Page 52 of When We Were Friends
‘I was gutted,’ said Rob. ‘He loved the outdoor gym, it inspired a real passion. I’d set it up as a venture for holidaymakers missing their weights, but locals started coming on a regular basis because he was really interested in helping people build their long-term fitness. In the short time he was here, real progress was made expanding the business.’ Rob took another swig of water. ‘One of my hardest workers ever, he left to go back up north when an offer from a prestigious, international gym came in, owned by a customer who had a holiday home here and wanted to go kayaking. The two of them got talking.’ He sighed. ‘Karma, eh? I poached him, then someone poached him from me.’
A shiver ran down Morgan’s spine. She couldn’t quite work out why, but the word gym unsettled her.
‘This man in the photograph wasn’t called Hugo, though,’ chipped in Sal.
‘What? But he never had a twin. Not that we knew of,’ said Tiff.
Twin?Morgan almost laughed at Tiff’s face. That would have nicely explained the mess at prom. The four of them had been secretly dating Hugo’s double, a more good-hearted version of him.
Paige took a breath and stepped forwards.
‘Felix. Felix Barron. That’s his name,’ said Rob.
‘His mother was French,’ added Sal before answering the reception’s phone.
No.
Morgan wavered from one foot to the other.
This wasn’t possible.
She wouldn’t have married him.
She wouldn’t have kept him secret, all this time they’d been rebonding.
‘Why would he change his name?’ asked Emily, looking confused.
‘I’ve only come across one Felix before, a film producer,’ said Tiff. ‘Then Paige’s husband, of course. Is he French too, Paige?’
Paige opened her mouth but no words came out.
‘I’m sorry, but I can’t give out any more information without contacting Felix first. It wouldn’t be right,’ said Rob. ‘I’ve still got his number, somewhere.’
‘It’s okay,’ Morgan found herself saying. ‘I don’t need the contact details any more. Sorry to trouble you.’ She strode out of the building. Emily and Tiff rushed after her, Paige lagging far behind.
‘Don’t chicken out now,’ called Emily. ‘Come on, Morgan. We’re doing this for Olly. Let’s get Hugo’s, I mean Felix’s, phone number.’
‘It’s time we showed that con artist what we’ve made of our lives and that, despite his best efforts, the four of us have come together again,’ said Tiff.
Morgan leant against a nearby railing. She bent over, about to black out. Immediately, Paige hurried over and Morgan shook her off. She stood up and smacked the railing, rubbing her knuckles, white-hot heat swelling within her. Morgan walked down the path that led to the sand and put her hands up to her ears as the others said her name. Finally, two hands pulled away hers. She opened her eyes to find Paige opposite her, Emily and Tiff looking confused.
‘What’s your husband’s job again, Paige?’ asked Morgan. Paige didn’t reply. ‘Shall I tell you?’ she continued, voice shaking. ‘He works for a gym company. Is it prestigious? International? Didn’t you say something about charity work and him taking a group of kids to some centre in Gorton for windsurfing lessons? Christ, the clues were there all along.’
Slowly, Tiff turned to face Paige. ‘You’re shitting me, right…? Paige and Hugo? It’s still going on? You went up the aisle with that bozo? Didn’t think to tell us when we first met by the hazel tree at Dailsworth High a few weeks ago?’
‘Youmarriedthat bastard?’ asked Emily.
Because the memory of him was a wound, a wound that ran deep, most of the damage lay hidden under the surface, but was still infected; a fragile wound Morgan had hoped would begin to mend now. What a joke. The road trip had been a waste of time.
‘These last weeks, you could have saved me the stress of looking, Paige, knowing how much I wanted Olly to meet his dad… your husband. Not to mention, you’ve allowed Emily and Tiff to give up their precious time when they needn’t have.’ Her voice shook. Morgan folded her arms. ‘Why con us like this? Is this payback? Why oh why would you marry the boy who broke up our friendship, who was a bully, who two-timed girls and strutted around as if he were cock o’ the walk?’
‘These last few days, it’s no surprise you’ve been so quiet. Did you hope this trip would divert us, so that Morgan would never find out the truth?’ asked Tiff. ‘Is this because you can’t have kids? You see Olly as a threat?’
Paige shrank back.
‘Steady on, Tiff,’ said Emily.
‘Is it?’ asked Morgan, tone shrill now. ‘Christ, that’s selfish.’
