‘Are you kidding?’ A tentative smile began. ‘She’s never suggested going away before, not since I was really little, when Dad was around.’ There were tears in his eyes but Amelia didn’t point it out. ‘Either she had a partner who she went away with, or she was working, or she was pushing me off to your place to sort me out. I was angry at her, you know. I thought she should be the one to help me when Dad died, I felt it was wrong for her to struggle when she’s the adult.’
‘She’s had a tough time, you both have.’
‘Scarlett told me she must have her reasons for how she acts.’
‘Scarlett?’
‘I talk to her about things. And she’s really clever, Amelia. She’s amazing in fact.’
‘I don’t doubt it. But tell me the truth, what really happened last night?’
‘Nathan’s a total freak.’ He put the ornament down on the side table.
‘That’s not an answer. Tell me straight.’
‘We had a great time in the city, just me and Scarlett. We wanted to eat at Ellen’s Stardust Diner but the queue was huge so we grabbed takeaway noodles from a café I can’t remember the name of. We were close to the Inglenook Inn and Scarlett invited me back there. She said her dad wouldn’t mind, I said not a chance, but she told me we’d eat in the dining room. Darcy doesn’t mind if you grab takeaway and do that.
When we got there she had a message from her dad to say he’d been to the Empire State Building and was out wandering but he promised he’d be back by eleven at the latest, he joked about not missing his curfew. Scarlett persuaded me we should go eat upstairs seeing as he wouldn’t be back for a while. We could have a bit of privacy and get away from the other family in the dining room who had a crying baby with them. When we got up there I kept checking my watch and Scarlett told me not to be so jittery. So I tried to relax, we ate, we hung out, we were messing around. But then…’
‘You need to tell me. I can’t stick up for you unless I know the truth.’
‘We were kissing, then Scarlett suggested we go to her bedroom. I didn’t exactly protest.’
‘Were you going to have sex?’
He covered his face with his hands. ‘This is so embarrassing.’
‘I’m sure it is, but you need to tell me.’
‘We were fooling around, Scarlett took off her top, then she took out a packet of condoms, said she’d bought them that afternoon just in case.’
‘Shebought them?’
‘Yes, but don’t be angry with her.’
‘I’m not. Although you’ve only known each other five minutes. It’s a bit quick. But then again, at least she was thinking about safety, the risk of pregnancy, not to mention STDs.’ She was spilling her thoughts out loud now, trying to process the events of tonight. ‘Would you have gone through with it if Nathan hadn’t caught you?’
‘I’ve never…you know.’
‘Has she?’
‘No.’
‘But you took the wrap for Scarlett. You didn’t deny the condoms were yours, at least not when Nathan found them.’
‘How could I? She’s his little girl, he’s overprotective as it is, I didn’t want to make it worse for her.’
‘I’m proud of you for having that attitude. Because it would’ve really put him in his place to tell him it was her and not you, but you didn’t.’
‘I told you, I really like her. I know we’re on holiday and nobody ever thinks holiday flings go anywhere, but it feels as though this one will.’
‘I need to talk to Nathan, clear the air.’
‘You can’t tell him, Scarlett will be mortified.’
‘But it’s the truth.’
‘Do you think it matters who the condoms belonged to? Do you think if he knows she bought them then he’d say, oh well kids, go on then, go off and enjoy yourselves?’ When Amelia started to laugh, he joined in. ‘OK, that wasn’t a very good impression of him, he sounds way more anal than that.’
