“Arden, please, I need to talk to you. I can’t—”
“You turned up where I live to tell me more lies?”
“No.” His voice sounded raw. “It’s not like that. God, why do I fuck everything up with you?”
“Excuse me?”
“Please, can we go to your house and talk? I need to explain things.”
Nigella called out, “Arden, are you coming? Oh, hello, Ollie.”
He gave a quick wave. The act seemed to cause him physical pain.
“Just a minute!” I replied to Nigella and turned back to Ollie: “I’m busy right now. This isn’t a good time.”
He gave me a begging look. “Please.”
I groaned in frustration and grabbed his hand – out of instinct more than anything – and dragged him to Nigella’s place. “Can I use your back garden for a minute? And can you keep Kenny occupied? Thanks.”
Ollie followed me without saying a word. The front door was open, and Nigella’s house was delightfully cool. “Go through to the garden and wait for me,” I snapped at Ollie, who meekly complied. He headed for the back of the house as someone I had never expected to see here came out of it.
“You made it then,” I said to Verity.
There was a noise, and I spun around to see Nigella coming back inside, with an excited Kennedy. She led him into the living room and threw a toy in after him. “Now, let’s all be civil, yes? Also, why is Oliver here?”
I ignored all of that.
“Ard,” Verity said quietly. “You know I’m on your side, right? I was between a rock and a hard place with Donal and Ffion. They’re out for blood, and I was trying to do my best to keep the agency afloat. I never would’ve let them ditch you or screw you over.”
Two weeks of complete silence, and now I had multiple directions pulling me at once. I said nothing.
Ollie was still standing behind her, looking conflicted. “I said to wait in the garden,” I yelled at him. I could feel my temper like a rubber band being pulled and pulled and ready to snap.
I turned to Nigella. “Really can’t apologise enough for all this. Didn’t mean for everyone I’ve ever met to turn up at your door. If any long-lost relatives arrive, feel free to tell them to wait in the pub.”
Aggrieved, I stormed to the end of the hall past Verity. She reached for my arm, and I jerked back. She noticed, and I instantly felt like an arsehole.
“It’s okay,” I said, feeling rather meek suddenly. “I—” I looked at Ollie. “I need to deal with one thing beforehand.”
“I have good news,” she offered in a hopeful tone.
“If it’s not that we’re all going to die tomorrow in an apocalypse, then I’m not interested,” I muttered and grabbed Ollie, pulling him into the kitchen, and then sighed.
“Oh, for God’s sake.”
Inside Nigella’s beautiful kitchen were Simon, Guy, and Sonia.
“Hello, everyone,” I said.
Ollie noticed Simon. “You.”
“You,” Simon growled.
“Who are you?” Sonia asked Ollie.
“That’s Arden’s cheating piece of shit ex,” Simon said succinctly.
“I have a name,” Ollie said.
