Chapter Fourteen
It felt good to be emancipated, even if was temporarily, from the stress of the chaos that had become her relationship with Greg. She was looking forward to seeing Josie too.
She flicked through her iPod and found her workout songs tracklist. An angry singalong was just what the doctor ordered and the growling, scathing lyrics of ‘You Oughta Know’ by Alanis Morissette seemed so fitting and rang through the car and out into the warm September morning via the rolled down windows. Then it was the turn of Pearl Jam and ‘Rearview Mirror’ followed by Avril Lavigne’s ‘My Happy Ending’. All good clear-your-head-get-it-outta-your-system songs. She could almost convince herself she felt better already.
Seven hours later after taking only one brief stop-off; and after singing along to as many angry, loud songs as she could lay her hands on, at the top of her voice – much to the amusement of other motorists – she arrived at Railway Terrace. It was just after six and she was starving.
Josie had seen her pull up and was waiting. Exiting the car and almost running up the driveway, Mallory flung her arms around her best friend.
‘It’s so good to see you,’ Josie said as she hugged her back hard. ‘Brad is just out pricing up a job but he’ll be home soon. I’m so glad you’re here.’
‘It’s good to be here, I’ve missed you,’ Mallory replied, fighting back the threatening tears.
Josie helped Mallory into the house with her things and then made a pot of fresh coffee. Ruby ran around in the familiar surroundings wagging her tail. Once Mallory had deposited her case upstairs she came and sat with Josie in her old lounge and told her about Alice and her antagonistic accusations.
Josie gasped in shock, her hands on her face. ‘So, do you think they’re getting back together for real? Or is that just her wishful thinking?’
She shook her head. ‘I don’t know. She kept touching him and kissing him, but he looked uncomfortable. All the songs he sang had messages which were clearly aimed at me. I don’t know what to think. But it’s irrelevant, Josie. I can’t trust him.’
Josie took a deep breath and paused. ‘Mallory, I get that he was economical with the truth, but you obviously have feelings for him or you wouldn’t have rushed down here. Don’t you think maybe you’ve overreacted a little?’
Mallory was annoyed by the direct approach, but that was Josie; she was nothing if not direct. Mallory shifted in her seat and her lips were pressed together.
Josie continued on her mission of truth, ‘You need to think long and hard, like I’ve said before. If he feels for you like he says he does, then Mrs Conceited-Pants will have no chance at getting into his life again. There are only so many times you’ll let someone break your heart, you know.’
Mallory relaxed a little and sighed as she remembered what Greg had told her about Alice. She was a nasty piece of work, out for her own gains. Greg was just the opposite.
Josie sighed deeply. ‘Mally, can I be honest with you?’
Mallory huffed. ‘When have you ever been anything else?”
‘Okay, true. But… I think I know what you’re doing.’
Mallory scrunched her brow. ‘So do I. I’m escaping from people who are messing with my mind.’
‘No. I think what you’re doing is sabotaging things out of guilt.’
‘Pfft. How am I doing that?’
Josie took Mallory’s hand. ‘Because you feel guilty for having feelings for Greg. So, you’ve latched onto the first thing that’s cropped up as an obstacle. It’s given you the perfect excuse not to try and make things work with him. You feel guilty because Sam hasn’t been gone long and you’re scared of what people will think. But here’s the thing. People will think you fell in love. They’ll think how lucky you are for getting to have thattwicein your life. They’ll think it’s wonderful that you found someone to love and be loved by. That’s all.’
Mallory’s lip trembled and she squeezed Josie’s hand. ‘I just need some time away. I need to be able to think clearly about everything. Not just Greg but what I want to do too. Iwasconsidering a second shop at Easdale, up near the house, but then all this happened and I’m now thinking of coming back here and getting a house with a workshop so I can just make things and be near you.’
Josie squeezed her hand. ‘Mallory, you have enough money to open a second shop. You should do it. The Leeds branch is doing so well and I love running it and don’t get me wrong it’s not that I don’t want you to be near me. Of course I do but… I honestly don’t think being back here is what you truly want.’
Regardless of what Josie had said Mallory wasn’t convinced that this was all a smoke screen. She had a lot of thinking to do.
The following day was a trip down memory lane. Mallory hadn’t been into the centre of Leeds since she had scattered Sam’s ashes and even though the journey was tinged with a little sadness it felt good to be back in the hustle and bustle of the busy shopping precinct with its huge department stores and vast array of designer shops.
Josie had suggested that Mallory came into the shop to see for herself how things were going. She wanted Mallory to see the fruits of her labours as she had managed to encourage other local craftspeople to have commission-based stands within the shop and so the variety of goods had increased dramatically. Business was booming. Mallory’s heart warmed to think that what started as a hobby had become a viable business venture.Aunt Sylvia would be so proud, she thought.
As she watched Josie work her sales magic, her mobile buzzed in her bag. She expected there to be a message from Stella as she knew she was concerned about her, so she fumbled around in her bright red bottomless pit of a bag and located the phone. Itwasa text.
From Greg.
Hey, how r u? Am worried u will not come back. I miss u so much. Please just let me know u r ok.
She thought for a moment and hit reply.
