Page 55 of Seven Exes

‘Wait, isIddytoo personal?’ I look up to three heads too close to mine.

‘Yes,’ they all confirm at once.

‘Oh.’ I feel silly already and we’re only two words in. Maybe I should’ve waited to do this at home without all these eyes.

New Message

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subject: Entente Cordiale

Hey Idris,

I hope it’s OK to email you out of the blue. I’m so sorry if it isn’t, I don’t want to bring anything bad up for you.

Sent from my iPhone

‘That’s a bit too much, I think,’ Alex notes. ‘We don’t want him to think you see him as some kind of broken mess, all these years later.’

‘I agree,’ Lou nods, while Bibi grimaces.

‘OK,’ I sigh, deleting. This could take a while.

New Message

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subject: Entente Cordiale

Hey Idris,

I hope it’s OK to email you out of the blue. I know it’s been a couple of years since we last spoke, and I completely understand if you’d rather leave it like that. But I was wondering how you are and how your life is going. It would be really nice to meet up for a coffee sometime and catch up. I’d love to see you.

Let me know what you think.

Love Esther x

Sent from my iPhone

‘I think that’s good!’ Alex pronounces.

‘Maybe take out the “I’d love to see you” part,’ Bibi pouts. ‘I’m worried it comes off as too keen. You don’t want him to think you want to get back together or anything.’

‘But what if shedoeswant to get back with him?’ Lou asks anxiously.

‘Well, that’s one of those bridges that can be crossed etc.,’ Bibi says with a wave of her hand.

‘It would genuinely be lovely to see him and talk to him,’ I say a little dreamily. ‘It’s so strange when you break up with a long-term partner. You go from knowing every inconsequential bit of information about their daily lives – their haemorrhoids are back! A cat looked at them funny! – to nothing at all. He could be married for all I know.’

‘Surely Sven would’ve told you that much?’ Alex looks to Lou a bit anxiously. Louise makes a face.

‘I don’t know.’ She gives me a worried arm squeeze. ‘I hope he would’ve. But he’s very protective of his friends, I just don’t know.’

‘Well, he can’t have changedthatmuch,’ I say, defiantly hitting send. ‘He was always the nicest, kindest man, and I was an immature little brat who didn’t deserve him. I wasn’tready for everything he was offering back then. But maybe I am now.’

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