Alex slipped his hand in his pocket and pulled the bracelet out.
It was right there all the time.Lisa blinked away relief-fuelled tears as she took it. Her bracelet, with all the charms, including her precious pip, was back where it belonged – with her.
‘And what do you say?’ Sam asked.
‘I’m sorry for taking your bracelet.’ Alex looked at Lisa, his red-rimmedeyes bright against his pale skin.
‘And …’ Sam pressed.
Alex sniffed before speaking, ‘And your engagement ring.’
‘What?’ Sam looked at Alex aghast. ‘I meant you should say it won’t happen again. Please tell me you haven’t also taken Lisa’s engagement ring!’ Sam’s eyes flicked to Lisa’s hands.
Two hours later, Lisa sat with her feet up on the sofa with Uno snuggled next to her,and listened as Felicity reiterated what she had just told her over the telephone:
‘So Alex took … the ring in the hope … Nathan wouldn’t ask you to … marry him?’
‘Yes, why are you so out of breath? Ewww, I haven’t interrupted something have I?’
‘No … I’ve just finished a run.’
‘Phew! OK. Well, Nathan had shown him the ring once, when Alex had needed to borrow … oh, I can’t remember,something sporty. Alex met me, remembered the ring and took it the next time he visited Nathan.’
‘What did Sam say?’
‘She was shocked and embarrassed about the whole thing. But she was also apologetic and not just for Alex’s behaviour but her own. She realised the way she’d been treating me had contributed to Alex’s actions.’
‘Wow, she said that?’
Lisa gulped down the mouthfulof squash she had just taken. ‘Yes. After Alex had been sent to his room to await his punishment – I think it is going to involve his Xbox and a lot of spare time on his hands – we actually had a good talk. Sam explained she’d implied things that weren’t true because she wanted to make me feel jealous. Not because she still has feelings for Nathan but because that’s how she had felt when he rejectedher, because of his feelings for me.’
‘That’s messed up.’
‘Yes. But I think the fact I hadn’t remembered her on that first day when her memories of me were raw in her mind brought out—’
‘The bitch in her?’
‘No. I was going to say her darker side.’
‘OK, we’ll go with that.’
Lisa stroked Uno’s soft, warm fur. ‘What she did, and what Alex did, it’s strange behaviour, but itdoes prove they really care for Nathan.’
‘I guess. I’m pleased you got it sorted. And will you tell Nathan?’
‘No. If Sam had been the culprit, then, of course I would. But Alex knows he did the wrong thing. I’ve got my bracelet and the ring back. Things are better between all of us now we’ve spoken.’ Lisa knew jealousy could make people behave out of character and hoped Alex would learnrash actions weren’t a solution.
‘That makes sense.’
‘I thought so.’ Lisa smiled to herself. It was the right decision. The grown-up decision.
‘Lisa, you’re going to keep the screenshot though aren’t you? I mean there’s no harm in keeping the evidence. Just in case.’
‘Of course, I am. I’m forgiving, not a fool.’
