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So she was obviously planning to stay more than one night, then. And I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. Yes, it would be nice to spend time with my sister. We hardly knew each other these days. But having her as a house-guest for who knew how long?
It was clear that my lovely new space that I’d made all my own would no longer be my lovely new space with Skye around.
And that wasn’t the only thing on my mind, keeping me from falling asleep.
I kept thinking about Kurt and how he’d told Nash where I was living now.
I’d been overwhelmed by the whole scenario – getting back from my evening with Kurt at the fair, only to find Nash roaring away from the flat, clearly annoyed at finding I wasn’t at home. And then to discover that it was Kurt who’d let the cat out of the bag about where I was living – information that had led Nash directly to my door!
It was no wonder I’d felt the urge to run away and lock myself in the flat. But now, lying here wide awake, there were so many questions I wanted to ask Kurt.
How well did he know Nash for a start? They couldn’t just be new business acquaintances, surely, if Nash had talked to Kurt about our break-up. Maybe Kurt had known all along about myconnection with Nash but had been keeping it to himself for some strange reason?
I shook my head. Now I was being ridiculous. Because it had been quite clear from Kurt’s reaction that he’d had no idea that Nash was my ex.
I sighed with frustration.
I’d liked Kurt almost from the beginning. But I’d already proved with Nash that I wasn’t a very good judge of character.
I’d thought I could trust Kurt, and I’d been ready to open up to him about everything that had happened to me.
But could Ireallytrust him?
*****
Next morning, I was up at seven as usual, ready for another day of helping to get the glamping site up and running.
I’d thought Skye would probably still be in bed after her shattering day, so I was quite surprised to find her in the kitchen in my dressing-gown, which had been hanging up on the back of the bathroom door, feeling the radiator with a frown.
‘Do you always live in a fridge? I’m absolutelyfreezing,’ she said, whacking the thermostat on the wall up more beeps than I could bear to think about. It must be on at least twenty-five degrees now! I thought about pointing out that she didn’t have to pay the energy bills, but I stopped myself just in time. Skye was a guest in my flat and it probably wouldn’t be for long. More importantly, she was the sister I’d managed to lose touch with, sometimes for an entire year at a time. I didn’t want to ruin this chance of getting to know her again by falling out over the heating!
‘Coffee?’ she asked.
‘Oh, thanks.’ I smiled. ‘Yes, please.’
‘No, I meant where is it? Which cupboard? I’m useless until I’ve had my morning fix.’
‘Right. Top cupboard on the right.’ I pointed. She could make her own coffee. I wasnotgoing to start waiting on her! ‘I expect you’re used to proper ground coffee in a cafetière or those machine things?’
‘I’m not fussy.’ She filled the kettle and went to the window, peering out over the green. Then she dashed out of the kitchen and a few seconds later, I heard her call, ‘No sign of anyone out the back, either, thank God!’
‘Who were you expecting?’
‘Newspaper hacks... photographers... I’m amazed that rat, Gerry Jackson, hasn’t tracked me down already,’ she snapped, coming back in and going over to the kettle to make coffee.
‘Gerry Jackson?’
She took two mugs out of the cupboard. ‘I told you about him last night. Gerry Jackson. AKA Greasy Ger. Freelance photographer, specialising in digging up dirt for the gossip columns. I broke his camera once and he’s made it his life’s work ever since to make my life hell in print.’ She turned. ‘So if you see anyone lurking outside, let me know, okay?’
I shivered, remembering the sinister figure I’d seen standing under the tree under cover of darkness a few nights earlier. Had it been Nash? I still had no idea. And I was still living in fear.
It occurred to me then that my life and Skye’s might have diverged enormously since the day she was packed off to boarding school, but right now, we had something pretty major in common.
We were both in hiding, holed up in this flat and fearing outside forces invading our lives and our peace of mind...
She held up a mug. ‘Coffee for you?’
I nodded, about to remind her how I liked it. But she smiled and said, ‘Splash of milk, no sugar.’
