Page 107 of The Reboot
‘Yeah. We’re together now.’
He nodded. ‘He seems really happy.’
‘Yeah.’ She looked across the room at Roly, who was talking to Liam and a woman she didn’t know. She smiled. ‘We both are.’ She turned back to Charlie. ‘Were you surprised?’
‘I was, to be honest. I mean, no offence. But I’d seen some stuff about him and Pippa getting back together.’
‘It’s fine.’
‘But I’m glad. Pippa was never any good for him.’
Ella began to relax as the evening went on. Her stomach lurched when she saw Vince come in, but she managed to stay out of his way. It wasn’t difficult – he seemed more interested in huddling over a table with his business partner Larry, doing lines of coke. Everyone was friendly and she chatted to some interesting people. To her surprise, she was quite enjoying herself. Maybe she’d been silly to be scared, and it was a good thing she’d come so she could lay her ghosts to rest. The last night she’d spent around these people hadn’t been good, but that was a long time ago. They’d all grown up and moved on.
Across the room Roly detached himself from the group he was with and came towards her.
‘Having a good time?’ he asked when he reached her.
‘Yeah.’ She nodded. ‘You?’
‘Yeah, but I’m kind of ready to go home, if you are.’
‘Why?’ She laughed. ‘Is it making you horny?’
‘Well, well, well, look who the cat dragged in,’ a voice said behind her. She spun around to see Vince glaring at her with cold, spite-filled eyes.
‘Vince.’ Roly acknowledged him as he joined them. ‘You remember Ella?’
‘Oh, I certainly do.’ Vince crossed his arms and stared at her implacably. ‘How could I forget our own little Mata Hari?’
‘Huh? What are you talking about? Why would you call her that?’
‘I must say I thought we’d seen the last of you,’ he said, ignoring Roly and talking to Ella. ‘You’ve got some neck showing your face here, after what you pulled.’ His gaze darted between her and Roly. ‘And Zack tells me you two are together now. What is it?’ he asked Roly. ‘Some kind of Stockholm syndrome?’
Roly frowned. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ He put his arm around Ella protectively.
‘We were just leaving,’ Ella said quickly. ‘Nice seeing you again, Vince.’
‘I can’t say the same about you, sweetheart.’
‘Come on, let’s go,’ she said to Roly, her heart beating wildly. Vince was talking as if he knew. But how could he? The only person who knew what she’d done was a man named Robert Casey and he wasn’t at this party.
Roly shook her off. ‘No, I want to know what he’s shiting about. What are you trying to say, Vince? What’s this Stockholm syndrome crap?’
‘I’m just trying to figure out why you’d be with her after everything that happened.’ He looked at Ella. ‘You must be one amazing fuck.’
‘Shut the fuck up, Vince!’ Roly moved to grab him, but Ella held him back. ‘How dare you talk to her like that?’
‘Or is it that you’re some kind of masochist?’ he said to Roly. He turned a cold gaze on Ella. ‘Well, I have my eye on you now, sweetheart. You fucked this up for him once, but I won’t let you do it again.’
‘What the fuck are you talking about, Vince?’
‘Oh my god!’ Realisation dawned in Vince’s face. ‘You don’t know, do you?’
‘Know what?’
I’m talking about how it all ended for you the last time. Why we had to cut you loose.’
‘That has nothing to do with Ella!’
