Page 113 of Meet Me Under the Mistletoe
“He’s such a good journalist. It’s what he does. I thought hecould help.” As she said the words, the ludicrousness of her idea came back to slap her cheek.
“Unfortunately, he’s not as good a person as he is a journalist,” Ameerah said, her mouth a straight line.
Nory had reached the stage of crying where she was technically all cried out, but her breath kept hitching as her diaphragm spasmed. She covered her face with her arm and moaned, “It wasn’t meant to be like this.”
“No,” agreed Ameerah. “Of course it wasn’t. Do you think Isaac will talk to you?”
“I don’t know. No, I don’t think so.”
“At the very least, he needs to know that you weren’t getting it on with Guy.”
Nory winced.
“Try messaging him,” Ameerah encouraged. “Do you want me to go round there?”
“I don’t know if that would help or make things worse.”
“Well, we need to get your boots back if nothing else.”
“And coat,” said Nory weakly.
Ameerah nodded. “Maybe we could send Dev over, man to man and outsider to outsider.”
“That could work.” Nory sniffed. “Maybe I could write Isaac a letter.”
Ameerah stroked the tear-wetted hair from Nory’s face. “Okay. That’s a plan. You get writing, and I’ll speak to Dev and excuse you from breakfast.”
“Oh god! Jenna and Charles will be expecting us all down at the hotel for breakfast with their families,” Nory wailed.
“Jenna and Charles have had us at their beck and call for a whole week; the newlyweds can manage by themselves for onemorning. And besides, Jez and Katie have already left, they’re heading back to Katie’s mum’s for a few days.”
“I didn’t get to say goodbye,” Nory lamented.
“They’re grown-ups, drop them a message,” Ameerah assured her.
There was a knock at the door.
“Yes?” Ameerah called.
A beat.
“It’s Guy. I need to talk to Nory.”
Nory rolled over so that her face was in the pillow, and screamed “Fuck off!” into the feathers.
“I’ll handle him,” said Ameerah. “You get writing.” Ameerah kissed the top of her friend’s head. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” Nory sniffed.
Nory never did find out exactly what Ameerah said to Guy that day, but Guy was politely cautious around Ameerah forever after.
Isaac,
I am so sorry. I know that right now you feel like I betrayed you, but I promise you I didn’t. I was only trying to help. Nothing happened or was going to happen with Guy, that’s the god’s honest truth. I asked him to help me, that’s all. I didn’t know he would try it on. Nothing would ever have happened.
It was supposed to be a good thing. I know how much Heba’s work means to you, and I knew that you were too afraid of losing it all to challenge the De-Veers. I thought that if I could set the wheels in motion for you, take the leap that you couldn’t, then it would set you on the path to gettingHeba’s work back. Please believe I would never have risked you losing her paintings. Guy was under strict instructions to stop digging if he thought there was any risk at all and to clear everything with both of us. I realize now how irresponsible that sounds, especially given what you walked in on. I put my faith in the wrong person, and I will always be sorry for it. But most of all I am sorry that I hurt you. Please forgive me. Please know that I did what I did for you alone. Did I ruin everything? Please say we can get past this. I am yours if you’ll have me.
With all my heart,
