Faking with Benefits : Chapter 80

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Luke breathes in my ear, as we stand, shivering, in the cold car park.

I look up at him. The grey sky over his head is stroking highlights into his silvery hair, a light breeze brushing a curl into his eyes. He looks calm, but I can see the tension in his jaw. He doesn’t like being here any more than I do.

I nod firmly. “Yes.”

On my other side, Josh squeezes my clammy fingers. “You’ve got this,” he says. At my back, Zack gives a rumble of agreement. I nod, straightening my spine and turning towards the set of open doors.

We’re standing outside the front entrance of Emery High School. It’s a drizzly, dreary day, and all I really want to do is go home and cuddle up in one of the guys’ beds.

In the past two weeks, I’ve pretty much moved into the guys’ flat. We’ve been inseparable. And it’s been heaven. We could be wrapped up in bedsheets right now, leisurely making out, watching TV, ordering takeout — our usual lazy day routine.

But, of course, I live for the drama, so here we are, freezing to death in the parking lot of my old school. Emery High has barely changed at all in the last ten years. It’s still the same depressing brick building, with prison-style wire-glass windows and graffitied walls. Someone has tried to liven up the entrance with some coloured balloons stapled around the doorway. They’re already saggy and deflated.

I shiver again. My clothes are way too skimpy for the gross weather. Under the jacket of my trouser suit, I’m wearing a lacy bodysuit from my upcoming collection. It’s supposed to be a delicate, pretty piece, but right now, the silvery fabric feels like armour as it gleams against my skin.

In fact…

I shrug off my blazer jacket and hand it to Josh. “Can you hold this, please?”

He stares silently at the bared skin of my chest for a few seconds, his hot eyes travelling over the plunging neckline.

In his defence, it’s very low. “Wow,” he says quietly. “You look incredible.”

“You might get dress-coded,” Luke says. I snort, but he doesn’t laugh. It takes me a second to realise he’s not joking.

“What?” I sputter. “They can’t dress-code me, can they?! I’m not even a student!”

“No,” he says flatly. “They can’t. But I wouldn’t be surprised if they tried.”

I glance back at the building. “You seriously think they might kick me out for wearing a low-cut top.”

“If the four of us go in there, they won’t be happy,” he says gently. “Emery is far too conservative to accept a relationship like ours. It prides itself in churning out politicians and news anchors. They won’t want to see an ex-teacher dating an ex-student, they won’t want to see a four-way relationship, and they certainly won’t want to see an alumnus who’s become a successful lingerie designer. They might be looking for a reason to make you leave.”

The words hit me like a ton of bricks.

Even after all this time, these people could still reject me. I’ve fantasised about this moment so many times, but the second I step through that door, the daydream is over. It’s stupid to be so hung up on a high school reunion, but this feels like a pivotal moment in my life. The most painful, degrading, dehumanising things happened to me inside this squat brick building. And if I go in there and nothing has changed — if I’m ridiculed and mocked and thrown out all over again — how the Hell am I going to cope with that?

And now I can’t breathe, and my vision is going funny, and the hot-but-professional high heels I picked out last night are stuck to the pavement. I can’t move.

“Honey,” Zack says, dipping to kiss the back of my head. “No. Let’s not go in, if it’s scaring you this much.”

“Let’s go home,” Josh offers gently. “Pick out a movie. Order some food.”

“I’m fine.”

He squeezes my shoulder. “You’re shaking, sweetheart.”

“Am not.”

Luke’s hand slides up my bare arm. “You don’t need to prove anything to anyone,” he reminds me. “These people treated you terribly, Layla. You don’t need their approval. We can just turn around and leave.”

I nod slowly, curling my trembling fingers into fists. I know that. But it’s not approval I’m after.

I’m doing this for myself. Emery High School has featured in my nightmares for way, way too long. And I need to finally face it.

I take a deep breath. “No. I’m doing it.”

Without waiting for them to respond, I walk forward, pushing through the open doors and stepping inside the school.

The reunion is being held in the school gymnasium. The four of us follow a set of laminated signs tacked to the corridor walls until we reach the big sports hall. As soon as we walk inside, the familiar scent of sweat and disinfectant fills my nostrils, and I wrinkle my nose.

It’s like nothing has changed in the last ten years. There’s still the same pile of sweaty blue gym mats in one corner. The worn, stained vault horse. The walls of green lockers send my heart flying to my throat.

Someone has obviously tried to spruce up the hall for the event; a homemade banner reading WELCOME BACK ALUMNIS!!! is hanging wonkily from the ceiling. Pop music is playing from a set of speakers in one corner, and there’s a couple of cafeteria tables lined up on the linoleum, full of dire-looking snacks and stacks of paper cups.

I glance around, taking in the faces. It looks like most of my year is here. There are The Football Guys in badly fitting business suits. The Arty Girls in big earrings and long skirts. From the way everyone is laughing and chatting, it looks like a lot of people kept in touch with each other these last few years.

And once again, I’m on the outskirts, alone.

Nerves crunch me. Why am I doing this? I don’t want to be here. I feel hot and cold at the same time. At the back of my head, a voice tells me over and over again to run.

“Want a drink?” Luke asks in my ear, and I relax minutely. “If I remember correctly, they serve alcohol at these things.”

I let out a shaky breath. “For a twenty-pound entrance fee, they’d better,” I mutter, letting him take me by the hand and lead me over to the refreshment tables. As we walk through the hall, I feel people turning and staring. I try my best to ignore it as whispers go up around me.

“Is that Layla Thompson?”

“Is she with Mr Martins?”

“So she really was sleeping with him? I thought that was a rumour!”

