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‘The chemists it is, then,’ Jay said, pulling away. ‘I saw Frankie earlier.’
Rocco’s stomach dipped apprehensively as he looked at Jay.
Jay hadn’t changed much in the intervening years, if anything he’d grown into his looks more, Rocco thought. The angular features had softened slightly, losing their sharpness, yet remaining annoyingly chiselled. As if sensing he was being stared at, Jay quickly glanced at Rocco, before back to the road again.
Jay’s eyes were different. Still as blue as the sky on a sunny summer’s day, but there was something else that he couldn’t quite pinpoint.
They rode the rest of the way to the village in silence. Jay dropped him off near the chemists.
‘Thanks for the lift. I’ll make my own way home from here.’ Rocco had no idea how, but he didn’t want to spend any more time in Jay Costello’s mother’s car, that was for sure.
‘Okay,’ Jay said as Rocco carefully got out, trying not to whimper in pain.
‘One thing, though,’ Jay said as Rocco was about to close the door. ‘I plan on sticking around for a while.’
Rocco’s heart sank. Then it positively hit the asphalt when Jay added, ‘I also plan on making amends with Frankie.’
‘Frankie doesn’t need you in her life. She didn’t then and she certainly doesn’t now.’
‘You made that very clear twelve years ago. I’m guessing by your reaction, you’ve never told her what happened. Never told her about our… deal?’
Rocco swallowed.
‘But tell me, by keeping silent, are you protecting her or yourself?’
Rocco stared uneasily at Jay, but his ex-best friend wasn’t done.
‘You and I need to talk. A proper talk. I spent years feeling guilty until one day, after a lot of therapy, I realised what happened wasn’t all on me. Don’t think for a minute I’m the same naïve nineteen-year-old that left here. There’s no deal between us anymore and you know what, to hell with the consequences. It’s only fair that Frankie finds out what happened. Either you tell her or I will. You’ve got one month.’
Rocco worked out the dates. ‘That’s Christmas Day.’
‘Yes, it is.’ Jay lowered his sunglasses.
Rocco stared at him and closed the car door. As he stood back to let the Volvo pull away, he realised what was different about Jay’s eyes. They seemed deeper set, with a tinge of weariness and sadness. But there was also a steely look of determination that Rocco didn’t remember from before.
* * *
Rocco limped into the chemists. Picking up a basket and using the shelves to lean on to help move about, he grabbed some painkillers along with a bandage and a packet of blister plasters, as he realised the little toe on his left foot was now throbbing in solidarity with his right calf. Then, on passing the hair dyes, he threw in a box of Just For Men, comb-in colour. If any other grey hairs surfaced, he wanted to be armed. He half limped, half hopped up to the counter as a woman came out from the back.
‘Are you okay?’ she asked as she started to ring through his purchases.
‘I went for a run and pulled my calf muscle.’
‘Okay. This bandage won’t really do. You’d be better off with a compression one.’
‘Right, fine.’ He turned to go back when she held up a hand.
‘Stay there, I’ll get it.’
She returned a moment later and rang up the bandage. ‘Have you got a cold compress at home, or a bag of peas?’
Rocco knew the contents of his freezer consisted of nothing other than some fish fingers, a bottle of Tanqueray gin and three tubs of Häagen-Dazs Cookies and Cream ice cream he’d stocked up on during one of Valentina’s cravings.
‘No peas, maybe a few ice cubes?’
The pharmacist looked into one of the drawers behind her then handed him something. ‘These are gel-filled ice packs you can keep in the freezer. Apply one to your calf muscle for twenty minutes up to eight times within twenty-four hours and it should relieve any inflammation. Have you got something for a hot compress, like a hot water bottle?’
‘No.’
