Chapter Thirty-One – Rose
ROSE
The Disappearing Redhead
I sank into Ramona and rested my head on the steering wheel. Today had been one of the longest days of my life, and I could scarcely believe that a day that had started so brightly was ending so darkly.
And all because I’d done what I shouldn’t have.
Because I’d walked into Hanbury House.
I’d gone to Oliver’s office.
And I’d heard everything.
Both his and words and Luke’s had been ringing in my mind all day.
The contract.
There was only one contract that would cause their conversation to be that heated.
The allotments .
I squeezed my eyes tightly shut to stop the tears spilling out.
This was it—this was the end. Everything we’d done, every moment I’d fought it, it’d all been for nothing.
I knew that, of course. I’d known from the start that the chance of being able to overturn his decision was slim to none, but that hadn’t stopped me from trying.
And God, I’d tried. I’d tried so fucking hard. I’d given everything I had to it, but I hadn’t been able to succeed.
He’d won.
He’d signed the contract, sold the land, and didn’t want me to know he’d done it. Did he think he could keep it a secret forever? Did he think I’d never find out? Or that maybe I’d only discover the truth when bulldozers rolled in to level the place?
Did it even matter?
I knew from the start. I knew he didn’t care, knew he wouldn’t change his mind, knew he had a whole life somewhere else that was a million miles away from Hanbury. No matter how many sweet words he whispered in my ears about there only being one world, that wasn’t true.
Maybe this was for the best. If the contract was signed and he was leaving like he was supposed to, then I wouldn’t have to end things with him. Our weird, undefined relationship would fizzle out like it’d never even existed at all, and we could both move on with our lives.
Well, he could.
I would always have a huge hole in mine.
I laughed to myself. I was such an idiot. I’d even said to Eleanor that one day I would be the one hurting, and here I was, hurting. I had nobody to blame but myself. For all my bravado and insistence that I’d end things with him, the truth was that I couldn’t.
Because I loved him.
Even now, as my heart was breaking and the dull ache in my stomach intensified, I loved him.
I loved him so very much that I couldn’t even bring myself to hate him even as he ripped away the place I adored.
That pissed me off the most. How could that be possible? How could I love him so much that I couldn’t even hate him? Even if I forced myself, I just couldn’t. The resentment I thought I would find deep within me was gone, completely dead and buried, as if it’d never even bloomed within me.
All there was, was his smile, his touch, his laugh, and that playful look he got in his blue eyes when he messed with me and said things he knew would rile me up.
It was the feeling I’d get when he’d swallow my anger with a kiss, giving way for a whole other wave of heat. It was those moments when we were alone in the cottage, hidden away from everyone else, pretending the rest of the world didn’t exist.
His tired mumbles.
His steady heartbeat.
His repetitive drawing of tiny circles on my side.
That momentary comfort of knowing he was there, that he wasn’t leaving, that I could finally let my guard down.
And Oliver… he’d ripped that all away with one stroke of his pen.
I should have confronted him. I should have stormed into his office and demanded to know what the hell he was doing, why he’d deal with the fallout later.
I should have screamed at him that he was horrible, that I hated him.
I should have insisted he tell me why he’d done and said all those sweet things with me if he was just going to tear my world apart anyway.
The Rose Matthews of three months ago would have.
But now, today, I was simply tired. Exhausted from a fight I was never destined to win. Shattered from having my heart broken beyond repair.
I pulled my phone from my pocket and called Isa. She answered on the second ring with a, “You? Calling me? Are you ill?”
“Mm,” I replied, trying to keep the sadness out of my tone. “Can you do me a favour?”
“That depends on how chaotic the favour is.”
“Can you cancel the meeting for me tonight?”
“Cancel it?” Her tone rose a few octaves. “What do you mean, cancel it?”
“The contract is signed.” My voice broke. “I overheard him in his office this morning. It’s done, Isa.”
The line crackled as she exhaled. “Oh, babe. I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault,” I said thickly. “You aren’t the one who did this, are you?”
“I know, but I’m still sorry. You tried your best, Rose.”
I laughed, and tears finally spilled over my eyes. “Damn it. I really thought he might change his mind, you know? Last night, we—I thought we felt the same. He made me think that, Isa. Why would he do that if he knew he was going to destroy me today?”
“Maybe you misunderstood,” she replied gently. “Maybe it was a different contract.”
“No. Luke specifically said that Oliver was the one who didn’t want me to know. Is there anything else he could do that would require it being kept a secret from me?”
