Skye and the City (A Romantic Comedy)

Chapter 22

A month ago, just before I'd moved to Glasgow, Eddie had shown up at my door.

"You're really going then?" He'd sounded sad and resigned as he'd followed me into the kitchen. "I didn't really think you'd go through with it."

"Well, believe it because it's happening," I'd shrugged matter-of-factly. It was his own fault for underestimating me.

"I just hope you're not moving for the wrong reasons," he said, leaning against the kitchen counter and folding his arms. Was his tone ominous, or was that just my imagination? I couldn't quite decide. "Word on the street is that you're chasing after a man."

Of course, he'd already bloody heard about Jay. I swallowed a frustrated sigh, remembering this was one of the many reasons I no longer wanted to live in this tiny village. The rumour mill had taken no time at all to grapevine itself along the main street, spreading my reverse Cinderella-esque story to all and sundry.

"It's none of your business," I told him wearily. "We're not together anymore."

"I just think you'll be sorry," he said stonily. "He's not good enough for you."

In retrospect, that should have probably set off alarm bells, but I was preoccupied with packing and merely assumed it was sour grapes on Eddie's part.

What a thing to say about your friend, though, I think now, my gaze trained on Jay's guilty face.

"Why did you do it?" I ask quietly. "What was in it for you?"

Jay winces, obviously not knowing where to start. All he knows is that he's well and truly busted. "At first, there was nothing in it for me. Honestly. I'd come up to meet Eddie to go to that gig, and he'd asked me to do him a favour beforehand. He'd wanted me to meet you, pose as a mysterious stranger from Glasgow, get your number, then never call you. I think he thought that would  be enough to convince you that he was a better prospect and you would get back together with him and stay in the village."

"He's always been an idiot." I shake my head. "Nothing was going to convince me to get back together with him."

"He was pretty sure he'd never mentioned me to you since we were friends from way before he moved up north, but he asked me to call myself Jay just in case. Of course, he didn't factor in a couple of things."

"Such as my phone being dead?" I guess.

"Yeah," Jay nods. "Or the fact that I fancied you the second I walked into the pub and spotted you stuffing several chips in your mouth at the same time." He grimaces. "I didn't anticipate that happening either."

Oh.

"So this hasn't been an act?" I ask, my voice faint. "You actually do like me?"

He nods. "Skye, from pretty much the minute I met you, I know there was no way I could ghost you. In a way, it was a relief you'd ghosted me because Eddie was furious when I told him I couldn't go along with his charade. He's been contacting me constantly to see if you'd found me, trying to warn me off."

I feel a bit better knowing that Jay hadn't been completely full of shit. He might have started off as my ex's puppet, but at least he'd cut the strings.

Eddie should count himself lucky he's more than 200 miles away right now, though, because I'm feeling quite stabby as a result of his stupid little plan. However . . . the joke is very much on him because his plan backfired so badly. And that, my friends, seems like a textbook-perfect example of karma!

"I've blown it with you, haven't I?" Jay asks sadly after a brief hesitation. I nod apologetically.

"Honestly though, Jay, I've fallen pretty hard and fast for someone else since I got here. So it's not just the Eddie thing - but, yeah, the fact you were involved in that plan at all would have probably been a deal-breaker anyway."