Page 133 of The Life Daisy Devlin Designed
Laura took an audible breath. “Brian asked me why I was there, and I should have just said I’d stayed over and crashed on the sofa, but I panicked and said that you’d stayed over, and I was bringing you some clothes so you could change.”
“Oh my God!” Daisy stared at her. “But ...”
“I didn’t say you’d been with anyone.” Laura looked anguished. “You have to believe me! But I guess Brian told Matt.”
“But that’s what I don’t understand! Why did Brian assume I’d slept with James?” What was she missing? “Wait, you told me you didn’t believe that Brian told Matt.”
“I know, I’m sorry. But Brian only told Matt what he assumed.” Laura spoke quietly. “One of James’ housemates told someone that James had a girl in his room all night; they just didn’t know who it was. And James never said.”
“Right.” It took Daisy a moment to understand. “That was you?” She choked out the words. “You slept with James?”
“I’m so sorry, Daisy, I feel awful.” The words came out in a rush. “I promise you it only happened that one night. And you and James weren’t even friends at the time, remember?” Laura looked at her anxiously. “Maybe you should sit down.”
Daisy did as she was told, and Laura pulled her own chair over and sat. “Do you hate me?”
“I don’t know how I feel.” Daisy took a breath, then noticed Laura’s expression. “No, of course I don’t hate you. I just don’t understand why you never told me. Or why James didn’t either.” It hurt, she realised, that the two people she’d trusted the most had kept that from her all these years.
“Did you ever plan on telling me?” she managed.
“Daisy ...” Laura’s face had drained of colour. “We both had way too much to drink that night, and we never spoke about it afterwards.” She swallowed visibly. “I know I should have told you, but I felt shit that I’d cheated on Brian, especially when Iknew you’d never cheat on Matt. And when Matt broke up with you, I didn’t think … I didn’t put it together, babes, you have to believe me!”
Daisy pressed the heels of her hands against her temples, and tried to think. “I still don’t get it. If Brian told Matt that, then Brianknewwhy Matt broke up with me. Did he not tell you?”
“Not for ages. And by that stage you’d met James, and I – ”
“You knew that if you said anything to Brian, he might start asking questions,” Daisy said. “And he might have found out that it was you who’d slept with James.”
Briefly, Laura closed her eyes. “It felt too late. I thought I’d cause more damage.”
Daisy struggled to take it all in. “Was that why you told me I shouldn’t get together with James?”
“No!” Laura shook her head. “I mean, when you guys started hanging out, I was afraid it was too soon after Matt had left, but you and James were a slow burn.”
“The opposite to me and Matt.”
“Right.” Laura picked at a thread on her skirt. “By then I was afraid to admit that I’d slept with him in case things got weird between us. And, yeah, I kind of thought James might even tell you when the time was right. I’m so sorry.”
Daisy stood and walked over to the window to stare into the street. Finally, she turned back to look at Laura.
“All these years! You knew why Matt left and you never said a word!”
“Daisy, I swear, by the time I found out, you and James were a couple – a proper couple. And Brian and I weremarried!”Laura’s voice wobbled. “I know it was cowardly, but I couldn’t risk it.”
This was one of those sliding-doors moments, Daisy realised. She could be angry at Laura for keeping that night a secret. Or she could accept that she’d been in an impossible situation.
She looked at the vintage ring on her finger, its green stone bright in the sunlit room. Suddenly, she didn’t care that James had never told her, either. It had happened before they’d got together, and he’d chosen to protect Laura by saying nothing. In fact, things had worked out exactly as they were supposed to.
“It doesn’t matter, Laura, none of it’s your fault, it’s Matt’s. He just assumed the worst.”
“And then he broke your heart.” Laura’s eyes glittered.
“Yup.” Daisy managed a shaky laugh. “And five years later, I got to record him asking his famous American girlfriend to marry him.”
“I never really liked him.” Laura met Daisy’s eyes and they exchanged a quiet smile.
“I’m guessing Brian still doesn’t know?” Daisy said.
“That I slept with James that night? Jesus, no.”
