by Katie Ginger
‘And I thought he was nice.’ Stella shook her head, incredulously. ‘I’m so stupid.’
‘No, you’re not,’ Miles said firmly. ‘People don’t know what Jay’s really like. They never have.’
‘What do you mean?’ Though she was still looking forward he could see her brow rucked up in confusion.
Miles ran a hand through his hair, resting his elbow on the windowsill of the car door and his forehead in his hand. ‘Jay likes to show the world this image of a nice guy, but he’s not. He’s petty and small-minded. Ever since we were kids he used to love getting one over on people, especially me.’ He paused again, summoning up his courage. As painful as it was to talk about he wanted Stella to know everything. At least then, if she never spoke to him again he’d have no regrets. ‘I used to have bad acne as a teenager – he used to call me pizza face.’
‘That’s horrible.’ The genuine disgust on Stella’s face made him feel justified in disliking Jay.
‘It gets worse. Once he and his mates made out they were finally going to stop teasing me and be my friends and … when I met them they wedgied me and told me I was repulsive and should wear a bag over my head.’ The deep emotional scar smarted again and he swallowed down the pain. ‘Luckily I had Vivien.’
She glanced over. ‘At the funeral it seemed you were close.’
‘My parents worked long hours and even though I was old enough to be left alone, sometimes I came home so demoralised from the teasing, I’d nip next door and sit chatting with her. She always listened.’ She’d been an unlikely audience for him, but her sage advice and kooky outlook had taught him it was good to be different. ‘Jay used to steal my girlfriends, if I was ever lucky enough to get one and he used to tease me for pronouncing my t’s properly – calling me posh and Little Lord Fauntleroy.’
‘I’m sorry, Miles. Jay had it the other way around when he talked to me.’ From her expression she must have expected him to be cross but he just gave a resigned shake of the head.
‘I’m not surprised.’
‘He said you used to tease him for being common. Making fun because he didn’t pronounce his t’s properly.’
‘I didn’t. I promise.’ He willed her to look at him and when she did those same clear, perceptive eyes were warm and understanding.
‘I believe you. It looks like he’s screwed us both over.’
‘As we got older it seemed to die down, though we never really liked each other. I guess sleeping with Kiera was a final way of getting to me.’
Stella sighed with a devastating tiredness. ‘This is all such a fuck-up, isn’t it? Why is life always so complicated?’
Miles started at her swearing. He hadn’t heard her swear before and with such vehemence either. He hoped against hope she wasn’t referring to their kiss. A moment he found himself wanting to repeat again and again and again. ‘Did you want me to speak to Jay for you? I didn’t confront him directly when I first heard, I’ll be honest. I didn’t really know what to do. But I should have. I’m sorry.’
‘No, it’s fine. Thanks for the offer, but I’ll be speaking to him myself and giving him a piece of my mind.’ The anger died from her voice and she sighed again as her shoulders slumped down. ‘I might as well just sell up anyway.’
‘Why would you say that?’ said Miles. ‘The business is doing well, isn’t it?’
‘With Jay telling the town I’m an easy lay and people gossiping about me, and the horrid family suing me, I really don’t see the point in going on. I can’t afford to pay them five thousand pounds. Not unless they agree to me paying in instalments.’
‘You shouldn’t be paying anything at all. Not until they can prove you left the door open. It must have been them.’ Miles thoughts shifted. Something about what he’d said was ricocheting around his head and suddenly he remembered.
Replaying that afternoon in his mind, he recalled the nanny chatting him up and his brusque rebuttal that had immediately changed her attitude. Though he’d walked away he’d assumed she’d closed the front door before charging into the car and telling off the two boys, but when he thought back, he hadn’t actually heard it close. It always made a slight thump and a click when the lock connected – he remembered from all the times he’d viewed the property. What if it hadn’t closed and been left ajar?
A sudden coldness washed over him but his palms and the back of his neck felt clammy. He swallowed hard as he realised what had happened. It was his fault. Oh shit. He glanced at Stella from the corner of his eye. Fuck, fuck, fuckety, fuck, fuck. Kiera had told Jay to lie because of him and now the family were suing her for the robbery when that was his fault too. How the hell was he ever going to put this right? If she found out she’d never speak to him again and the thought of that left an empty, hollow feeling in his soul.
