1.2 | Breakup Formula | ONGOING

02 | glacial

0 2

g l a c i a l

True to his word, Declan showed up a few days later, this time with his girlfriend in tow. He had his arm draped around his girlfriend's shoulders, a small smile was playing on her lips as he whispered into her ear, her eyes bright and dancing. Declan spotted me at the counter, and smiled widely at me, pushing his girlfriend down on the stool next to him.

"Hey, Kira. This is Eloise," he said, his voice softening. "We've been dating for two weeks now. She's been dying to meet you ever since I told her that you were the one who managed to shut Joey up."

"Hello," she greeted, her voice a pleasant lilt as she smiled at me.

"Hi."

We shook hands after I had wiped my hand on my jeans. Her grasp was warm but fragile in mine, her nails bitten down to the quick.

"Declan's told me you're some sort of a miracle worker," Eloise said, "After Joey came back from the coffee-shop that day, he didn't utter a single word about Fiona. Of course, that only lasted a day before he went back to binge drinking again."

"So," Declan continued, a slow smile spreading across his face. "We've got a favour to ask of you."

I looked at him suspiciously. "What favour?"

I didn't quite like the smirk that Declan cast in my direction. "Help Joey get over his breakup."

I'd come across many alarming things in my lifetime, but this had to take the icing off the cake. My jaw dropped; I looked at the two of them like Declan had just proclaimed they were from outer space. "Um," I let out a nervous laugh, "What?"

Eloise shrugged. "Well, our friend's an utter disaster. And we need your help to, you know, get him back on his feet."

"That's insane," I declared, still reeling in surprise from their sudden request. "I hardly even know you guys."

"Then get to know us," Declan placed his elbows on the counter, looking at me with a very serious face that made me smile. "We're desperate here, Kira. Joey's a wreck, he can't even function like a normal person. We wouldn't have asked you if you didn't have the breakup formula."

I suddenly, belatedly, recalled the conversation I had had with Declan the other day, and regretted it. "That's not even a thing," I said, desperately. "Everyone gets over a breakup - eventually."

Declan snorted out a sardonic laugh. "Not Joey, that's for sure. Come on, you just have to help him snap out of it. Try it out for a couple of days - a week, at most. We won't bother you anymore after that."

I hated to admit it, but Declan was pretty convincing. Maybe it was his persuasive charm, or Eloise's hopeful eyes. Maybe I was doing this more for them than for Joey, who had so far proven to be a major arse. Whatever the case was, I could hardly stop myself from giving them a brief nod, effectively sealing the deal. "Fine. But just a week. And no guarantees."

Declan grinned at me, his eyes lighting up in gratitude, and Eloise reached across the counter to give me a warm hug. "Thank you," she murmured, in my ear. "You don't know how much this means to us."

I pulled back from her and smiled at the both of them. "Let's just get this over and done with."