Page 72 of Strictly Friends
‘Isn’t it?’ Shirlee glared at Ruby, her expression daring her to disagree. ‘Granted, he knew about your boyfriend taking off, but has it even occurred to you to wonderwhyhe said nothing all these years? Griffin has always been there for you, and I’ve seen for myself how he treats Jake like his own. I don’t know where you getoff, tossing him aside because he did one thing wrong. If it wasn’t right when Griffin did it to me, then what you’re doing to him is no better.’
‘I’m not doing anything to him,’ Ruby denied indignantly. ‘You don’t get why I was angry with him, Shirlee. Helied—’
‘Oh, change the record!’ Shirlee snapped. ‘Wealllie when we’re forced into it. You know your problem, Ruby?’
‘You mean apart from being a sanctimonious hypocrite?’
Shirlee ignored the sarcasm. ‘You have a very bad habit of adopting a script and sticking to it when it no longer makes sense, andthengetting on your high horse! First it was the “we had a bad kiss when we were kids and we’re mates for life” story, and now it’s “he lied to me so I can’t ever trust him again”.’ She exhaled as if she had run out of steam, and then picked up again.
‘Are you honestly so obtuse you can’t see that everything Griffin has ever done is either for you or because of you? Trust me, when I was going out with him, he never left me in any doubt about who came first. To be honest, if he hadn’t finished things, I would have, because I was clearly only ever going to be second best – and I bet you’d hear the same from every girl he’s dated.’
Ruby’s dumbfounded expression appeared to further irritate Shirlee. ‘You’re quick to point out Griffin’s flaws, but how about turning the mirror on yourself for a change? Griffin might be no angel, but at least he has the balls to own up to his mistakes and try to fix them. He didn’t have to find me and apologise, but he did it anyway. The man’s got enough money not to have to work a day in his life, but he slogs day and night on projects for the foundation and, quite honestly, he deserves better than the way you’ve treated him.’
The words felt like a kick in the gut and Ruby stared at Shirlee in dismay. ‘But youknowwhat Griffin’s like!’ she exclaimed, desperate to defend herself. ‘He’s never done commitment.Ever!And when Jake said – well, when I thought Griff was back with you, I assumed he’d moved on as he’s always done and—’
‘Yeah, well, he isn’t back with me,’ Shirlee scowled. ‘I’m with—’
‘Simeon. Yes, I know,’ Ruby interrupted. Her head was spinning from the barrage of information, and she desperately needed to process her thoughts – and get away from Shirlee.
Shirlee seemed to have the same idea as she turned on her heel without a word. But then she swung back and heaved a sigh.
‘Ruby, I work with Griffin and it’s bloody obvious that a big part of why he’s been so relentless about getting the foundation up and running is because he’s utterly miserable without you. It’s none of my business, but I care about Griffin so I’m just going to say this. He hasn’t given up on you and, left to himself, I don’t think he ever will. But if you’ve given up on him, the kindest thing you can do is tell him and give him a chance to move on with his life.’
51
The cries of the white seagulls circling overhead were muffled by the brisk breeze blowing in from the sea as Ruby tramped over the uneven pebbles, her calf muscles aching from the unaccustomed exercise. She stopped to take a breath and shake a stone from her sandals and then kept going until she reached the sand. Taking off the sandals, she carried on past the stretch of beach packed with holidaymakers enjoying the sunshine.
When she reached their spot, the cool, foamy waves lapped at her bare feet as she raised a hand to shield her eyes against the sun and scan the rocky beach. Her chest felt tight, and her mouth too dry to swallow, and when she adjusted the light rucksack on her back, she could feel the tension in her shoulders. Having coached Auntie Pearl and Jake until they were word perfect, she could only hope the script had worked.But what if he doesn’t come? What if Shirlee, Fi, and everyone’s got it wrong?
Just when she was about to give up and turn back, she saw him sitting on a boulder further up the deserted beach, bent over his guitar. Her pulse racing, and almost dizzy with relief, she tried to catch her breath. In that moment, she knew beyond any doubt that it was she who’d had it wrong all this time. She bent to slip on her sandals, her fingers fumbling as she retied the straps around herankles. She started to walk towards him, and then broke into a run as impatience overtook any instinct for caution.
Griffin was strumming his guitar, his eyes on the sea, and as Ruby approached, she slowed down, taking in huge gulps of air to slow her pounding heart. As if suddenly aware of her presence, he looked up and his hand stilled. He watched her silently until she was close enough to touch him, and although his expression was guarded, Ruby caught a flash of fear in his eyes before he looked away.
‘Did you bring me here to have another go?’ he said in a low voice. ‘In case you’re wondering, I’ve finally got the message and I won’t bother you any more.’
‘Maybe that’s not what I want,’ she murmured.
A spasm of emotion crossed his face and then his jaw tightened, and he shook his head. Looking down at the guitar, he plucked at a couple of strings. ‘What do you want, Ruby?’
How could she ever have imagined being with anyone else? She had been fooling herself for too long, and she was tired of denying the truth.
‘You,’ she said simply.
He gave a mirthless laugh and tapped the guitar strings. ‘If you’re here out of guilt because of what you promised my mother, then you can leave. I know what Mum asked of you and, if I’m honest, I wish she hadn’t. I’m a grown man and I don’t need rescuing.’
‘I’m not here because of what I promised Marilyn. I’m here because of what I’ve promised myself.’
Finally, he looked up and his hazel eyes bored into her. ‘And what’s that?’
Ruby shrugged off her rucksack and dropped it on to the pebbles with a sigh. This was clearly not going to be easy, but then nothing about Griffin had ever been easy. He was, hands down, themost complicated man she had ever known, and the best way to deal with complicated people was to keep it simple.
So, taking a deep breath, she said, ‘I promised myself that if you were here, I wouldn’t go another minute without telling you I love you, however terrified I am to admit it.’
He froze. ‘What did you just say?’
‘Griffin!Please don’t pretend you didn’t hear me.’
‘The seagulls are really loud out here, and I didn’t quite catch it.’