Miles bit his fingernails. He hadn’t bitten them in ages. Stella was special and had stirred something meaningful within him and he couldn’t, or rather, wouldn’t, let that go. He had to find a way of putting this right.
‘Don’t even think about selling up,’ he said to Stella. ‘We’ll think of something.’
This time she pulled her eyes away from the road, and pain and disappointment were etched on her face. ‘I wish I could believe you. But unless you know something I don’t, the whole thing seems pretty pointless to me.’
Miles bit his nail once more, his jaw firmly set. This problem was of his making and he needed to solve it. There had to be a way out of this mess and it was up to him to find it.
Chapter 26
‘He said what?’ asked Lexi, as she and Stella gathered at the pub for Sunday lunch. While eating her Yorkshire pudding she’d told Lexi about Jay and his lies over Miles. Lexi, as Stella had suspected, was as dumbfounded as she’d been. ‘I can’t believe it. I just can’t believe it. Why would Jay go along with Kiera and lie like that?’
‘He obviously cares a lot about his reputation as the most handsome man in town,’ said Stella, pushing some leftover cabbage around her plate. ‘Maybe he’d told his friends he was going to get me into bed and couldn’t deal with it when I said no. Miles said with Kiera wanting to manipulate him into leaving he thinks they were going to leak it that Miles started the rumours to make life difficult for him.’ She forked the last bit of roast beef into her mouth, remembering everything that had happened yesterday, including the kiss.
The pub was busy and loud with chatter, but Stella found it comforting knowing life was still going on around her, even though hers felt like it was falling apart. From their seats she could see out of the window to the sea on the horizon and on this clear but cloudy day, a few small sailing boats sat happily bobbing about. The noisy calls of seagulls outside mixed with the soft background music inside and Stella felt happy to be back in Swallowtail Bay.
‘What an absolute plank,’ said Lexi.
‘You’re not with the kids now,’ she replied, teasingly. ‘You can swear.’
‘Then Jay’s a complete dickhead.’ Lexi wiped her mouth and threw her napkin down.
‘Better?’
‘Yes. I can’t believe he lied about Miles like that as well.’
‘I know,’ said Stella. ‘I’m going to give him a piece of my mind when I see him next. I take it you hadn’t heard anything?’
‘No, of course not,’ said Lexi. ‘I’d have told you. And him.’
Stella relaxed. Of course she would have. ‘Miles apologised to me for not confronting him straight away but he said that it was the night he broke up with Kiera, so I don’t blame him. If he had done I’d probably have been annoyed at him for sticking his nose into my business. Sometimes I think he couldn’t have won with me before. And it explains those gossipy visitors that day Vivien came in looking unwell. I thought they were gossiping about me because of Miles. Jay said he’d been slagging me and the shop off behind my back, but I don’t believe that anymore. They must have heard what Jay was saying about me and come to have a butcher’s at the town bike.’
‘It must have been hard for him to know what to do for the best. You know, make an even bigger deal of it or see if anyone actually does pay attention.’
‘Jay Adams is an arse,’ Stella said with a sigh.
Lexi gave her hand a squeeze. ‘He really is.’
‘The worst thing is, Miles and I had actually had a nice time up until then. I saw a different side to him. He was really chatty and kind and he even danced with this lonely old woman we met at the wedding. He was completely different.’ And then there was the kiss, she thought. The sweet, tender, gentle kiss that had made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.
‘See,’ said Lexi, ‘I told you he wasn’t as bad as he seemed at first. And actually, he’s even better since he and Kiera split up. You sound like you’d see him again if he asked.’
Stella knew she was going to have to tell Lexi about the kiss at some point so just blurted it out. ‘He kissed me.’
Lexi’s eyes widened and a huge grin spread over her face. ‘He kissed you? Miles kissed you? When? And why didn’t you start with that instead of Jay Adams being a prick?’
