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Jasper is out of the cab and running across the road before I finish. He almost gets hit. Twice. I give him a couple of minutes with her and send Lara a text and negotiate a return with the driver.
Jasper has wrapped her in his jacket and is trying to coax her away from the bus stop. Ariella is having none of it. She is trying to wriggle out of his grasp while pushing him away. I put my hand on him to stop. He does.
‘Ariella, let’s go home.’
I touch her hand gently and she stops struggling and looks up. Her face is puffy, covered in a mixture of tears, snot and rain. She sheds Jasper’s coat, throws it in his general direction and walks into my arms silently. I take off my jacket, drape it over her and walk her back to the cab. She gets in and hurries into the far corner, burying her head in my coat. I tap her lightly to get her attention.
‘We can’t leave him out here.’
She nods, mute. I step back into the rain, call him over and position myself between them as we drive silently back to Hampstead. Lara sends a text back.
‘Lara says she’s going to sneak out of the gig soon and that she’ll be over before midnight.’
Ariella nods and I send Lara my address. When we get back home, Jasper doesn’t get out. Instead he asks the black cab to take him home. As soon as we get in, I pop Ariella on a bar stool. She is a sorry, wet mess.
‘You daft little bird, look at you. I’m going to run you a bath, don’t move, okay?’ I reprimand her softly.
She nods as she shivers on the stool. I dash to her bathroom, turn on the taps for her bath and return to the living room as quickly as I can.
‘The water’s running. I’m going to take off as much as I decently can, but you’re going to have to do the rest.’
I help her out of my jacket, her jacket, her cardigan, her boots and her socks. I dump them all on the floor next to the stool. I take her in my arms and carry her to her bathroom, placing her on the side of her bath.
‘Will you please get in? I’ll go and make you some cheese on toast.’
She doesn’t move.
‘I know you’re not okay and we can talk about that later, but please get in the bath and warm up. I’ll make you something to eat and Lara will be here soon. I don’t know what’s going on, but you’re not going to…try anything, are you? I just need to know that.’
For the second time that evening, her tears fall. She shakes her head.
‘Good. Now get in. I’ll check up on you in thirty minutes. If you’re not in there, I’m going to undress you myself and toss you in. I don’t care about all your no-touchy business. Also, if you’re not out, I’m going to drag you out. There’s nothing you’ve got that I haven’t seen before, and you know I’ll enjoy it because I’m a creep.’
I see a little smile. Good.
‘I’ll give you a five-minute warning.’
‘Thank you for coming to get me, Caleb,’ she whispers.
‘Well, it was Jasper really. He was worried out of his mind; but I take it all of this is his fault anyway, so you’re welcome.’ I leave the door of her bathroom open, but shut her bedroom door.
I have no idea what to do. I can deliver cheese on toast, but I don’t know how to handle anything like this. Thankfully, Lara the hot redhead is coming over. In the meantime, I’m just going to throw things that make her happy at her. I rush to get out of my wet clothes and have a quick shower. I chop up all the bits I need for the cheese on toast until my five-minute warning. I line up the next episode ofThe Sopranosand make her evening tea. I unfold the blanket on the couch ready for her. When she emerges, I am ready. I lead her to the couch, bring over her cheese on toast with tea and press play. I sit next to her after I cover her with the blanket.
‘And I’m going to slo-mo all the bits when Bobby comes on. Give you the true Bacala experience.’
She reaches over, gives me a hug and rests her head on my shoulder. ‘Thank you.’
‘You’re welcome. Feel better, okay, Mason?’
We sit through the episode and, by the end, she is a little chattier, so we watch another one. Halfway through the second, Lara turns up. She blows in, full of raw hostility and energy. I fancy her immediately.
‘That bastard, Aari. What did he do? I’m going to kill him. We can set fire to his bloody five-thousand-pound suits. Let’s go.’
‘Not tonight, Lara.’
Ariella smiles a little more. Lara launches herself at the couch, completely covering Ariella’s body with hers.
‘What’s with all this tea? You. What’s your name?’
