CHAPTER33
‘Aiden on his way?’ Erin asked as Tara sat down at the patio table. Everyone else had been digging into lunch for the past ten minutes, picking at tapas style dishes with jugs of orange juice and ice being passed around to the overly warm guests. ‘We’re missing Christine too.’
‘Christine’s still out, roaming the hillsides,’ Becky informed her. ‘God knows how she does it in this heat. I want to pass out just thinking about it.’
Beth scooped some salad on to her plate. ‘Is she in training for something?’
‘Nope,’ Becky replied, ‘unless the Uptight Olympics are a thing.’
Alex couldn’t help but laugh. It was nice to see a glimpse of the old Becky and one who appeared to be expressing what they’d all been too polite to say.
‘No, Aiden’s not out for a run as such,’ Tara informed them, grabbing a handful of bread, ‘Though he may have bolted out of here with his tail between his legs.’
‘What do you mean?’ Alex asked, watching Tara rip at the baguette. Her face was unusually flushed. ‘Are you alright?’
‘He’s gone,’ Tara announced. ‘I told him to leave. He’s probably halfway to Waterville by now.’
The group paused eating, watching Tara stab the butter dish like it had also somehow wronged her.
Aiden was gone? Alex felt her stomach backflip into her throat. ‘What happened?’ she asked cautiously. Her trainers were over beside her sun lounger. She’d need to escape barefoot if Tara knew the full story.
‘We broke up,’ Tara replied. ‘That’s what happened. He dumped me. I’m officially single again! Hide your husbands, ladies… ah shit. Sorry, Erin.’
‘It’s fine,’ she replied, brushing it off.
‘But why?’ Beth asked, dumbfounded. ‘Did he give you a reason? Did you fight? God, has he met someone else?’
Alex would have held her breath if it hadn’t already left her body.
‘Who the hell knows,’ Tara replied. ‘He just wasn’t feeling it anymore apparently. He probably sends his thanks for your hospitality, Erin, I just didn’t stick around long enough to find out. I had to hide in the bathroom until he left.’
Becky immediately threw her arms around Tara in solace. ‘Oh, I’m so sorry! Are you alright?’
Tara squirmed her way out of Becky’s grip. She wasn’t in the mood for physical contact. ‘I’ll be fine,’ she insisted. ‘I’m a big girl and I refuse to let this ruin my weekend,our weekend, so let’s just move on, shall we. Enjoy the sun. Eat some fucking bread.’
Tara took her bread to the furthest sun lounger, put on her sunglasses and didn’t let anyone see just how hurt she felt. She’d never been dumped before. It absolutely sucked. She was a mixture of rage and self-pity and she didn’t like it one bit.
By now, Alex (feeling close to death, but hanging in there) was convinced that Aiden hadn’t said anything to Tara because she hadn’t yet been battered to death by a redhead with half a buttered baguette.
Maybe it’s for the best, she thought.Clean break. Problem solved. Life can go back to normal. Still, he could have at least warned me he was leaving. Said goodbye.
Two hours later, everyone was sprawled out in the garden, in various stages of undress, soaking up the sun. Tara had been particularly quiet, which was understandable, though she did eat the whole baguette and no one questioned her.
‘We all still up for a beach picnic later?’ Erin asked. ‘I mean if you’re not Tara, of course we can do something else, it’s no problem.’
‘Bring it on,’ Tara insisted. ‘Cocktails sounds ideal.’
‘Fantastic,’ Erin replied. ‘Music playlist suggestions are always welcome, everyone.’
Bzz. Bzz.
Alex lifted her phone. Unknown number. She clicked on the message.
These seagulls really do have it in for me. Can we talk? In person. Same place?
Her heart racing, she closed her phone, wondering if anyone else had noticed the sudden look of surprise on her face. Thankfully they were all too busy replying to Erin’s barbecue suggestion. Pulling her T-shirt on, she slipped her feet into her trainers.
‘Think I’m going to go for a walk,’ she announced. ‘I’ll fall asleep if I lie here any longer.’
