Page 22 of Sunny Sundays at Primrose Hall

‘Kyle!’

‘Sorry, Sophs. Please don’t be angry with me. I was leaving the pub and saw you down here. I didn’t intentionally follow you.’ He held up the palms of his hands to her in a gesture of peace. ‘I really don’t want to upset you, but I just want to talk. We had eight years together. Don’t you think that counts for something? Please. If not now, then some other time? We could meet in town for a coffee.’

She glanced at her watch and Kyle jumped on that gesture.

‘Just ten or twenty minutes of your time, that’s all I want, and then I’ll leave you alone. I promise.’

She wasn’t sure if it was the beseeching look on his face or the fact that she knew she wouldn’t be able to settle to anything else that made her relent and open the door wider to invite him in.

‘Thanks, Sophs,’ he said, looking relieved and grateful as he wandered inside, looking all around him.

It wasn’t that she was afraid of Kyle. He’d never been physically violent towards her, even if she’d been wary of his temper in those last few months they’d shared together. It was more that she was scared to face the past and everything that had happened between them. There was a part of her that knew she had run away from that relationship without really confronting Kyle, and maybe a conversation was long overdue. It might give the closure that was needed, certainly to Kyle at least.

‘This is a nice place,’ he said, sitting down on the sofa where Sophie had indicated.

‘Yes, it’s ideal for me.’

‘And you’re happy here?’

Sophie nodded and she recognised the pained but accepting expression that flittered across his features.

‘I’m sorry, Sophs. I really messed up, didn’t I? If I could turn back the clock then I would. I’d do so many things differently.’ He shook his head sadly. ‘Then maybe we wouldn’t be in this situation now?’

Sophie caught a scent of aftershave, woody with tones of citrus, but she knew instinctively it didn’t belong to Kyle. She took a surreptitious sniff of her jumper and realised the enticing smell was lingering on the fabric from where Tom had hugged her earlier.

‘Hindsight’s a great thing, but we can’t change the past. It didn’t work out for us and I’m sorry about that, but we have to learn from it and move on. We both deserve to find some happiness.’

Kyle let out a heartfelt sigh, running a hand through his close-cut fair hair.

‘And there’s no chance you would consider giving us another go? I know you probably won’t believe me, but I’ve changed. I’ve been sober now for over one hundred days, the longest I’ve ever managed. I’m determined not to fall back into my old ways. I can be better, Sophs. Like it was in the early days.’

Looking into his eyes, and seeing how his skin had lost its dull and grey appearance, replaced with a healthier glow, she actually believed him, but whatever Kyle might say to her, she knew that there could be no turning back.

‘That’s great, Kyle. You are looking really well and I’m pleased that you’ve taken this decision, I can’t tell you how pleased I am, but…’ It didn’t get any easier, however many times she told him. ‘…it’s over for us.’

She couldn’t pinpoint when exactly she’d fallen out of love with him. Whether it was one particular moment in time or if it was a certain incident that had changed things irrevocably, or if, as she suspected, it had happened over a number of months in a catalogue of harsh words, and let-downs, and drunken bad-temperedness. It didn’t matter now. All that mattered was that Kyle realised exactly where she stood.

The next day at work, Sophie mooned about the office, distracted by the events of the previous day. Thankfully she made it her main task to clear out an old cupboard, a job she’d been putting off for weeks, scanning the paperwork inside and then putting it through a shredder, which needed very little brainpower. It was just as well because her thoughts kept drifting off in all sorts of directions.

She felt pleased to have cleared the air with Kyle. Once she’d told him there was no possibility of them getting back together again, he had been sad and regretful over the way he’d treated her, but ultimately, he was accepting of her decision. He’d been right. They had needed that conversation because Kyle could no longer be in any doubt as to her real feelings and desires. Now if they were to bump into each other in the pub or supermarket, she would be able to at least chat to him normally without feeling the need to run in the opposite direction.

Sophie had also been preoccupied thinking about Jackson’s operation, knowing that Pia would be beside herself with worry. She’d sent a good luck text early that morning, but her words had felt empty and she only wished there was something more she could have done to support her friend. It came as a huge relief when she heard from Pia in the early afternoon to say that Jackson was out of surgery and in the recovery ward. The operation had been successful as far as they could tell, but it would be a couple of weeks before they would know for certain if he would need any further surgery. Everyone was keeping their fingers crossed that it wouldn’t be necessary and he would be able to concentrate on getting better, regaining his mobility and getting back to Primrose Hall.

Mainly, Sophie had been worried and concerned about Tom. How must he be coping? She’d got the impression that he’d been missing his dad, Rex, who was off on his road trip with Ronnie, putting a temporary halt to the relationship they’d been building on since last year. Now his brother was seriously injured in hospital.

Tom had texted her late last night after he’d seen Jackson at the hospital, updating her on his condition. Sophie had winced reading the catalogue of injuries in the text and her heart had gone out to them all at Primrose Hall, knowing how concerned they must be as they waited for Jackson to get through hisoperation. Tom had also mentioned that Jackson had asked him to help out at the hall, most pressingly with the car show next weekend, so he would obviously be preoccupied with everything that needed doing while Jackson was out of action.

Now, home from work, the mind-numbing task of shuffling papers all day forgotten, she rolled her shoulders to ease out the tension and picked up her phone, checking her messages. On impulse she dashed off a quick text to Tom.

Hey! I heard from Pia that Jackson came through his operation okay – good news! I hope you’re doing okay too…? Pia said what a relief it was to have you helping out at the hall, especially with the car show coming up. Take care, and will look forward to seeing you at the weekend!x

Sophie’s finger hovered over the arrow that would send the message on its way, unsure why she felt so hesitant, checking that she hadn’t been over familiar or needy, before quickly stabbing at the button before she had chance to change her mind. She supposed her reluctance was due to the fact that until now their interactions had been based solely around the open days at the stables and this seemed so much more personal. Still, she’d really had a desire to reach out to him, to check that he was okay. It wasn’t as if she expected a reply, she only wanted him to know that she was thinking about him. She threw down her handset on the sofa and headed to the kitchen to make her customary home-from-work mug of tea, but no sooner had she switched on the kettle than she was diverted by the buzzing of her phone from the other room.

She dashed across to pick it up, not bothering to look who it was before uttering a curious hello.

‘Sophie! It’s Tom.’

The sound of his familiar deep voice at the other end of the line was a delightful surprise, and even more surprisingly made her heart flutter. What was that all about?

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