Girl Online (33 page)

I hit send, and my phone buzzes immediately.

But it's not Leah or Elliot.

It's Alex.

Chapter Forty-Nine

I agree to meet Alex the next morning at the Flour Pot Bakery in the Brighton Lanes. I can see why he chose it: it's the perfect place to have a quiet, private conversation. My fingers are tingling with anticipation. I'm not sure why Alex wants to speak to me. I swallow down the other feelings—the ones that are screaming
BETRAYAL
for meeting Alex behind Elliot's back. But Alex had one
other
request for me, and that was to keep our meeting a secret until I've heard what he has to say.

A large part of me wants to tell Alex where to shove his meeting request, having seen how badly he hurt Elliot, but I'm also intrigued. Alex has become a friend to me over the past year—a good friend—and he deserves to at least be heard. I don't have to like what he says, but I owe him enough to listen.

I walk into the bakery and lock eyes with Alex. He is sitting towards the back at a small table with a cappuccino.

It takes all the self-control I have to contain the look of surprise that threatens to spring to my face. Alex is the type of guy who usually makes a lot of effort on the appearance
front. Elliot used to call him
preppy-chic
, even though it didn't seem to fit with Alex's day job at the vintage store. Today, though, it's like I'm meeting a stranger. He looks forlorn, and his eyes are so empty and sad. He's wearing a hoodie and I swear the cuffs have holes in them. His hair clearly hasn't seen a shower—let alone any product—in days, and his cheeks are sunken. I immediately feel my heart swell for him. I haven't looked much better myself over the past week and, as much as I love Elliot to pieces and he's my number one, I can see Alex is taking this hard too.

“Thanks for meeting me, Penny,” he says, moving his rucksack to one side so I can sit down.

“Of course.” I drop down into the chair, and there's a moment of awkward silence. “How are you doing? It's all been a bit . . . difficult, hasn't it?”

“Difficult is probably an understatement.” He lets out an exasperated sigh and takes a sip of his cappuccino.

I decide to get straight to the point—I know that Alex wants to speak about something, and I don't want to dart around the issue. “So, what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?” I look at him and muster a smile, hoping he feels able to talk openly with me.

“I've screwed up, Penny. We both know that. Elliot is everything to me, and I threw it all away because I was too afraid to deal with my emotions and I cared too much about what everyone else would think. This relationship hasn't been easy for me—Elliot is the only guy I've ever been with.” I watch him as he swirls the cappuccino froth with his spoon. “After everything ended with us, I finally told my close friends and family that I'm gay.”

My breath catches in my throat. “Really? I know what a big step that is for you. How did it go?”

A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth and he shrugs. “Honestly, I don't know what I was so scared of. They've all been so supportive and are happy for me. It turns out that the only person I was ever hiding from was myself.”

“Wow, Alex. I'm really proud of you. That's amazing,” I say, and I mean every word. I can't believe how far he's come.

“Yeah, but now the one person I want to tell won't listen. I've been trying to contact Elliot and he won't respond to any of my calls, texts, or emails . . .” He rests his chin in the palm of his hand and gazes at me, his face full of both hope and despair.

My heart goes out to him. Elliot is an all-or-nothing kind of guy. He will be dive-in-at-the-deep-end-with-both-feet in love, but he can also be ruthless in shutting people out. He just builds a fortress round his feelings that's more impenetrable than Gibraltar.

“Elliot takes a bit of time to warm up . . . he's like Elsa from
Frozen
.” I smile, but Alex doesn't smile back. Clearly now is not a good time for
Frozen
references. “I just mean it takes a lot to make him come round. He's really stubborn.”

“You think I don't know that?”

“I know he really likes you, Alex. I've never seen him as happy as when he was with you, and I mean that.”

Alex leans back in his chair. “What will it take for him to listen to me? If he won't answer my texts or calls, what else can I do? I don't want to just show up at his house,
because he'll only shut the door in my face.” Alex sighs dramatically—almost as dramatically as Elliot does. “I need to do something that will capture his attention.”

“Something big. A grand gesture.”

“Something
epic
.” Alex reaches forward and grabs my hand. “That's why I asked you here today, Penny. Will you help me? I need you on board if I'm going to have a hope of pulling this off. You're his best friend, and you know him better than anyone.”

