Lucy wondered how she couldn’t have noticed Max had been down. When she looked back over the last few weeks it was obvious. Max had been quieter, deflated even. Lucy may have had more drama in her life than she ever imagined possible, but it was no excuse.
At least now she could try to make amends.
Lucy had also been blind to the fact that Max and Luke were well suited. Hell, maybe it would end in tears, but who was she to put a stop to things before they even started?
Any guy would be lucky to have Max. So she’d broken hearts along the way. Luke was probably no angel either; she just didn’t know every intimate detail of his love life as she did with Max.
Lucy had arranged to meet Luke at Selfridges for lunch and a little Christmas shopping. The huge department store reminded her of the excitement she felt as a child at this magical time of year. Lucy wrapped up against the December chill in skinny jeans, Max’s Armani coat, which she had left behind for Lucy to wear while she was in New York on account of having lost so many expensive pieces of clothing on her travels, and a cream-cashmere polo neck. Wait until she told the girls in the office she’d picked it up for £30 while food shopping in Tesco.
Sitting at a small table in the bustling café, picking at their shared platter with chopsticks, Lucy noticed her normally carefree brother seemed a little awkward.
She had told him all about Kirk Kelner and how she was going on a date with him in a few days. He had laughed and clinked his glass of fresh orange with her glass of sparkling water. He had told her how he was trying to curtail partying over the Christmas holidays to study for his next bar exam. But behind the pleasantries something was missing.
‘Luke, I don’t know how to say this, so I’ll just blurt it out and hope it comes across OK.’
Luke studied his sister’s face like a poker player trying to read his opponent. ‘OK,’ he said slowly.
Lucy took a deep breath.
‘I know about you and Max.’
She paused, hoping this would clarify the situation.
‘Me and Max?’ Luke was calm, as if mulling the words over in his head. He smiled wryly. ‘There’s nothing to tell. I got the message a while back – after she ignored my umpteenth text and call.’
Lucy sat up straight in her chair. ‘That’s it. She didn’t ignore you. Well, maybe she did, but it was all my fault.’
Luke cocked his head slightly to the side, quizzically.
‘You see, I told her to stay away from you. God, I was such a bitch. I told her to go after any guy she chose but not you.’
Luke narrowed his eyes. ‘You did?’
‘Yes, but not because of you… I mean, you’re great. But that’s my point. I didn’t want her to hurt you or for things to go wrong and our relationship to suffer. I mean, it wouldn’t be the most pleasant of situations if two of the people I love most in the world ended up hating each other…’
Lucy let the words trail off, unsure what to say next.
Luke had put his chopsticks on the table and was sitting back in his chair. ‘Right. OK. I think I understand. But Luce, Max has her own mind. She could have persuaded you, talked you round, if she thought enough of me.’
‘No,’ Lucy blurted out, ‘that’s just it. I’m ashamed to say I didn’t give her that option. I was so caught up in my own problems – I’d just come back from Scotland having had the most awful time and I’d split up with Hartley. Max knew I was on the edge. She felt guilty because it’s always me helping her – well, it’s not, but that’s how she sees it. She was scared of hurting me.’
Luke was resting his chin on his hand. His expression had softened. Lucy sensed he wanted her to continue.
‘It’s only when I look back over these last few weeks that I realize how down she’s been. She’s always so happy – singing, partying, laughing. That’s all been missing. My own little sister and I’ve been totally unaware. Trust me, for a guy to do that to Max she’d have to feel a lot for him. And she does – for you.’
Lucy paused.
‘I feel like a prize bitch.’
Luke laughed loudly. It felt like a release of emotion he had tried so hard to bottle. He had convinced himself that the way he felt about Max had been in his imagination. Or, if it had been real, patently it had been one-sided. Suddenly, he caught the sadness on Lucy’s face. He took her hand and squeezed it tightly.
‘Lucy, I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing because I’m happy to hear what you just told me. You are anything but a bitch. This is probably the first time in your life you’ve not been aware of everyone else’s feelings before your own. And to be fair, you have had a crazy time of it.’
Lucy looked relieved and smiled back at Luke.
‘Really? You don’t think I’m awful for warning her off you like that?’
‘I think you did it for the right reasons. You were protecting me. But guess what?’
‘You don’t need any protecting?’
‘Exactamundo, sis. And guess what else?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘I really like Max too.’