Page 8 of A Christmas Celebration
‘I have no idea what exactly you put in this, Molly,’ I said, handing it over, ‘but I had the best night’s sleep I’ve had in weeks after taking a long bath filled with it. Thank you.’
Molly took the little bottle from me, her eyes trained on my face.
‘You aren’t sleeping then?’ she probed.
‘Oh, Molly,’ I said, shaking my head. ‘You know verywell that I’m not. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have given me the phial in the first place, would you?’
‘No,’ she lightly said, then paused before adding, ‘I wouldn’t, but I still can’t fathom the details as to why you’re not getting the rest you deserve…’
Since I had made the colossal error of judgment, I had accepted the fact that I didn’t deserve any rest. It had been such a stupid mistake, which carried such dreadful potential consequences, I felt it was more than justified that I should still be experiencing its sting, even though the worst hadn’t thankfully happened.
‘Paige?’
‘Sorry,’ I said, tearing my eyes away from the flames. ‘What was that?’
‘Have you heard any of what I just said?’
I shook my head.
‘I was telling you,’ Molly tenderly said, ‘that I want to help you.’
‘You can’t,’ I blurted out, my eyes prickling with traitorous tears. ‘You’re right in that there is something troubling me and I know you mean well, but it’s something I’ve got to work through on my own.’
‘Is it something to do with Chadia?’
She asked the question so kindly but the shock of hearing my friend and mentor’s name on her lips felt like a knife piercing my heart. It was a long time since I’d talked to anyone about the friend whose life had been cut tragically short and even though what had occurred in Jordan wasn’ta direct result of what had happened to Chadia, there was a connection. Not that I was willing to acknowledge it.
My fingers strayed towards the precious locket I wore which contained the only photograph I had of my friend, but I soon stopped them, knowing Molly would notice.
‘No.’ I swallowed. ‘Besides, that was years ago.’
‘Just because something happened a long time ago…’
‘It’s not Chadia,’ I tightly responded.
‘Heartbreak then?’ Molly suggested, changing course. ‘Relationship trouble?’
‘Goodness me, no,’ I said, with an elaborate eye roll. ‘I haven’t had a relationship in averylong time.’
‘Perhaps that’s what you need,’ she suggested, raising her eyebrows. ‘Someone to love and someone to love you back.’
I shook my head.
‘Why do loved up couples always want to get everyone else loved up?’ I pretended to pout, reaching for a cushion and hugging it to my chest like an armoured breastplate. ‘There’s no man required in this instance, so don’t even think about blending up a love potion or even a quick fling potion. You know that’s not my style either.’
‘All right.’ She grinned. ‘I’m not sure anything I could concoct would work its way through that amount of resistance anyway.’
‘Well, thank goodness for that.’
‘But whatever has got you vexed,’ she said, turning serious again, ‘feels pretty full on. I can’t make sense of your aura at all.’
I resisted the temptation to look about me to see if I could see what she was looking at. Past experience suggested I wouldn’t so I kept my gaze locked front and centre.
‘I’m sure it will settle down into a more familiar colour now I’m here at the hall,’ I said instead.
‘I’m sure it will too,’ she agreed. ‘Throwing yourself into Anna and Hayley’s roles is bound to help. Immersing yourself in doing something completely different will keep your mind occupied and you’ll heal without even knowing it’s happening.’
I hoped she was right. I might have currently felt that I deserved to suffer, but I didn’t think it was an emotional state I’d want to carry with me forever.
