Read Online A Hopeless Romantic by Harriet Evans - Free Book Online

The words were tumbling out of her; she looked distraught. “What the—what the fuck are you doing? How long has this been going on? Does Amy know?”
    “It’s nothing,” said Laura, her self-preservation gene kicking in. “Completely the wrong end of the stick. You know how matey we’ve become.”
    Part of her wanted more than anything else to tell Jo, to confess all, to ask her best friend’s advice. But she couldn’t. She’d chosen it this way, and soon it would all be sorted out.
    “I know what I saw,” Jo said. “Oh, Jesus. All this crap about you two being friends on the Tube platform, that’s how it started, isn’t it? I knew you were up to something. Chris said he could tell you were getting it from somewhere, and I told him he was wrong. But…Dan! Laura, I know you’re a screwup when it comes to relationships, but…not again! What the fuck are you doing?”
    “Whatever I’m doing,” Laura said, feeling really angry, “it’s none of your business, so why don’t you just butt out, okay?”
    “Oh, no,” Jo said, coming right up to her, her blue eyes enormous in her pale face. “It is my business, love. It’s my business when my supposed best friend starts shagging our best friend Dan behind everyone’s backs, and then sits there in the pub pretending to be all matey-matey with his girlfriend. It’s my business when my best friend lies to me all the time, and I never know where she is, and it turns out that’s because she’s having an affair with one of our best friends. It’s my business when I send you an e-mail saying I’m taking Chris to Morocco for a surprise to cheer him up because of his granddad, and you send a long reply going on about how fat you think you are! And you never even call, you don’t remember I’ve even gone!”
    “I didn’t—” Laura said, putting out her hands.
    “You’re not interested,” said Jo, her eyes filling with tears. Laura was horrified. “You just weren’t interested in anything but yourself. And normally I wouldn’t care, because you’ve done it before, but like I say—it’s started being my business.” She took a deep breath. “One more thing, Laura. It’s my business when my best friend forgets my fucking birthday and Dan Floyd fucking drops a birthday card round from her that she’s obviously bought at some corner shop when the two of you took a break from shagging each other senseless! You selfish cow. I can’t believe it. Well, that’s the awful thing. Actually, I can.” She stepped back again, collecting herself. “I’m sorry,” she said. Screeching, Italian-style emotion was not Jo’s normal mode of behavior. She coughed. “Yes. I’m sorry.”
    “That’s okay,” Laura said, shaking her head. “Look, Jo—”
    “No, let me finish,” Jo said politely. “Look, Laura. I hate this. I’m sorry, but I always end up having this conversation with you! You’re always doing this. Some guy, you think he’s totally right for you, and you can’t see what everyone else can see, because you’re off in Laura Land making up some fantasy about it.”
    “Shut up,” said Laura. She was furious. “It’s not how you think. You don’t understand. It’s complicated.”
    “Listen to yourself,” Jo said. She pulled her handbag over her shoulder and folded her arms. “You sound like every cliché. You’re not Julie Andrews, Laura! And Dan’s not fucking Captain von Trapp! Don’t you ever learn? Don’t, don’t treat me like I’m stupid! God, Laura, what—what’s going to happen?”
    “Don’t worry,” Laura said urgently. “Look, Jo, I know it looks bad, but it’s really not. We’re in love. He loves me and I love him. He’s leaving Amy, in about two weeks, he’s just got to sort some stuff out. We’re going on holiday. To Miami.”
    There was nothing she could say to convince Jo, and she didn’t even want to try that much. She didn’t know what was going to happen, or even what to do. So she just said,