It Started With A Tweet(95)

‘No, his is the Samsung one with the big crack on the back of his case .?.?.’ I stop, realising that I’m probably incriminating myself. ‘No, I’ve seen his around and this isn’t it.’

‘Maybe he’s got two phones; he was being secretive dating lots of women and gaining information, maybe he’s got multiple phones to keep up with multiple girlfriends.’

I gasp. I knew he was sneaky, but not that sneaky. Of course, that makes total sense. Until I turn the phone over and see who the missed call was from: RU

‘Um, Rosie, if it’s Alexis’s phone, why is your husband calling him?’

‘Maybe to give him a piece of his mind,’ she says, playing with a loose thread on her sleeve.

‘And he managed to get the number for Alexis’s secret phone, how?’

Rosie’s face falls. I’ve played enough games with her over the years to know I’ve got her beat.

‘I can’t believe you’ve got a phone. But, I saw you put your phone down the well with mine, didn’t I? Was it all some illusion, are they both here?’

I hastily put my hand into the bucket looking for mine, but there’s nothing there.

‘The phones are down the well, I just have another one.’

‘What? Rosie, this digital detox was all your idea.’

‘I know, I know it was. I thought it would be really good to have a bit of space from Ru, but then, after I put the phones in the well, I wondered what the hell I’d done. So the next day, when I went to the builders’ merchants, I bought a new one. I’m sorry, Daisy, I tried, I really did, but it’s my marriage on the line.’

‘All this time you’ve had your phone? You’ve been making me think there was something wrong with me for being so cut up about being without mine, and all the while you’ve had yours. No wonder you’ve been so bloody keen to go out to get more cement, and pop out to the shops. You’ve been sneaking out to use that.’

She pulls a wincing face, before sighing. ‘I know I promised I’d do the digital detox with you, but I practically did it. I mean, I’ve barely looked at it; it’s just that now’s a bad time for me not to have a phone. My marriage is on the rocks and I had to be in touch with Rupert.’

‘I can’t believe I listened to you. What if I’d lost a job opportunity from the lack of Internet access?’

‘But you didn’t. You’ve got your interview lined up with that company.’

‘I do, luckily, but you didn’t know that was the case. And what about Erica? She’s my best friend and she’s going through the biggest life crisis she’s ever had to deal with, breaking up with Chris, and she’s going through it all by herself.’

Rosie looks sheepish. ‘I know; I felt bad when I heard that and I almost offered it to you, but you had to go London anyway to see about the job, so I thought that it wouldn’t matter. It was only a day or two.’

‘Only a day or two? So it’s OK for things in my life to wait for only or day or two, but not yours? You couldn’t wait a day or two as your life and your marriage is too important, but I can?’ I shake my head.

‘I didn’t mean it like that, I just mean –’ She pauses. I don’t think she knows what she meant at all. And I don’t want to sit here and wait to find out.

‘I can’t believe I listened to you. Let’s get in touch with our pre-digital selves? What a load of bullshit. You made me feel like such a loser because I was having a tough time being separated from my phone. I couldn’t understand how I was the only one twitchy, but now it all makes sense. You fooled me .?.?. I’m going to pack,’ I say huffily. ‘I’ll leave first thing.’

‘Daisy, don’t do that. Look, use the phone. Message Erica.’

We both stare at it as it vibrates across the table.

‘Rupert’s calling, you wouldn’t want to miss that,’ I say, storming up the stairs.

I take off my sparkly top and replace it with an old T-shirt and a big, comfortable hoodie.

I fling open my case and start throwing in my clothes, which are scattered around my room. I’m furious. First Alexis uses my social media accounts to con me into thinking he’s my ideal man, and then I find out my sister’s had a phone all along. It’s just me who’s the mug, me who’s been doing this digital detox, and it feels as if everyone’s been laughing at me behind my back for taking it seriously.

I wish I could leave now, but I catch a glimpse out the window and it’s pitch-black outside and the middle of the night. Even if we weren’t on a farm in the absolute middle of nowhere, with no hope of me dragging my suitcase in the dark over the potholed mud track, there’d still be no trains running. I’m going to have to wait for morning. I’ll just sit here waiting, as I’m far too angry to sleep.

I don’t even bother to take off my clothes and put on my pyjamas. I simply sit on the airbed and fold my arms. The countdown is officially on until I can get back to my normal life and forget all about this hellhole.





Chapter Thirty-One

Time since last Internet usage: 17 hours, 4 minutes and 0 seconds

When I wake the next morning, I’m still fuming. I barely do even the most basic of ablutions before I leave the farm, wanting to escape as quickly as possible. Rosie wasn’t in our room when I got up, and I worry that she’s done something stupid and driven after Rupert, so I’m relieved to see that the Land Rover is still parked on the drive. I peek into the living room and find her asleep in one of the rocking chairs, using a dustsheet as a blanket. I might be mad as hell, but she’s still my sister, and I couldn’t leave without making sure she was safe.