Chapter 36
MY SUITCASE LIES open on the bed, my clothes thrown haphazardly into it. I toss a sandal in and then glance around for the other one. It’s hidden somewhere under the pillows and toiletries on the floor.
I pick up one of the pillows that was part of the pillow barrier and I hug it to me, searching for a lingering trace of him. There’s nothing beyond the powder-fresh scent of a clean pillowcase. I feel a surge of irritation towards Betty for wiping all traces of Adam Whittaker from this room.
Tossing the pillow onto the bed, I scoop up the toiletries and shove them into my fluffy peach toiletry bag.
I should’ve slept in the manor last night instead of torturing myself by coming back to an empty cottage and sleeping in the bed that we’d shared.
Not that I got much sleep. Turns out sending away someone who wormed their way into my heart doesn’t induce a peaceful slumber.
More like a night of tossing and turning mixed with doubts about whether I did the right thing.
And a flurry of messages to Hattie, detailing every single thing that happened from our kiss to our fight because, in moments like this, a girl needs her best friend.
A wave of tears threatens to spill. I rub at my eyes, wincing at their tenderness.
No. I will not shed anymore tears. I did the right thing.
He lied and kept notes on me and planned to use our story for his own gain.
And then after I told him he was banned from the excursion, he showed up anyway.
Sending him away wasn’t enough. I should’ve made good on my threat to throw him into the lake.
My phone buzzes. It’s Mum, hurrying me up because our shuttle to the airport has arrived and she says the driver is giving her unwarranted dirty looks.
There’s a good chance those dirty looks are indeed warranted and probably brought on by Mum telling him how to load all the bags.
She’s a self-proclaimed car-packing expert.
I kick aside the scattered pillows and find the missing sandal. Zipping my bag up, I throw one last wistful look around the cottage and then leave, slamming the door shut behind me.
So long, house of lies.
With an apologetic smile at the poor bus driver, I hand him my luggage and step onto the bus as Mum orders him to push Aunt Carol’s bag to the back, and turn it on its side, so there’s room for mine.
‘Sabrina, I found this article on things to look out for when travelling solo,’ Aunt Carol says, leaning across the aisle to wave her phone in my face.
‘Don’t accept a drink from a stranger because they might have slipped something in it.
I think they mean drugs. Tommy, do they mean drugs?
’ she shouts over my head. ‘Tommy found the article for me.’
‘It also says you shouldn’t leave your bag unattended or agree to look after someone else’s bag,’ Uncle Max says.
‘Because they might put drugs in there,’ Aunt Carol says. ‘Tommy, is that right?’
‘Adam messaged me this morning, Sabrina,’ Mum says, sliding into the empty seat beside me. I guess a new bus means new seating configurations. ‘He’s made it to his stopover safely and was about to board the flight home.’
‘I don’t want you talking to him anymore.’
‘Nonsense, he’s family. And he’s going to make us famous.’
Glaring at her, I clench my fists. ‘He lied to us. That alone strikes him from this family. And he’s not writing that book.’
‘You lied to us as well,’ she says with a sniff.
‘Because you lied to me!’
‘Gabi lied as well,’ Aunt Carol pipes in.
In the battle of whose family is more truthful, she’s trumped Mum.
It doesn’t mean her Fogerty family is the better Fogerty family though.
It’s not like Tommy and Natalia are the picture of perfected relationship goals.
She spent the week batting her lashes at Adam.
‘There will be no more lies,’ Dad says. ‘No more,’ he adds, inserting an edge of authority into his voice when Mum scowls at him.
‘And you’re going to remove those clauses from the contract, Gabi.
I lent that money to Sabrina because I believe in her and her business. She’ll pay it back when she can.’
I wriggle in my seat, straightening my shoulders at the faith he has in me.
‘And if Sabrina doesn’t want us talking to Adam, then we won’t,’ Dad continues. ‘We’re going to respect her wishes.’
Mum flings her arms over her chest and sits back with a loud huff.
‘I’m still going to see The Sleeping Bones movie,’ Gabi murmurs from behind me.
