Chapter Fourteen #3
Imogen passed on the platter order along with the bag of cheese to Niamh, who was currently on food duty.
The three of them had a rotation system on the go—one did food, one did drinks, one cleaned up.
They also had an unofficial competition to see who could make the prettiest boards.
A contest that was beneficial to all, really.
They each upped their game, the customers were always served something spectacular, and it was fun. Win win win.
After Imogen brought Sally two glasses and her bottle of rosé—a preference that she would remember to offer next time—she returned to give Niamh a hand at the little food station they had set up when platters had become a thing.
The pub was having a bit of a lull and Imogen didn’t like to stand idle.
It gave her too much time to think. They could set up the order together and declare a temporary truce in their competition.
Piper had disappeared upstairs to hoover and polish both of their apartments—Piper’s idea.
They had been spoiling sad Imogen with kind acts like that all week.
Kind acts that she wasn’t sure she even deserved.
Her sadness was all her own doing after all.
But she could probably go out and murder someone and her friends would still offer to rub her feet after. She was lucky to have them.
“Heard anything from her today?” Niamh asked while she attempted to turn a slice of ham into a flower.
There was no need to elaborate on who Niamh meant.
There was only one person Imogen was both dying and dreading to hear from.
“Nope. Can’t say I blame her though.” Imogen had been distant, to say the least. And she despised herself for it.
She kept trying to focus on the positives.
To pull herself out of her dark hole of fear.
But fear had a funny way of dragging you down.
“I don’t know why I ever thought I could date her in the first place after I found out who she was.
I should have walked away then—it might have been easier.
” Probably not. Walking away from someone you loved was never going to be easy, was it?
Especially when they were practically perfect and the hangups were all your own.
It was a wonder Amy wanted her in the first place.
Niamh began to unwrap the cheese. “Is that what you’ve decided then? To walk away?” There was no judgment in her voice. No insinuation. Just wholehearted care and curiosity.
Imogen sighed, because no, she didn’t want to. But… “How can there be a future when I clearly can’t let go of my past?” It was the question that Imogen kept coming back to. Over and over.
“You can’t be in a relationship you aren’t comfortable in,” Niamh said, giving her a gentle look.
“I am comfortable with Amy though. That’s the problem. I’m more myself with her than I have ever been with anyone—except you guys obviously. But her too.”
“So don’t walk away then,” Niamh said. Like it was as easy as that.
“I might have to, Niamhey. Whether I want to or not. I’m trying not to run, but…” Imogen covered her face and let out a pretend sob. “I don’t know what to do. I need some kind of sign or something.”
A loud crash came from upstairs and Imogen and Niamh both looked up at the ceiling. Footsteps thundered above them, growing louder as they raced down the stairs.
“There’s been an accident,” Piper shouted breathlessly as she burst through the door behind the bar.
“Yeah, we heard that. I thought the ceiling was going to cave in,” Imogen said. Even to herself, she sounded like some kind of disapproving aunt.
“No.” Piper shook her head and rushed forward with her lit-up phone clutched in her hand. “That was only me throwing the hoover down.” She looked down at the screen and back up at Imogen, pale with panic.
Dread crept up Imogen’s spine. “Well, what’s happened? What’s wrong? Is it your parents? Is it my parents?” Her mind started reeling with all the dire possibilities that could have Piper looking at her like that.
“It’s Amelia.”
Imogen’s whole body went cold. Without another word, she yanked the phone out of Piper’s hand and looked at the screen.
ALWAYS THE brIDESMAID STAR AMELIA WHITLOCK RUSHED TO HOSPITAL AFTER LIFE-THREATENING ACCIDENT ON SET
Imogen went completely still. She stared at the headline, unable to tear her eyes away from the bold words to read any further.
“What happened?” she faintly heard Niamh asking Piper in the background.
“There was an accident on the set of Always the Bridesmaid. Some kind of vehicle crash—the article didn’t specify exactly what happened, but apparently it’s bad,” Piper explained. “She’s been taken to hospital.”
“Oh God, Imogen. Are you okay?” Niamh asked, suddenly right beside her with an arm wrapped around her shoulder.
Piper appeared at her other side. “I’m sure she’ll be okay, Immy. She’ll be getting all the best care.”
Imogen looked up from the phone. “Which one?”
“Which what?” Piper asked.
“Hospital.”
“Oh.” Piper gently reclaimed the phone and scrolled through the article. “It doesn’t say.”
“Whichever’s closest, I’d assume,” Niamh said. “They wouldn’t waste any time with someone like Amelia Whitlock.”
The closest hospital was only a thirty-minute drive from Ballyluck. Hell, it didn’t matter. Imogen would drive around all the hospitals in the country until she found her. “I have to go.”
“Do you want us to come?” Piper asked quickly, glancing at Niamh who immediately agreed.
“Yeah, we can close up for the day. This is more important.”
Imogen gave them a grateful look. “I’ll be fine on my own, but thanks, you guys.” She quickly hugged each of them on autopilot, before grabbing her coat and keys.
“We love you,” Piper said, her eyes full of emotion. She was going to set Imogen off too.
“I love you both too.”
Imogen also loved Amy. She hadn’t even realised how much until that very moment. She just hoped she got the chance to tell her again.