Elsie appeared at my side, contemplating the scene in front of us. She didn’t even sound that pleased with herself, more wistful than anything.
‘It was a shit move on his part to bring you up here. But that’s Cal. Won’t have even occurred to him how you might feel about watching him flirting with his ex right in front of your face.’
‘They’re just talking.’ I forced the words out my mouth. ‘What’s wrong with that?’
‘Between us, I’m no happier about this than you are. Shiv deserves better.’ She moved in between me and the happy couple, blocking my view entirely. ‘When she came back from London, she was devastated. We’ve been friends our whole lives but she refused to even talk to me about it.’
‘Funny that. What with you being such a sensitive soul.’
She scoffed, sticking her hands in the pockets of her wax jacket.
‘This is me trying to be nice. Whatever is going on with them, the fact remains, you’re a rebound, hun. Sorry I have to be the one to tell you.’
‘You don’t sound very sorry,’ I said, hands curling into tight little fists as my sides.
‘Well, that’s because I’m not,’ she replied breezily. ‘I don’t really care about you either way, but I’m in no rush to have my arsehole brother home either.’
My fingernails pressed against the spot where I’d cut my palm on the skipping stone and I winced at the sting.
‘Between you and me, why do you hate him so much?’ I asked. ‘Did he pull your pigtails too many times when you were kids?’
‘This is how I know you don’t understand my brother at all.’ She pointed a finger in his direction, punctuating every word with a little jab. ‘He might come off as charming but he’s selfish and thoughtless, always has been. Left me here to run the family farm alone, no concern for what I want.’
‘No one’s making you do it,’ I said, the line between Laura and Caroline blurring until I couldn’t tell thedifference. ‘Callum left, you could leave. Stop being such a martyr.’
‘If I don’t, who will?’ Her voice grew louder, drawing the attention of a small gaggle of nanas in their Christmas best at the side of us. ‘Callum wants no part of it, Rory’s spoiled rotten, indulged for twenty-four years straight and hardly knows his arse from his elbow. I’m the only one left.’
‘Then that’s you making your choice same as they’ve made theirs,’ I said. ‘You can’t live your life for other people, even if they’re your parents. If you hate the farm so much, why don’t you leave?’
Her blue eyes burned. ‘Did I say I hate it?’
I took in the fury on her face, the contradiction in her tone.
‘You said you’re only running it because Callum left.’
‘Because no one ever asked me if I wanted to run the farm,’ she said, seething. ‘I’m better at it than he ever would’ve been but what does that matter? I’m still the runner-up, the last resort. No one cares what I want, they only care about Callum.’
It was too much. Callum tying himself up in knots because he didn’t want the responsibility of the farm, Elsie twisting herself into something so bitter because no one had offered it to her.
‘Can you even hear yourself?’ I said. ‘How is any of this Callum’s fault? If anyone is to blame it’s your dad. Be angry at him.’
‘You don’t understand,’ she spat. ‘You don’t get it.’
Maybe not, but I did know what denial looked like and Elsie was a classic case.
‘Look, you’re right, I don’t understand.’ I lowered my voice, maintained eye contact, softened my expression.‘But carrying around all this anger and resentment can’t be fun for you. If you wanted to talk to someone, I could recommend some people, some resources.’
Apparently this was not the right thing to say.
‘How dare you?’ She said with a sneer. ‘You arrogant cow. You don’t walk into my house and try to tell me how to feel about my family. What gives you the right? I take it back, I’m not sorry he’s using you. You’re as bad as him, you deserve all you get.’
My mouth opened and closed like a goldfish. So many people were watching now, Callum included.
‘I was only trying to help,’ I said, unexpectedly emotionally bruised. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘You think you know better, just like him,’ she snapped. ‘Well, you don’t. Maybe you think it’s fine to be a smug, self-obsessed vegan—’
‘What is so wrong with being a vegan?’ I interrupted. ‘I know you’re a dairy farmer but—’
