A spurt of anger shoots up inside of me. Turning around I glare at her. ‘I trusted you. Hearing all those stories made me feel happy that my little brother had found some enjoyment, that he’d been happy before he died. I spent so much time listening to your lies that I allowed the person I loved to walk out of my life. Goodbye, Anna.’
‘I’m sorry,’ she wails. ‘I never meant to hurt you.’
I keep on walking until I come to a taxi rank.
CHAPTER33
EMILY
To my surprise, Tom is sat on the sofa when I creep out of Rory’s bedroom carrying Baxter, who is desperate for the toilet, at seven. Tom looks up as I pull on my coat and grab Baxter. ‘I’m just taking him outside to the toilet.’
Tom gets to his feet. ‘Do you want me to take him?’
As he comes over, I notice he’s still in his clothes from last night. His hair is messy and his plump face the colour of chalk. ‘Let me do that for you, Emily. It’s the least I can do.’
I cast him a puzzled look. He hangs his head. ‘I was drunk and angry last night. Some of the things I said were not very nice. It’s Christmas Eve and I don’t want you and Felix going home thinking I am an arsehole.’
He takes Baxter, my dog poo bags and his coat. ‘Come, little fella, let’s go find somewhere for you to have a festive crap.’
‘Be careful,’ I say, as Baxter throws me a frightened glance and a new sense of protectiveness for the little dog takes hold of me. ‘He’s tiny.’
Tom smiles. ‘I’ll take good care of him, promise.’
They’re gone for a long and arduous eight minutes. I can’t believe I am sat here timing them on my phone. What has Baxter done to me on this trip?
Tom opens the door and Baxter races towards me. His little tail is wagging so much I think it might fall off. Scooping him into my arms I give him a cuddle.
‘He did his business, as soon as we were out of the door. I bagged it up and popped it in the bin. We came straight back as it was cold.’
I watch Tom hurry out to the kitchen. With Baxter in my arms, I follow Tom.
‘Coffee?’ He’s stood by the sink washing his hands.
‘I stand by the work surface. ‘Yes please.’
After drying his hands, Tom grabs two coffee mugs from a cupboard. ‘Yesterday I was jealous you had come to see Rory. You wouldn’t believe how much I wish Suzie would come to visit me.’
‘Oh, I see.’
He flicks on the silver coffee machine. ‘I was an idiot with Suzie. It’s all my fault we split up. It’s been eating me up for months.’
As he launches into a rambling explanation about how they split up, which involved a drunken night where he and Suzie both told each other about their inner secrets over a bottle of strong Scotch and he told her something about having a one-night stand with a sexually frustrated forty-year-old woman from Norwich, I glance at the sheet of paper pinned to the freezer and gasp. It’s that bloody challenge. Before my brain can stop my eyes, they follow Rory’s row along the ten columns. Three columns have been marked with a cross. My heart sinks. Rory has slept with three women. I try to remind myself what Bill said via Lizzie, that technically Rory is a single man. Rory has no idea Felix, and I are here.
I hug Baxter a little bit tighter, and he licks my face. Well, I suppose it’s better than ten women. Rory is moving on with his life and now I must do the same. A heaviness in me makes me bend over and stare at the socks I was wearing yesterday.
‘He’s always talking about your dress business,’ says Tom, making me lift my face.
‘Really?’
Tom nods. ‘He made me share your Instagram site with everyone where I work. A few of the women were amazed at the dresses you make and sell.’
I cast Tom a look of surprise. ‘Really?’
Tom smiles. ‘He’s really proud of you, Emily. You do know that, don’t you?’
‘Yes.’ I am flooded with warm tingling feelings. ‘It was Rory who urged me to start my own business when we first began dating. He and my sister practically ganged up on me to persuade me to jack in my marketing job and start my own business.’
Felix is calling me so I hurry out of the kitchen and into the living area. Felix grins and comes to hug me and Baxter. ‘Wow – Felix, you don’t normally hug me.’ I feel light-headed, this is new territory for me and Felix – morning hugs.
