It Started With A Tweet(92)
‘Ru, this isn’t what you think,’ says Rosie, forgetting she’s all that stands between Alexis and two black eyes.
‘I don’t know what to think anymore, and I don’t know what to believe. I mean, you’re just going to lie to me again.’
‘I didn’t lie about the farm, I just wanted to surprise you.’
‘It’s not about the farm, it’s about what I found there when I visited last time. I saw your prescription for your pill. You know, the one that you’re supposed to have stopped taking so we can try for a baby.’
‘Rosie,’ I say in shock. No wonder he left in such a hurry the other day.
‘I can explain.’
‘Sure you can,’ he says, shaking his head. ‘I wish you’d never sent the poster.’
‘Sent the poster?’ she says confused.
‘Yeah, you know, the one telling me to come tonight and saying you were sorry for everything. Clearly you aren’t.’
Rosie turns her head to me, and for the second time tonight I’m met with a confused and hurt look.
‘You pretended to be me?’
‘I didn’t pretend to be you, I just wanted to nudge Rupert in the right direction.’
‘Oh great, so it wasn’t even from you. Even better. Your sister is as big a meddler as you are.’
Rupert storms off and Rosie hurries after him.
Alexis, Jenny and Trish are motionless for a moment, as if they’re still processing the argument they’ve just witnessed, but Jenny soon edges closer to him.
‘Listen, he’s not worth it. Just leave him,’ I say to Jenny and Trish before I turn to Alexis and tell him sternly to leave.
‘I wait for you at home,’ he says as he walks past.
Jenny snarls like a dog and I grab her arm to hold her back.
‘The only thing that’s going to be waiting for him at home is a taxi to take him to the station,’ I say to her. ‘I can’t imagine that he’ll stay on in the village after that.’
‘I just feel so stupid,’ she says, tears slowly falling down her cheek. ‘I thought he really got me, you know? Like he was my soulmate.’
I wrap my arm round her to give her a hug. ‘He was very good at convincing people. He had me fooled too.’
‘I just wish I hadn’t splashed out on this new dress,’ she says patting it down.
‘Well, there’s only one thing for it,’ says Trish. ‘We should go and get thoroughly wankered and see if there are any decent men from Lazonby who have come along.’
She loops her arm through Jenny’s and offers her other to me, but I shake my head. ‘I’ll be in in a minute.’
I close my eyes, take a deep breath and exhale loudly.
‘Well, that was dramatic,’ says Liz.
I’d almost forgotten she was there; it’s the quietest she’s been since I met her.
‘I should really see how my sister’s getting on.’
‘She’s having quite the fratch out there. Lots of pacing and shouting.’
I peer out the window and they look as if they’re having a heated argument. At least they’re finally talking; perhaps I should leave them to it.
‘Now, I might not know what’s been going on, but from what I could tell, Jack didn’t seem right pleased that you’d kissed Alexis. And he’s just out there,’ she says, pointing through a side window at Jack sitting on a bench.
I know I probably should just go back in and try to enjoy the dance, but I can’t leave and not talk to him. Especially now that I know he’s single.
‘Wish me luck,’ I say, knowing that the whole town is going to hear of this imminently. I just hope that there’s going to be a good ending to her tale.
Chapter Thirty
Time since last Internet usage: 7 hours, 56 minutes and 59 seconds
‘So, funny story,’ I say as I go and sit down on the bench next to Jack. ‘You would not believe the lies Alexis has been telling us.’
The air’s got a right chill to it, and I rub my arms, wishing I’d picked up my coat before I came outside.
‘I don’t want to know,’ says Jack, continuing to stare forward.
‘You’re not even going to hear what I’ve got to say? You know, nothing really happened with Alexis. I kissed him, but it was only because I thought you were with Jenny.’
‘Do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds?’
‘About as ridiculous as you refusing to listen to my explanation. Look, I messed up, Jack. I know I did. I shouldn’t have gone snooping in your office, and I really shouldn’t have been anywhere near your answerphone. But I thought there was something between us, with the letter writing and our walks.’
I’m searching his face for any hint of the frostiness melting, but his jaw is unmoving, his look as stern as ever.
‘I don’t care about what you saw in the office, it’s not like I’d hidden the thank-you card from Jenny. And she still got hold of me, which means, in the grand scheme of things, that you deleting her message didn’t matter.’
‘Then why are you so cross with me? I told you, nothing really happened with Alexis .?.?.’
‘You can kiss whoever you want. I mean, it seems that you have had plenty of practice.’