Sixteen
‘Why the hell didn’t you call me last night?’ Jenny screeched when Lara phoned her at seven-thirty the following morning.
Unlike Lara, Jenny was always up early. Although since being in Bluewater Bay, Lara had been up earlier than normal, and without needing an alarm. She did miss her smart speakers though. She really must sort out the internet connection.
But she couldn’t think about anything right now. Anything other than Jasper bloody Bright.
‘Probably because I was too busy sobbing my heart out. I know it’s crazy, Jen, but I honestly feel as if my heart has been broken. I’m not in love with him or anything. And yet … Oh, I don’t know. I do feel betrayed. Let down. Led on. Hurt. Genuinely miserable. Sad. Depressed. Angry.’
‘I think I understand how you’re feeling. Are you still in bed? I wish I could see you.’
‘No. I’m up, showered and dressed. Bob, Colin, Roger, and their respective entourages will be here soon. I couldn’t let them see the mess I’m in, internally.’
‘What are you going to do?’ Jenny sounded concerned.
‘What can I do? I’m going to put on a brave face and tough it out. And then, when they’ve all left this evening, I’m going to eat as much ice cream as is humanly possible, and drink wine until my liver groans. Okay, maybe not that much. But I do intend to get drunk.’
‘It’s Friday. I could come and stay for the weekend.’
Lara let that sink in. ‘I can’t ask you to do that, Jen.’
‘You didn’t. I offered. But I know what you’re like so if you’d rather handle this on your own, I understand. Don’t say no though, if you’d like me to come, because it’s honestly no trouble. Besides, I’m dying to see this cottage of yours. And the village. I can bring more ice cream. And wine. I can also nip to your place and bring you more clothes, if you like. Whatever you want to do is fine with me.’
‘It would be lovely to see you. But Roger and his team will be here on Saturday morning working on the roof. And Bob and Colin might still be here finishing off the electrics and plumbing, but if you’re happy to cope with a hangover while dealing with the torture of hammering and banging, loud music, and being surrounded by men swearing and caterwauling while they work, I’d love you to come for the weekend. We could always go out shopping on Saturday morning and return just before they all leave. That might work. Oh, and I’ve got cleaners here in the afternoon. But again, we could leave them to it and go out for a long and leisurely lunch. The only thing is, you’ll either have to share my bed with me and Nicodemus, or sleep on the sofa, because I don’t have another bed.’
‘No problem with the men and all that, and yes, we’ll go out. You did say it was a comfy sofa, didn’t you?’
‘It’s an exceedingly comfy sofa.’
‘Then the sofa it is. I’m not entirely averse to sharing your bed with you, but sharing it with you and a cat is a step too far.’
‘He’s lovely.’
‘He’s a cat, Lara. And one that’s already thrown up on your bed.’
‘Once, Jen. That only happened once.’
‘You’ve had him for three days. I don’t like those odds. The sofa is perfect. I’ll see you this evening.’
‘Thanks, Jen. I’ll see you later. Safe journey. Got to go. I think the workers have arrived, judging by the din I can hear from outside.’
Lara already felt so much better. Jen spending the weekend, was exactly what the doctor ordered.
Thinking about a doctor, broke her heart a little more. After what had happened between her and Jasper it would be awkward to see Tom. Stupidly, she hadn’t asked Tom for his phone number. The only way to contact him was via Jasper’s phone, or to call at the cottage in person. She couldn’t do that on her own. Seeing Jasper again might break more than her heart. It might break her resolve not to become ‘the other woman’.
Having thought about little else since last night, she believed Jasper had told her the truth. But he was still, technically, in that relationship. Even he thought so, which was why he had hurried away from her cottage on the previous occasion. Until Jasper was truly single, Lara must try to avoid him. If he genuinely wanted to end the somewhat toxic sounding relationship he was stuck in, he would find a way.
Lara knew how difficult it would be to break free though. Jasper was clearly kind, caring, and considerate. Some people took advantage of those qualities. His girlfriend might know precisely what to do and say to get her own way.
Lara’s own aunt had used similar tactics on her. Emotional blackmail was serious. Aunt Deb had repeatedly threatened to end her own life, unless sixteen-year-old, Lara – who had just lost both her parents – coughed up money to help Aunt Deb, or Uncle Jeremy, or their daughters, clear constant new debts theywere endlessly racking up. That meant Lara had to pretend to her solicitor and trustee of her late parents’ estate, that it was Lara who needed the money, or that her relatives had incurred the debts on her behalf.
Two years of torment, fear for her relatives’ safety, and misappropriation of her late parents’ money had taken their toll on Lara.
But she had eventually escaped from their clutches, and made a stand. She had called her aunt’s bluff, and endured days and weeks of doubt and anguish in case her aunt followed through with those threats.
Her aunt hadn’t. Lara learnt that no one should ever let another person control their life, either with bullying, lies, fear, or even threats of self-harm, as horrendous as that was. It might seem cruel, but emotional blackmailers were cruel too. Some needed professional help to come to terms with their problems. Some just did it for what they could get. Like Aunt Deb.
Lara learnt that she had to stop giving in to the threats. That she had to do what was right for herself, and ultimately to walk away, and if possible, never look back.
Lara still gave in to her aunt from time to time, but Aunt Deb had also learnt from that experience. A request might now achieve the required results. A threat no longer would.
