All About Me (26 page)

After another few minutes of faffing around, most people are sitting and the staff keeps telling everyone to sit in whatever place is available.

“
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard this flight
…”

That
’
s it now. The staff won
’
t let anyone to leave the plane and I
’
m fucked, because I know that India is not here. Because she would have tried to leave by now. Dora is her best friend and she rarely goes anywhere without her. She is loyal. Fuck, I
’
m an asshole. I wanted to surprise her and now I
’
m going to travel to Italy on my own. I start drowning myself in misery, closing my eyes for a brief moment, already planning my way back home. My pulse slows down and I decide that I
’
ve had enough. All my efforts have gone nowhere. She doesn
’
t want me. I screwed up from the moment I chose to hurt her in the restaurant.

Soon the doors to the plane are being shut and everyone is asked to put their seat belts on.

“
Excuse me, but I need to leave right now, I made a mistake. I shouldn
’
t be on this flight.
”
I hear the voice that automatically makes me want to stay alive again. I
’
m not wrong when I open my eyes. India is standing a few seats away, determined to leave. She already knows that Dora had set her up and won
’
t be going with her to Sicily. She starts arguing with the stewardess. I snap out of that strangely depressing mood and get up, ready to put my plan in motion right now.

“
India, come on, let
’
s sit down. I
’
ll explain everything,
”

Then she notices me and the frustration on her face is replaced by obvious shock.

The blond flight attendant looks from me to India with irritation.
“
Madam, you need to sit down now. And so do you, sir. We are just about to take off.
”

I don
’
t know if India finally understands that she is making this situation very difficult for both of us, but she moves while staring at me with her eyes wide open. I push her into the seat next to me and the flight attendant leaves, talking rapidly to herself about people and their manners.

“
You and Dora
—
God, I can
’
t believe that she would do this to me,
”
she says, shaking her head in disbelief. Our elbows are touching and that familiar electric current charges my body faster than I want. This is the first time since the party that we have been so close to each other. Fire starts brewing in my pants and this isn
’
t the right moment. I have to calm down.

“
Just chill. We both know that you needed this trip,
”
I assure her, but I don
’
t think that she cares. There is another long announcement and India
’
s body tenses. She moves away from me, probably ready to blow this whole thing out of proportion.

“
Don
’
t be stupid, Oliver. I don
’
t know what you said to Dora that all of a sudden she is on your side, but I already know what you
’
re doing.
”

I lean towards her, fucking annoyed that I have this bandage on my nose. I
’
m at a disadvantage, my normally seductive look won
’
t work and India has become immune to my charms, for the most part.

“
You need some time out. Everyone needs this once in a while.
”

She laughs, and I scratch my head staring at her, confused. I wasn
’
t expecting her to find this whole situation amusing. She was supposed to freak out or slap me; either way she is too fucking calm.

“
I
’
m not yours, Oliver. At that party in Gargle I thought that I put things into perspective for you, but a few days ago you showed me that you
’
re still the same person. Arrogant and obnoxious Oliver Morgan who believes that he owns everything and everyone,
”
she snarls, shaking her head.

“
Listen, I
’
m sorry that I kissed you. It just happened. Evans is a good guy and I hope that you can sort things with him.
”

“
Like I
’
m going to believe you.
”

“
You will see. I just needed some time with you away from everyone. I know that I don
’
t deserve to be with you.
”

She stares at me for a really long time, the tension stretches between us. I swallow hard, knowing that India hates manipulation. Evans is still her boyfriend.

“
I don
’
t want to talk to you, Oliver. I don
’
t even want to look at you. Once this plane touches the ground, I
’
ll be out of here. I
’
m getting the first available flight home and I don
’
t care what you think,
”
she says, raising her voice. Michael gives us a sharp look to keep it down, but I know that I
’
m already screwed. I misjudged her. She is going home. It looks like I made another stupid, egotistic mistake.

Chapter Twenty-five

Her worst nightmare.

Present

I thought that I
’
d enjoy the flight, but India turns her head towards the window and doesn
’
t say anything for the first hour and a half. We are thirty thousand feet in the air and she refuses to even look at me. At least my plan is working all right, so I can relax a little. I
’
m not sure yet what
’
s going to happen once we touch the ground. We have another few hours before we land on the beautiful coast of Sicily.

It
’
s going to take me a while to make her look at me as she used to. She is not going back home. I won
’
t let her, even if I have to tie her to the seat in the bus. Soon the captain switches off the seat belt sign, but India doesn
’
t move. She keeps looking away, making sure that her elbow doesn
’
t make any contact with mine. We sit like that for some time until my body goes numb and I can
’
t take this awkward silence any longer.

“
India, come on. I
’
m sorry that it had to come to this, but you didn
’
t give me any other choice. We will spend five days together, so please stop pretending like you don
’
t care at all,
”
I plead, moving a little closer than necessary, inhaling the soft scent of her perfume. She can feel my breath of her back; goose pimples appear all over her shoulders. My body swells with a rush of heat. India can lie to me as much as she wants, but her body is betraying her. We both know what kind of effect I have on her.

For a long moment I hear her unsteady breaths, then she turns her head, slowly aware of me invading her space. Our eyes meet and her body radiates with heat towards me, but I don
’
t move. She is wearing shorts, which means that I have a complete view of her bare legs. I swallow hard, trying to keep my thoughts straight. Her perfume lures me, crushing the wall that she has been building between us since the restaurant.

