“But … but why did she say that you were like an old married couple?” Once again Jenny felt unsure of herself. Was it possible that Mrs Williams had lied? No mother would do that, would she? Yet Roan seemed so adamant. “And why on earth did you go on your own when I was supposed to be coming too?”
He slumped down on the sofa. “I was angry with you for banging on about the loan when you know I’ll pay you back. And then, when I saw you out on the town with that other guy … ”
“What other guy?” she asked, flummoxed.
“On Grafton St. I was in town for a few pints with the lads and saw you pass by, laughing your head off with some fella carrying you down the street. I felt like a right mug.”
“What?” For a moment she didn’t get what he was talking about. Then she remembered. On the most recent girls’ night; Charlie’s friend Brian gave her a piggyback up the street.
Roan had witnessed that?
“But that was harmless! We were just having the craic. This guy started chatting up Karen and his friend – ”
“Was hitting on you?” he finished shortly. “I know how it works, and I know what I saw. Do you have any idea how embarrassed I was? All the lads there too.”
Jenny tried to gather her thoughts. Her mind was racing a mile a minute.
“So you went off to Venice without me because you wanted to get back at me? Why the hell didn’t you just ask me about it straight out?”
He wouldn’t look her in the eye.
“I dunno. I was angry. I arranged this trip and youdidn’t seem to care – you just kept going on at me to pay back the money.” He stood up and threw a roll of notes on the breakfast bar. “I told you that of course I’d pay you back, but you didn’t seem content with that either. I knew you were annoyed but – ”
“So when you saw me that night on Grafton St, it was the last straw …” Jenny sat down, guilt flooding through her. He had got the completely wrong idea. And to be fair, she wouldn’t have been impressed to seehimcrawling all over some strange girl either, would she?
“I’ll admit I was stupid not to talk to you – but I suppose I can be a bit like Karen, I tend to simmer,” he continued. “But the trip was coming up, I had the tickets and I couldn’t waste them. So, I decided I might as well head off by myself, maybe have a think about things.”
Think about things?Now she hadreallyruined everything. Jenny honestly hadn’t meant to go overboard about the money. She was merely trying to stand her ground. But when she thought about her recent behaviour and the various accusations she’d made, she didn’t blame him for being angry.
“I’m so sorry,” she said. “Maybe I can understand why you thought I was being ungrateful. But when I rang your mother and she told me that about Siobhan, well … I just didn’t know what to think. Put yourself in my position – what would youhave thought?”
“Put yourself inmine,Jen. One minute, you accuse me of sleeping around and giving you some ... disease. So to prove myself to you, I organise a romantic –expensive –weekend away for us. Next, you’re ranting about themoney you lent me and then I see you all over some stranger in the street? So I snapped. I’ve done everything I can to make you trust me, but you still don’t. And I’ve done nothing wrong.” He sank down on the sofa and put his head in his hands. “What more do you want from me?”
Jenny sat beside him and tentatively put her head on his shoulder.
“I’m sorry, really I am. I just didn’t know what to think or who to believe. You’re right, I was out of order. And I do trust you. It’s just sometimes – ”
He pulled away and stood up. “Look, let’s just forget this, let’s forget about the whole thing. This isn’t working. I’ve always tried to be honest with you but I’m tired. If you don’t - won’t - trust me, then I’m wasting my time. I know Karen certainly doesn’t and obviously, she’s been in your ear too.” He moved to the door and then turned back. “It’s a pity because I truly do care about you, Jen.” He looked away for a moment before opening the door. “I’ll make sure you have the rest of your money by the end of the week.”
“Wait,” she cried. This was awful. What had she done? Jenny raced into his arms and as she went to kiss him, thought she saw something flicker in his eyes – relief, maybe? It didn’t matter.
As he kissed her back, Jenny felt all doubts and uncertainty melt away. She was going to make it up to him and make every effort to ensure that this relationship worked. Maybe like Karen and Shane, thingsneeded to come to a head like this so they could figure out what came next.
No more second-guessing, she decided happily. From now on, she’d just have to prove to Roan how much she trusted and cared about him, and all would be well.
21
Later that evening, following their return from Meath, Shane looked up from his TV when Karen came in and slammed the living room door behind her.
Catching her dark expression, he gulped. “What’s up?”
“That was Jenny on the phone,” she said, gritting her teeth. “You won’t believe it, but she’s gone and fallen for his bullshit again.”
“Who has? What bullshit?”
“Roan’s concocted some cock-and-bull story and Jenny believed it again. What iswrongwith her that she swallows his claptrap?”
“Ah, he’s not that bad,” Shane said. “We met him down the pub the other night and he bought me a congratulatory pint. We had a right laugh – Aidan had just come off duty and he cheered him up.”