The bus lurches forward, rolling down the long driveway and passing slowly through the gates.
‘Goodbye house,’ Amelia says with a wave at the manor as we turn onto the road and leave it behind us.
The ninety-minute drive to the airport seems to take an eternity.
Dad and Uncle Max are deep in discussion about how to share everything they’ve learnt about English plants and animals with the world.
A blog, a website, a vlog. It seems no one in the Fogerty family is immune to the pull of social media and Natalia’s promises of worldwide fame.
‘I like helping people share their passions and I’m now in a position where I can basically post whatever I want.
Even content about flora and fauna,’ she says when we arrive at the airport and I ask her why she’s offering to help Dad and Uncle Max.
‘I know some people think being an influencer is a joke, but I love doing it and if what I do can help someone out, it’s worth the eye rolls I get from people.
Speaking of,’ she says and pulls up her Instagram feed.
‘Look at all these DM’s. These are all people who have gone to A Cup of Joy since I posted about it. ’
‘Natalia,’ I whisper, tears pricking my eyes at the volume of messages.
‘And I’ll keep posting about it.’
‘Thank you,’ I manage to say as I swallow the lump in my throat.
‘It’s nothing.’ She slides her phone into her bag with a smile.
‘I’m happy to come down to Melbourne and help with any promo.
I won’t even charge you for my flight. Just shoot me a DM.
’ She gathers me into a hug of soft shiny hair and expensive perfume before flouncing over to promise Mum and Aunt Carol that she’ll continue to post about Clovedale and the tour.
Watching their faces light up I feel a twinge of guilt for not getting to know her better.
Do I think she and Tommy are soulmates? Probably not.
But do I think she’s a decent human being who is willing to help a family even though they roll their eyes at her? You bet.
‘Don’t forget those tips on travelling alone, Sabrina,’ Aunt Carol says with one final wave over her shoulder before she drags Uncle Max along behind her.
‘Yes, Sabrina,’ Gabi says solemnly. ‘Watch out for all those drugs.’
Amelia’s thin arms wrap around my waist. ‘I won’t talk to Adam ever again.’
Riley mumbles something that could either be agreement with Amelia or the complete opposite. I don’t dare ask her because, before I’ve even extracted myself from Amelia, Riley has moved in for a hug. It’s brief, but I’ll take it.
‘Call me if you need to talk,’ I say and I squeeze her hand. She won’t call or text or ever say she needs to talk, however it won’t stop me from checking in on her.
‘Okay, well, I’ll see you later,’ Gabi says when the girls join Reese.
‘Yep,’ I say.
She nods. I nod. She waves. I wave.
Screw it.
I throw myself at her, wrapping her in a hug that almost throws her off balance. She steadies and slowly rests her palm on my back. One pat. Two pats. Three pats.
‘Call me,’ I whisper. ‘I’m sure I’ll have plenty of dating disaster stories to share.’
‘Thank you.’ Her voice is tight and for the briefest moment her arms encircle me before she pulls away and she’s off, joining her family at the gate. With one last wave, they board the plane, and I hope with everything I have that it’s not the last time I see them together as a family.
‘Sabrina.’ Mum falls into me with a sob. ‘This trip truly was a dream come true. And Natalia said she’s going to put together a video with all the footage she has and send it to me. Do you think it will go viral?’
‘Call us when you get home,’ Dad says and presses a kiss to my head as he tries to pull Mum away.
‘A dream come true,’ she repeats as she wipes at her wet cheeks.
‘It was great, Mum.’ If you don’t count the fact Adam lied to us.
‘Callie said she’s moving back to Australia and we can visit her when she does. You should come with us and we’ll find you a handsome actor—’
‘No more matchmaking,’ I cut in. ‘I will find my own boyfriend when the time is right. Until then, stop the meddling.’
She huffs out a breath and squares her shoulders, preparing to argue, but Dad’s hand latches on to her arm and he leads her away with a wink before she can agree to stop the meddling. Not that I expected her to. Meddling is what Dianne Fogerty does.