Chapter 25
‘You’re not being serious?’ Stacey glared at her from her vantage point at the top of the ladder, a paintbrush full of white paint threatening to drip across the old sheet Polly had laid to cover the floor. ‘You fell asleep on him? On THE Zac Sinclair? The fittest guy in town?’
‘Hey, you can’t say that! What would Freddie say if he could hear you talking about another man like that?
’ Polly laughed as she brushed paint across the wall, leaving a satisfying streak across the red panelling.
Polly was both pleasantly surprised and shocked her friend wasn’t curled up on the sofa suffering a hangover after her night out.
And, of course, she was grateful she’d shot round this morning to help.
‘Haha, Freddie knows he’s the one for me.’ Stacey grinned as she twisted around and perched on the top rung of the stepladder. ‘But seriously, Zac slept over? Here?’
‘Yes, but not like that.’ Polly shook her head. ‘Definitely not like that. In fact, I don’t know if he actually got any sleep at all.’
‘But you did?’
‘I did. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to sleep here again, not knowing that one or more total strangers have been in here and especially with that measly cardboard covering the hole in the door, but I did.
I woke up with my head on his chest.’ Polly grimaced, her cheeks flaming the hot red they had done when she’d woken up to find herself lying against the blue cashmere of his jumper, saliva drooling down her chin.
‘I don’t think I’ll be able to ever face him again. I probably snored too.’
‘Oh, you definitely snored. Your snoring has woken me up on more than one occasion.’ Stacey’s expression was serious before she burst out laughing.
‘Oi! If I wasn’t worried about dripping paint everywhere, I’d be throwing this at you.
’ Grinning, Polly pointed her paintbrush at her friend.
She probably had snored. Yikes. He hadn’t mentioned it, though.
When she’d woken up, he hadn’t complained about the fact she’d fallen asleep on him, or her snoring.
He hadn’t even acknowledged the drool stain on his jumper.
Thinking about it, he’d been quite relaxed about the whole situation.
Yes, he’d had to rush off, but he’d appeared to be quite content.
Definitely less stressed than he’d been when he’d first arrived at the flat.
Not that any of that would make a jot of difference to the sheer humiliation she was feeling right now.
‘I’m literally going to have to quit my job, aren’t I? ’
‘Nah, don’t be daft. He could have walked out at any point, remember, and he didn’t.
He stayed.’ Gripping the edge of the ladder, Stacey stood up again and began painting the woodchip above the panelling.
‘I think it’s rather sweet, actually. Him checking up on you in the middle of the night like that and making sure you were safe. ’
‘He was just passing and noticed the lights on, that’s all.’ Polly dipped her paintbrush back into the pot, reloading it.
‘Uh-huh, like anyone’s going to believe that.’ Stacey nodded dramatically.
‘It’s true. He said he was passing and saw the lights on. That’s exactly what he said.’
‘You mean he was driving with his sunroof open in the middle of the night and happened to glance up to look at the stars and instead of catching a glimpse of Orion, he noticed your lights were on.’ Stacey raised her eyebrows. ‘If you say so.’
Polly shrugged. ‘Well, that’s what he said.’
‘Go on, spill.’
‘What?’ Frowning, Polly glanced around the room. They had only just begun and if they were going to get this room and the kitchen done, it’d take all day. And then another coat tomorrow, probably.
‘Look, Pols, I know you. You’ve got something on your mind and it’s not just the fact you’re worried you might have snored in front of him.’
‘Okay… I just don’t understand why he popped round.
I’d told him I was going to yours, so he’d have had no reason to check up on me, and like you say, it’s pretty impossible to see if the lights are on up here or not without intentionally looking up.
’ She smeared the white paint on the panelling again, being careful to wriggle it so the bristles got in the dips and grooves of the wood.
‘No, I think he came here to try to get in on the work I’m doing for the reserve. ’
‘The leaflet you were telling me about?’ Stacey frowned. ‘Why do you think that?’
Polly shrugged. ‘Why else? It explains why he popped round on the off chance I was here. Besides, when I mentioned that I was going to work on it last night, he jumped right in and offered to help.’
Stopping, Stacey climbed down the ladder again and swirled her paintbrush in the tin.
