Page 22 of Perfect

Silence fell between us and I shooed my tongue out of its hiding place.

“As I said, the guy’s now family,” I pointed out, sounding like a broken record.

Ella crossed her legs and sat straighter as if preparing herself to dissect the subject; a definite ‘getting down to the nitty gritty’ type of stance.

“I suppose so, but it’s not like you’re related by blood or anything.”

I pursed my lips. She was right of course, but I needed to nip it in the bud. Our conversation was heading into dangerous waters for me. Imagine if Connor found out what his presence did to my heartbeat, no doubt he’d love to throw that in my face.

I knew I couldn’t totally lie and say I thought him a complete toad. She was shrewd, she’d see straight through that. “I admit it, the guy’s fit but well, he could probably use a personality transplant. He’s been nothing but horrible to me since we first met.”

There, I’d said it.

The truth of my comment made her smile widen but she had an odd look in her eye as she turned slowly away, staring vacantly out into the yard.

“Believe me, I totally know where you’re coming from. He can be a nasty bastard and you won’t have seen the half of it yet. Stay on his good side, you don’t want to be on Connor’s shit list.” Her advice was a little late, I was already on it from the way he had treated me so far.

Ella pursed her lips thoughtfully before adding. “Moody, controlling men are attractive though, aren’t they? Connor gives most of the girl’s full-on fanny flutters.”

The laugh left my body at light speed. Her comment was pretty disgusting but funny nonetheless. It was a new one for me, but I totally knew what she meant.

Now the ice had well and truly been smashed to smithereens. Her language isn’t the type I would have chosen to use, especially in the company of someone I had literallyjustmet but it lightened the tone.

I didn’t want to appear like the prude she’d alluded to earlier so I just smiled and moved the discussion on. “Anyway, as you say, he’s a good-looking guy. I imagine he already has a girlfriend?” Again, I attempted to make myself sound disinterested as if I was talking about the weather.

Her reply was amusing, even though I felt a twinge of jealousy.

“Oh, he has lots of girls. I’m not sure if any of them are his friends though,” Ella smirked.

I decided to go for a counter-attack. “Anyway, why all the talk about Connor? Is he the boy you alluded to earlier? If you do fancy him, it isn’t a problem for me. I won’t say anything to anyone.”

I watched as she shrugged and kicked at a pebble with her foot. “It wouldn’t do me any good if I did.” I noticed she didn’t answer the question which was interesting.

She spoke almost as if she were talking to herself, her voice reflective and before I could encourage her to elaborate, she changed the subject swiftly to fashion.

“Love your converse by the way,” she declared.

“Thanks—I like your hoodie.”

We spoke about the shops in the village and a new online clothing store that had recently launched before Ella pretty much tripped me up with an out of the blue comment. “You made up with your dad then?”

My mouth dropped open. Where had that come from?

She sent me a semi-apologetic look. “Sorry, I’m a nosy bitch. I just heard that you hadn’t spoken in a while.”

“No, it’s fine. We’re good. It’s just been a busy time with school and stuff.”

Ella asked me about school and what exams I had taken and then explained that she’d recently finished hers. Her grades had not been what she had hoped for and I got the feeling she was probably walking in the shadow of her older brother. A future veterinarian was a hard one to follow.

Ella said she was intending running her own gardening business one day and loved the outdoors. She spoke about how she had helped to re-landscape a few of the gardens in the village.

“Anyways, I had better head back home. My house is only around half a mile up the lane. In walking-distance and so please do drop by whenever Connor is being a twat. Or if you just need to hide,” she offered brightly.

Ella clambered to her feet and offered her hand to pull me up. Her fingers were cold.

“You’re OK Harlow, thanks for listening to all my bollocks. And, please don’t worry about Connor. He’s a moody fucker with everyone. He’s pretty much lord of the village and does what the fuck he wants and everyone just accepts that,” she said in a matter-of-fact way, dusting off her jeans with her hands. “His dad pretty much fucked him up for life. Damaged goods and all that.” So I was correct in my ‘damaged’ assessment of Connor.

She didn’t elaborate on her last comment. She was probably referring to his parents’ divorce. I felt a twinge of annoyance as my parents had divorced and yet I managed not to be a bitch to everyone!

---