Never Really Over

Chapter 47

"So, what time did you roll 'home' last night?!"

Dominic has a sly smile on his face as he sips on his tea over breakfast. It's early and the dining room is virtually empty. No-one has joined him and Beth at the table, the only other people present are gathered around the coffee machine chatting aimlessly before heading back to their rooms to get ready for the day. The early morning sun is streaming in through the floor to ceiling glass windows warming Beth's skin and irritating her eyes. As she squints through the sunlight at Dom she wonders if this is how flowers feel in a greenhouse, stiflingly hot and desperate for fresh air. Perhaps, however, is it not the weather, but the line of questioning that is making Beth feel so uncomfortable.

"What are you talking about?!" She feigns innocence. She and John had sat in the bar until long after everyone else, including the staff, had left. Chatting and laughing as though no time had passed at all. When John had finally pulled his long body from the chair he had occupied for the last few hours and declared it was time for bed Beth's heart had sunk. She'd been having such a lovely night, she wanted to stay chatting to John until the sun came up, just like they used to.

John had smiled apologetically, and joked about being an old man now, he needed his sleep. They'd shared the lift to their rooms, Beth exiting first, leaving a cloud of her perfume behind. She doesn't hug him goodbye, and he feels rejected but it's a conscience effort on her part to protect them both. It's nice being friends and she doesn't want to do anything to rock the boat.

"You know!" Dom raises an eyebrow. "I didn't think you were the type of girl to dich their mates for a guy Beth but must have underestimated you." He removes the tea bag from his tea, straining it slowly, he likes it strong, and he figures it's stewed enough.

"What are you prattling on about now?" Beth rolls her eyes and takes a bite of her banana as she leans back in her chair, her back is a bit achy after yesterday's yoga. She's awoken muscles she didn't even know existed, and she's hopeful that more practise will mean it won't hurt quite so much.

"We had plans last night and a little birdy tells me you were actually off doing sexy yoga poses with John."

"Oh shit," Beth's lips shiny with her peach flavoured lip gloss form the words as she is flashes back to yesterday morning when she had told Dom she'd see him to watch the Spain vs Sweden match when he had bemoaned how busy she had been recently and grumbled that he had barely seen her. "I forgot! I'm sorry! And I wasn't sexy, not at all."

She cringes at the memory of how inflexible she actually is and her cheeks heat up even more when she realises that people are gossiping about her and John. It's like being back at Everton.

"I'll forgive you," Dom shrugs nonchalantly. "As long as you tell me everything."

Beth laughs fondly; this is why she loves Dom he has a hunger for gossip that rivals any girl she has ever met.

"There's nothing to tell," she says coyly. Dom may be her friend, but her loyalty remains with John, and she will not be sharing John's declaration of love with him.

"Beth, if you still have feelings for him, and I think you do, you can't get married."

Dom's tone has changed, gone is the light heartedness, now he is serious. It's the kind of cold, hard truth Beth would expect from Keira, not from Dom, with whom her friendship is based on fun.

"You know I'm right," Dom says a little more gently, he can see the way Beth's entire body has tensed. Beth currently isn't being fair to anyone, including herself.

"It's all planned," she says forlornly.

The church is booked. The reception is to be held at a Knowsley Hall, near Liverpool. When Beth had visited the venue with Colin's mother, Pat, who had instantly fallen in love with the grand old country house. Beth had thought it looked stuffy and old fashioned, but she had kept her opinions to herself. Colin was the youngest of four brothers, all of whom were already married, having had grand weddings orchestrated by the brides and their families. With no daughter, Pat hadn't thought she would ever get to plan a wedding, but Beth had let her take over the planning from the very early stages. Almost detaching herself from the process. Beth had found Pat's excitement infectious, and at times, in spite of herself, she actually found herself looking forward to the wedding. It was certainly going to be a beautiful day.