their happy-couple story, though. That was a great sign. After all, if they could convince Jonathan that he and Daisy were a couple, then telling his ailing mum would be a doddle.
“Fiancée, Jonathan. We plan to announce our engagement later in the week.” Eddie was so confident now that he had almost convinced himself he was a future groom. All he needed now was a deep voice that Sean Connery would be proud of.
Jonathan glanced at Daisy, who was nodding profusely.
“Friday, actually. We’ll be announcing it on Friday,” she said. She was beginning to enjoy this in an odd sort of way. Although, perhaps just seeing Jonathan again was making her delusional.
Eddie threw his arm around Daisy’s shoulders and crossed his ankles but Daisy gave him an indiscreet nudge so he stood up straight, flicked his golden hair and flashed his bleached white teeth in a bid to show he really was in the flushes of true love.
“Aren’t you going to say anything, Jonathan? I squealed with delight when you and Shannon got engaged. You could at least say something.”
“Actually, Ed, there’s quite a lot I could say right now to both of you, but I think I’ll bite my tongue.”
Daisy felt like she’d eaten a whole pack of Skittles. She hadn’t felt such a rush of energy since she thought she spotted Vanessa Feltz in a pet shop in Monaghan last November. At the time she’d only gone in to treat her flatmate Lorna to a new tarantula.
“Ah, Jonathan. It’s not like you to be so shy,” she said, ever so sweetly, even though her heart was thumping.
Jonathan looked at the unlikely twosome and was stunned at how his brother could be so flippant and selfish. Eddie only knew half the truth of Jonathan’s torrid history with Daisy, but he knew how long he’d taken to get over her. It was cruel to bring her back into their lives again, and back into their family. A tidal wave of emotions raced through his veins. Guilt, anger, hurt, memories. Memories he would rather forget. Eddie was playing some sort of stupid game and he wouldn’t stand for it.
“Actually I have just thought of a word to sum all this up…’
“Go on, then,” said Eddie with an edgy smile. “What is it?
Congratulations?”
“No. Bullshit,” whispered Jonathan. “That’s what I think.
Bull fuckin’ shit. This has got to be a big fat joke.” He sauntered away, back through the shiny red door of his mother’s house, with his hands stuffed in his pockets and his head hung low.
Eddie and Daisy stood together in silence, watching as Jonathan entered the cottage and closed the heavy door with a thud, so hard that Daisy was sure the whole house shook. She gripped her arm tighter around Eddie’s waist and leaned her head under his arm, wondering how she’d let herself get into such a state. It was amazing how long you could avoid meeting someone if you really wanted to. You never really forgot your first love, did you? Or was it first hate? First heartache? Was there a difference?
“Well, that was an all-round success,” she said. “Our little plan got off to a fine start. Not. Eddie, this is all a bit too much. Are you up to something else? Something you are not telling me?”
She wiped the rain from her face with a tissue and looked down in horror at the mess it made. It was black from the mascara that had dripped onto her cheeks. Great.
“Don’t worry about Jonathan, Daisy,” said Eddie. “He’s just really uptight lately with Mum’s bad news, and to tell you the truth, Shannon is piling on the pressure by insisting they bring the wedding forward even more in case the inevitable happens. Poor Jonathan can’t even think that far ahead. Getting married is the least of his worries at the minute.”
“I can imagine.” Daisy leaned against the bonnet of the car. It was drenched but then, so was she. “Gosh, I wish I hadn’t given him such a hard time. Both of you must be going through hell right now. I’m so selfish.”
Eddie nodded and kicked an invisible stone across the street. His eyes had started to fill up again and he bit his lip hard, then stretched his arms high above his head to fight back the tears.
“He’ll be fine. We’ll all be fine,” he whispered.
“Listen,” said Daisy. “Why don’t you go in and have a chat with him, and I’ll go and see my mum. She’ll get the shock of her life when she sees me on the doorstep, what with me looking so gorgeous and all that. And I’ll call over to see your mum later, when the coast is clear. We can give an Oscar-winning performance then. I’ll even practise snogging on the back of my hand. It’s been a long time for me, you know.”
Eddie laughed and gave Daisy a quick peck on the cheek. There was no way he was risking another snog-a-thon. “Good idea. I think I’ve quite a bit of work to do to convince my big brother. Anyway, Mum will be so delighted to see you.”
“Well, I’ll see you later then. Give your mum my best wishes. I always did love Isobel. And good luck.”
“I think I’ll need it,” he sighed, giving her another hug just in case Jonathan was still peering out at them from somewhere. “My confidence in my acting skills has taken a bit of a dent after the hisses and boos of the first audience. The next scene will have to be straight out of a Hollywood blockbuster.”
Daisy smiled. “You bet. Oh, and Eddie?”
“Yes?”
“Maybe we should just tone it down a bit. Don’t mention the engagement story. In fact, leave it out entirely from now on if you can. After all, we haven’t seen each other in quite a while.”
“True, true.”
“Emails, phone calls, love letters and now the start of a blossoming relationship between childhood friends. Much, much more convincing. What do you think?”
Eddie flashed a generous grin in agreement. Yes, that sounded much easier.
“You’re totally right,” he said. “Maybe I was trying too hard to impress Jonathan. I’ll tell him the engagement was just a heated moment of excitement between star-crossed lovers. OK, Daisy?”
Eddie walked towards his house and Daisy skipped towards hers. They were both smiling and thinking the same thing. How could they have let their friendship lapse for so long? Of course, they both led totally different lives, in totally different cities, yet the bond they’d formed as children was still as tangible as ever. Only the uncomfortable issue of Jonathan stood between them now, like a hurdle waiting to be jumped over.
“Daisy! Wait a minute. One more question,” shouted Eddie, running back to her like a schoolgirl and dodging puddles in case he splashed his Armani jeans.
“What? Remember, Ed. We’re supposed to be keeping it simple.”
“I know, I know. But I just need to know this one last thing.” He drew a breath and flicked his eyelashes upwards. “Have we done it yet?”
“Done what?”
“You and me. You know, it,” he said, gyrating his hips and glancing up and down towards his manhood.
“Oh.” Daisy thought carefully “Oh. Good question. Yes. Yes, we have. And you can stop that loin-grinding. It’s doing nothing for me at all. We made passionate love this morning when you came to see me in Belfast and it was wonderful, remember? Earth-shattering. Raw.” Daisy gave an animal roar.
“Pure, animal lust. Yes, that’s right, I remember now,” laughed Ed. “Mmm…how could I forget? It’s just in case Jonathan asks. I need to know what I’m talking about,” he said and walked away with a new spring in his step.
“Don’t tell your mother that, for goodness sake,” said Daisy as the most horrible thought of Isobel imagining them having sex flashed into her mind.
“I won’t,” promised Eddie and waved