Silence.
“I doubt it.” Her voice was sad. “Okay. Well, we can’t cancel the meeting. You have to tell everyone, babe. They need to know it’s done so we can all properly begin the process of getting out of there.”
She was right.
No matter how I felt right now, I had a job to do. I was the chairwoman of the committee, and I couldn’t run away from this. I had to deliver the news nobody wanted to hear, and the sooner I did it, the better.
“All right.” I wiped my cheeks. “Can you just tell everyone I’ll be fifteen minutes late? I’m not in Hanbury right now, and I need to run into a Tesco or something to freshen up. I’ve only just had time to process it.”
“Of course. Do you need me to do anything for you?”
“Hold my hand when I tell everyone,” I murmured.
“You got it.”
It was showtime.
I’d conducted these meetings a hundred times, but this would probably be the last one. Guilt snaked around in the pit of my stomach as I looked out over everyone’s apprehensive faces, but what could I do?
I’d done everything I could.
We all had.
I looked at Alan, and he nodded that I was good to go. “Hell—” My words were interrupted by a huge screech going through the hall, and everyone flinched. Laughs rang out immediately after, and for a moment, the heavy tension was all gone.
“Jesus, Alan! It’s every single time!” Isa laughed, her hands covering her ears.
“Sorry, sorry! I’ll never get the hang of this!” He scrambled to the machine and adjusted it. “Should be good now, Rose. Sorry.”
I looked at him and smiled, laughing as I dipped my head. The weight of the moment had settled on us once again, and I was sure the look on my face told them everything they needed to know.
Isa slipped her hand into mine, squeezing my fingers.
“I’m sorry,” I said softly into the microphone.
“I… We… We tried our best, but we couldn’t stop the sale.
The contracts were signed today. If you haven’t made preparations to clear your plots, you should endeavour to do so as soon as you possibly can.
We have to be out by the twenty-third, but if we all work together, I’m sure we can make it happen.
” I swallowed hard, looking out at the sea of sad faces before me.
“I’m sorry, everyone. I know how much this place means to us all, and—”
“Well, screw ’im,” Bernie hollered from the back, standing up shakily. He raised his fist in the air. “Screw ’im, I say!”
“Hear, hear!” came from several places around the room, and Isa hugged me as everyone joined in the sentiment.
“We haven’t lost anything,” Uncle Dean said, standing up and walking up to the front. He put his hands on my shoulders. “Sure, we’ve lost those little spaces to grow our plants in, but that’s it, Ro. Bugger him—let him take it! We’re all still here, aren’t we?”
“Exactly!” George said, following him to his feet and waving Bernie’s stick in the air, much to the other man’s chagrin. “We aren’t a community because of the allotments, Rose. They’re a part of our community. Heck, I’ll plant potatoes on the primary school’s roundabout if I have to!”
That got a laugh out of everyone, including me.
Not because it was funny.
Because he actually would.
“Goodness, no,” Susan said, shaking her head. “You’d get fined for your phallic veggies!”
He wiggled his long-haired eyebrows at her. “You know you love ’em really, Susan.”
“Just get married already!” Isa said into the microphone. “Get the license quickly, and we’ll send the allotments out with style.”
“What, with them shouting their vows over Rose’s plot like usual?” Paula asked with a laugh.
“Whaddaya say, Susan?” George wiggled his eyebrows yet again, and I pressed my hand to my mouth, because I wasn’t sure if I was going to laugh or cry.
Susan narrowed her eyes and stood up, hands on her hips. “You’ll have to take out that darn peony of yours in the front garden that never flowers, though. My Queen Elizabeth II rose will need a new home.”
Me and Isa looked at each other with wide eyes.
“Crikey,” Uncle Dean said, grabbing the mic as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “Is that a yes, Susan?”
“I don’t recall him asking me anything,” she replied nonchalantly.
“Is it happening?” Isa whispered, clutching my arm.
“I think it’s happening,” I whispered back, still holding my hand over my mouth. “I was always joking!”
She met my gaze.
“Mostly,” I quickly said.
“Got no bloody choice now, have I?” George grumbled, handing Bernie back his stick.
Everyone in his row got to their feet to let him pass, and he shuffled his way out and over towards where Susan was standing, somewhat dumbfounded.
“I ain’t gettin’ down on one knee, because I don’t think I’m gonna get back up. ”
“I got you, George.” Shaun grabbed his arm and helped him get down, then gave him a thumbs up.