shrugged. ‘Not really.’ I wished we’d been more inventive, considering the amount of times I’d been asked that question. ‘Eliza used to joke that we should train
as magicians. We’d be able to do a great double act.’
‘Triple act, you mean.’
I smiled. ‘Exactly.’
‘You must miss them.’
I paused before admitting the truth. ‘Not as much as I thought I would.’
‘No?’ He looked intrigued.
‘It’s just... It’s weird. We’ve had eighteen years of it being the three of us. We’ve been through
everything
together and there’s a bond between us
that can never be broken. I love them more than life and I can imagine us all growing old together and ending up living next door to one another. But then there’s the flipside of the
coin.’ I stared at him levelly. ‘It’s not easy being constantly compared and having to share everything under the sun. It’s nice to just be me for once. To follow my own
path.’
He nodded attentively.
‘What’s the time?’ I asked in a sudden panic, checking my phone and realising that it was almost ten o’clock. ‘We’re going to miss the sunset!’
We grabbed our coats, but still had to brace ourselves against the cold as we walked out of the apartment and down the stairs. The shop and café were dark and deserted.
‘I can’t get over how bizarre it is up here without the tourists,’ I said.
‘I love it.’ He flashed me a grin and then stopped suddenly in his tracks.
‘Wow.’ We both spoke at the same time.
The sky had turned a deep mauve, fading to a line of brilliant orange across the cottonwool cloud-line. The sun’s yellow rays were still potent, piercing my eyes and leaving impressions
when I blinked. We were surrounded by mountain peaks, bathed in the last of the evening’s light.
‘What do you do, Remy?’ I asked after a moment.
‘I’m a web designer for a small company in Turin. I’ve worked there pretty much since I left school.’
‘You enjoy it?’
‘Yeah.’ He nodded. ‘I’m lucky. I don’t have to work weekends, so I can come here. Most of my salary goes on the Mont Blanc tunnel.’
‘There are worse ways to spend your money.’
‘My ex does not agree with you,’ he said drily.
‘She doesn’t like the mountains?’
‘She doesn’t mind looking at them, but climbing, skiing, hiking... no. We don’t have a lot in common, to be honest. I don’t know how we lasted two years.’
‘Did you live together?’
‘Yes. We still do, unfortunately.’ He turned to face me properly, leaning one elbow against the handrail. A warm glow was cast across his face, lighting his blue eyes. He was
insanely attractive, even when he was talking about his ex. I tried to concentrate as he continued.
‘It’s a great apartment. Neither of us wants to give it up, but we can’t afford the rent on our own.’
‘If you like it here so much, why don’t you move?’
‘And lose my job?’ he replied.
‘Couldn’t you freelance?’
‘I don’t know if my boss would go for that.’ He paused and then looked up at Mont Blanc. ‘Maybe I’ll ask.’
‘Have you been to the summit?’ I asked after a moment. His sightline hadn’t changed.
He nodded. ‘A couple of times. You?’
‘Not yet. I’m hoping to go this summer with my dad. The last time he summited Mont Blanc, he was in his twenties and I know he’s keen to do it again. But he’s getting
older now and my mum worries every time he talks about doing another big climb. I feel a bit guilty for putting the pressure on.’
‘Well, if he decides not to come, you can give me a call.’
He said it casually, but I told him I’d need his number.
‘I’ll give it to you when we go back inside,’ he promised with a smile. ‘What about you?’ he asked. ‘What do you want to do with your life?’
‘I like writing. I’m going to university in September to study French and English.’ I shrugged. ‘I guess I’ll take it from there, see what
as magicians. We’d be able to do a great double act.’
‘Triple act, you mean.’
I smiled. ‘Exactly.’
‘You must miss them.’
I paused before admitting the truth. ‘Not as much as I thought I would.’
‘No?’ He looked intrigued.
‘It’s just... It’s weird. We’ve had eighteen years of it being the three of us. We’ve been through
everything
together and there’s a bond between us
that can never be broken. I love them more than life and I can imagine us all growing old together and ending up living next door to one another. But then there’s the flipside of the
coin.’ I stared at him levelly. ‘It’s not easy being constantly compared and having to share everything under the sun. It’s nice to just be me for once. To follow my own
path.’
He nodded attentively.
‘What’s the time?’ I asked in a sudden panic, checking my phone and realising that it was almost ten o’clock. ‘We’re going to miss the sunset!’
We grabbed our coats, but still had to brace ourselves against the cold as we walked out of the apartment and down the stairs. The shop and café were dark and deserted.
‘I can’t get over how bizarre it is up here without the tourists,’ I said.
‘I love it.’ He flashed me a grin and then stopped suddenly in his tracks.
‘Wow.’ We both spoke at the same time.
The sky had turned a deep mauve, fading to a line of brilliant orange across the cottonwool cloud-line. The sun’s yellow rays were still potent, piercing my eyes and leaving impressions
when I blinked. We were surrounded by mountain peaks, bathed in the last of the evening’s light.
‘What do you do, Remy?’ I asked after a moment.
‘I’m a web designer for a small company in Turin. I’ve worked there pretty much since I left school.’
‘You enjoy it?’
‘Yeah.’ He nodded. ‘I’m lucky. I don’t have to work weekends, so I can come here. Most of my salary goes on the Mont Blanc tunnel.’
‘There are worse ways to spend your money.’
‘My ex does not agree with you,’ he said drily.
‘She doesn’t like the mountains?’
‘She doesn’t mind looking at them, but climbing, skiing, hiking... no. We don’t have a lot in common, to be honest. I don’t know how we lasted two years.’
‘Did you live together?’
‘Yes. We still do, unfortunately.’ He turned to face me properly, leaning one elbow against the handrail. A warm glow was cast across his face, lighting his blue eyes. He was
insanely attractive, even when he was talking about his ex. I tried to concentrate as he continued.
‘It’s a great apartment. Neither of us wants to give it up, but we can’t afford the rent on our own.’
‘If you like it here so much, why don’t you move?’
‘And lose my job?’ he replied.
‘Couldn’t you freelance?’
‘I don’t know if my boss would go for that.’ He paused and then looked up at Mont Blanc. ‘Maybe I’ll ask.’
‘Have you been to the summit?’ I asked after a moment. His sightline hadn’t changed.
He nodded. ‘A couple of times. You?’
‘Not yet. I’m hoping to go this summer with my dad. The last time he summited Mont Blanc, he was in his twenties and I know he’s keen to do it again. But he’s getting
older now and my mum worries every time he talks about doing another big climb. I feel a bit guilty for putting the pressure on.’
‘Well, if he decides not to come, you can give me a call.’
He said it casually, but I told him I’d need his number.
‘I’ll give it to you when we go back inside,’ he promised with a smile. ‘What about you?’ he asked. ‘What do you want to do with your life?’
‘I like writing. I’m going to university in September to study French and English.’ I shrugged. ‘I guess I’ll take it from there, see what
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