Page 126 of The Reboot
‘Nothing from Roly?’
Ella shook her head. ‘No, not a word. I don’t expect there to be.’ She took a sip of wine and put her glass down. ‘Anyway, I hope I haven’t made things too difficult for you.’
‘Not at all.’ Hazel shook her head emphatically. ‘You know there are lots of people who’d love that job, and I already had someone else lined up if you didn’t take it.’
‘Good. I’m glad at least I’m not fucking up your life as well as my own.’
The following evening, Ella was in her bedroom, chilling out before dinner when there was a ring at the door. She heard voices and when she went to the top of the stairs, she was astonished to see Loretta standing in the hall.
‘Ella, hi!’ She looked up at her with a soft smile. ‘I just came to drop off your cardigan – you left it at Mum’s.’ She lifted a plastic bag. ‘And I wanted to have a word.’
‘Sure,’ Ella said, descending the stairs towards her with some trepidation. ‘We can go in here.’ She jerked her head towards the living room.
‘Dinner will be about fifteen minutes,’ her mother said, giving her a sympathetic look.
‘Thanks for bringing this,’ Ella said as Loretta handed her the bag. They sat side by side on the couch. ‘There was no need.’
‘I really wanted to see you,’ Loretta said. ‘We’ve missed you at Pilates.’
‘Yeah, sorry about that. I’ve … been busy.’
‘And Mum was expecting you at her knitting club last night.’
‘Oh, was she? I assumed … I mean, now that Roly and I have split up, I didn’t think…’
‘It doesn’t mean we can’t still be friends, does it?’ Loretta frowned enquiringly. Ella realised it wasn’t a rhetorical question. ‘It feels like you’ve been avoiding us. Which is fine,’ she added quickly. ‘But we didn’t want you to feel you have to. We’re very fond of you, Ella.’
Ella sighed. ‘Roly hasn’t told you why we broke up, has he?’
‘No, he hasn’t. But I know he’s miserable about it.’
Ella swallowed hard, tears welling in her eyes. She hated to think of Roly being unhappy, especially knowing she was the cause of it. ‘I know how he feels,’ she whispered, looking down at her hands.
‘Oh, love.’ Loretta put an arm around her. ‘I didn’t mean to upset you. But surely it’s nothing that can’t be fixed. If you’re both so miserable without each other—’
Ella shook her head, swiping at her eyes. ‘It can’t. It was my fault, and I think itdoesmean we can’t be friends. It’s not that I don’t want to be. But when you know what I did—’
‘There was no cheating, was there? Roly said—’
‘No, nothing like that.’ She took a deep breath, and looked Loretta in the eye. She had to face up to this squarely – no more lying or obfuscating. So she told her the whole story.
‘That photograph…’ Loretta breathed when she’d finished. ‘It was you?’ Her chin wobbled, and then she did the strangest thing. She threw her arms around Ella and hugged her so fiercely it took her breath away.
‘Dinner’s up,’ Ruth said as they both emerged from the living room. ‘Loretta, have you eaten? Would you like to stay for a bite?’
‘Oh, thanks, but I won’t impose.’
‘You’re not imposing. The more, the merrier. I’d love to have a proper chat.’
Loretta looked at Ella uncertainly as if asking her permission.
‘Stay,’ Ella said. ‘If you’d like to.’
‘In that case, thanks, Ruth. That would be lovely.’
‘Great! Come and meet my sister, Nora.’
Loretta got on famously with her mother and aunt, and dinner was fun. Nora and Loretta compared horror stories about internet dating and laughed until tears were rolling down their faces, and Loretta loved hearing about Ruth and Nora’s recent trip, listening raptly as they told her about their adventures.
