Page 83 of One Golden Summer
Her business in peril.
She’d risen from the ashes before and she could do it again.
She dropped her head. Only, losing Saffron was going to take some getting used to. Even the thought left her winded.
Kirsty picked up her phone and clicked on Saffron’s Instagram account. It was full of images of her and Echo, and she’d been glued to it all night. Why had she never looked before? It told her everything she needed to know. She’d been blind, she saw that now. Blind and stupid. In both love and in friendship.
She took another deep breath, staring out to the flat sea beyond, the sun just starting to bathe its surface.
When it came to Helena, she was still in shock on a completely different level. Kirsty expected lovers to fuck her over, that wasn’t new. But friends? It was almost too much to bear.
Helena had sent her a barrage of texts last night. Kirsty hadn’t read them. What more was there to say? The damage was done, and Helena was the architect.
When Kirsty lifted her head and glanced down the coastal path, her stomach rolled. Anger uncoiled in her gut.
Talk of the devil. Helena was walking her way. She had some front, Kirsty would give her that.
Helena approached the beach hut slowly. She was carrying something in her hands. It was only when she got closer Kirsty saw what it was.
“What do you want?” She wasn’t going to be bought that easily. “You can’t just turn up here with an iced bun round and think that’ll make everything okay.”
Helena nodded. “I know. I owe you a huge apology. The biggest one in the whole wide world. I just thought if you were eating an iced bun, I’d have time to speak.” She walked slowly up the short grassy incline, then stepped onto the white wooden porch. Helena put the bun round on the table next to Kirsty’s coffee.
Kirsty’s stomach growled.Traitor.She wasn’t going to eat it. She was going to stay strong.
“I don’t see there’s anything you can say that’s going to change what’s happened.” Kirsty stiffened. She hated conflict, and the last 24 hours had been a clusterfuck of it. “I came here for some peace. I don’t appreciate you disturbing it.”
But when Helena’s face fell, Kirsty gave in a little. Perhaps Helena had an explanation? Kirsty sighed. “Just say what you’ve got to say, then go.”
Helena gave her a firm nod. “Okay.” She pulled back her shoulders. “I completely get I’m in the wrong and I fucked up here. So let me put that out there right now. What happened is not okay and it’s my fault.”
Kirsty nodded. “You got that right.”
Helena took a deep breath before she continued. “However, they’re not the promo pages I’ve had Anton working on for the past few weeks. Yes, I was going to do a page using some photos of Saffron that I’d snapped, saying she loves our wines, using her celebrity. I was hoping you’d say yes when you saw it was tastefully done, just to drum up a bit more business. I really couldn’t see why you didn’t want to. Saffron was a gift dropped in our lap.” She held up a hand to stop Kirsty from speaking.
“And yes, I know that was wrong. After a while, I got that. I mocked up the page after the Oyster Festival, but I told Anton to ditch it. I created the ones that are there now with quotes from people all around the town instead, just like we agreed. It was the right thing to do. Particularly after you got to know her, and you got to like her.” She put a hand to her chest. “I really liked her, too. Until she broke your heart.”
Helena shook her head. “Anyway, the new promo pages celebrate our wines and Sandy Cove wine lovers. But Anton put up the Saffron page by mistake, too. The photos were still in the promo pages folder, which is my fault. He’s corrected it now and it’s already live. When I got home last night, I made sure he worked on it until it was fixed.”
Helena stared at her anxiously.
Kirsty held her gaze. Her anger was still red hot in her throat. “I specifically asked you not to do this. Itrustedyou. Mistake or not, that still stands.”
Helena dropped her head. “I know. I’ve learned a lesson, believe me. Especially if it costs me my business.” She raised her head. “Youcanstill trust me, even though it might take a while to rebuild. I get it.” She stabbed her chest with her finger. “But I’m begging you, Kirsty. Please don’t go to the bank. Don’t break up the business. I love working with you, and yes, this was a massive misstep. Anton is so sorry, too. He’s said he’ll work at the shop for free for as long as it takes to make up for it. But just to make it clear, this ismyfault, not his. I’m not shifting the blame.”
She cleared her throat. “What’s more, Ihatethe thought I’ve contributed in some way to you and Saffron breaking up. Especially after it had only just begun.” Helena got down on one knee and clutched Kirsty’s balled fist. “Ireallyhate it. With every atom of my being. You of all people deserve happiness.”
Kirsty’s stomach rolled again. But this time, the anger was flushed away. They’d known each other since school. There was no malice behind Helena’s actions. Could she forgive her for a simple but costly mistake? She still wasn’t sure.
“I love you, Kirsty. I wouldn’t do anything intentionally to hurt you.” Helena’s eyes were watery. “Anton and I have just come from Saffron’s place. We went round and explained, so she knows you had nothing to do with it.”
Now Kirsty welled up. “Did she believe you? Or did she think I was responsible?”
Helena shook her head. “She believed us. And by the way, she looked just as much a wreck as you do. Red eyes. She’d been crying. She was unpacking boxes, too. Looked like she’d brought stuff back from London. If she needs to be reassured it really was me, I can go round again every day till she believes me.”
Kirsty shook her head, unfurling her fists. “What’s the point? She didn’t trust me, and I didn’t trust her. If that’s the case so early in our yet-to-get-off-the-ground relationship, I’d say it’s doomed.” She pulled her hands from Helena. “Plus, as soon as she got the chance, she ran back to her superstar.”
“You might think that today, but maybe tomorrow may be different. She didn’t look like she was heading back to Echo Black any time soon.” Helena stood up with a groan, then eyed the other chair. “Can I sit down? Am I at least semi-forgiven?”
