‘I’m fine,’ I breathed, knowing myself I was being awkward, but something didn’t feel right here. ‘I hope you don’t get the wrong idea because I’m in your hotel room.’
Philip laughed and rolled his eyes. ‘I do not think we are going to have sex, Ella, OK?’
I managed a smirk at his bluntness. ‘OK, I just had to check.’
‘But .?.?. if you wanted to, then of course .?.?.’
‘Philip!’ I slapped his arm and he laughed. ‘You haven’t changed one bit!’
‘My feelings haven’t changed either.’ His voice was suddenly softer, and I closed my eyes for a second. This was too much of a head fuck to deal with.
‘Please, don’t start this. I’m tired and all over the place. My head is too busy as it is.’ I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache coming on. I wondered if I could ask him to order me some food, a drink.
‘OK, I’m sorry.’ He cleared his throat. ‘Again.’ He took a deep breath as if he had no idea how to kill the time if he had to behave himself.
‘Look, Philip, last night was one of the worst nights of my life. I still have to process it. I’ve lost so much. I need support from a friendly face. That’s all I want, OK?’
‘OK,’ he said. ‘You’ve got it.’
He opened his arms to me, and slowly I let myself lie down, curled up against his chest.
‘The things that have been said, in the press and on socials, have been so awful. I can tell Katy is terrified,’ I said.
‘No wonder.’ He tutted at the drama. He began stroking my hair, allowing me to talk.
‘I watched a TikTok today, and someone actually said I had made a pass at her rich grampa one night in Tennessee. I’ve never even been to Tennessee!’
‘You’re the only ten I see,’ Philip joked. I turned to face him, hoping he’d be serious. I wanted to vent, to be understood properly, to moan to someone and even try to work things out. ‘I’m sorry, that one was too easy! Back to being serious. Ella, you have to stop watching TikTok. Especially right now – just stay off social media. It’s not going to do you any good.’
I agreed, but I knew there was no way I’d resist.
‘I think coming back to Glasgow, or a nice holiday somewhere, a reset, is honestly what you need.’ He was playing with my hair again, and I could feel myself relax into his body.
‘A holiday would be amazing,’ I admitted. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had time off in the sun. ‘Zola wants to stay a bit longer, to try to fix things more, but maybe I’ll suggest it to the girls when this blows over.’
He paused, and I sensed I’d not quite said what he expected me to. ‘I just don’t like you girls getting hounded by this stalker. Look what they’ve done, Ella. Someone is going to serious lengths to get you out of the country. Maybe you should listen.’
I held my breath.
Panic crashed over me. I couldn’t move. My heart hammered, icy fear surging through every vein.
‘What is it? What’s wrong?’ Philip said as I sat up.
‘It’s you,’ I gasped, scrambling to my feet.
‘What? What’s me?’ He stood up and stepped towards me, a slight laugh in his voice.
‘Don’t you dare touch me!’ I said quietly but seething with rage. ‘I’ll .?.?. I’ll .?.?.’ I pushed myself against the wall. ‘I’ll fuckin’ deck you if you come closer!’
Philip put his hand on his hip and laughed. ‘Deck me? Jesus, Ella!’ He shrugged off my behaviour, but I could see he was panicked. His skin had turned blotchy and red, and his hands were trembling.
‘I never told you about the stalker, Philip,’ I said, feeling the air being pushed out of my lungs. ‘I never said a word to anyone, but somehow you know.’
I watched his face collapse at his fuck-up.
‘It’s you,’ I choked, my voice shaking uncontrollably. Terror and disbelief warred inside me. ‘It’s been you this whole time. You’ve been tormenting Katy with those texts!’
‘No, NO!’ he shouted, holding out his hands, stepping forward.
