Page 53 of It Will Always Be You
Following Fiona through the house to the kitchen, I see more than one framed photo featuring our girls. Knowing Cora had Donna and Abigail in her corner helps ease some of the sting. Entering the kitchen to the sight of Donna elbow deep in cookie dough, I stifle a laugh at the look on her face. I glance around; it seems like we’re the only ones here right now.
“Need a hand?” I offer, slipping my jacket off and draping it over the back of a chair.
“Absolutely not. Sit down and relax,” she protests, hip checking me when I come round to see what she’s trying to do.
“Are those meant to look like that?” I laugh at the misshapen cookies. It looks like she tried to make them heart shaped without a cutter, resulting in some interesting cookies.
“Hush and drink up, would you?”
“Where’s Jen?” I ask Fiona, taking a seat beside her at the table and smiling as she passes me a wine glass filled to the brim. My kind of girl.
“She should be here any minute. Apparently, her daughter, Lily, was causing a bit of trouble, and she got held up,” Fiona answers with a roll of her eyes. It doesn’t take a genius to read between the lines and sense what Fiona thinks of that.
“So, tell me: do we like her, or is she an Una 2.0?”
“She’s not an Una, but she’s also not…perfect,” Donna answers diplomatically just before the doorbell goes off. With a look, Fiona lets out a sigh before she leaves to let her in. Clearly, she drew the short straw. Taking a sip of my wine, I raise a brow at Donna in silent question. With a shake of her head and a tip of her chin at the doorway, I shelve my questions for later. Swivelling in my chair just as the girls appear in the doorway, I take Jen in. At first glance, she’s nothing special and radiates ice queen energy by the bucketful. My hackles are instantly up and as she turns her nose up at the wine Fiona offers her that feeling only strengthens
Going by the look on Donna’s face, I’m not theonly one taking offense with her attitude. The tension in the air doesn’t dissipate as the night passes in a blur of small talk, wine, and cheese. Just as it’s wrapping up, something Jen says catches my attention, and not in a good way.
“Sorry, what did you say?”
“I asked what Belfast was like. That’s where you were, right?” She frowns. Sure, I know Jonathan and Co. had been looking into my disappearance and trying to find me, but that doesn’t explain how she knows. And if shedidknow, posing the question like that, like it was a nice little vacation, is beyond insensitive.
Donna, sensing the tension, wraps things up by making a show of looking at the time and declaring it late. In a flurry of stilted goodbyes, Jen leaves, Fiona hot on her tail, a blush coating her cheeks as Seamus picks her up. His gaze is heated, and it’s nice to know at least one of us will be getting lucky tonight. Once it’s just me and Donna, I turn my focus on her.
“Okay, fess up. What’s the story there?” I ask as, with a groan, she flops beside me, kicking off her heels and running a hand through her hair.
“I’ve tried to keep an open mind with that woman, but the way she treats her daughter doesn’t sit right with me. And the ways she’s so cold just isn’t right. You got that vibe, didn’t you?” She frowns, pursing her lips.
“By the bucket. What’s the story of how they met? Her accent doesn’t sound local.” I frown.
“Well, after Una cheated and then tried to paint him as the one in the wrong, he went a bit off the rails. They had to get a whole new host of girls at Albi after he’d done the rounds and things got a tad awkward. Jonathan sent him to Belfast for a job, and next thing we knew, Jen and Lily were moving in with him, and there was a ring on her finger. I’d call her a gold digger if she didn’t come from money of her own.”
“Something doesn’t add up. Did you see the way she asked me about my time in Belfast? As if it was some holiday?” I scoff, downingthe rest of my wine to chase away the memories.
“Speaking of, how did she even know that’s where you were? I don’t even thinkIknew that.” Donna frowns. The more titbits she shares, the more I think about things, and the more red flags go off. Something about her truly isn’t sitting right with me.
“I don’t know, but I don’t like it.”
“Oh, hell no. I know that look in your eyes, and it spells trouble with a capital T.”
“Please, help me look into her. I’m sure it’s nothing, and I don’t want to point fingers without facts. I promise, the second it gets too much, I’ll bring it to Jonathan,” I plead, trying to appeal to the Donna who was never was able to resist a good mystery.
“Fine, but I swear the moment this blows up, I’m blaming you.” She teases me with a roll of her eyes before topping our wine glasses up and grabbing her laptop from the coffee table. As she fires it up, I send a text to Jonathan to let him know the change in plans.
Helen:
Slight change of plans. Donna has pulled out a few photo albums and another bottle of wine. I think I might just crash here and get her to drop me off at Cora’s in the morning.
Jonathan:
As long as you’re sure. You know I don’t mind coming to get you, no matter how late it is.
Helen:
I think it might do me some good. Babysteps, you know?
Jonathan:
