“It’s on.” Llewellyn, still ignoring Nora, presses a button on the projector, and a blue square appears on the pull-down screen.
“Erm… Sorry, what?” I look up, trying to remember what I’m supposed to do.
“You’re flustered. Did I interrupt something?” Nora asks, eyebrows raised.
Llewellyn chooses that moment to put a hand on my shoulder and guide me closer to the projector.
“Two girls at once, Llew?” Nora looks from me to Ashe. “You trying to make me jealous?”
“Hello.”
Oh, thank God. Someone else is here, even if it’s Osian.
But when I turn, his eyes are on my shoulder – actually on Llewellyn’s hand, which is still cupping the top of my arm.
“Everything okay?” he asks, when nobody says anything.
“I think I’ve been dumped and replaced.” Nora’s voice instantly melts into a sad-but-brave tone.God! How does she do it?
Osian meets my eyes. “How’s your presentation coming? Need any help?”
“She doesn’t need help.” Nora’s voice wobbles. “My grave isn’t cold yet before she’s run over it to get to—”
“We’re still setting up,” Llewellyn interrupts. He looks only at Osian but his grip on my shoulder is hard enough to hurt.
“Aren’t they a sight for sore eyes?” Gethin suddenly pipes up. “Three beautiful women in one corner. Does life get any better?”
Nora beams at him. “Thank you for being a gentleman. You both are.” And she loops her arm through Osian’s and turns to go.
Osian leans close and gives me a quick kiss on the cheek. “You’ll be great.” Then he lets Nora drag him away. Gethin and Ashe follow.
“Dinner is served,” someone calls from the table.
Nora finds a seat at one end of the table so she’s sitting between Osian and Raff, the tall, bearded man who runs the Jack Bevan Retirement Community.
“So much for our dry run.” Llewellyn walks me to the other side of the table and sits beside me. Men don’t really show emotion. Or ask for help. You have to look a lot closer to see if they need support.
“Are you all right?” I whisper.
He exhales. “Fuck,” he says,sotto voce.
I want to agree, but you’re not supposed to slag off someone’s ex. Not even if the ex in question is a nasty, spiteful, bitch.
Not even if youknowthat he thinks the same.
Dissing the ex is an implied diss of the partner who once loved them.
After it came out about Marcus’s cheating, friends said things like, “I never liked him.” And, “He was a worthless scumbag.” Or even, “That liar who took advantage of you.” They were trying to show me loyalty, but it only made me feel like a fool for having believed in him once. It hurt and humiliated me.
So I pass Llewellyn the dish of steamed vegetables and smile, hoping to take his mind off the awful scene.
Shirley, the red-haired old lady opposite notices and her eyes flick briefly to Nora then she gives me a conspiratorial head shake.
“Welcome back,” I say, feeling a little guilty about that night Osian and I took refuge in her room. I’d meant to tell her about it but with everything that’s happened, I haven’t had a chance.
Perhaps seeing her makes me think of Osian and my mind goes back to how he acted ten minutes ago. That look at Llewellyn’s hand on my shoulder; an innocent move, but it had registered. And at the end, kissing my cheek. Osian has never done that before; why now?
If I didn’t know otherwise, I’d have sworn it was that territorial thing men do. As soon as they think they have competition, they claim you. A touch, a swift kiss, a hand on yourback, a visible assertion of ownership. I’m pretty sure they don’t even realise it – it’s just a biological response. If my heart didn’t ache so much, this discovery of Osian’s hidden caveman would have made me smile.
