Designing Abigail Kilton's Dress - #1 The Wedding Dress

Chapter 24 - Extra Extra!

Kayleigh stared at her friend wide-eyed, not sure when or how the tables had turned so drastically. She herself stood still while Rosemary Nicholson paced barefoot on the carpet, wringing her hands and biting her bottom lip.

"Please, don't be mad at me. I didn't mean to lie to you," she pleaded.

"You didn't lie," Kayleigh shrugged. "I asked if there was something going on and there isn't, right?"

Rosemary looked back uncertainly. "No. But I kind of wish there was. Is that bad? Am I awful? I am, aren't I?"

Kayleigh tried to roll the tension out of her shoulders. She needed to process the information that was just thrown at her, but her head seemed full of fog. She wasn't entirely surprised. In fact, she'd been suspecting something was up for the past couple of weeks. But this complicated things. She needed to take control. She needed coffee.

Kayleigh kicked off her shoes and made her way to the kitchen. Placing her bag on the counter, she fired up the kettle before turning to face her anxious yet very sober friend. "So, let me get this straight," she started slowly. "You're not drunk."

Rosemary shook her head guiltily.

"You were just faking it to hide the fact that you couldn't keep your eyes off my brother?"

"I thought if he suspected something I could always blame it on the alcohol. It's what they do in the movies, isn't it?"

"We're not in a movie, Rosemary."

"I know," she groaned. "It's the London air, I guess."

"No, it's not!" Kayleigh said a bit too quickly. She turned to fetch two plain mugs from the top cupboard. She needed to buy mugs. Colourful ones. They shouldn't be having such a conversation over such impersonal mugs. "You know Leon is not exactly the best person to fall in love with, right?" she went on, careful to keep a neutral tone.

"I'm not in love with him. Yet."

Kayleigh turned on the girl again. "Yet?"

"I don't think I can help it, Kay. I really like him."

Kayleigh scooped one teaspoon of coffee into each mug, adding a teaspoon of sugar into hers and two into Rosemary's. She poured the hot water, slowly inhaling the smell of coffee. "Yes, you can," she countered, forcing her voice to remain calm. Panic never got her anywhere. "You have to, or you're going to get terribly hurt. I know he's charming, but really if you look past that, he's just another boy. Just another silly, stupid, immature little boy."

She grabbed the two mugs and handed one to Rosemary. The two girls sat on the couch and blew carefully on their hot drinks. When Rosie finally spoke, her voice was timid, like a little girl's. "Is that how you got over Burrows? By looking past his charm?"

Kayleigh's heart stopped in its tracks. Her eyes flickered up to Rosemary's innocent ones and all her feelings seemed to combust in her chest. "Marcus disappeared from my life completely. There was nothing left to look at. I just had to... get on with it. I didn't have a choice."

Rosemary took a sip of her coffee and a sly smile formed on her lips. "But that Jack Monroe! He's all charm too, isn't he? He is so beautiful, Kayleigh! He's the perfect cure to get someone out of your system!"

Kayleigh's features darkened as she thought of the man who just left her doorstep. "He's ridiculously perfect," she replied somewhat morosely. "I still don't get why he's dating me."

"Don't say that!" Rosemary reached out to touch her hand. "Just because Marcus Burrows let you slip through his fingers, doesn't mean that Jack can't see how great you are!"