“
Oh, so shall we pretend that we are best buddies now, like when your psycho brother was alive?
”
she asks, narrowing her eyes.

“
It
’
s just a conversation, India, that
’
s all. I
’
m not expecting you to forget that I
’
ve been an asshole. At least we can try to be friends.
”

She laughs.
“
Friends? Are you kidding me? Do you think you can fix everything by keeping us together in a foreign country? Dora is a traitor, and from this point forward our friendship is just history.
”

I roll my eyes. I can
’
t help it.
“
Dora is only trying to help.
”

“
I don
’
t know what you did, but she betrayed me. She lied to me.
”

“
Please stop being miserable. Enjoy the holiday because whether you like it or not, you
’
re stuck here with me,
”
I say with a smile.

She angrily folds her arms together and turns around. I might not know how India manages her money, but she won
’
t throw three hundred quid in the mud just because she can
’
t stand me. The flight back home is going to cost her a fortune. She is pissed with Dora, so she won
’
t ask her for a loan. We both know that she won
’
t have any choice but to accept that I
’
m going to be her companion for the next few days.

“
We will have a good time in Cefalu. Trust me, this trip is going to be epic.
”

“
You don
’
t have to pretend that you care, Oliver. Deep down, we both know that you don
’
t.
”

“
I care about you, India, more than you can imagine,
”
I say, but she doesn
’
t say anything more. My new strategy of keeping the peace between us is not going to work. Despite my best efforts to keep the conversation going, she doesn
’
t say anything else to me for the rest of the flight. I offer her my iPad with the newest film that she hasn
’
t seen yet, but she bluntly ignores me.

Her body is slowly melting me away and I don
’
t know what I
’
m going to do when we have to share the room together. A few hours later, after a long, frustrating flight, the view out the window finally takes our breath away. Blue waters stretch over miles and miles as we approach that Italian island. I have a couple of romantic ideas to make this holiday unforgettable.

“
It
’
s stunning, isn
’
t it?
”
I ask her, leaning over, pointing at the island and at the same time inhaling her citrusy perfume that turns me on every fucking time. I hear her sharp intake of breath. Her body stiffens when in contact with my skin, but this is just the beginning. She doesn
’
t say anything for a long while, breathing harder than she should. Our last inflaming kiss kept me up for nights.

“
It
’
s pretty, but I told you I
’
m going home.
”

I sit back, wondering if she is really going to go through with this decision.

Five minutes later the captain lets us know to put on our seat belts. We have twenty minutes before landing. I
’
m
anxious, because I might be wrong. India hates me. What if she really is going to take the next available flight home?

As the plane touches the ground, Michael tells us to meet outside the passport control. I keep close to India, who looks annoyed. She keeps glancing around, checking her phone and biting her mouth. I can tell she is contemplating if this is really what she wants
—
to waste three hundred pounds just because she can
’
t stand the sight of me.

When we are finally done with passport control, I
’
m ready to scream in frustration. India keeps scrolling through her phone, probably checking the prices of the tickets. Everyone is waiting for us, looking bored. It looks like they are glad that India hasn
’
t killed me yet. There are a few guys I recognise from one of my classes, but there are a lot more girls. Michael gives us some updates about the hotel and distributes itineraries. It looks like we are going to have a busy few days. Then India asks him for a moment alone. I curse, wondering if he
’
ll convince her to stay. Now this whole thing is out of my hands.

Another half hour passes and India finally joins me again. I can
’
t read anything from her face, but my heart pounds in my ribcage.

“
So, have you decided what to do?
”
I ask.

“
You should be happy. I can
’
t afford to go back, otherwise I
’
ll be skint for the rest of the summer.
”

I stare at her blankly, wondering if she is fucking with me. This is really happening. She is staying. I want to hug her, but I can
’
t afford to make that kind of mistake right now, so instead I say,
“
You don
’
t realise how happy you
’
ve made me feel. I
’
m glad.
”

“
Don
’
t be, because I
’
m not doing this for you
.
”

 
I don
’
t say anything else, but I grin like I just won the lottery. Fuck, I want to dance, but instead, I text Dora to let her know that everything is going according to plan. Pure joy spreads all over my body, kicking my libido up to the roof. We are going to spend the best five days ever in Italy.

Outside it
’
s blazing hot; the temperature is soaring above twenty degrees Celsius. There are tourists everywhere. Girls are ranting about the town where we are going to stay. India is quiet, looking around. Once we get to the bus, the air feels a bit cooler. India tries to move to the back, but she doesn
’
t know anyone else in the group and I won
’
t let her sit alone.

“
So are you going to follow me everywhere?
”
she asks, once I situate myself beside her.
  

“
That
’
s the plan.
”

“
This isn
’
t funny, Oliver. I
’
m not your girlfriend or even a friend. Don
’
t make this difficult for me. Despite that kiss outside the classroom, me and Russell are still together.
”

“
I respect that. I
’
m not here to steal you away from him. I
’
m just trying to remind you that we had been friends for years and I would like to continue with that route.
”

“
You need to earn it and so far you haven
’
t done that.
”

Our conversation is interrupted by Michael, who starts telling us about the next couple of days. We are going to stay in the small tourist town of Cefalu. We will spend a day up there and in the evening we will head to Palermo. On the third day we will visit one of the oldest Greek ruins in Syracuse.