Page 83 of Snow Falls Over Starry Cove
‘Because… Because I made a promise to myself never to be the needy one who calls a bloke. How would it look?’
‘Like you fancied him?’
‘Exactly! No. Better this way. If he liked me enough, he’d have called. But he didn’t. So there. I move on.’
‘But he was so nice,’ I insist. ‘What if he really was the one and you let him go?’
‘No,’ she insists back. ‘If he had been the one, he wouldn’t have letmego.’
Could she be right? Will he really let go without a fight?
*
On Friday, 16 December, I’m still here in Cornwall, my mind in turmoil, trying to think of a way to end this without hurting him and looking like an absolute heel. I know that the longer I leave it, the worse it’ll be. He’ll be furious, naturally, and the MIL will be all over him, telling him that it’s a good thing he still has her.
I’m sitting in The Rolling Scones with the Coastal Girls. Just being in their lovely presence, knowing that I’m in the process of making real, long-lasting friendships, is heart-warming.
‘So what we need to do is get Jago Moon to accept Emmie’s business plan,’ Rosie says as if it were the easiest thing in the world.
If she can pull that off, I might just ask her to sort Stephen out for me!
‘How are you planning to do that?’ I ask.
Nina pats my hand, winking. ‘We have ways, my dear. Ways no one even knows…’
‘You sound spooky,’ Nat laughs, and then stops.
‘We could do an anti-Scrooge operation on him. Have the Ghost of Christmas Past scare the almighty crap out of him,’ Nina suggests.
‘No, that’s too cruel,’ Rosie agrees. ‘I don’t want to scare him when he’s vulnerable. Maybe I could scare him when he’s sober.’
‘Good luck finding that narrow window,’ Nat laughs, then slumps in her chair for a moment. ‘Oh, he used to be so sweet. It’s such a shame none of you knew him back in the day.’
‘My husband went to school with him,’ Nina says. ‘He was top of the class in everything from maths to physical education to English.’
‘English? Really?’ I say, making an impressed face. ‘He certainly fooled me.’
‘Oh yes,’ Faith replies. ‘Even my husband speaks the world of him. He says Jago should have continued his career.’
‘As what, the town drunk?’ Nat says.
Rosie rolls her eyes. ‘As you can see, the jury is still out. Nina and Faith are con Jago. Nat and I are the more forgiving ones.’
‘Ha, ha. Or the smarter ones,’ Faith says. ‘I know what it’s like to fall into drink. But I pulled myself out of it and so should he. Let’s let Emmie make her own decisions, yes?’
Which is probably what I should be doing about Stephen. But here I am, talking about my assets and the slosher. And yet, there’s so much more to Jago than an angry hangover. You can see it in his eyes. They’re pained. Soulful. There are so many unspoken words on his lips that dare not fall. I wonder why that is. In a sense, we are similar – both the village outsiders. Or I would be, if it wasn’t for my new friends.
I feel like I’ve been part of their group for ages, even if we’ve only just met. There’s something about each and every one of them that exudes kindness, and I can tell by their understanding looks that they’ve been where I am now – tottering on the edge of a new life. Wanting so badly to change and yet so afraid to make the jump. Iwantto change my life. Truly, I do. But dare I take the steps to get there? What do they imply? What have I got to gain, and what have I got to lose?
I turn to look at Faith, the most recent survivor of heartbreak.
‘One of my crew told me about a run-in at Stormy Cottage between Jago and a girl,’ she says out of nowhere. ‘It all makes sense now.’
I shake my head. ‘Yes. I don’t know what’s worse – him or the state of the cottage. Bill mentioned you might be able to help, but now I don’t know, because Jago claims it’s all his.’
‘Then get a lawyer involved.’
‘Oh, I don’t know…’