All About Me (23 page)

In the morning I pack all my shit and get back to Braxton. I know for a fact that I fixed one problem, but India
’
s scars aren
’
t healed yet.

“
You
’
re fucking kidding me, right? You swapped your beauty for this crap?
”
Jacob asks, coming out to greet me as I pull into my street after driving for hours. All right, maybe this sounds cheesy, but I
’
m glad to be back in Braxton, seeing my best mate back to his usual self. He shaved and it looks like he slept at least a full day.

“
Memories can destroy the peace and I hated that the car belonged to my brother. There is nothing wrong with this beauty,
”
I argue with him.

“
Nope, your brother might have been an asshole, but he knew shit about cars.
”

“
Let
’
s not talk about that dead piece of shit. I want to know if you and Dora are back together?
”

Jacob beams like he just got the best Christmas present, not even trying to hide his good mood.

“
She came over and we talked, man. I don
’
t know, we have problems, but I love her,
”
he says.
“
I told you to stay away from my shit, didn
’
t I?
”

Yeah, maybe Dora finally understood that Jacob is worth fighting for.

Evans is a prick, but he looks after India and I can
’
t deny it. I know about what kind of chemistry Dora was talking about at the party. The earth moves when India and I kiss, and I struggle to get up in the morning if I know I won
’
t be seeing her.

“
Man, I have no idea what you
’
re talking about,
”
I say. We both know that I interfered in his business, but there is no way that I
’
m going to tell him that Dora needed to be put in her place.

“
Whatever. I know that you spoke to her. She wouldn
’
t just start saying shit like that.
”

“
Maybe she finally got it that you
’
re the one and only bloke that she can be happy with,
”
I say.
“
Besides, she made India come to Gargle and didn
’
t even tell her that I was there.
”

Jacob looks baffled, shaking his head in disbelief.
“
Is she team Oliver now?
”

“
Something like that,
”
I mutter.
“
You have your girlfriend back, so now I just need to work on mine.
”

It
’
s not long before Dora herself arrives later on in the evening to see Jacob. I
told him about the party at the barn and our conversation
. I can
’
t hang around her, but at least she understands that we wasted years. If we
’
d just talked to each other, we could have spared so much pain.
 

Jacob makes dinner, and while three of us eat, Dora gives me her usual speech.

“
So what
’
s next? What
’
s your plan?
”

I look at her, wondering why all of a sudden she is on my side. Maybe it
’
s just a trick to fuck me over while I
’
m still down.
“
India needs time to analyse everything. She
’
s happy with Russell.
”

“
Russell
’
s mother is dying of cancer and she won
’
t leave him now. She
’
s with him because she is pitying him.
”

Fuck, so now I
’
m the biggest prick on this planet. I
’
m trying to get India back from the guy while his own mother is suffering like that. Great. This can
’
t get any worse.

“
That
’
s why I should back off. For fuck sake, Dor, I don
’
t want to rip them apart. I
’
ve learned the hard way that acting impulsively doesn
’
t work well for me. Me and India, we will be together again. It
’
s just a matter of time.
”

“
Well, well, well, Oliver. I can
’
t believe that you came up with something like that. I
’
m impressed.
”

I laugh.

“
Yeah, I told you, Dora, he is decent,
”
says Jacob with his mouth full of food.

“
I don
’
t get it, Dora. Why all of a sudden do you want to help me?
”
I ask.
“
You know, she
’
ll go mad when she finds out that you had something to do with this.
”

“
I don
’
t want her to be unhappy for the sake of Russell, and I have to admit
—
I was wrong about you. But let me tell you, if you ever throw shit like that again, I
’
m going to destroy you myself. There won
’
t be any second chances.
”

“
I get it, Dor. I fucked up once. Now I know what I lost, so this won
’
t happen again,
”
I assure her after assuring myself for about the hundredth time. She kisses Jacob and pats me on the back.

