‘I know, but we can be like that again.’
‘Oh, Ben.’ Lisa sighed.
‘Everything just got a bit messed up therefor a bit, with the… you know… the baby. It all got a bit mad.’
‘Mad,’ Lisa echoed thinking how inadequate a word that was for the hardest and saddest time of her life.
‘Yeah, crazy.’ His eyes softened and he tilted his head.
It was a look Lisa had seen many times before. The look that used to win her over – that always came complete with the you-know-I-am-right-and-this-makes-sensesmile. She wondered if this time it was sincere. If this might actually be it; was he trying to apologise for his behaviour over Pip?Say it, Ben, say you’re sorry; say losing our baby mattered to you too.She didn’t really need him to say it for her, not now, it was too late for that, but she wanted him to say it for Pip. To show the little life they had made and lost mattered to him too.
‘Yes, you went a bit mental there for a while.’
Lisa physically recoiled from his words.
Felicity had heard enough. She opened the door.
Ben turned in surprise. ‘Who are you?’
‘Felicity,’ she responded flatly, ‘and there’s no doubt who you are, so, Ben, why don’t you make yourself useful and hold that door open while we take the last of those boxes down tothe car.’
Ben looked at the force of nature that was Felicity in full flow and back to Lisa. ‘We were just talking. Lisa might not be ready to leave. Isn’t that right, Lisa?’
His words were calm, but Lisa noticed the twitch at the edge of his jaw.
Felicity blustered on. ‘Oh she’s definitely ready to leave.’
Clearly taken aback, Ben continued, ‘Who did you say youwere?’
Lisa recognised the tone and the ‘I’m pulling rank’ attitude. He was going into belittling mode. ‘Flick, don’t, it’s not worth it.’
Flick continued regardless, ‘I am Felicity and, as Lisa’s friend, I can tell you there is absolutely no way I am leaving here without her.’ She picked up a box and looked at Lisa. ‘Ready?’
Lisa picked up a box, but Ben blocked theirexit.
Felicity’s cheeks blazed. ‘I think you’d better move.’
‘Flick, it’s OK.’
‘Lisa—’
‘It’s OK, I just need to say something.’
Felicity stepped aside. But she wasn’t putting the box down and she wasn’t leaving without Lisa. Whatever Lisa wanted to say she would have to say it in front of her.
‘Ben, when we travelled together we had fun, life wasfun and for that I am really grateful to you. And when we got back it was exciting for a while. We got our jobs. We got this place. We had good times.’
‘And we could again—’
‘Don’t interrupt me!’
Felicity had to stifle a giggle at the unexpected force with which Lisa spoke and the shocked look on Ben’s face.
‘But, increasingly, over time, you have become selfish,manipulative and, as much as I hate to say it, an all round nasty bastard. You don’t love me, Ben, I’m not sure you even know who I am any more. And the way you treated me when I told you I was pregnant with our baby, our baby, Ben,’ she reiterated for extra emphasis, ‘was cruel. I can never forgive you for that and I don’t even want to try.’
Ben was taken aback. He stared at Lisa.
‘I don’t love you and I am not staying here with you, Ben. This is it. This is the part where you agree we had good times, but we are certainly over. You open the door, and my friend Felicity and I walk out.’