‘I didn’t really know what to make of it,’ Stella replied, feeling her body growing hot as she remembered the sensation of his lips on hers or the way she’d wanted the kiss to never stop. Totally unlike when Jay tried to kiss her. As soon as he’d tried she’d known it wasn’t right but when Miles had kissed her, it was like everything else had faded away to nothing and there was only him and her. The real him, not the version she’d seen and, she knew now, misjudged.
‘What was it like? Was it one of those low slow romantic ones or a passionate bodice-ripper behind the bike sheds?’
Stella giggled at Lexi’s descriptions but remembering it made her lips tingle again. ‘It was really sweet and gentle and … I don’t know—’
‘Special?’
Stella just shrugged. It had started feelings in her she’d thought were long dead but she hadn’t had a chance to really analyse them and decide what they meant to her. The wedding itself had helped her realise how over Isaac she actually was and how much of the hurt their divorce caused had faded. ‘Anyway, I never thought there’d be a fun side to him. He seemed so cold and austere to me. And when I met Kiera I thought he was only after someone as window dressing for his own perfect life, but after sitting in a car for a few hours with him—’
‘And snogging his face off,’ Lexi added in a whisper as she leaned in to her.
‘—and kissing him once,’ Stella corrected, ‘and laughing and joking, I realised there’s a caring side I hadn’t seen before.’
‘Wow.’
‘Yep. I know just how to keep my life simple. The only good thing to come out of yesterday is that I do finally feel like I’m over Isaac, or more precisely, over our split. I think it was the feelings of rejection that took the most time to fade, but we had actually just grown apart.’
Lexi rested a hand on her shoulder. ‘Good for you, honey. I’m proud of you. Have you heard any more from the horrible family?’
Stella picked up the dessert menu. ‘Not since I got the letter telling me they’re suing me.’
Lexi took another menu but paused before reading. ‘I can’t believe they want five thousand pounds. It’s bloody outrageous. Are you going to do what your insurers said and settle?’
‘I don’t know.’ Stella took a deep breath. ‘I haven’t got that sort of money so I’d have to get a loan from the bank and I’d have to put it against the property. The business isn’t really viable enough to get a business loan so it’ll have to be a personal one. I’ve got a meeting with the bank booked in but I’m worried they might refuse when they find out what’s happened, and I can’t lie and pretend it’s for something else.’
Stella rubbed her head. She’d had a headache ever since she got back last night. After her conversation with Miles about Jay and the way he’d gone all silent about the horrible family, the journey had been one of quiet concentration. She’d focused on the road any time her thoughts began to wander to other subjects. She didn’t want to cry in front of Miles and knew that if she thought about it too much that’s exactly what would happen. Even sleep hadn’t cleared the throbbing in her temples and her head felt sore as if her brain was bruised.
‘I’d lend you the money,’ said Lexi. ‘But I don’t know when all the legal stuff will be sorted out. It could be ages until that happens.’
‘I know you would, sweetie.’ Stella took her hand and squeezed it. ‘And I really appreciate the thought but I need to get out of this mess myself. Anyway, what does Will say about this newfound wealth?’
‘He’s pleased for me.’
‘He was really sweet at the funeral.’
‘Yeah. He’s a gentle giant.’ Lexi looked up at her, blushing slightly. ‘But don’t go getting any ideas – we’re not getting back together.’
‘Shame.’ It was Stella’s turn to tease and she received a mock scowl from Lexi in response. ‘Anyway, a little bird told me it’s your birthday soon.’
Lexi’s head fell into her hands. ‘Oh, I wish Raina would keep her mouth shut.’
‘What are you doing to celebrate?’
Her fingers opened a little and her eyes peeked out. ‘Drowning my sorrows in wine and eating my body weight in chocolate?’
‘What about a party?’ asked Stella. She’d suddenly had a very good idea.
‘A party? Where?’
‘In the big apartment. We could use the three-bed apartment then you and the kids can stay over too. We’ve both had a rough time lately so why don’t we have a party and celebrate the only good thing to come out of it – our friendship.’
‘But won’t you have a booking?’ asked Lexi.
