Chapter 14
Her imagination ran riot on what this place could become.
Someone would be so happy and at home here.
Even in its current state there was something warm and cosy about the place.
The whole apartment would fit, easily, into the open-plan living area of her place in London.
But that wasn’t such a bad thing. Her London pad was vast and too echoey to be deemed cosy or homely.
In fact, she had often felt it was far too big for just her and Scrappy.
As she stood there examining the damp patches on the walls that almost looked like part of the wallpaper pattern, her phone rang. She lifted it from her back pocket and saw Ed’s name flashing up on the screen.
Her heart skipped a little dance in her chest. ‘Hey, Ed. How are you doing?’ She hoped her tone wasn’t quite as needy to him as it sounded falling from her lips.
‘Hi, Angel. Yeah, I’m not too bad. I’ve been really busy so I’m sorry I’ve not had a chance to call again until now.
’ To be fair, he had been messaging regularly to ask how she was.
‘I’m glad the meds are taking effect now but I was sorry to read your message about struggling to walk up the Storr earlier.
That must have been frustrating. Are you okay now you’ve rested? ’
She was so happy to hear his voice and leaned on the window ledge to give him her full attention. ‘I’m fine. It was silly of me to even attempt it knowing what I know of this condition. But I’m okay. I’ve decided to look at the positives in everything, rather than dwell on the negative.’
‘That’s the Angel I know and love,’ he said with a smile to his voice. She laughed.
‘Anyway, how are you really?’ she asked, happy to change the subject.
‘Yeah, honestly, I’m good. Exhausted but good.’
‘Fiona tells me you have a new girlfriend.’
There was a brief silence. ‘Oh, she told you about Ava.’ It was a statement rather than a question.
‘She did, ages ago actually. Seeing as you tell me nothing these days.’
‘Sorry, yeah, as I said?—’
‘You’re busy?’
‘I’m back in a couple of weeks and I thought I might come and visit you if you’re still at your mum and dad’s.’
Angelia’s spirits were suddenly lifted. ‘That’d be lovely.
I’d really like that. My mum and dad are going on holiday to Canada for a few weeks at the end of May.
They tried to tell me they were cancelling it, but I wouldn’t hear of it.
It’s not like I’m incapacitated. I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself.
And they’ve wanted to go to Canada for as long as I can remember.
Mum has sorted cover for the bookshop and Dad has special permission from the bank’s head office for taking three consecutive weeks off, so it seems silly to cancel it all now.
And there’s nothing anybody can do. I just have to adjust things in my life and I’ll be fine.
’ She sounded a lot more convincing than she felt.
‘That actually lines up with when I’d be coming over. Could I maybe stay for a few days? Keep you company?’
‘That’d be great. Although I should warn you, I’m being watched like a hawk by Meghan.’
Ed chuckled. ‘They sent her with you then?’
Angelia rolled her eyes. ‘They sure did. I mean I’ve been here… what? Three weeks so far and I’ve only had two small incidents; one with a group of great kids who I took selfies with and then today there was a group of pretend paparazzi who thought they recognised me.’
‘Thought they recognised you?’
‘Yeah, it was hilarious. I told them they were mistaken and they all set about arguing over whether I was actually me or not, but I managed to lose them by going into the church in Glentorrin.’
‘You in a church? You don’t do churches.’
Angelia grinned. ‘Not normally. I was saved by the curate.’
‘Eh?’ Ed laughed again.
‘The church in Glentorrin has a curate assisting the rector and he managed to get rid of them. He was really sweet about it all.’
‘So, he recognised you too? A vicar?’ Ed asked with a hint of surprise to his tone.
‘He did. Apparently, he’s partial to a bit of rock music.’
‘Are they allowed to listen to that kind of stuff?’ he asked, echoing her own words. ‘Or is he a rebellious curate?’
Angelia smiled. ‘Oh yes, things have changed in the world of religion apparently.’
‘And what were you doing in Glentorrin? And where even is that?’
It had slipped her mind that he wasn’t familiar with Skye. She’d known him so long she had almost forgotten he was from Hampshire. ‘It’s the first village you come to as you cross the Skye Bridge. And I’m here because I’ve bought another property.’
‘Oh, cool. Fee said you were looking again. Is it another house?’
‘No, this one’s a shop and a flat above. I’m trying to decide what to do with it. Meghan suggested a record shop.’
‘Oh, now, you’re talking! That’s so perfect for you. You could set one up with your collection as it is. That would be awesome,’ Ed said enthusiastically.
‘Except I’m not selling a single one of mine, thank you very much,’ she replied with a light-hearted laugh.
‘No surprise there. Seriously, though, I think it’s the best idea for you.
Vinyl records are making a big comeback.
Loads of my friends are into vinyl. I’ve been to some cool record shops in New York.
They can be so atmospheric. Oh… hang on a sec…
’ He fell silent a moment. ‘Yeah, Ava, I’m coming,’ he said off into the distance with a tinge of annoyance. ‘Sorry, Angel, I need to get going.’
