Me-Before-You-by-Jojo-Moyes

laughing about me. I loved the fact that every element of supper – from roast
chicken to chocolate mousse – was my favourite. I liked the fact that I could be
who I wanted to be without my sister’s voice reminding me of who I had been.
The doorbell rang, and Mum flapped her hands. ‘There he is. Lou, why don’t
you start serving?’
Patrick was still flushed from his exertions at the track. ‘Happy birthday,
babe,’ he said, stooping to kiss me. He smelt of aftershave and deodorant and
warm, recently showered skin.
‘Best go straight through.’ I nodded towards the living room. ‘Mum’s having a
timing meltdown.’
‘Oh.’ He glanced down at his watch. ‘Sorry. Must have lost track of time.’
‘Not your time, though, eh?’
‘What?’
‘Nothing.’
Dad had moved the big gateleg table into the living room. He had also, on my
instruction, moved one of the sofas to the other wall so that Will would be able
to enter the room unobstructed. He manoeuvred his wheelchair to the placing I
pointed to, and then elevated himself a little so that he would be the same height
as everyone else. I sat on his left, and Patrick sat opposite. He and Will and
Granddad nodded their hellos. I had already warned Patrick not to try to shake
his hand. Even as I sat down I could feel Will studying Patrick, and I wondered,
briefly, whether he would be as charming to my boyfriend as he had been to my
parents.
Will inclined his head towards me. ‘If you look in the back of the chair, there’s
a little something for the dinner.’
I leant back and reached my hand downwards into his bag. I pulled it up
again, retrieving a bottle of Laurent-Perrier champagne.
‘You should always have champagne on your birthday,’ he said.
‘Oh, look at that,’ Mum said, bringing in the plates. ‘How lovely! But we have
no champagne glasses.’
‘These will be fine,’ Will said.
‘I’ll open it.’ Patrick reached for it, unwound the wire, and placed his thumbs
under the cork. He kept glancing over at Will, as if he were not what he had
expected at all.