She turned and sat on the arm of the easy chair near the window. ‘What am I doing here?’ she repeated. ‘I mean, we could explore that, sure, but as your face has completely drained of all colour, I’m guessing you might have an inkling.’
‘Alex,’ he said quietly.
‘Feckin’ BINGO!’ Tara exclaimed. ‘It seems that Christine saw you both on her run this afternoon. Good old Christine, with her beady wee eyes, making sure she doesn’t miss a trick.’
Aiden sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. ‘Fuck. I’m so sorry. You have no idea how horrible I feel about this.’
‘I was so confused,’ Tara continued. ‘Wondering why you’d suddenly upped and left but it’s all starting to make sense now. You dumped me to make it easier to creep around with Alex behind my back, right? The pair of you make me sick.’
‘No, it wasn’t like that, I swear…’
‘How was it then? You want to explain to me how the hell any of this happened?’
She watched him sit on the edge of the bed, his head bowed. ‘I’m not even sure I can explain it,’ he replied. ‘One moment I was in the airport coming to meet you, the next she was there and we got talking and—’
‘And what? You just couldn’t control yourself? It was love at first sight?’
He hesitated for a second. ‘No… I don’t know. Maybe.’
She shrieked in disbelief. ‘Ha! That is just brilliant. How lucky for you, how romantic! Don’t let the part where you were supposed to be in love with me get in the way of this unexpected romance. Maybe she can write about it in her next feckin’ book.’
Aiden waited for her to stop flailing her arms around in case he got caught in the crossfire.
‘I’m really fond of you, Tara. But I don’t think it’s love.’
Tara rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, thanks,’ she sneered. ‘Good to know.’
‘And I don’t believe you love me either. Not really.’
‘Not anymore I don’t!’ she replied, childishly.
‘I’m serious,’ he said. ‘Look, I know you’re angry and you have every right to be, but please just sit down, take a moment and think about it. Really think about it.’
‘Don’t try and turn this shit around on me, I’m not the one who kissed someone else! This isn’t about me.’
‘Please.’
Tara huffed loudly and sunk into the easy chair; flailing arms now crossed defiantly.
‘You’ve known her for three days!’ she exclaimed. ‘You’re telling me that’s more real than what we had?’
‘Tara, you’re the one who said you just wanted to hang out, see where it goes. I thought you only wanted a fling!’
‘Why on earth would I want you to meet my friends if it was just a fling to me?’
He raised an eyebrow. ‘Come on now. You asked me here so you wouldn’t have to come alone. For moral support, right? I’m not stupid.’
She pushed her hair behind her ears, ‘Yes… well, no, not exactly. I really did want everyone to meet you.’
‘Can we just be honest?’ he asked. ‘You wanted me to keep you company because that’s what we do. We keep each other company. We’re more like friends than anything else.’
He was right about that. They’d only slept together twice since they’d met. She’d put it down to the fact that he worked most nights at the clinic, but the truth was, neither of them were that into it. It was fine, but it’s hard to get excited aboutfine. While this was true, it still hurt.
‘OK,’ she replied. ‘I’ll admit that we weren’t particularly hot and heavy, but some relationships aren’t.’
‘I need one that is,’ he replied. ‘Maybe I wasn’t sure what I wanted either when we met, but I’m sure now. We’re not in our eighties, Tara. You should want more too. Why would you settle for less?’
‘Then why not break up with me?’ she asked. ‘If you thought this was passionless and temporary, then what’s the point?’
