Me-Before-You-by-Jojo-Moyes

20
‘You what?’
We were on the hills just outside town when I told him. Patrick was halfway
through a sixteen-mile run and wanted me to time him while following behind
on the bicycle. As I was marginally less proficient on a bicycle than I was at
particle physics, this involved a lot of swearing and swerving on my part, and a
lot of exasperated shouting on his. He had actually wanted to do twenty-four
miles, but I had told him I didn’t think my seat could take it, and besides, one of
us needed to do the weekly shop after we got home. We were out of toothpaste
and instant coffee. Mind you, it was only me who wanted the coffee. Patrick was
on herbal tea.
As we reached the top of Sheepcote Hill, me puffing, my legs like lead, I
decided to just throw it out there. I figured we still had ten miles home for him to
recover his good mood.
‘I’m not coming to the Xtreme Viking.’
He didn’t stop, but he came close. He turned to face me, his legs still moving
under him, and he looked so shocked that I nearly swerved into a tree.
‘What? Why?’
‘I’m … working.’
He turned back to the road and picked up speed. We had reached the brow of
the hill, and I had to close my fingers around the brakes a little to stop myself
overtaking him.
‘So when did you work this out?’ Fine beads of sweat had broken out on his
forehead, and tendons stood out on his calves. I couldn’t look at them too long or
I started wobbling.
‘At the weekend. I just wanted to be sure.’
‘But we’ve booked your flights and everything.’