the door when she spoke. “I don’t expect you to understand.”
I turned on my heel. “Pardon?”
She blew out a watery breath, her eyes rimmed with red. “I said I don’t expect you to understand what it’s like to be around someone you have feelings for when they have complete and total disregard for you, for everything.”
My heart did a quick thump. Little did she know, I knew exactly what that felt like. “I thought you both gave as good as you got. That day at the gym it seemed like you enjoyed taunting him.”
She exhaled shakily. “Yeah well. Sometimes I’m my own worst enemy. He’s just always had this way of provoking me, so I act like a dick. He acts like one back, and the cycle continues.”
She held my gaze for a second then returned her attention to washing her hands. A moment of silence fell before I spoke, “You’re wrong, you know. I’ve, well, I’ve actually been in a similar position to yours.”
Her blue eyes flared. “You have?”
I nodded and glanced over my shoulder to make sure nobody was eavesdropping. “Trev and I used to . . . have a thing. We were friends for a long time, it briefly became more, but then it fizzled out.”
“Was it his fault?” she asked, drying her hands with some tissue.
“I’m still not too sure. Sometimes I blame myself for getting ideas about someone I knew deep down could never commit. You know about his condition, right?”
She nodded. “Yeah. He has therapy every week. There’s a clause in our contract preventing the film crew from including footage of us discussing anything to do with his treatment.”
Well, that was interesting. And a good sign. Although I worried about him taking three weeks off to film. Perhaps he’d arranged to meet a therapist while we travelled. I focused my attention back on Leanne. “He seems to have matured a lot, and the therapy must be working because he could be just as careless as Callum back then. So yeah, I know how you feel. If you ever want to talk, well, we’re going to be sharing a room for the next three weeks, so I’m sure we’ll have ample time.”
That got a small smile out of her and she nodded, surprising me when she said, “I’d like that.”
When we boarded the train, I was startled to see several members of the film crew already recording. I thought they weren’t starting until Wednesday, but they must’ve wanted to catch footage of the journey. It didn’t look like anyone had been hooked up to microphones, so I presumed they were going to use it for a montage or something like that. Those watchful glass lenses made me self-conscious in my ripped jeans and grey jumper, but I quickly brushed it off. I was going to have to get used to cameras over the coming days.
Trev seemed able to read my thoughts when he said, “Don’t worry. I bet the camera loves you.”
His reassurance took me off guard, especially that last bit. I frowned and went to grab my suitcase. We were in the first-class section, so the seats were a little fancier than typical. There were also food menus for later. I lifted my bag to put it on the storage shelf above my seat when Trev approached from behind and took it from me.
“Let me,” he murmured, his warm body at my back.
I shoved aside how his closeness made me feel and slid onto my seat, glad it was by the window. A second later my nerves kicked in when Trev took the one right next to me.