‘I’ll block it out. I’m probably ruined anyway so let’s make use of the space while we can.’
‘You’re not ruined,’ Lexi reassured her. ‘But it’s a great idea. If you don’t mind?’
‘I definitely don’t,’ Stella confirmed lifting her glass in a toast. ‘To friends.’
‘To friends,’ Lexi replied, clinking glasses.
A party was a great idea and it didn’t matter if she lost a booking. After all, right now, Stella had nothing else to lose. ‘I don’t bloody believe it,’ said Stella, steadying her wine glass.
‘What?’ asked Lexi.
‘Look what the cat dragged in.’ Stella watched as Jay Adams closed the door behind him and strolled up to the bar, resting one leg on the metal beam that ran around the bottom. He had one hand in his jeans pocket and the other was gesturing to his mates. Something about his stance reminded Stella of a puffed-up peacock. He hadn’t noticed she was there and an unsettling rage was growing inside her. Stella wasn’t quick to anger but knowing what he’d been saying about her and the things he’d said to Miles when they were younger gave her a strong wish to smack him in his incredibly handsome face.
‘What are you going to do?’ asked Lexi as Stella rose from her chair.
Figuring she had nothing much to lose, a thought flitted across Stella’s brain and before she had a chance to assess it as either good or bad, her legs were moving and she was edging out from behind the table. ‘I’m going to tell that conceited idiot exactly what I think of him and his lies.’
As she marched towards him, a surge of fear threatened to turn her around, but for the sake of what little dignity she had left she pressed on. Jay had his back to her when she tapped on his shoulder. He turned and, seeing her face, something akin to fear settled on his.
‘Stella, hi, how are you? Is everything okay with the website? Do you need any adjustments?’ He gave her a grin designed to appease. She could imagine him practising it in the mirror.
Stella smiled. ‘Yeah, actually. I could do with a new banner that says, “Despite what a pathetic scumbag says, I did not sleep with Jay Adams.”’ A titter from behind her right shoulder showed that his friends appreciated her mic-dropping line and inwardly she cheered. A glorious blush took the edge off his s
harp cheekbones and intimidating good looks. His mouth opened but Stella wasn’t ready to let him speak just yet. ‘Who the bloody hell do you think you are? You might be handsome but there are some women who see the beauty in a soul, not just a face.’ She suddenly thought of Miles and pushed it away so as not to derail her flow. The pub had grown silent, watching the spectacle. ‘I can’t believe that because I didn’t jump straight into bed with you the moment you asked, you decided to lie! Is your ego really so fragile that you can’t take a single rejection? It’s despicable. It’s sad, Jay. Really sad. I feel sorry for you—’
‘Wait, Stella.’ He glanced over her shoulder at his friends who were sniggering. ‘I don’t know what you’ve heard, or from who but—’
‘I’ve heard the truth, Jay.’ She thought about telling him exactly what she knew about his and Miles’s past but she didn’t think Miles would want his feelings broadcast in the pub and so she contented herself with an ominous, ‘And I know what you did to Miles.’
It was strange that she’d never doubted what Miles had said. She just knew that he only said what he thought was right or knew to be true. It was a quality she liked. Lexi had come up behind her as moral support and Jay continued, his eyes wide like an animal in a trap. ‘Stella, honestly, there’s been a misunderstanding—’
‘No, there hasn’t. You’re an absolute dick. A pathetic example of what a man should be.’
‘You should be ashamed of yourself,’ Lexi added, using the mum tone she normally reserved for her kids.
As the two ladies turned and walked away, Stella twisted for one last shot. ‘Oh, and part of the reason why I didn’t jump straight into bed with you was because you’re a crap kisser.’
Lexi threaded her arm through Stella’s as they made their way back to their seats. Passing a table, Stella heard a woman whisper Miles’s name and tuned in to what they were saying. ‘Miles said it wasn’t true. He said that Jay couldn’t be trusted. Toxic masculinity, he called it.’
Stella resisted the urge to turn her head and ask them more. So Miles had tried to stop the rumours and defend her. It seemed she really had misjudged him. They took their seats as Jay left the pub, head down and red-faced.
