Never Giving Up

Chapter 5

I throw the second dress I brought with me onto the bed on top of everything else I have at my disposal. "Even so many hundreds – maybe thousands – of miles away, you're still as useless as what you'd be if you were here next to me."

"Hey, how was I supposed to know you would be jetting off to New York to rekindle your love with Luca Madden?" I look down at the laptop screen as Allison comes closer to the camera. "I didn't."

"Yeah, well neither did I until Nick showed up at the flat the day before."

I pick the laptop up and walk with it out the bedroom and down the stairs to the living room.

"How is New York, anyway?" Allison asks as I get comfortable on the couch. "You look like you're living in luxury."

"That is only because Nick has me staying in the two-story penthouse suite in Luca's hotel."

"Jammy bitch."

I laugh. "As for how New York is . . ." I glance out the window and take a deep breath at the view I have of the city which is different with every window you look out of in the suite. ". . . It's beautiful from here but I haven't been out to experience anything as of yet."

"Well make sure you do or I'll be dragging you back to there and we'll do sightseeing like the tourists always do."

"Sure you will," I mutter while rolling my eyes.

She points at me with a serious look on her face and a raised brow. "Kaylee, I mean it."

"Of course you do."

"Kaylee."

"May I remind you that you're supposed to be helping me decide on what to wear tonight. Don't start with the idle threats."

"Well-" She stops speaking and looks off at something beyond her laptop. "Give me a few minutes." She looks back at me. "Greg is silently signalling for me to move because we're going out."

I huff. "Aren't you lucky and yet, I still haven't decided on something to wear which is why I contacted you."

"And here I thought you were calling to to wish me a happy belated birthday."

"Hey, I text you before I left London but you didn't reply," I defend.

She picks her phone up and looks at it with puckered lips. "Hmm . . . don't think I got it. My signal hasn't been too good here."

"You're lying hasn't been too good there, either." She looks back at me. I wave a finger round the screen at her face. "I can see your white tan lines from where your sunglasses have been."

"Cheeky bitch."

I laugh and she sets her phone aside.

"Did you pack that new playsuit you got when we went shopping? You know, the black plunged neck lace skort one?"

"I think so." I get to my feet and begin walking back up the stairs. "I'm not too sure."

"Just wear that one."

"If I packed it, that is."

"You will have. I know you."

"Allison, come on!" Greg's voice rings through the laptop speakers.

"You can't give me a few minutes to help my best friend out, can you?" She rubs her eyes and sighs. "I need to go."

"Enjoy where ever it is you're going," I smile. I come to a stop at the top of the stairs. "Tell Greg I said hi."