‘Ineeds to do grown-up talkins with Millie too,’ she said indignantly as she flounced to the back door with Beauty in her wake to grab Kira’s hand. Once they were out of hearing distance Libby took Millie’s cold hand and pulled her down to sit of the sofa. She could feel Millie stiffen under her fingers, but Libby had waited long enough to confront her, and she wasn’t going to back off just because she knew it made Millie uncomfortable.
‘Right, now then,’ she started. Millie had withdrawn her hand and was avoiding her gaze, preferring to look at the coffee table instead. ‘We’re going to get a few things straight.’
Libby saw Millie frown in confusion and flick her a quick, bemused glance before looking away again.Progress, Libby thought. Anything that broke through that bland, ice-cold expression was progress.
‘Since you won’t answer your phone to me or reply to any messages anymore, I’ve come to see you in person. I’ll get straight to the point: I’m bloody furious with you.’
That got Millie’s attention. She sat up in her seat and looked away from the coffee table and straight at Libby.
‘You’refurious withme?’ she asked, total confusion and a little anger in her expression now. More progress, Libby thought.
‘Yes.’ Libby clipped, and then softened her tone. ‘I thought we were friends, Millie. You can’t just cut people out of your life. That’s not the way this works.’
‘But … but I …’ Millie trailed off and her eyes darted away again. Libby sighed.
‘I was friends with you before you even started seeing Pav. Before the idea of this bloody conference came up.
Millie bit her lip and shook her head. ‘I didn’t … I mean, I offered to help with Rosie and …’
‘And you thought that was why I spoke to you? You thought I was using you to – ?’
‘No,’ Millie interrupted, shaking her head more vigorously now. ‘No, I never thought that. I was lucky to spend time with Rosie. I knew I was lucky. Now you’re doing a medical attachment you don’t need me to help so …’
‘Oh, Millie, what am I going to do with you?’ Libby groaned. ‘Of course we still need you. Rosie’s missed you,I’vemissed you; the bloody dog has missed you. We care about you. You were never just convenient childcare. And you know that I never gave two shits about any bloody conference so there’s no excuse for cutting me out.’
‘Oh … I …’ Millie pressed her lips together and swallowed again. ‘Okay,’ she said, her voice slightly hoarse, ‘I’m sorry … I just didn’t realise that you’d want to …’
‘Pav told me about the money.’ Millie flinched and stiffened again, which almost made Libby regret bringing it up, but she wanted complete honesty with her now. ‘He told me last week when he was drunk at our place doing his sad-case, heartbroken routine – which by the way I also blame you for. The last thing I need is a six-foot moping Greek man getting in my way of an evening.’
Millie blinked at Libby and her mouth dropped open in shock. ‘Moping?’ she whispered. ‘You think he’s moping … over me?’
‘Well of course it’s over you,’ Libby snapped. ‘I’ll tell you what’s given that away: you dumping him coinciding perfectly with the start of said moping and the fact that he bangs on about you continuously. I think that’s pretty strong evidence.’
Millie turned away from Libby and stared into the middle distance for a long moment.
‘Right, that’s enough about Moody Greek Boy,’ Libby said briskly. ‘I’m here to talk about you and me.’ She leaned forward and took Millie’s hand, softening her tone. ‘Why did you set up that fake grant, Millie?’
Millie started in obvious shock and bit her lip. It was a good minute before she could reply.
‘You needed it.’ Millie shrugged. ‘You deserved it.’
‘When you started the payments you barely knew me.’
‘Libby,’ Millie said, turning towards her and this time making direct eye contact, ‘I barelyknowanyone. If you hadn’t noticed I’m not exactly a social butterfly. I could see you struggling. I admired how you were coping and what a good mother you were despite everything. I have … I have a lot of money.’ She shrugged. ‘It made sense to me. It was logical.’
Libby huffed out a frustrated laugh. ‘You can’t just start transferring large amounts of money into somebody’s account because it fits in with your brand of logic. That’s craz –’
‘Did you know that the first hug Rosie gave me was the only spontaneous gesture of affection I’d had since my nanny left me when I was seven?’ Millie told her. Libby took in a sharp breath and she squeezed Millie’s hand tightly.
‘Looking after Rosie meant something to me, Libby. Your friendship meant something to me.’
Libby swallowed and blinked back the stinging in her eyes. ‘Right,’ she said, her voice gruff with emotion. ‘Well, let’s stop playing silly buggers then. I’d like you to talk about our friendship in the present tense if you don’t mind. And I will be paying you back all the money I owe you.’
‘Libby, I –’
‘Every penny, Millie. And you have to stop the payments.’
Millie bit her lip.
