Page 46 of Between Us

As she’d realised, he’d tried to tell them about Ruby from Hinge – Joe’s discourtesy, and Matt’s frankly impressive lack of interest in bragging, were why they weren’t forewarned.

She could hear Joe scoffing:tell me, what is it about the good-looking man that’s won you over?

Roisin had come to a conclusion on that, too. Joe’s distaste for Matt as a conceited attention seeker was to cover for the fact he actually hated that attention sought Matt.

Maybe there was a deeper truth, a bigger problem that this series of minor calamities had poked at. Maybe, as Joe had implied, spending a lot of time around someone you are in love with and can’t have will come to grief, eventually.

Roisin still really disapproved of Matt’s timing, though. It didn’t feel like him – she knew he’d not want to offend Dev that Benbarrow had torpedoed relations.

He must be very hurt then, to make it this explicit? She remembered Dev saying it was alright for him to leave with Ruby, and none of them asking him to stay.

As they reached the outskirts of Manchester, Roisin’s phone lit up again. This time, no else’s did.

Hi R. I’ve already spoken to Dev, but I wanted to explain to you individually: I’m going to take some time away from the group. I feel really bad about fucking up this weekend and think this rest for you all is overdue, franklyI’ll stay intouch, obviously. FYI Dev is insisting on meeting up to talk me out of it. While I know it comes from absolutely brilliantintentions, I really don’t want that – my mind’s made up. I’m not angling to be made a fuss of and persuaded back. I’m not trying to create drama, I thought it best to draw a clear line. Take care, Matt x

Roisin wasn’t fooled: if Matt was merely having a rest, he’d simply have muted the group or found the leave silently function, and they’d be none the wiser. He didn’t want to chat to them any more, he didn’t want to be asked to go on evenings out. This was a more profound goodbye, which was trying to take the stinger out of the bee.

‘Hope you don’t mind if I don’t get out,’ Gina said, as they drew up at the smart stone urns flanking the steps up to the Grade Two-listed chapel that housed Joe and Roisin’s apartment. Let’s do the quirky choice before suburbia proper, eh?Joe had said, after the viewing. Given it was mainly his money, Roisin thought it was his call anyway.

Even glancing at it, Roisin felt like a grimy, compromised charlatan. Her home, bought with her boyfriend’s money, which he got for writing about her mum’s sex life.And his …?

‘Are you kidding, you got us home!’ Roisin said, forcing herself into one last push on the fake cheerfulness front. ‘You deserve The George Cross. They should rename it The Georgina Cross.’

‘Thanks, Rosh,’ Gina said, looking at her tiredly from under her headscarf. ‘The hot bath, sheet mask and Uber Eats McDonalds is going to feel good, I can’t lie.’

Meredith got out of her seat, slid the door open and helped Roisin pull herself and her case out of the vehicle.

‘Did you get the Matt explanation, too?’ Meredith said, in a very low voice, deliberately speaking with her back to the van as they walked towards the house.

‘Yes! This has spiralled out of control.’

‘We need to reassure him,’ Meredith said. ‘He’s imagined we’re as raging as …’ She inclined her head towards Gina. ‘Love her as I do, she needs to calm down where McKenzie’s concerned.’

‘Yes,’ Roisin said, in relief. ‘He’s refusing to be talked round, though?’

‘Mmmm.’

Roisin paused, house keys in palm, as she gathered that Meredith was hesitating.

‘Come over,’ Meredith said eventually. ‘Next Friday. For dinner. For a proper chat. Without Joe. When’s he back?’

‘Next week. I will. Thanks …?’ Roisin said.Without Joehad never been uttered in their friendship before. Joe as a permanently welcome addition was always a given.

‘Good. Go easy on yourself.’

She grabbed Roisin in a tight hug. As Roisin absorbed the meaning of their exchange, she tried not to burst into tears on her shoulder then and there. She hadn’t realised how broken she was, until someone acknowledged it.

28

She held her emotion behind a broad yet tight smile as she waved them off with energetic vigour.

Meredith knew, and she had known all along. Not the full details, of course. Not Roisin’s decision. That’s what going round for tea was for.

Roisin was in the funny state of being relieved someone else had perceived Joe’s cool, careless behaviour, and also being ashamed of it. Come to think of it, she couldn’t recall Meredith saying much afterHunter.

She pushed the door open and screamed as it met the resistance of a large man in a sweatshirt on the other side.

‘IT’S ME! IT’S ME! DON’T CALL THE COPS!’ said the man, who revealed himself to be Cormac, the sparkie who they’d agreed could have the keys to finish up the rewiring job while they were away.

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