Page 36 of Ask Another Day

*

Hours later, when the last customers were leaving, Holly followed them to the door and locked it. Switching off the lights felt heavier tonight as she made her way up to bed. It was as though the day coming to an end cemented the end of her and Owen. Sitting on her bureau was her trusty portable fortune teller, outlined by the moonlight. It caught her eye and called to her. She answered its summons, like she always did, pressing the small rubber button.

‘Will tomorrow be better?’ she asked.

When the screen flickered alive and she saw Expect Disappointment, she groaned and nearly threw it to the floor. But she knew she’d never do that - it was too precious. Instead, she sank down on her bed and let the reality of today wash over her.

It was at that moment she remembered she needed the empty jars above the fridge in the kitchen for the delivery in the morning. Deciding that job would be better done now, she begrudgingly trudged back down to the kitchen. The fridge was huge, and the jars were tucked right to the back, which meant no amount of stretching on tiptoe would do. Instead of the kick stool that was in her office, she grabbed one of the short stools from the pub and dragged it along behind her, pulling it up to the fridge.

Carefully, she pulled the box towards her and held it tightly against her chest as she went to step down. But as she did so, the stool moved and she fell, hitting the ground hard. Her left ankle took the brunt and a worrying snap reverberated through her as the jars spilled out of the box and shattered around her. In the chaos of the fall she wasn’t sure if her body, or the jars had made that awful sound. Her body ached and her head throbbed as she closed her eyes and tried to regulate her erratic breaths. When she opened her eyes again, Natalie’s worried face filled her vision. Wanting to reassure her, she went to stand, but pain lanced through her ankle and she stifled a moan.

‘Mummy?’ Natalie said, tears pooling in her cornflower blue eyes.

‘It’s OK, darling. I just had a fall. Can you find Mummy’s phone?’ she managed to say, but with each word that passed her lips, a wash of nausea coursed through her.

Natalie looked around, and thankfully spotted Holly’s bright pink phone case on the worksurface nearest the door.

‘Well done. You’re a superstar.’ She attempted a smile, and hoped it didn’t look as horrifying as it felt, as Natalie handed it over.

With shaking fingers, she unlocked her phone and called him. She should have called Luke. But it wasn’t his phone that was ringing a little after midnight.

‘Holly?’ The concern in Seb’s voice momentarily stole her voice. ‘Holly, what’s happened?’ Hearing his alarm made Holly collect herself enough to speak.

‘I fell, and I’ve tried to stand up, but it hurts. Natalie found me.’

‘Don’t try and move. I’m coming. I’ve got you.’

She could hear him getting up, and pulling on clothes. She’d woken him up. He was the second person to say those words to her in the last couple of weeks, but Holly could remember the first time he’d said that exact phrase to her. She hadn’t wanted to believe him then - had tried to erase his words from her memory. But tonight, she desperately needed him to be telling the truth.

Chapter 12

28th March 2007

The Day of the Party

Seb:

Please reply

I’m worried about you

Seb’s messages had kept coming through after she switched her phone back on yesterday morning. Holly had allowed herself half an hour to wallow before opening herself back up to the world. She’d replied to say she was fine - mainly because she’d heard him downstairs talking to her dad, who’d then come upstairs to tell her Seb was going to cancel his cinema trip with Danny and wasn’t leaving until he knew she was OK. Thankfully her mum was at the cash and carry so hadn’t witnessed what she would surely interpret as a romantic gesture. Her dad, on the other hand, simply passed on the message as if he’d been tasked with telling her dinner was ready. He didn’t ask what had happened. He didn’t try to find out more information. She loved that about him.

Although she’d replied to Seb, she had ignored Sloane’s message. But now that the party was only a few hours away, Sloane had come in person and was currently standing in the doorway to Holly’s bedroom. She couldn’t ignore her any longer.

‘Happy birthday,’ she said, at least looking a little sheepish.

When Holly didn’t say anything, she added, ‘I thought you’d find it as funny as I did.’

That did it for Holly.

‘I challenge anyone to find it funny to have a bucket of sea water chucked over them, Sloane.’

‘Lesson learned.’

‘It was embarrassing - not to mention disgusting. I had to wash my hair twice to get rid of the smell.’ She brought her hair to her nose then, breathing deeply to check that her hair smelt of the Crabtree & Evelyn shampoo she’d liberally applied, and not of fish. The soothing ginger scent calmed her nerves, and she let her hair fall back.

‘No harm done though. Am I forgiven?’ Sloane said as she toyed with her own long blonde hair.