Before Felix’s shock trip to Leeds, I would have deluged Will with how hard it has been with Felix. Even though I am still cross with Felix for using my card, leaving me frightened at St Pancras and for running away like that I do feel like something has changed between us. ‘Well, it’s not been easy, but I think today we’ve made a tiny bit of progress.’
Will nods. ‘That’s good. Who are you going to see in Leeds?’
I take a breath. ‘My ex-boyfriend, Rory.’
Something flickers across Will’s face. His smile loses its shine. ‘Reconciliation?’
Felix is stirring beside me.
‘I don’t know. Rory and I split just after my sister died. Life was taking us in different directions. I’m not sure what the future holds for Rory and me.’
I turn to see Felix rubbing his eyes and sitting up. He flicks open my iPad.
‘It happened to me and my other half,’ Will explains. ‘The love disappeared, and life parted us.’
I’m not sure my love for Rory has disappeared. Sitting here just thinking about him is making my heart flip and somersault. ‘It wasn’t like that between us. I didn’t feel he wanted the same things as me, so I ended our relationship. Set him free.’
Felix gasps, making both Will and me stare at him. A grin takes hold of his little face, and his hazel eyes widen. What mischief is he up to now? Why do I feel so uneasy when he looks at me like this?
‘Ah, this reminds me of that quote,’ says Will, stroking his chin. ‘Sorry, I’m a sucker for quotes. How does it go now? If you set something free and it comes back to you it’s yours forever and if it doesn’t…’
I finish his sentence. ‘If it doesn’t, it was never yours to begin with.’
He nods and holds my gaze for a few seconds longer than he should. ‘That’s it.’
Felix thrusts my iPad in my face. The gesture makes me jump out of my skin and Baxter wakes up with a startle and bark.
‘FELIX – don’t do that!’
‘Rory still loves you, Aunty Emily,’ he says, beaming at Will and me.
I let out an internal groan as Will turns to face the window. Is this another of Felix’s predictions? Rory is probably in bed with Beth right now. ‘What?’
‘Look,’ he says, pointing to something on Facebook messenger. ‘Don’t shout, Aunty Emily, but I messaged him pretending to be you.’
‘WHAT?’ My voice sounds like an angry roar. For goodness’ sake I need to lock down all my social media accounts and make them Felix-proof.
Felix sighs. ‘Sometimes a kid has to take control of things. Read his reply.’
I take the iPad and read Rory’s message. It reads:I’ve never stopped loving you, Emily.
Scrolling back through the message I can see Felix messaged Rory, pretending to be me, this morning. It read,I love u.
The words of Rory’s message dance before my eyes. My heart performs a series of somersaults. Excitement surges up my spine. It isn’t long before reality kicks in and my mind starts to unpack the message. Is that what Rory sent? Where the hell was Beth when he was tapping out this message – picking up her clothes from his bedroom floor? In the shower?
‘I can’t believe he still…’
Felix folds his arms across his chest. ‘Rory loves you, Aunty Emily.’
‘Hang on a sec, Felix – why did you pretend to be me online again?’
I watch my nephew hang his head. He watches me angrily snatch the iPad away from him. ‘Felix, you can’t keep doing this sort of thing. I can make my own decisions.’
My phone starts to bleep. It’s Lizzie.
‘Are you there yet?’ screeches Lizzie. ‘Bill and I are beside ourselves with worry like two paranoid parents.’
Blowing the air out of my cheeks I gaze out the window and across snow-coated house roofs. ‘I think we’re nearly there.’
