Page 123 of Try Again Later

“I’ll watch these buttheads for you. Go see your best friend.”

I give Serasi one last hug and head upstairs. Daisy is sitting on the tiny two-seater sofa in the flat above the pub, scrolling through old Instagram pictures and bawling like a freshly birthed baby.

She looks up and sees me in the doorway. “I’m gonna miss you so much!” Then she’s in my arms, shaking with sobs, leaking all over my eleven-hundred-pound top. It’s not as if I have an endless shopping budget any more, this shit has to last me now.

“I’m gonna miss you more,” I say and wrap my arms around her. Fuck the designer garment, comforting my friend is way more important.

“I’m sorry about what I said in Waitrose,” she says, between sobs.

“Huh?”

Daisy pulls away from me to look into my eyes. “I told you to break it off with him. That was the stupidest advice ever.”

“Well, if my memory serves me correctly, you told me to commit to him or end things.” I suck in a deep breath. I’ve been such an idiot. “Ultimately it was my shitty decisions that led me down the wrong path.”

“Maybe,” she agrees. “But I should’ve slapped you silly and forced you to reconsider. You two belong together.”

I kiss her damp forehead because she could’ve done that, could have slapped me all the way from the fruit and veg aisle to the wine, but it wouldn’t have made a modicum of difference. I was too consumed with fear.

“It’s always been us. Since we were kids. Lan and Daze against the world, and now it’s Lan and Abs. I’m passing the torch.”

“And Daze and Serasi,” I say. “But I’m still keeping my torch for you. Serasi will have to get her own. I know I’ve been . . . a lot, and I’m sorry. And I’m thankful I have you as my bestie. And I’m so, so happy you have sucha wonderful girlfriend. This isn’t a forever goodbye. You’re going to video call as soon as you get to Edinburgh tomorrow, right?”

“Of course. Before I speak to anyone else. Before Mum, before Dad. Before I even look at Serasi.”

I lean her back so that I can gaze at her blotchy, tear-stained face. “I’ll allow you to look at your girlfriend first, but that’s it. Then you must ring me.”

“I love you, Lan.”

“I love you too, even if you are extremely drunk right now.”

Daisy simply laughs. “Not too drunk to do this, though,” she says and then starts line dancing. It’s abhorrent, but it gives me an idea.

“May I have one last dance?” I ask.

She pauses, and watches me silently for a few moments. “Of course.”

“Where’s your Chloé dress?”

“It’s already packed up in my boxes.” She’s sobbing again.

“One, what the fuck, Daze? Even Harry knew not to box up my designer clothes. And two, do you know which box?”

“Why?”

Without explaining myself, I move through to the bedroom and examine the boxes piled up beside the bed. I spot one in the middle that in Serasi’s handwriting says,“Fancy Clothes.”I pull the tape off and lift out Daisy’s beautiful black lace and tulle gown that she wore last month for her dad’s wedding.

“I was a shit friend that night. I’m sorry. I ran out before we could dance together, and I still owe you one last dance.” I hold my hand out for Daisy, and she places hers in mine.

“You know you’ll have to lead, right?”

“I can’t do that, babes,” I reply.

I help Daisy climb into her dress. We forgo the heels and tit tape. I kick off my own shoes, push the coffee table in the living room against the wall, and play Lana Del Rey’s “Love Song” at full volume through my phone.

And we dance in the middle of her rug, swaying to the gentle string music, like I should have done six weeks ago.

Fingers intertwined and heartbeat to heartbeat, we hold on to each other until everything becomes quiet downstairs.