Page 83 of Girls Just Want to Have Sun

‘And I’m a paralegal,’ adds Cherry. ‘I also know about useless men. Plus, I’m married to one.’

‘And I’m a lecturer of sorts,’ adds Tash, stepping up close to stare cross-eyed at him. ‘I teach useless men every day of the week and then eat them for breakfast.’

‘Can we talk?’ he says, rolling his eyes. ‘Connie, it’s not what you think.’

Where to begin with my forensic line of questioning?

I straighten to my full height and lift my chin to look down through my lashes. My huge lashes that Cherry stuck on me just before we left. They are incredibly heavy. Like two pastry brushes.

Must not get distracted. Stick to the facts.

‘Are you aware… Did you know that you have a fiancée?’ I say accusingly.

The Dollz crowd around us to hear what he has to say.

‘I am aware, yes.’

It’s like a knife to the heart.

‘And are you also aware,’ I say, unsure as to where I’m going with this exactly. I fully lay the blame at the door of alcohol. I wouldn’t normally be so officious sounding. ‘That, uh, you are half-brother to our landlord?’

‘It had been brought to my attention, yes.’

Oh.

‘And, uh, so if your half-brother is correct in informing us that you are getting married next week then why, might I ask, are you fooling around with me?’

This case for the prosecution would be much easier if I’d stayed sober.

The Dollz crowd in even closer so that we can all hear.

Matteo frowns. ‘Firstly, I’m not getting married next week. The wedding was called off. And secondly, I wasn’t “fooling around” with you. I thought it was something more meaningful than that.’

We all look at each other, our mouths gaping open. We are flummoxed by this honest and frank revelation.

‘So what happened? Why did she call it off? Did you cheat on her?’ Big Mand says firmly. ‘With her sister? Or was it herbest friend? Come to think of it, she probably doesn’t have one. Unless it’s a crow.’

Bewildering where some people’s minds drift to.

I’ll be crushed if he confesses that he did cheat. I feel like I’ve been heartbroken for days. It’s simply exhausting. His eyes are full of something dangerous. Mine are swimming with drunken tears. He is clearly uncomfortable having this conversation out in the open surrounded by angry Dollz.

‘And do you still… do you still love her?’ I say, my voice almost a whisper.

‘No to the sister, no to the best friend, hard no to the crow and definitely no to still being in love with her,’ he says, exhaling loudly. ‘And it was me who called off the wedding, not her. And we are no longer engaged. I broke it off a couple of months ago.’

Oh.

‘But I do want to explain,’ he says, ‘and apologise. I never meant to hurt you or lead you on, Connie. When you first indicated your… interest, I thought this wouldn’t be going anywhere, which is why I was… well, quite reluctant at first. It was all a bit too soon for me. But you were very persistent.’

Charming. I might go off him myself at this rate.

‘I should have explained my situation more clearly before we became involved, but it all happened so quickly and, to be honest, I wasn’t expecting things to go the way they did. So anyway, apologies if you thought for a moment that I wasn’t a free man, but I am.’

When he puts it like this, he does actually sound quite reasonable.

‘I’m not sure now what all the drama is about,’ says Big Mand, confused. ‘Connie, do you think you’ve maybe overreacted?’

‘I think you might’ve got the wrong end of the stick, like,’ says Liberty. ‘It doesn’t sound to me like Matteo has done anything wrong. He might be a fast mover, but he is asinglefast mover.’

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