Page 66 of Christmas at the Borrow a Bookshop

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Eve

‘What are you doing here?’ Alex stood by theDagalienlooking up at Eve framed inside the cabin beneath the tarp. ‘I don’t want any trouble!’

Alex couldn’t bear confrontation, far preferring the run-from-your-problems technique that had served her so terribly up to this point.

‘Word was, you were here,’ Eve told her, her whole body shaking. ‘I didn’t have an address but I figured I’d find the boat before I found you, and here I am.’

Alex’s heart hardened at the thought of how quickly the news would have spread back home but the state Eve was in had her concerned too. ‘You’ve been in there all night? You’re freezing,’ she said, unsure what was expected of her. ‘Look, just get back inside the cockpit.’

Eve retreated once more and Alex clambered inside after her. There was still the little gas stove, and fresh water and cocoa powder in there. She could warm Eve up, shut down any nonsense she wanted to tell her about how bad she felt, and send her on her way.

Instructing Eve to take the captain’s seat, Alex set about making the hot chocolate. Just one cup – she didn’t want to share anything else with Eve.

The familiar routine of lighting the gas flame and heating up the enamel pot gave Alex pause. She’d miss this, she knew. The quick pang of sadness mixed horribly with the awkwardness of Eve’s presence.

Eve always wanted to talk things over, getting to the bottom of everything. Alex couldn’t be more different – well, until she’d got to know Magnús. Tellinghimthings about herself was a relief and a joy, and the careful, solemn way he listened to her made it all the easier. Eve was no Magnús.

‘Let’s get this over with,’ said Alex, keeping her back to her friend who was sniffing tearfully in the cockpit, still dark even in daylight with its window covered over with tarp. ‘There really was no need for you to come here. It’s Christmas Eve. Shouldn’t you be with Stevie?’

Eve’s eyes dropped at her little boy’s name. ‘He’s at his gran’s for Christmas, with Maxwell. I’m letting them have some time away from me, the best Christmas present I could give them, eh?’ She tried to smile but her mouth contorted horribly and a little strangled sound escaped. Tears followed.

‘Stevie wants to be with you,’ Alex replied. ‘Take it from me, no child wants to be away from a parent at Christmas. You should get going soon.’

The water bubbled. Alex turned down the heat and opened the jar of powder, glad she had something to do while Eve said whatever she’d come to say.

She heard Eve inhale and blow out a long breath before she said, ‘Maxwell’s left me. For good. He’s living at his mum’s. I’ll go back to Port Kernou and Stevie’s coming to live with me after Christmas. We didn’t have time to tell the landlord we were leaving, so the house isn’t let yet.’ More tears followed, and Eve tried hard to stem them. ‘Sorry, it’s not me who should be crying.’

Handing her the steaming mug, Alex leaned against the galley counter. ‘Careful, it’s hot.’

Eve thanked her with a watery smile and Alex stared back, saying nothing.

‘I haven’t come to talk about Ben.’

‘Good.’ Alex heard the spite in her voice and immediately recoiled. She wasn’t like this. She loved a quiet life without drama. She’d had so much drama as a kid she only ever wanted to avoid it. Yet these last two weeks, drama had followed her everywhere she went.

‘I came to talk about us.’

At this, Alex’s eyes snapped to Eve’s and the pain she saw there set off an ache in her chest.

‘I betrayed you after everything you did for me. If I could go back I’d never have—’

Alex couldn’t keep quiet at this. She interrupted, bitterness in her voice. ‘If you could go back towhen? What point would you go back to? Ben said you were always around him, flirting and causing trouble, visiting him when I wasn’t there.’

‘Ah!’ Eve nodded. ‘I guess he would say that.’

‘It’s not true?’

‘You’ll have to decide what you believe. It won’t matter much what I say, but Ineverchased him. I never wanted him. That day… it was a moment of madness and I regret it.’ Eve gripped the mug, her shoulders dropping. ‘I shouldn’t have come. We’re not going to retrieve this, are we?’

‘Retrieve what?’

‘Us. You and me. We were good friends.’

Alex froze. If this was a movie she’d have thrown her head back and laughed, but the ache in her chest was growing, choking her up. Eve was right. They had been good friends.

‘I told you all about Mum and Dad,’ Alex heard herself saying, her voice shaking. ‘I never tell anyone about that stuff.’

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