‘But he stayed anyway. Even after you told him you’d changed your mind and weren’t going to work on it, he stayed, and he stayed all night.
I don’t think that sounds as though he was after any glory from work about helping with the leaflet. I think it shows he cares about you.’
Polly scoffed. Zac care about her? As if.
Zac was Zac, and being indifferent towards her had become the norm since the kiss.
Before that, though, she may have been inclined to believe Stacey, may have even come to the same conclusion herself, but now, after how he’d acted towards her…
‘Nope, he’s made it clear that he doesn’t give two hoots about me anymore.
That’s been pretty obvious from the way he’s reacted since the leaving party. ’
Wiping her brush off on the edge of the tin, Stacey climbed back up the ladder, looking down on Polly before continuing. ‘I still maintain you’ve got him all wrong. You’re just being cynical.’
‘Can you blame me?’
‘No. No, but he’s probably got his reasons. I’m not saying it’s right, but there must be a reason.’
‘I know he has his reasons. It hit me last night that he probably has a…’ Polly stopped mid-sentence as someone hammered on the front door.
‘That might be the police again. Maybe they’ve come back to collect some evidence or something?’ Stacey glanced towards the hallway door.
‘I doubt it.’ Polly carefully laid her brush on the lid of the tin.
The police visit that morning had been brief, and they’d basically told her they’d ask around but not to hold her breath.
She’d known she was destroying any evidence by cleaning up after the break-in yesterday, but she hadn’t been able to stand staring at the pizza boxes and the crumbs – a stark reminder of her sanctuary being invaded by strangers.
Besides, she’d known the break-in wouldn’t have been a police priority, especially as nothing had been stolen and the only thing, apart from the front door, that had been damaged was a twenty-year-old TV worth close to nothing.
Polly stepped into the hallway and, despite the fact it was only the early afternoon, and the stairwell would be flooded with autumn light, grabbed the brolly with one hand as she opened the front door. ‘Zac?’
‘Hi, how are you? I’ve finished with my… thing and wondered if you needed a hand?’ Zac held up a brown paper bag and a cup holder with two takeaway cups. ‘I brought lunch too.’
‘Oh right, I…’ Polly stammered as she lowered the brolly back to the umbrella stand. What was he doing back here? When he’d left this morning she’d assumed she wouldn’t be seeing him again until she returned to Meadowfield.
‘Pols…’ Stacey appeared behind her, her coat carefully hooked over her arm, away from the splatter of paint down her top. ‘Oh, hello. Lovely to see you again, Zac.’
‘Afternoon, Stacey. Good to see you too.’ Zac held up the cup holder. ‘I can go and grab another coffee if you’re hanging around?’
‘I’m not. I have to get off. Sorry I couldn’t stay any longer.’ Stacey glanced back at Polly, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.
‘I’ll go in and pop these down then.’ Zac sidled past Stacey.
Waiting until Zac had stepped into the living room, Polly pulled the hallway door shut while whispering to Stacey, ‘Why are you going? You told me you were free all day.’
‘I was. Until now.’ Stacey smiled sweetly. ‘I have to go and—’
‘Go and do nothing more like,’ Polly hissed under her breath. ‘Don’t walk out on me. It’s going to be super awkward.’
‘Nah, it won’t.’ Reaching out, Stacey rubbed the pad of her thumb across Polly’s forehead. ‘Let’s just get that off, though.’
‘Get what off? What is it?’ Polly scrubbed at her skin.
‘Just a bit of paint.’ Stacey tilted her head. ‘Actually, it looks kind of cute. You go and have some fun.’
‘Fun? I—’ Too late. Her friend was walking towards the stairwell. ‘Stacey…!’
‘Sorry, can’t hear you…’ Shrugging her shoulders, Stacey disappeared around the corner.
‘Great, thanks. Some best mate you are,’ Polly muttered before closing the door softly.
What was she supposed to do now? It had been awkward enough when she’d woken up and Zac had legged it out of the flat on an ‘errand’, but now?
Now would be even worse. And why had he come back again, anyway?
He knew she’d be painting all day. Unless he thought she’d been lying and just wanted to get him out of the way so she could work on the leaflet alone.
Now, that wouldn’t have been a bad idea…