He grimaces. ‘The ceiling in your bedroom.’
Oliver is behind him in the hallway. He’s holding Lenny and casts me a sympathetic look.
‘What’s happened?’
Gary takes in a deep breath. ‘It’s fallen in.’
I stare at him as my heart grinds to a shuddering halt. ‘Fallen in?’
He nods. ‘It’s a bit of a mess, but I have a bloke coming to look at the damage tomorrow.’
Gary steps out of my flat and lets me through. Oliver backs away, and I race into my bedroom. It’s a good job Oliver is holding Lenny, as my scream is piercing.
There’s a gaping dark hole in my ceiling. My bed is covered in bits of plaster and the soggy remains of Gary’s sheets of paper. Anger and frustration join forces before coursing through my body. ‘I told you about this problem weeks ago, and you’ve done nothing.’
Gary runs a hand through his greasy black hair. ‘Penelope, I fixed it a few days ago.’
‘My name is NELLY,’ I bark, making him flinch. ‘You didn’t fix it, Gary, you put a few sheets of paper over it.’
He scratches his jaw. ‘I’ve been busy. You can’t sleep in here. Also, there’s an odd smell in here as well. It reminds me of bay leaves.’
Tears rush to my eyes, hot and stinging. I blink them away.
‘I’ll be back tomorrow,’ says Gary. ‘I have a spare room if you need it.’
The thought of spending a night in Gary’s flat makes me cringe. ‘No thanks, Gary.’
He waves at Oliver and leaves.
For a few moments, I stand and survey the mess. The tears never went away. They now start to roll down my cheeks. What am I going to do? Where am I going to sleep?
‘Nelly,’ says Oliver. ‘Don’t panic. I’ll sleep on the sofa, and you can have my room.’
‘The sofa is designed for mice,’ I say with a sob.
‘Nelly, I’ve been a nightmare to live with, and last night was my last chance. I’ll sleep on the sofa and look for somewhere else to live.’
I remain silent.
‘What we both need right now is a cup of tea,’ he says. ‘I’ll go put the kettle on.’
He returns with a cup of tea for both of us. I watch as he places it on my bedside table and hovers in the doorway.
As I clasp the cup of tea, I find the heat soothing.
‘Are you sure about the bed?’ I ask.
He nods. ‘It will be fun, and Lenny will hang out with me.’
‘Thank you.’
With a shake of his head, he says, ‘No, I should be thanking you.’
‘Did you manage to get some new keys?’
He nods. ‘Gary helped me out with a spare set.’
I turn back to survey the devastation in my bedroom.