Angelia nodded even though he couldn’t see her. ‘No worries. It’s been good to talk to you, Ed.’
‘Yeah, you too,’ he almost whispered. ‘I miss you.’ It wasn’t like him to be sentimental, but it had happened both times he had spoken to her recently. There was definitely more to it, and she wondered if he was okay. Perhaps he’s just homesick, she thought.
‘I miss you too,’ Angelia replied, swallowing down a surprise ball of emotion.
‘Bye for now.’
‘Bye for now, Ed.’
* * *
As she locked up the shop, her phone buzzed with a message. It was Josh.
Josh
Hey. I miss you. Sorry I’ve been so quiet but this thing with your diagnosis has really affected me. I feel so useless and I hate that. I am thinking about you though. All day. Every day. You never know, I may come and visit if your folks are still heading to Canada. Can’t wait to see you. J xx
A twinge of annoyance squeezed her insides. Had he really just made this situation about him? After remaining silent for weeks, had he seriously just messaged her to say he was having a hard time?
She didn’t bother to reply right away for fear she would say exactly what she was feeling about his selfish message and instead drove home with the silver moonlight lighting her way.
* * *
Later that night, after a long chat with her parents about the shop, Angelia lay in bed, exhausted but wide awake.
So many things were whizzing around her head, vying for dominance; Josh and his message, what she had overheard him saying to Heath, her feelings for Ed, her future with the band.
Sleep evaded her as it had done a fair bit since her diagnosis.
So, she lay there, staring at the patterns on the ceiling made by the branches of a tree in the garden as it danced in a breeze, silhouetted by moonlight.
She stroked the soft fur of Scrappy’s side and listened to the funny noises he made while sleeping.
She was so grateful to have him. He was an excellent distraction and had the knack of cheering her up even on days where she felt like everything was going wrong.
Being wide awake in the small hours of the morning rendered her stuck with her own inner dialogue and she eventually got around to the inevitable thoughts on her relationship status.
Everyone seemed to have someone these days.
Even the young dog-walking teenagers she had seen in Glentorrin weeks before.
Fiona was blissfully happy with Marcus and the eternal bachelor, Ed, had met someone too – although she tried not to picture what Ava might look like.
She would no doubt be perfect, beautiful, talented.
Simply because that’s what Ed deserved. Meghan was spending lots of time chatting to Ezra and she regularly oozed swoons and sat there all dreamy-eyed as she talked about her new beau.
Yup, it seemed everyone was falling in love except for Angelia.
The handsome curate sprang to her mind with his smiling eyes and kind nature.
Oh, good grief, she thought, I must be desperate if I’m thinking about a bloody priest. How the hell would that even work?
I’m not religious. I don’t go to church unless I have to.
And I have been known to swear like a trooper on tour.
No, I’m better to just wait and surely my prince will come someday. Won’t he?
Although she knew that in her line of work the men she was likely to meet were either fans, fellow rock band dwellers or actors.
She just wanted to meet someone normal, whatever that meant, and down-to-earth.
Someone with a regular job who maybe didn’t know her as ‘Angel from Angel and the Fallen’ but as Angelia MacAuley – the…
human being? Who was she kidding, though?
The band was so well-known she’d have to go to Antarctica to find someone who’d never heard of her.
And as much as the cold on Skye didn’t faze her too much, Antarctica just didn’t appeal.
Temperatures of minus eighty-five sounded horrendous and she was sure dating penguins wasn’t something she wanted to do, even though Happy Feet had been a fabulous film.
She laughed out loud at her train of thought, making Scrappy jump up and give a single bark.
How had she gone from feeling lovelorn to dating penguins?
She definitely needed a better distraction.
She grabbed her phone and typed in the details for the interior designer from Glentorrin that Ruby had told her about into the search engine.
Bella Donaldson had some excellent reviews, and the photos of her work were wonderful.
The images showed a stable block conversion at Drumblair Castle near Inverness, where she had created rental apartments that were little homes from home, with stunning fabrics, gorgeous artwork and beautiful touches that gave a feeling of luxury.
And speaking of luxury, Bella had also worked on a refurbishment of a hotel in the north of Skye where William Morris prints had been used.
Angelia was surprised to see the manager of said hotel was none other than Carlton Somers, former male model.
Angelia shivered involuntarily at the mention of his name.
She had encountered him when the band had played at a Nina Picarro fashion show some years earlier.
He had been quite a slimy character, full of himself and a bit too leery for her liking.
She wondered how on earth he had wound up managing a hotel.
Although, if the rumours about his treatment of a well-known makeup artist had been true, perhaps he’d been dropped by his agent.
Angelia was certain, after what she had viewed on the website, that Bella Donaldson was the person for the design of her record shop so, deciding to strike while the proverbial iron was hot, she emailed Bella immediately to ask for a meeting.