Chapter 8 #2
‘He said he found the wedding invitation in the flat. Why didn’t you tell me you had nowhere to go? You could have stayed with us, we could have block booked a room.’
Shifting position on the sofa, Scarlett looked at her. ‘I didn’t want to worry you.’
‘Have you been living in your van since you and he finished? Why wouldn’t you have lived at the flat until it had sold?’
‘It was always his flat. He paid for everything: the mortgage, the bills. It was never mine. I needed to move out.’ Scarlett swallowed, a lump forming in her throat.
She couldn’t admit that if she’d stayed there, she’d been worried he would have spun more lies, made the whole situation sound all right somehow, or had her believe he’d left his wife.
No, she couldn’t have. She couldn’t believe anyone any more.
Not anyone. After all, she’d trusted Tyler, she’d hung on to his every word, and he’d been using her all along.
He’d been seeing her behind his wife’s back all these years, and Scarlett hadn’t seen through him at all.
She hadn’t noticed any cracks in his lies, any hint that he was leading a double life. She felt stupid. She was stupid.
‘Oh, the way he’d spoken, he sounded as though he’d have allowed you to carry on living there while you looked for somewhere else.’ Laura reached out and laid her hand on Scarlett’s arm.
Scarlett shook her head firmly. ‘No, I needed to get out. For me. Things didn’t end particularly amicably, and I can imagine how kind he sounded on the phone, but… no.’
‘I’m sorry. I didn’t realise. When me and Harry broke up, nobody could understand why I’d broken things off with him. You must remember my parents inviting him round to the house after I’d moved out here?’
Scarlett nodded.
‘I hated it. I hated the thought that he was still in their lives. It felt as though they were on his side somehow, as daft as I know that sounds.’ Laura gave a small smile. ‘Anyway, whatever happened between you and Tyler, I’ll always be Team Scarlett, just so you know.’
‘Thanks,’ Scarlett mumbled as she averted her eyes.
The truth was, no one would be on Team Scarlett if they found out Tyler was married and had been throughout their three-year relationship.
And it wouldn’t matter that she’d been oblivious to his other life because, well, it just sounded far-fetched, didn’t it?
It just sounded like some unbelievably na?ve and flaky character from a film or something.
People would say there must have been signs, and she’d just chosen not to see what had been staring her in the face all those years.
She’d even struggled to get Devon to believe that she hadn’t been privy to that side of Tyler’s life, and that was Devon, the guy with more of a colourful love life than most. No, she couldn’t, she wouldn’t risk people thinking differently of her, seeing her for the na?ve person she was. ‘Umm, do you want a cuppa?’
‘Ooh, yes, please. I could just do with a tea.’ Laura began shrugging off her coat before pulling it quickly over her shoulders again. ‘Yikes, is it absolutely freezing in here or am I coming down with something? Please tell me you have heating.’
Standing up, Scarlett walked across to the tiny but well-equipped kitchen area and filled up the kettle. ‘It’s not you. It is cold. I’ve just realised the heater is broken, it’s usually super toasty in here.’
‘Oh no! Really?’ Laura stared at the heater as though willing it to work would fix the problem.
‘Yep. I’m hoping I’ll be able to fix it tomorrow, but I’ll likely need a part and the internet signal here is rubbish.’ After pouring the tea, Scarlett passed a mug to Laura before sitting back down.
‘You can’t stay here, not overnight. The temperature is supposed to dip even further. You’ll freeze to death.’ Laura shook her head. ‘Come and stay at the inn. We’re booked out, but Jackson will happily take the sofa.’
‘No. I’m not pushing Jackson out of his own bed.
’ Scarlett lifted her mug to her lips. As much as she was tempted, she wasn’t about to evict Jackson from the owner’s suite so she could stay.
‘I might take you up on the offer of the sofa, though, if you really don’t mind?
I can be up and out of the sitting room before your guests get up in the morning. ’
‘Of course I don’t mind. In fact, you’ll be doing me a favour because I’ll only stay up worrying about you all night and…’ Screeching, Laura suddenly jumped up from the sofa, her hot tea spilling down the front of her coat and the rug on the floor. ‘There’s something in here. You’ve got rats.’
Placing her mug quickly on the side, Scarlett reached across and scooped up little Thelma, cradling her in her arms. ‘Thelma, meet Aunty Laura.’
‘Oh, right, it’s a… umm… it’s a hamster.’ Laura dried her coat off with the palm of her hand before gingerly sitting back down.
Laughing, Scarlett lifted Thelma to her chin and turned her to face Laura. ‘She’s a guinea pig.’
‘Right, yes. I can see that now. Sorry, Thelma. You just took me by surprise.’ Laura stroked her on the top of the head. ‘Sorry about your rug. Have you got a cloth? I’ll clean it up.’
‘Don’t worry. I’ll sort it another time. Thelma’s probably had a few accidents I’ll need to clean up anyway.’ Scarlett lowered Thelma to her lap. ‘Are you sure you don’t mind me staying tonight?’
‘Of course not. I take it you’ll be bringing this little one too?’ Laura fussed over Thelma again.
‘If that’s okay, please? I can keep her in her cage, I’ve just been letting her free roam whilst I’m here.’ Scarlett looked towards the door and frowned. ‘Actually, I wonder if I can somehow guinea pig-proof this place so she can free roam whenever. Apart from when I’m driving, of course.’
‘I bet you could. I guess you’d have to cover any electrical wires somehow and maybe add a little ridge by the door so she can’t escape when you come in or go out.’ Laura tilted her head. ‘Yes, I bet you’d be able to. Plus, it’s not like she’s a rabbit and can jump places.’
‘True.’ Scarlett looked down at the little animal. ‘Would you like that, Thelma? It would certainly beat being cooped up in your cage, wouldn’t it?’
Downing the rest of her drink, Laura stood up. ‘Right, shall we get going before it gets even colder?’
‘Good idea. Let me just chuck a few things in a bag and we’ll be right with you.’ Scarlett glanced towards the Tupperware tub Laura had brought with her. ‘Remember your tub.’
‘Ah, yes. It’s your dinner, actually. I forgot to tell Jackson you weren’t coming over, and he made you some so I thought I’d drop it by in case you hadn’t eaten. We can take it back to the inn and heat it up.’
‘Aw, thank you.’ After placing Thelma in her cage again, Scarlett wrapped her arms around her cousin. ‘You’re too good to me, you and Jackson. Do you know that?’
‘Haha, hardly. We’re just buying your company by supplying you with food.’ Laura hugged her back.
‘Well, I like it. Thank you.’ Stepping away again, Scarlett turned her back to Laura and pulled a rucksack from the cubby beneath the sofa, hoping the tears wouldn’t fall. It felt good to be here and to be wanted.