“
She is going to hate me for this at first, but once you guys are back together, she will forget that I even existed,
”
she says with mischief in her eyes.
“
We have to figure out something soon, before the exams.
”

I agree with her, but two weeks later there is still no progress. India continues with her life like she normally does, only glancing at me from time to time. The exams come and everyone is stressed and focused on revisions. Dora hasn
’
t come up with anything and time is slowly running out. At the end of June, India is probably going back to Gargle. Russell will be there taking my place, and then she will never consider giving me a fair shot again. I don
’
t want to think negative, but in the end of the day the damage has been done. India is romantically involved with another guy and I don
’
t think I can handle being with her as a friend.

My first two exams go fine. Somehow I manage to concentrate and I get out of the hall satisfied. My wrecked body craves India
’
s company. When she passes me in the corridors, she is holding hand with Evans. I need and want her. I can make her cry and laugh, but I can
’
t make her forgive me. She hides her emotions well and we both know that she is not happy with him. Dora gives me daily reports, saying that they are fighting. Deep down I
’
m glad, because she knows that there is no future with Evans. India is stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Chapter Twenty-two

A Chance
.

Present

“
Okay, I might as well start over. There is no way that I
’
m going to pass this shit,
”
Jacob snarls, dropping his books on the floor in my bedroom. I frown, trying to focus on a computer game. Jacob has been getting on my nerves the past few weeks, panicking over every single exam that he takes.

“
Can you not see that you
’
re distracting me?
”
I ask. Besides, stop winging, you will pass like always.
”

He mumbles something about mixing up the questions, running his hand nervously through his hair. He is such a pussy.

“
I wanted to take Dora on that trip to Italy in a week, but if I fail, my summer is fucked. It
’
s supposed to be amazing. All the girls have been ranting about it through lunch.
”

“
Trip? What are you talking about?
”

“
Sicily, the posters from the Student Union have been everywhere. It
’
s a decent price, but I
’
m not sure if there are any spaces left.
”
 

Now I get interested. In the past few weeks I
’
ve been so absorbed with exams and keeping away from India that I haven
’
t even seen what was going on all around me. Socialising hasn
’
t been my thing.
“
So what
’
s stopping you?
”

“
She doesn
’
t seem too keen on that. Besides, you know that I hate flying.
”

Jacob continues his monologue about problems with grades and shit like that, so I get online to check the trip that he is talking about. Every year at the end of exams, Braxton organises some sort of trip abroad. Last year one of my teammates went to Paris. From what he said, he loved it. Everything looks pretty straight forward, and as I stare at the blue ocean with a stunning view of small fishing villages, a new plan starts forming in my head. I rub my eyes, feeling more awake than any other day. The trip costs around three hundred quid with breakfast over five days. All of a sudden an idea triggers in my mind, so crazy and so unbelievable that it pulls me back to life.

“
Jacob!
”
I shout, getting up as my heart starts pounding way too much blood through my body.
“
Fuck, do you think there are any tickets left for this?
”

My best mate shrugs his shoulder, scratching his head.

“
Don
’
t know. Maybe. I checked a few days ago and they only had a handful left.
”

“
Fuck, I need to speak to Dora, pronto.
”

I don
’
t have time to wait right now, as my thoughts are already racing away. I storm through the room and return shortly holding his mobile phone. My heart hammers in my chest. What if there are no more tickets? What if I can
’
t pull this off? These questions raise some concerns, but I can
’
t worry about shit like that now.

“
Call her right now and ask her to come here as soon as she can,
”
I demand, wiping the sweat from my brow.

“
Why?
”

“
Fuck, stop wasting my time and just do it. I need to speak to her. I have another idea and Dora is the only one that can help with this.
”

Jacob does what I say, and when he finally gets through to Dora, I pace around the room, talking Jacob through what I
’
m planning. There are many things that I have to consider, but in the end India will be mine again. I can
’
t deny it: I don
’
t want friendship; I want all of her to be mine.

