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It had almost killed her that since that night she hadn’t seen him and now that she had, Naomi hurt even more.
And that hurt was compounded on the eve of her birthday.
There was a rather mad rush on as Jobe had asked that Ethan bring Merida and Ava to see him that night. ‘He wants us all to watch the montage we’ve put together for the ball. Abe too,’ Ethan explained to Merida as Naomi dressed Ava.
‘Abe will see it tomorrow.’
‘I guess...’ Ethan agreed, changing his tie. ‘I guess he just wants us to see it together.’
‘Has Jobe seen it?’ Merida asked.
‘Not yet.’
They chatted away, as couples did, and then, halfway up the poppers on Ava’s little cherry-red suit, came the conversation Naomi had been dreading.
‘Who’s Abe taking?’
‘His latest.’
Naomi messed up the poppers and had to undo the top half and start again.
‘Who?’
‘I can’t keep up with the names.’
It was just a throw-away comment. Such a little thing so that neither noticed Naomi’s pale face as she handed Ava over.
‘I don’t know how long we’ll be,’ Merida said as she gave Naomi a quick kiss. ‘It depends on Jobe.’
‘Don’t rush back for me,’ Naomi said. ‘I think I might just head off to bed.’
Which she did.
Naomi peeled off her jeans and top and sat on the bed in her knickers and bra and did her damnedest not to cry.
Abe had moved on.
She’d expected no less.
Of course he would take someone else to the ball.
* * *
‘No way,’ Jobe said.
He was holding Ava as he watched the montage that had been painstakingly put together. Merida was sitting in the chair beside them as his sons stood, awaiting his verdict. ‘It looks like I’m already dead. Use that one next year and put up some clips of me dancing.’
‘The ball’s tomorrow,’ Ethan pointed out.
‘Then you’d better crack on,’ Jobe retorted. ‘But first...’
Hetoldthem what would be happening.
‘No way.’ It was Ethan’s turn to say it. He gave a curt shake of his head as Merida cast him an urgent glance.
Abe had expected nothing less from his brother, who, now married, had made himself the moral majority.
‘Absolutely not.’ Ethan looked straight at Abe. ‘You can’t have him take Naomi to the ball.’
