Page 66 of Strictly Friends
‘What did you tell her?’ Ruby asked with trepidation. Seeing Mac’s disgruntled expression on her phone was not reassuring. He had put so much effort into repairing his relationship with Estella that Ruby couldn’t bear to see him destroy all the progress he’d made.
‘What do you think I said?’ Mac grumbled. ‘My bag is packed and ready in the hall. I can’t take the chance of losing her again.’
‘Oh, Mac, that’s brilliant! I’m so proud of you.’ Ruby beamed like a teacher watching her student graduate, and Mac gave a reluctant smile.
‘What about you, kid? How areyoudoing?’
There it was, that sympathetic voice again, and Ruby’s smile faded. The trouble with late-night, wine-soaked phone calls was that you ended up spilling the beans in a way you would never have done while sober.
‘I’m fine,’ she said in a determinedly cheerful voice, silently vowing to cut down on her drinking. The gut-wrenching encounter with Griffin still haunted her but pretending she could settle for friendship after everything that had happened between them promised only further heartache. ‘I told you I’ve put all that – drama – behind me now, and life is good. Jake’s over the moon about going back to Sorrel Island, and Kenny can’t wait to see him.’
‘I’ll be heading back there after the exhibition. I’m gonna need some peace and quiet to work on my next commission,’ said Mac. ‘And before you ask, I’m taking Estella with me.’
‘I’m so pleased,’ Ruby breathed. ‘At this rate, you’ll be burning those divorce papers before the year is out.’
‘I’ll keep you posted, kid.’ He winked, flashing the brilliant smile that still managed to make Ruby feel just a little bit wobbly.
She was about to end the call when Mac said, ‘Oh, and Ruby...’
‘Yes?’
‘I’ve been there and I know it feels tough right now, but things will get better. Sometimes we need to be unhappy for a while to figure things out, but don’t let what happened with Griffin ruin you for love or for life. You can’t let the fear of falling stop you fromflying – hell, look at me! Imagine if you hadn’t told me to take a chance with Estella.’
Ruby’s eyes misted over at Mac’s genuine concern, and she touched his face on her phone screen tenderly. ‘Thanks, Mac. Talk to you soon.’
Slipping her phone into the pocket of her jeans, Ruby ran downstairs to the kitchen to find Jake regaling Auntie Pearl with the details of his day out with Griffin. She interrupted the conversation with an apologetic smile.
‘It’s getting late, buddy, and you’ve got school tomorrow. You can finish telling Grandma Pearl everything after you get ready for bed.’
Jake pouted, but then took one look at Auntie Pearl and reluctantly nodded. ‘Okay, but, Mum...’
‘Yes?’
‘Can you make carrot cake?’
She blinked, taken aback by the random question. When did Jake start liking carrot cake, and why on earth would she bake when she could pick one up from a supermarket shelf?
Jake looked at her expectantly, and Ruby shrugged. ‘I’ve never tried. Why?’
‘Cos I ate some today and it was scrummy. Auntie Shirlee made it and Uncle Griffin said it was the best he’s ever tasted. So, can you make one for me, Mum?’
Shirlee’s in his life now and you’re going to have to get used to this, Rubes. Ruby forced a smile and gently steered Jake towards the door. She tried to sound breezy even as a concrete block of despair appeared to have lodged itself in her core. ‘I’ll think about it. Now, off you go, and don’t forget to brush your teeth.’
Auntie Pearl rinsed out her mug and placed it in the drying tray, and then turned around to look directly at Ruby.
‘When are you going to stop holding what Griffin did against him?’
‘I’m not, Auntie. He’s apologised and we’ve both moved past it. Look, I don’t have a problem with Jake seeing him but that doesn’t mean Griffin and I have to be friends. I tried, so let’s leave it there.’
‘I can’t leave it when anyone with eyes in their head could see how much you two meant to each other. What are you so scared of?’
‘Nothing,’ Ruby lied, too afraid to confess how Griffin still haunted her dreams and how she still found her hand automatically reaching for her phone to share a random piece of news with him.
‘You know, Ruby, sometimes taking a chance and making a leap of faith can lead to something good.’
When Ruby didn’t respond, her aunt slowly shook her head. ‘Is this really what you want?Think, Ruby! What if he gets serious with someone else – could you live with that?’
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