Chapter 15 #2
“I know.” Ellie glanced at her, the corner of her mouth lifting faintly. Alba would probably tell her what she wanted to hear and then spend the next several years finding excuses to get out of it. “But I would like to, if you’re comfortable with that.”
“Well, I suppose I won’t argue with free hospitality.”
Ellie smiled, though she had a feeling she knew exactly what Alba was doing. She was placating her. She was being the kind-hearted woman Ellie knew she was, simply because she didn’t want to upset Ellie.
Because realistically, Ellie and Alba were worlds apart.
Ellie was recovering from the trauma of the last couple of years, she was learning to just be happy from one day to the next…
but Alba? She had so much ahead of her. Her job, her love life, something more than anything Ellie could likely offer.
She’s not interested in you. Accept that.
And Ellie meant that. The evening up in her bedroom flashed in her mind, followed by the moments they’d shared at the spa, but Ellie was beginning to realise it was nothing more than wishful thinking on her part.
“Think on it. You don’t have to accept the offer if you don’t want to. I wouldn’t be offended.”
“I will.” Alba reached for the door handle. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Ellie nodded as she popped the boot. “Tomorrow.”
As Alba stepped out of the car and closed the door behind her, Ellie remained exactly where she was. She watched Alba in the rearview mirror as she collected her bag, and then she admired her as she slung it over her shoulder and walked up the short garden path to the front door.
Alba turned back, offering her a small wave, and Ellie lifted her hand in response. The moment Alba disappeared inside the house and closed the front door, Ellie exhaled a deep breath and leaned back in her seat. She hated how empty her car and her life suddenly felt.
She sat there for another minute or two before finally putting the car into gear. And as she pulled away from the kerb, one thought settled in the back of her mind. She hadn’t realised until now just how much she’d grown used to having Alba Clifford beside her.
And if she was being honest with herself, she already missed her.
As Alba stepped inside the house, it seemed oddly still.
She felt the warmth of her home, that happiness about being here was absolutely there, but she also felt…
drained. Her holdall slid from her shoulder and landed on the floor with a thud as she nudged the front door closed with her foot.
Before she could even take two steps forward, Colin came charging down the hallway.
“Woah!”
He launched himself into her legs with all the enthusiasm of a dog who had been betrayed by her absence for forty-eight hours, his tail wagging violently enough to knock against the wall as he circled her, whining and pawing at her jeans.
“Alright, alright,” Alba laughed as she crouched down and wrapped her arms around him.
“You’d think I’d abandoned you for six months.
” Colin shoved his nose against her cheek as though he was determined to prove that yes, actually, that was exactly what she’d done. “Oh, come on. You know I missed you.”
Tess appeared from the kitchen doorway, wiping her hands on a tea towel. “Well, someone’s pleased to see you.”
Alba looked up at her and smiled. “Hey, Tess. Thanks again for staying.”
Tess waved her thanks away. “He’s been no trouble. Bit dramatic when you left, mind you, but once he’d realised there were extra walks involved, he forgave you fairly quickly.”
Alba scratched behind Colin’s ear, earning an approving grunt from him. “Typical.”
Tess leaned against the doorway, searching Alba’s face. “How was the spa weekend then? Worth the hype?”
Alba straightened slowly, her hand still resting on Colin’s back as he leaned against her leg. “Yeah,” she said as she cleared her throat. “It was…really nice, actually.”
That felt like the safest way to describe it. Really nice. Not dangerously enjoyable or emotionally catastrophic, just nice.
Tess regarded her with a knowing smile. “Good. You needed a break.”
Alba nodded, though her thoughts drifted back to the car and the sensation of Ellie’s lips brushing her cheek before they’d left the hotel. God, she physically shivered whenever she thought about it. “Well, I owe you dinner for dog-sitting.”
“You owe me nothing,” Tess said, pushing herself away from the doorframe. “But I won’t say no if you insist.”
“I insist.”
“Then it’s a date.” Tess grabbed her bag from where it was sitting on the hallway floor. “I’ll let you two reacquaint yourselves.” She paused beside Alba on her way to the door. “You look happier, by the way.”
Alba frowned. “Do I?”
“Yep. Whatever you did this weekend, you should probably do it more often.”
Alba laughed. “Noted.”
Tess left, and the house fell into that silence she’d been dreading. Alba didn’t quite know what to do with herself now, so she strolled into the living room and dropped onto the couch with a sigh.
Colin jumped up beside her and put his full weight against her.
“Well…” She wrapped an arm around him. “You and I need to have a conversation.”
Colin tilted his head.
“Yes, you. You’re involved in this situation now. In fact, it’s your fault she ever came back here after the first time.” Colin wagged his tail when Alba rubbed both hands down her face. “I’m in big trouble, mate.”
Colin blinked, the tip of his tail still thumping slowly against her leather couch.
“You know Ellie?” His ears perked at the name.
“Yes, that Ellie.” Alba sighed, aware that she’d done nothing more than create a huge problem for herself.
“The one who laughs at my terrible jokes and the one who texts me about getting together for the evening. The one who apparently thinks it’s acceptable to kiss people on the cheek and then drive away like that’s a normal thing to do. ”
Colin shifted closer and rested his head on her thigh.
“Exactly.” Alba stared down at him. “You see the problem.”
He did not see the problem. He simply licked her hand.
“Very helpful, thank you.”
She rested her head back, absentmindedly scratching behind his ears as her mind replayed the weekend in fragments. The terrace, the warmth of Ellie’s hand, the softness in her voice when she’d repeatedly thanked Alba for everything. And that stupid kiss on the cheek.
Alba groaned and closed her eyes. “I’m so fucked!”
Colin responded by licking her hand again, and Alba sighed. “Right. New plan.” He looked up expectantly. “We behave like normal people. We go to work, we pretend none of this is happening, and we absolutely do not fall in love with our boss.”
Alba was almost certain Colin had just lifted an eyebrow at her, but he wasn’t wrong. She could lie to herself all she wanted, but this had just become a whole lot more difficult to navigate.
“Yeah. That’s probably not going to work either.”