An hour later Dora shows up looking annoyed that I dragged her here just when she was on her way to bed. I
’
m already pumped with excitement, so nothing is going to bring my mood down, not even angry Dora.

“
This better be important, Oliver,
”
she states, folding her arms together as soon as she walks through the door.

“
Can you sort out the tickets for that trip to Sicily?
”

She stops chewing her mouth.
“
Sicily? Is this what this is about?
”

“
Fuck, Dora, this crazy idea just came to me, but I think I found the way to get India back,
”
I say.

“
What the hell are you talking about, Oliver? Just get to the point.
”

“
Somehow you
’
ve got to convince India to go with you to Sicily. Tell her some white lies to make sure that she won
’
t back out at the last minute.
”

“
What? Why would I want to go to Italy? I
’
ve been there like a million times.
”

“
Don
’
t worry, you won
’
t be going anywhere. You are only going to tell her that you
’
ll be there, but after the check-in, I
’
m going to take your place.
”

This whole operation is fucking risky, but right now I
’
ve run out of any other sensible option. Once I get India on the plane, she won
’
t have any choice but to stay. We are going to spend five long days together, and with a bit of luck, we will share a room. I need help to pull this off. India is not stupid and I
’
m only going to have those five days to convince her to trust me again.

As soon as I explain to Dora my master plan, I see how her face transforms. Jacob shakes his head. He already told me that India won
’
t fall for this and Dora looks uncertain.

“
You want to go abroad with India for five days, knowing that she doesn
’
t want you?
”
she asks.

“
Mate, there is no way that she is going to stay with you. She
’
ll take the first available plane home,
”
Jacob adds for the fourth time in a row. He can laugh, but I
’
m not backing off now.

“
I
’
ll make her stay. I don
’
t know how, but I will. I know India, she is always careful with money and she wouldn
’
t waste it just because she has to spend five days abroad with me.
”

“
All right, this sounds crazy, but I
’
m in,
”
Dora chuckles, like she doesn
’
t believe that she is agreeing to this.
“
But remember, India will be mad when she finds out that I set this up, so you have to make sure that this is going to work.
”

Dora is right. India hates being manipulated to do anything. I have to make her fall in love with me again within five days.

“
I know, I get it, but this is my only chance. She is already slipping away.
”

“
What about Russell, man? He is still her boyfriend. There is no way he will let her go abroad, especially if you are the one that
’
s going with her.
”

Just like that, Jacob crushes everything. He is fucking right. She and Evans are together and his mother is dying of cancer. I can
’
t expect her to go abroad without him. Silence stretches for minutes. Dora looks lost and I keep working my jaw, wondering what to do.

“
Oliver, are you absolutely sure about this?
”
Dora asks.
“
Because I can convince her to go. That
’
s the easiest part. You need to think about these five days that you
’
ll get with her in Italy. Can you make her forgive you in that short space of time?
”

“
Yes I can, but Evans
—”

“
We will figure something out.
”
Dora cuts me off.
“
I
’
ll sort the tickets out and you deal with the rest.
”

“
Dora, if you pull this off then I
’
ll owe you my life forever.
”

“
Don
’
t be sentimental, Oliver. I get it, but let me tell you, if she steps out of that plane and never speaks to me again, then you
’
re going to be finished. And I mean it.
”

She is right. I
’
ll be finished if this does not work. India hates me and once she understands that Dora was never going to fly with her to Italy, she
’
ll go ballistic. There is another problem: Evans. He won
’
t let me anywhere near India. Dora is right. He is a tough guy, and India can
’
t think that I
’
m doing this just because I deserve to have her back. We will spend some time in Italy and I
’
ll show her that I am serious about being with her only as a friend, nothing else. Breaking Evans and India
’
s relationship will only make things worse for me, but he won
’
t let her go to Italy knowing that I
’
ll be there. Maybe I should do something that would make them fight so they take a break away from each other. Then Dora could convince her to go to Italy. I go to sleep thinking about this, brainstorming ideas with my own arrogant side until I fall asleep, this time with a smile on my face.