Claire nodded and gave me a quick smile. She’d been everything I had needed, championing me to myself when I had doubts and being there when I had gone out for that first drink at a bar. She’d also been the one who had booked my counselling session but she’d also not let me wallow in self-pity, making me leave her house and get back to my old routine on the days when I didn’t think I could.
“Does Eli know all this?” Vanessa said, a hand rubbing her belly.
“Yes. I didn’t ghost him. And he never pressured me to talk to him or try to do anything that I didn’t want. He didn’t try to put a plaster on it,” I said, thinking back to the conversations we’d had late at night via messages.
Me:I need to be straight with you.
Eli:When have you been anything other?
Me:Never. Not intentionally. But I’ve had Callum grab more of my stuff and not given you an explanation.
Eli:I got that there was an explanation. I knew you’d tell it me when you could.
Me:I have to sort myself out after what happened. I know you’d look after me and being with you after made me feel safe and secure but…
Eli:You need to rely on yourself. I know.
Me:Got it in one. If I’m with you now, I’m always going to doubt whether I could’ve gotten through this on my own.
Eli:Ava, I get that. I’m here if and when you need me. Straight answer: are we over?
Ava:I don’t know. I don’t know how long I need and what I’ll want after. I know he didn’t assault me and it would’ve been so much worse if you and Max hadn’t sprinted through London like you did, but it’s knocked me. It’s made me realise how vulnerable I am – or anyone really and I need to get my confidence back.
Eli:And you don’t want to be reliant on anyone to do that else you won’t get it back properly.
Me:You get it. Which is going to be difficult given I was born with four bodyguards, but Claire’s told them to back off and they seem to have listened.
Me: I heard Jon isn’t pressing charges for the broken jaw you gave him.
Eli:Apparently not. Even if he had, I wouldn’t have regretted it. How do you want us to be in the meantime? Do you want me to drop the rest of your stuff off at Claire’s?
Me:Only if you want to. I appreciate it might look a bit odd to any visitors. I kind of want it to stay there too.
Eli:It can stay here. I’ll explain the situation when I bring my next Victoria’s Secret model back for the night.
Me:I’m not sure I’m up to comments like that. However, we always said we were casual.
Eli:I’m not sure it ended up being that casual. I never saw when it was going to end. But let’s be friends while you sort yourself out and see where we are in the future.
Me:How are you so understanding?
Eli:Three sisters. And I work with your sisters so I have to be else I wouldn’t survive.
Me:Thank you.Out of interest, did you have the pleasure of seeing Seph’s shirt yesterday? I think he blinded a few people…
Eli:How’s it going? Have you seen the news today?
Me:I know! I can’t believe planning permission was granted. That sets a whole new precedent.
Eli:It’ll be contested. I’m not sure how successful it will be though. My sisters said hi.
Me:How are they?
Eli:They’re good. Izzy’s off to Spain with the kids for a fortnight.
Eli:Poor Spain.
Eli:What was the matter with Seph yesterday? He was in the worst mood I’ve ever seen him in.