It's clear that Alex is really regretting his actions, and I know Elliot isn't over this relationship either. I nod; I'll do it. “Maybe I can take him on a “decoy day,” so he thinks he's doing something with me but actually you have a surprise planned for him?”

Alex sits bolt upright and his eyes are as big and bulging as a pug's. I can sense the optimism rising in him and, before I get swept away, I just have to say one more thing: “Whatever you end up doing, he needs to know you're serious about being in a real relationship, out in the open.”

“Of course. I want to be with him. I want to show the world I'm in love with Elliot Wentworth!” He says it so loudly the other bakery customers turn and stare at us.

I laugh. “Save some of that for the surprise! This is so romantic. You need to get your thinking cap on.”

“Well, I have a few ideas already . . .”

Alex and I sit for another half an hour, thinking about every aspect of Elliot's surprise. It brings me so much joy to see Alex motivated and passionate about winning Elliot back. By the end of it, we have a list of Elliot's absolute favourite things, including (but not limited to):

- sunsets

- the beach

- fashion

- general knowledge

- things with sparkles

“There's got to be some way to pull this all together,” says Alex. “The sooner we can, the better, as I don't think I can wait much longer.” He puts his hand on top of mine. “Even if . . . even if he doesn't take me back—which I would deserve, I know—I want him to know what he's done for me. How he's made me want to be true to myself.”

This is what true love is: admitting that you've made a mistake, and going out of your way to make it right. Even if Elliot doesn't take Alex back, at least he's trying. If even half of what we have planned comes off, it's going to be like something from a movie.

I can't help but think of Noah.

Why doesn't
he
want to make it right?

Chapter Fifty

When I leave the bakery, I head straight for To Have and To Hold, Mum's wedding boutique in the Lanes. I need to ask for her advice on the Elliot surprise.

Mum is always the best person to go to at times like this. She is a true expert when it comes to big celebrations and planning (hence her successful wedding-planning business), but she's great at the small stuff too.

Mum and Dad are hopeless romantics with each other. Dad will often come home with a bunch of flowers, or a random card filled with love and admiration for Mum or, sometimes, an inside joke that neither Tom nor I understand. Mum will always make sure she gets Dad's favourite treats from the bakery for dessert, and runs him baths with scented bubbles, which he secretly loves.

Their over-the-top PDA used to make me cringe, but now it melts my heart. I hope that, whoever I end up with, we always take the time to be romantic with each other, just like my parents. They are my ultimate relationship goal.

I take a deep breath. I haven't been back to the shop since
before I left for Berlin, and my nerves are tingling. I take a moment to shake them off, then head into the shop.

Mum is finishing up a consultation with a bride. There are scraps of tulle and strands of pearls everywhere, and the bride is grinning from ear to ear. “I love all of these ideas, Dahlia—I can't believe it's only a few weeks away!”

“Time flies . . .” Mum catches sight of me in the doorway and her eyebrows rise in surprise. “Oh, Penny! You're here! Have you met Miss Young?”

I extend my hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“It must be so nice to work surrounded by so many images of love and happiness all the time!” She disregards my hand and kisses me on both cheeks instead. I'm used to this from brides—they tend to be quite touchy-feely. Before I have time to say goodbye, she's out the door.

“Penny, it's so nice to see you here!” says Mum, squeezing me tightly into a hug.

I'll admit it: I've been avoiding the shop. There's probably no place anyone would want to go to less after a breakup than a wedding haven. All those symbols and images of love and happiness . . . Yeah, that's not exactly what I've needed.

But I'm surprised. I don't feel the urge to throw up while I'm in here. Maybe it's because I have a mission now. Mission: Get Alexiot Back Together.

“Darling, did you have a nice coffee with Alex? Is he OK? I can't imagine he's coping well. He walked past the shop earlier in the week and he looked terribly blue.” Mum starts gathering up armfuls of tulle. “In emotion, I mean, not clothing.” She winks at me. “Can you turn the sign on the door, sweetie? If another bride comes in here we won't have
time for lunch! Now, I know it must be around here somewhere . . .” She flings open one of the cupboards and starts rooting through it.

I flip the sign on the door to
OUT TO LUNCH
and sit down in one of the armchairs. “Alex is OK. Well . . . no, he's not OK. He's broken up about being broken up. But I'm proud of him—he told me he came out to his parents.”