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“That from Mark? He better pay for my door knocker.”
Alex nodded.
Lex, please text me. We need to talk. I love you. x
“Hmm, just the one text this time? He better not be on my doorstep again when we get back.” Lucy swallowed another bite of her pie. “If he is there, what’s the plan?”
“I think we should talk, but I’m afraid I’ll cry.” Alex and Lucy began to stroll towards the Middle Market entrance. “I want to have my shit together.”
“How long did you sit by the window last night?”
“An hour.”
“Did you see them leave?”
“Yeah…”
“An hour my arse.” Lucy pursed her lips. “I know you were sat there for at least three, Lex. The slamming car door woke me up, just gone two.”
“I wanted to make sure they were okay.”
“Personally, I don’t think Keegs deserves your concern. I would’ve been quite happy to let him freeze his balls off or get arrested by the cops, but I’m not you. It must be doing your head in, not running after him, but really, it’s the only way to see things clearly. You need to figure out what’s best for you—not him.”
“I don’t know what to do. I don’t think I can trust him, and I can’t forgive him…at least, not yet—”
“If at all,” said Lucy.
“The minute I do, I lose my self-respect, and taking him back makes me a hypocrite. But, if I dump him, I…honestly don’t know if I’ll ever get over him. It’s lose-lose.”
“Total clusterfuck. I still can’t believe this is Keegs we’re talking about. You think you know someone… He’s fooled all of us. Never trust the super-smiley ones—they’re always hiding something.” Lucy’s voice boomed. “I could have his guts for garters for what he’s done to you, the fucking lying cheating arsehole—”
Two stroller-pushing mums shot disapproving glares at Lucy.
“Oh, you know what might make you feel better? Revenge fantasies! Worked a treat when my ex dumped me. Look, I made you a list!” Lucy shoved her pie into Alex’s hands and dug her phone out of a pocket. She swiped a few times. “Okay—you could edit his Wiki page, say he had a secret porn star past? Or you could sell his precious signed football on eBay for a quid? Then we could puncture the tires on his stupid Vespa—”
“Damn, girl! God help Harry if he ever wrongs you!” A twinge in Alex’s chest took away her breath. “I wish I could be angry, but right now, I just feel…I feel empty, sick.”
“Oh, the anger’s coming. It’s only been twenty-four hours.” Lucy rescued her pie.
“Yeah, I know the drill; not my first time at the cheating rodeo, remember?”
Lucy wrapped an arm around her friend.
Alex looked sheepish. “Did my crying keep you up last night?”
Lucy smiled. “Nah, I was awake anyway. Too much adrenaline—and chocolate.” Her lips morphed into a devilish grin. “I wonder what the widow next door was thinking, though? Bonking noises one night, tears and drama the next. She spied through her curtains at Harry when he left yesterday. He said he gave her a cheeky wave.”
“She probably thinks she’s living beside a real-life Fifty Shades of Grey.” Alex glanced at the Spice Mountain stall. “Anyway, on that bombshell, I’ll get back to my flat tomorrow. You and Harry deserve some privacy—”
“Lex, there’s no need—”
“Lucy, I know…I know what you did yesterday.”
“What?” Lucy juggled her phone and half-eaten pie. “You saw it?”
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t snooping…”
“That’s embarrassing! I told Harry to put it away—”
