Sean shrugged. ‘Whatever. Are you sure you know who he really is? What he’s actually doing? I know you’re close. I’ve seen him hanging round the flat; I’ve seen him at the festival with you. I know he stays the night.’
Raging inside, Tammy waved him away. ‘Just get lost. You’re obsessed!’
‘Only because I care! Look, answer me this and then I’ll go away. Have you actually asked him where this caravan is? I presume you haven’t been there yet?’
The urge to tell Sean where to go was strong, yet Tammy’s curiosity was stronger and Sean had touched a nerve. She’d always thought Ruan had been a little evasive about his living arrangements, yet she’d dismissed her doubts as unimportant while she’d been having such a good time. ‘I haven’t been to the caravan,’ she said warily. ‘Yet.’
He snorted. ‘Didn’t think so.’
‘What’s wrong with you?’ Tammy flung back. ‘I haven’t been there yet – same as he’s only been to the flat a couple of times. I’m sure I will go there very soon. I haven’t grilled Ruan about his living arrangements because unlike some people’ – she glared at Sean – ‘I don’t feel the need to interrogate and control other people.’
Sean opened his mouth to speak but Tammy wasn’t going to give him the chance to butt in.
‘Why don’t you just leave us alone? I’m sorry that it didn’t work out between us, but I couldneverhave made you happy and this kind of exchange goes to show you could never have made me happy. You don’t care about me, not deep down. Relationships are a power game with you. Go away.’ She jangled her keys. ‘I’m opening up.’
‘Well, you can’t stop me coming in,’ he said with a sneer.
‘If you want to cause a scene in the gallery, then that’syour problem,’ Tammy said. ‘That’s what you want, is it? To make yourself the laughing stock with the tourists when I throw you out?’
His eyes flared with annoyance and he swore under his breath, but then exhaled sharply and sneered. ‘OK. If you want to stay ignorant and be duped by the guy who’s stolen your house then fine. I’ll go.’ He made as if to walk away down the street, but Tammy stopped him.
‘Wait,’ Tammy said, hating herself for her weakness yet trembling inside. ‘Stolen my house? What’s that supposed to mean? You can’t throw out an accusation like that and walk away from me.’
Sean took a pace towards her. ‘I thought you didn’t want to hear.’
‘Oh, grow up. Come round the back of the studio and explain yourself,’ she said. ‘If you can – which I doubt.’
He nodded. ‘This isn’t something I’m enjoying. I never want you to get hurt. I’ve always loved you and no one has ever compared to you, despite what you think.’
Tammy’s skin crawled. The last thing she wanted to do was play Sean’s manipulative games, but his comment about Ruan stealing her house was too specific to be ignored. She had to know what he meant. ‘Come round the back and this had better be good. Although I’m certain it will be more of your bullshit.’
He heaved a sigh. ‘I only wish it was.’
Once away from the public eye, she folded her arms and glared at him. ‘How can Ruan have “stolen” my house?Dad sold it years ago. How can Ruan possibly have got hold of it?’
‘I have no idea of the details, but hedoesown it. He lives there. I went round and gave him a quote for some work on it.’
‘When?’ Tammy sneered, wondering how Sean had the nerve to make such a tale up.
‘Couple of weeks ago.’
‘No. You can’t have. That’s not possible. He’d have told me.’
Sean snorted. ‘Are you sure? I can show you the paperwork for the estimate if you like. It’s a pretty eyewatering sum because the place is a complete wreck now. I haven’t been there for years. I only visited once when I was a lad, remember? We were at primary school and you had a party and we all went in the sea?’
‘Yeah, I remember,’ Tammy murmured, the day flooding back to her. A bright day with a bunch of young classmates. The young Sean, blond and skinny and loud, dunking people under the waves. Her mum and dad putting out sausage rolls and crisps and pop on a table in the front garden of the cottage.
‘Why have you waited so long to tell me this?’ she demanded. ‘You even asked me if I knew where Ruan lived – you must have known by then?’
‘I guess I wanted to give him the chance to do the right thing and tell you himself,’ Sean said with a cocky grin.
‘No, you didn’t! You wanted to revel in keeping thesecret until you were ready to taunt me with it. And Istilldon’t really believe you. Are you sure Ruan actually owns the cottage?’ The words flooded out before she could hold them back, even though she knew she sounded desperate. ‘He’s not just renting the site?’
‘No. He owns it. The whole place. It’s one massive property now called Seaspray. It was always one big place, back in the day – but you must know that already. It was a merchant’s house originally, built from money some guy made from trading out of Newlyn. My grandad told me that,’ Sean added. ‘Then it was made into the two cottages. It must have been restored to one building again after you all moved out.’ His gloating tone had melted away and he sounded almost apologetic.
Tammy wrapped her arms around herself, feeling icy cold.
‘It must be a shock.’ Sean rested his hand on her arm. ‘I’m so sorry to have to tell you this, Tammy.’
