It Started With A Tweet(24)

‘We could do some yoga tomorrow for that, sort it out a little,’ says Rosie. ‘I think there’s supposed to be a local class too, if you fancy that?’

She bends down and picks up a large torch and flips it on, before blowing out the tea lights.

I huddle behind her as we make our way back into the kitchen.

‘I’ll pop out to the car and get the bedding,’ she says tugging the heavy front door open.

‘You’re not leaving me in here by myself,’ I say clinging on to her.

‘You’re not on your own, your little mouse buddy is here,’ she laughs.

That makes me jump out of the door even quicker and I grab hold of her arm as I go.

‘It’s just like when we used to go to Grandma’s,’ she says.

‘I’d forgotten about that.’

My grandma never believed in lights at night, so if we needed to go and use the loo – the outside loo at that – we used to go out together with a torch.

‘Do you remember how it always smelt of lemons?’

‘Lemons with a hint of lavender,’ I say nodding. ‘Lemons were her answer to any cleaning situation.’

‘Ha, yes,’ says Rosie laughing.

Weirdly, it’s lighter outside than in because of the full moon, and I don’t feel the need to cling on to her as tightly.

I take a look up at the night sky and gasp. ‘Oh, wow, that’s incredible.’

I can’t remember the last time I saw stars like this; in fact, I can barely remember the last time I saw stars. London isn’t the best place for astronomy.

‘It’s quite something, isn’t it?’ says Rosie, as she opens up the boot of the Land Rover and puts her hands on her hips. ‘Some nights, if you’re really lucky, you can even see the Northern Lights.’

‘What, really?’

‘Uh-huh.’

‘I didn’t think it was possible that this place could be more beautiful at night than it was in the day.’

‘Welcome to the Eden Valley,’ says Rosie, turning her attention back to the car as she roots through it and pulls out a bag of bedding. ‘Here we are.’

‘Do we have to blow up the other bed tonight?’ I say, staring at it all folded up. I’ve barely got the energy to talk, let alone blow that thing up.

‘We can share the airbed that’s already there tonight, if you like? Then it will really be like staying at Grandma’s house, sharing a bed.’

‘As long as you don’t fidget like you used to.’

I used to wake up black and blue.

‘I think all those years of sharing a bed with Ru have meant that I’m a lot stiller than I used to be.’

‘OK, then fine,’ I say secretly pleased. I didn’t want to admit to Rosie that I was a little bit scared about sleeping in a bedroom on my own in the creepy house.

‘Right, then, let’s get sorted,’ she says, slamming the boot shut and taking charge once more.

I look over to the well in the corner of the courtyard, its tiled roof dappled with pale moonlight. My heart aches for the phone lying in the holey bucket at the bottom, yet I’m too exhausted to do anything about it.

‘I’ll get you back soon,’ I whisper, before I head back inside.





Chapter Eight

Time since last Internet usage: 20 hours, 5 minutes and 11 seconds

‘Ooh that tickles,’ I say, giggling, as Aidan Turner’s curls fall over my toes. The tickles continue up my leg as his head moves higher, and I’m longing for him to reach his destination.

‘Are you finally awake?’ shouts Rosie.

I snap my eyes open and find myself alone. I momentarily wonder where Aidan’s disappeared to before I take in the hideous Artex ceiling and peeling wallpaper. It seems my love affair with Aidan was the stuff of dreams, and unfortunately for me this dilapidated farmhouse wasn’t some awful nightmare.

The memory and shame of how I ended up here comes flooding back and I close my eyes wishing I could just go back to my dream.

Rosie pokes her head through the door, her hair wet presumably from a shower.

‘I thought you were never going to wake up, it’s gone eleven,’ she says, leaning against the doorframe. ‘I’d forgotten how much of a lazybones you are.’

I rub my eyes, a little miffed to have been woken up from my dream, before the tickling commences again.

I check under the cover for Aidan just in case, and I’m met, not by his brown eyes, but by the eyes of something else.

‘Ahh!’ I scream as I throw the covers back and go running across the threadbare carpet to hide behind Rosie.

I watch as another little mouse, or maybe the same one I saw yesterday, scuttles out from my blanket and across the floor and into one of the large holes along the skirting board.

‘I think he likes you,’ she says laughing.

I give her a look to let her know that I’m not amused.

‘Right, mouse poison – it’s on the list,’ she says shrugging. ‘I was going to go out earlier to get the shopping but I thought you’d freak out if you woke up here alone. But I need to go now or else we’ll be eating cup-a-soup for lunch.’

‘I’ll get dressed and come with you.’

‘I think it would be best if you stayed here. I mean, I think you need time to be by yourself without temptation.’