‘My name is Hillary Mackenzie West. When your name makes people automatically assume you’re the opposite gender, it’s not unusual to go by your middle name. However, my publisher decided that if readers happened to assume I was a woman, that would sell more books.’
I uttered a noise, something like a strangled snort. Mack’s eyes flickered over in my direction. His gaze caught mine, and we froze there. I couldn’t tell if he felt mad at me for blabbing to Ashley, forcing him to reveal himself, or regretful for covering up something so momentous when I’d shared my worst secrets.
He shook his head, narrowing one eye slightly.
Okay, then. Mad it was.
The estate agent cleared her throat and summoned up a cracked smile. ‘Um, is there anyone who actually wants to view the house today? Naomi? No? Right, I’ll leave you to make your own way back. Mr and Mrs West, I’ll see you at your four o’clock viewing.’ She started marching over to her car, taking a sudden swerve in Mack’s direction, and prattling, ‘I love your books!The Way It Wasgot me through my darkest days, after I lost Horatio. I mean, I know losing a terrapin isn’t quite the same as losing your husband, but the way Helena managed to keep going, well!’ She sucked in a breath. ‘Anyway. I’ll see you at four.’
‘Ms Johnson?’ Mack said in a tone that sent every bird in the forest flapping for cover.
‘Um. Yes?’ She paused, key fob pointed at the car.
‘Can you please vet the rest of the day’s appointments to ensure they are serious buyers? And make sure they know we’re prepared to negotiate on price if it means a quick sale. Failing that, give Fisher a call. Tell him I’ve changed my mind.’
Mack stalked off out of sight. I stood there, limbs like concrete, listening to the pounding of blood in my ears.
‘Jenny, look, I did brought you this,’ Jonno said, hands extended. ‘To make you feel happy.’
‘Thanks, Jonno. You’re awesome.’ I attempted a wobbly smile.
‘Do you love it?’ he asked. ‘Here, you can keep it.’
‘Yes. I love it because you gave it to me,’ I said, picking it up. ‘And, ooh!’ I pantomimed surprise. ‘It did make me feel happier, you’re right!’
I wasn’t lying, either. Amazing what an eight-inch dead slug could do for a girl’s mood.
Ellen dragged me back to her house, where we kept going over and over things, until the only possible distraction was a mass game of Hunt and Destroy.
‘This game is a cruel parody of real-life events,’ I whispered to Ellen, both of us pressed underneath her car on the driveway. ‘The Hillary hunt has destroyed things with my best friend.’
Ellen rolled her eyes over to me, while managing to keep her head completely still. ‘He just needs time. He knows you didn’t mean to out him.’
We waited while two pairs of trainers, one wellington boot and a flipper flapped past, accompanied by loud shushing and giggles.
‘He’s realised I tried to out his wife.’ I shuddered. ‘He probably thinks she’s right, and I am trying to sabotage the house move.’
‘Were you?’ Ellen asked, in that gentle, tell-me-everything voice again.
‘No!’ I retorted, as loud as was possible in the middle of Hunt and Destroy.
‘But perhaps you were trying to sabotage something else?’
‘What are you saying?’
‘It would be understandable if your feelings had slipped over from friendship into attraction, Jenny. Especially with him being separated when you met. If you developed feelings for a man you thought was single, it’s hard to wind those back in again.’
‘My feelings have not slipped over! I don’t find Mack attractive!’
‘Oh, come off it. Everyone finds Mack attractive. The difference is whether you act on those feelings. If they’ve grown into more than “well, yes, he’s yummy but looks aren’t everything and, more to the point, he’s legally married, end of, move on”, into “I can’t stop thinking about him. I do stupid things that end up hurting people because my head is so full of him there’s no room left for rational thought” then you need to do something about it.’
‘Like what?’ I asked, terrified she was right, and I’d called Ashley in a subconscious attempt to force who I’d thought was Hillary into behaving in a way that made Mack not want to be with her any more and stay with me instead.
‘Move? Or let him move. Seriously, you can’t mess with someone’s marriage. If they’re really making another go of it, you must respect that and keep the hell away.’
‘I do respect that. I hate myself for having these feelings. And you don’t have to worry. Mack isn’t interested in me anyway.’
‘Jenny, he went to a stranger’s nightmare wedding just to make you feel better.’
