Chapter 1

Beth Rivera’s car pulled into an empty space in the parking lot of a hotel in Burlington, Vermont. Three people climbed out of the vehicle: Kevin from the driving seat, Oscar from the front passenger seat, and Jessica from the back. They all took a moment to stretch their cramped limbs and drink in their surroundings.

‘Oh God,’ said Jessica, nodding towards the hotel’s main entrance, ‘that’s her, isn’t it?’

Kevin and Oscar turned to look. Sure enough, Emilia Wallance had run out through the double doors and was already well on her way across the parking lot.

‘Yup,’ said Oscar, ‘that’s Emilia.’

‘I can’t stand people who rush out to greet you before you’ve had a chance to get your bearings,’ Jessica remarked.

‘Things can only get better from here, then!’ Kevin said bracingly.

‘Oscar!’ Emilia cried joyfully. ‘You made it!’

She ran up to Oscar and gave him a hug, which he returned with some awkwardness.

‘Hi, Emi,’ he said. ‘Yeah, I made it, and so did Kevin and Jessica.’

Emilia took a moment to give Kevin and Jessica a warm smile each, which they both returned to some extent.

‘It’s so great that you’re all here!’ Emilia enthused. ‘Lars and Hayden are staying at this hotel too. We’ve all been really, really looking forward to seeing you!’

‘Is that a fact?’ said Jessica, raising her eyebrows.

‘Oh, yes!’ Emilia assured her. ‘It’s been really nice to have them here for the past two days – I’ve pretty much only been going back to campus to sleep – but it’s our grand reunion that’s really got us all excited! You managed to get your rooms booked with no trouble, didn’t you?’

‘Me and Oscar managed to get a double room,’ said Kevin. ‘I’ve got the confirmation here.’

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of A4 paper.

‘My kid brother gave me hell for printing this out,’ Kevin said with a grin, as he unfolded the paper. ‘He thinks I’m completely crazy ‘cause I don’t have a tablet!’

‘Aw, love ‘im,’ said Emilia.

‘Here we go,’ said Kevin. ‘We’re in number twenty-one.’

‘Oh,’ said Emilia, ‘that’s right next to Lars and Hayden! They’re in twenty-two. That one’s a twin.’

‘What’re the chances, huh?’ said Jessica.

‘Maybe your room’s the next one along!’ Emilia giggled.

‘I don’t think there’s any possibility of that,’ said Oscar. ‘Jess has organised herself a penthouse suite.’

‘Very nice,’ said Emilia, smiling at Jessica as though her life depended on it. ‘Okay, well, let’s get you all booked in, then!’

With that, Emilia grasped Oscar’s hand and led him towards the hotel. Jessica frowned at the sight for a few seconds before mooching along behind them. Kevin quickly grabbed all three overnight bags from the boot, locked the car, and jogged to fall into step beside Jessica.

‘Are you okay, Jess?’ he asked quietly.

‘I just don’t know why we’re doing this!’ said Jessica. ‘They lost touch for so long, and she has big brothers and he has a little sister and, okay, so they’ve met up while she happens to be here but ... but why all this?’

Kevin gave her an odd look. ‘If that’s the way you feel... ‘

‘Then what am I doing here, right?’ Jessica said with a dry laugh. ‘Well, let’s just say I’m curious. Isn’t that why you’re here?’

‘Partly,’ said Kevin, as they entered the hotel and drew to a halt in the lobby, ‘but mostly it’s to support Oscar. And y’know, I’m not harbouring any resentment, so... ‘

‘I guess that is what I’m doing,’ said Jessica, suddenly looking pensive. ‘I should really give her a chance, shouldn’t I? I mean ... she seems sort of ... well, nice,’ she finished grudgingly, looking over to where Emilia was chatting to Oscar at the reception desk while they waited for attention.

‘We’d better get over there with our booking references, huh?’ said Kevin.

‘Yeah, we had,’ said Jessica. ‘And then I guess we’ll go dump our bags in our rooms before we ... before we get on with it.’

‘I guess we will.’

‘And then ... well, then we’ll get to meet the boys, huh?’

‘Yep,’ said Kevin. ‘That’s exactly what’s about to happen, Jess.’

‘It just got real,’ said Jessica, half to herself, as she strode towards the reception desk.

Twenty minutes later, Emilia was leading Oscar, Kevin and Jessica into a big function room with a large buffet table and two people standing some way away from it, looking very small.

‘Wow, Emilia,’ said Kevin. ‘How much do you think we eat around here?’

‘Please, call me Emi – everybody does,’ Emilia said cheerfully. ‘And you know, it’s better to have too much than too little, but never mind that – the important thing is, the gang’s all here! Come and meet my brothers. Champagne for everyone!’

‘I don’t like champagne,’ muttered Jessica, mooching across the room after Emilia’s light and carefree steps.

‘Is this you giving her a chance?’ Kevin murmured, nudging Jessica playfully. She laughed and nudged him back, then found herself standing face to face with the two young, blond-haired men in the middle of the room.

‘This is Hayden and Lars,’ said Emilia, indicating each of her full brothers in turn and then turning a beaming smile onto her half-brother. ‘Oscar, you remember!’

‘Er ... yeah,’ Oscar said awkwardly. ‘Hi, guys.’

‘Hello,’ Lars said non-committally, before tossing back a slug of beer from the can in his hand.

‘Hi, Oscar,’ said Hayden, offering a handshake, which Oscar accepted. ‘Long time no see. And this must be Kevin.’

‘Hi,’ said Kevin, smiling warmly and shaking Hayden’s hand while Lars mooched off to the buffet table.

‘Hello,’ said Hayden. ‘And, um ... Jessica, of course. Hello.’

‘Yeah,’ said Jessica. ‘Hi.’

They shook hands stiffly, then stood and stared at the floor while Emilia went towards Lars, looking concerned. Oscar drifted after her with a palpable air of unease about him; Kevin cast Hayden and Jessica a sidelong glance before following.

Oscar and Emilia were chatting together while working their way through a selection of pizza slices and finger food.

‘I knew Hayden and Jessica would hit it off,’ said Emilia. ‘I suppose that’s a bit of a redundant thing to say, really – they actually hit it off twelve years ago, even though they’ve never been in the same room or even the same country before!’

‘Yeah,’ said Oscar, looking slightly uncomfortable. ‘I, er ... I see Lars is enjoying himself too.’

Oscar nodded to where Lars was steadily working his way through a six-pack of beer. Judging by the array of empty cans nearby, it was certainly not his first.

‘He’s really putting it away,’ said Emilia, frowning slightly. ‘He was at it the minute they unlocked the room. I’ve never seen him drink so much!’

‘Maybe this whole thing we’re doing is making him nervous,’ said Oscar. ‘I was a bag of nerves the night before you came to New York to reconnect with me. I hardly slept at all.’

‘Did you drink?’

‘I didn’t need to – I had Kevin. He just lay awake and held me ‘til I finally dropped off. Then when I got back from seeing you the next day, he was making me a really nice meal.’

‘I think Lars would like to have someone special,’ said Emilia. ‘In fact I think there’s a particular someone special he’d like to have, if only he’d ... I mean, if only he was... ‘

‘You wanted me to talk to him about that, didn’t you?’ said Oscar.

‘Oh, well,’ said Emilia, ‘only if it comes up naturally in conversation.’

‘Maybe I should go over and speak to him right now,’ said Oscar.

‘There doesn’t seem a lot of point when he’s pissed. Tell me more about you and Kevin; he seems like a really nice guy.’