I grit my teeth and ignore the comments as we walk past a cluster of girls staring and gossiping in hushed voices. They all look so different now. One of them is heavily pregnant. One is holding hands with a huge guy in a suit. One has pink hair and tattoos all up her arms. As we reach the refreshments table, there’s some more whispering and elbowing, and then one of the girls peels away from the group, making her way towards us. I recognise her immediately.

Emma Swann. The girl who threw all of my clothes out of the window on my last day at school.

She was the ringleader of all the girls who made fun of me. And now she’s standing here beaming, as if she didn’t once send around a class-wide text about me having crabs.

“Layla!” She exclaims loudly, all smiles. “I’m so glad to see you!”

“Emma!” I smile back at her blandly. “Look at you.”

She looks crap. I remember pining over her designer clothes back in school, but now, I can just see that she’s wearing a mishmash of labels that absolutely don’t match. I guess you can’t buy a sense of fashion.

“Cute, right?” She does a little twirl and a fake laugh, then bats her blonde lashes at Josh. He reaches out and untwists the strap of my bodysuit, completely ignoring her. “Yeah, I work for Paisley magazine right now. They give us loads of free clothes.”

“Never heard of it,” I tell her.

She blinks. “Oh, it’s, um. A fashion magazine. It’s pretty well known in London.”

“Is it?” I say flatly.

She waves me off. “But enough about me. You’ve obviously done well for yourself. I saw you in Couture Urban mag, I love their stuff.” She pauses. “Hey, I bet you’re going to London Fashion Week this year, right?”

I shrug. “Probably.” I’ve been to a few LFWs. They’re easy enough to get into if you have enough followers on social media.

She shimmies a bit closer to me, linking our arms. “Reckon you could get me and my boyfriend tickets? I’ve been dying to go to a show, but they’re all, like, invitation only, which blows.” She pouts.

I smile at her as sweetly as I can. “No.” I pull my arm out of hers.

She blinks. “What do you mean, no?”

“No,” I repeat. “I know you don’t hear the word very often, but surely you know what it means.”

She looks absolutely shocked. “But we’re friends,” she protests. “We used to be so close!”

“Did we?” I ask doubtfully.

“We used to sit together in Art, remember?”

I nod. “Yes. I remember us sitting together in Art for a whole ten minutes. Until I reached over you to pick up a paintbrush, and you started screaming about how I’d touched you and probably given you an STI. After which, I sat at my own table for the rest of the year, while you got to sit with your friends, just like you wanted.”

Luke startles behind me. “Emma? Is that true?”

Emma looks up at him with big eyes. “I… of course not, Mr Martins. I don’t know why she’d say that.”

“So you’re saying Layla is lying?” He pushes.

“No, I…”

I feel Luke’s grip on my hand tightening, and cut her off before she says something that will really upset him. “No, I can’t get you tickets, Emma.” I tell her, nodding at her circle of friends. “You can go now.”

Without waiting for a response, I turn back to the snack table. Luke leans in as Zack immediately hones in on the crisps. “She’s one of them, isn’t she?” He says quietly. I hear the strain in his voice.

“It’s okay, Luke. It’s over.”

“Did she hassle you in my class?” He demands. “Did I not notice?”

Luckily, before I have to come up with a reply, a familiar voice pops up behind me.

“Well, if it isn’t Layla Thompson,” Donny Pritchard drawls. All of the men stiffen simultaneously.

I sigh. “You know, you don’t have to talk like a movie villain,” I say, turning to face him.

He looks awful. His hair is greasy, his suit is too big for him, and he’s still sporting a fading black eye.

“Wow,” I say. “You look like crap.” I glance up at Zack. “Nice job.”

Zack puffs out his chest with pride. Josh rolls his eyes.

Donny scowls at Zack. “I’m surprised you’re not on house arrest,” he spits. “They shouldn’t let you out in public.”

“Oh, aye,” Zack agrees. “I should be in a cage, I reckon.”

Donny sneers. “Well, enjoy it while you can. I’ve already found a lawyer.”

Zack shrugs, picking up a plastic cup. “Okay, mate. Baby, do you want a lukewarm sauvignon blanc or a two-pound rosé?”

“Surprise me.”

“Aight.” He leans over to pick up the bottle, and then diverts his direction and kisses me hard on the mouth. I gasp against his lips.

“Zack!”

“I was surprising you! Sorry, wasn’t that what you meant?”

I reach up and tug at his man-bun, making him growl.

Donny looks between us with disgust on his face, taking in Josh’s hand on my back and Luke’s fingers clasped with mine. “Seriously?”

I pick up a custard cream and bite into it. “Seriously, what?”

“You’re sleeping with all three of them? I thought that was a bit for the podcast!” He turns to Josh. “You just let her screw other men in front of you? That’s the most beta shit I ever heard. Good lord, she must be loose.”

I choke on my biscuit.

Zack abruptly steps away from the table, squaring up to Donny, who looks startled, staggering a few steps back.

“Zack,” Luke says warningly. “Not again, please.”

Zack puts his hands up. “I’m just looking. I ain’t gonna do anything to him.”

Donny looks between us, sneering. “I guess I understand now how Layla got a spot on your show.” He turns to me. “Sooner or later you need to start working for yourself, you know. You can’t just sleep around to get what you want.”

“Maybe I am gonna do something to him,” Zack says thoughtfully. “Look. Mate, do you want me to punch you again? ‘Cause I gotta admit, I wasn’t in my best form the last time around. You kept all your teeth and everything. Pretty embarrassing. I’ll happily have another go.”

Donny’s mouth falls open. “Did you hear that?!” He raises his voice. People around the hall turn to look at us. “He just threatened to assault me! Again!”

“Donald,” Luke starts. “Please calm down. Zack—”

Before he can finish the sentence, I hear the familiar click of high heels against linoleum.

“Luke? Layla? What is going on here?” Amy asks behind us.