This Could Change Everything(39)

Her fuzzy brain swam into focus. OK, time hadn’t reversed itself. It was also unlikely that Paul had gained entry to her flat and brought his beloved coffee machine along with him.

She opened her eyes, tilted her head to one side and saw the takeaway coffee cup standing on her bedside table.

Then she turned the other way, and there was her brother leaning against the door jamb in the open doorway.

Jay grinned. ‘Thought that’d wake you up. Morning.’

He’d stayed last night, sleeping in the living room on the sofa. And seeing as they’d had a fair amount to drink, he was looking unfairly good.

‘Morning. You didn’t need to go out to the coffee shop.’ Essie gestured vaguely in the direction of the kitchen. ‘There’s a jar of Gold Blend next to the kettle.’

See? Gold Blend. Posh.

‘But real coffee’s nicer. And you deserve the best. So I thought I’d treat you.’

‘Why? What have you done?’

Jay gave her a wounded look. ‘I’m being nice! I’d planned on taking you out to lunch later too, but if you’re going to be all mean and suspicious, I won’t bother.’

Lunch. On a Sunday. Sunday lunch was one of her favourite things in the world. Essie sat up. ‘Where?’

‘Oh, just the place that won a gold medal for serving the best Sunday lunch in the south-west. But don’t worry, I can cancel it.’ He waggled his phone at her. ‘Shame, though. They’re pretty booked up. When I called them this morning, I only just managed to grab the last table.’

Essie smiled. This was an offer she couldn’t possibly refuse. Shooing him away, she said, ‘I’d better jump in the shower then. Be a shame to waste the last table.’

Three hours later, over plates of rare beef, buttery crunchy roast potatoes and masses of vegetables, Jay said, ‘So how are you getting on, working for Lucas?’

‘I cope.’ Essie reached for the jug of gravy and poured it lavishly over her Yorkshire pudding. ‘I’m impressed that you’re calling him by his actual name at last.’

‘Yes, well. I was watching you last night. You only speak to him when you have to.’

‘It’s called being polite. I still don’t like him.’

‘Everyone else seems to.’

‘Maybe because he didn’t do to them what he did to me.’

Jay put down his knife and fork. ‘Ess, I’m sorry. He didn’t do it to you; I did. It was me.’





Chapter 18


Essie had just taken a mouthful of roast beef and gravy. Her heart began to thud like a drum in her chest. She stopped dead in her tracks and stared at Jay, chewing her food until it was safe to be swallowed.

When it was once more possible to speak, she said, ‘Really?’

He nodded. ‘Really.’

‘Why did you do it?’

‘Because I’m an idiot and sometimes I do idiotic things without thinking. I’d had loads of vodka and it just seemed funny at the time. And for some reason I thought I was just sending it to your friends . . . It didn’t actually occur to me that Paul and his mother would see it too.’ He winced as he said it. ‘I’m so sorry, that sounds ridiculous now. But you know what I’m like.’

She did know. Jay had always been impulsive, particularly where drink was involved. He’d once woken up the morning after a party with no memory whatsoever of having booked a holiday to Las Vegas. It was why she hadn’t believed him when he’d initially denied all knowledge of having sent the round robin to everyone in her email address book.

‘So you said you hadn’t done it, but you had.’ Her heart was still bumping chaotically against her ribcage as the implications sank in.

‘I know. You’d just woken me up. You were yelling at me and I was confused . . .’

‘And then Lucas appeared and said it was him.’

‘Exactly!’ Jay spread his hands. ‘He did!’

‘But why? Why would he say that when it wasn’t true?’

‘I have no idea. I couldn’t believe it either.’

‘You must have asked him, though. Once you’d left the cottage.’

‘I did, but he just shrugged it off. Said it was easier that way, seeing as you didn’t even know him. Then he changed the subject. I tried to thank him but he just shook his head. He really didn’t want to talk about it.’

‘That happened seven weeks ago,’ said Essie. ‘Why are you only telling me now?’

‘OK. To begin with, I thought he was right. I’d done something spectacularly stupid, he’d taken the blame and I was grateful. It was easier that way. When you ran into him again, that just seemed like bad luck, but he didn’t tell you the truth. Then you decided to take the job at the Red House and he still kept it up. I suppose I thought you’d stop hating him and pretty much forget about it.’ Jay paused for a second to take a drink. ‘But last night I saw the way you acted around each other . . . the way things were between the two of you . . . and I just felt terrible, because it doesn’t need to be like that. It shouldn’t be like that. All I had to do was man up and come clean.’ He exhaled slowly. ‘So that’s why I brought you here. And it’s what I’m doing now.’