‘You don’t think Whatshisname would just … I don’t know … like, give you a couple of months to get straight? Let you have some time to sort things out? He owns the place outright, doesn’t he?’ She took another gulp of Shiraz, then narrowed her eyes again. ‘Which, by the way, isalsoweird. Bordering on creepy. Why did he never mention he was your landlord?’
‘It isn’tcreepy,’ Rosie said, exasperated. ‘He said he felt awkward about it, which I can actually understand. He didn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable – he was worried that we’d feel like he was keeping an eye on us the whole time. And for reasons I never did fathom, James hated him from the moment he moved in, and never bothered to hide it. Aled turning around and saying, “I own the building, boyo,” was hardly going to help matters, was it?’
His name still felt weird and unfamiliar in Rosie’s mouth, and she sipped her drink to cover the sensation. Niamh’s gaze stayed on her as she swallowed. ‘As for the idea of a temporary rent reduction,’ Rosie went on, ‘it’d feel wrong … Like some sort of favour I’d have to repay later.’
Niamh snorted with laughter. ‘Sounds like a storyline out of a spicy romance. You know – something with a half-naked couple on the cover and a title likeRenting from a RakeorIn Debt to the Duke.’
Rosie rolled her eyes. ‘I’m starting to feel like I need to stage an intervention. When was the last time you read a book that didn’t include explicit shagging?’
‘You will pry my Kindle from my cold, dead hands,’ Niamh said, throwing her a wicked grin. ‘We married mothers need to get our kicks somewhere.’
‘I don’t want to be in any kind of debt – toanyone,’ Rosie argued, determinedly bringing them back to the point. ‘At least this way he and I both get something we need out of the arrangement. Aled has a place to stay and I don’t have to worry about finding a proper flatmate immediately. I can take my time to decide on someone and move them in when he goes back upstairs. It’s a straightforward business transaction.’
Niamh shot her a sceptical glare, so she continued: ‘Also, I really don’t have much choice about it unless I move back in with Mum, Dad and Michael – which I definitelydo notwant to do.’
Niamh frowned and shook her head. She looked murderous. ‘Fuck. Ing.James,’ she said darkly. ‘I can’t believe he’s walked away and left you to deal with all this on your own. I meanhisname’s on the tenancy agreement too, isn’t it?’
‘Yep,’ Rosie agreed, sighing heavily.
‘If I ever see that man again, I’m going to staple his balls together,’ Niamh growled.
Rosie winced, a now-familiar blend of rage and desolation rising inside her as she struggled to reconcile hating James with mourning the life she’d hoped they could have together. For all those years … She tried to breathe through the horrible, tight sensation in her chest that accompanied contemplating how stupid she’d been. It felt like her heart and lungs were being shrink-wrapped.
Niamh picked up the wine bottle and splashed more into their glasses. She threw Rosie a soft, anxious look.
‘You’re sure this guy isn’t a psycho then?’ she asked, her tone gentler than before. ‘I mean, I know he’s gorgeous, but you’re sure he isn’t going to murder you in your sleep?’
‘I’m as sure as I can be.’ Rosie shrugged. She didn’t bother mentioning that her faith in her own judgement was pretty much shot to shit. Just days ago, she’d still believed she and James would be together for the rest of their lives – so it seemed fair to say her instincts were somewhat out of step with reality.
‘OK,’ Niamh said, slurping more wine. ‘Time for another question you won’t like. How confident are you that you’re not going to end up sleeping with this man?’
‘What?!’ Rosie spluttered, her face suddenly hot.
‘Don’t bullshit me, Rose, I’veseenhim. He looks like the love child of Monica Bellucci and Ross Poldark.’
‘Have you lost your mind?’ Rosie cried. ‘That doesn’t even makesense. Two minutes ago you were worried for my safety, and in any case Poldark isfictional—’
‘That’s not the point, and you know it.’ Niamh pointed a long, elegantly manicured finger at her. ‘The man is hot as hell. Are you seriously telling me you’re going to be able to share a bathroom with him and not think about him naked?’
‘Believe it or not, that ispreciselywhat I plan on doing,’ Rosie said primly.‘And I refer you to your earlier point about how unfeasibly good-looking he is. The idea that he’d haveanyromantic interest in me is straight up laughable.’
‘Total rubbish,’ Niamh scoffed. ‘You’re beautiful – and just because you don’t see it, that doesn’t meanhewon’t. I think you’re being wilfully naive.’ She arched a single suggestive eyebrow.
‘And I think you’re massively underestimating hownotinterested I am in finding a new boyfriend,’ Rosie retorted.
‘Who said anything about him becoming your boyfriend?’ Niamh demanded. ‘I’m merely suggesting that living in close proximity to this person could lead to some inadvertent – but no doubt enjoyable – riding.’
Rosie opened her mouth to protest, but Niamh held up a hand to stop her. ‘I’m only saying what everyone else is going to think,’ she insisted. ‘To anyone who doesn’t know better, it’ll look like you’ve kicked James into touch and started doing the nasty with your fit neighbour.’
Rosie gaped at her friend across the table and tried to muster a convincing response. Before she could say anything, though, Niamh clapped a hand to her forehead and her eyes went wide with shock.
‘Oh-my-god,’ she said in a rush, ‘tell me this isn’t about making James jealous. Tell me it isn’t some crazy attempt to get him back.’
‘No!’ Rosie cried. ‘Of course it isn’t!’ But guilt gnawed at her gut, as she wasn’t being one hundred per cent truthful.
While she didn’t expect that news of Aled moving in would bring James crawling back to beg her forgiveness, she was certain it would piss him off. And she felt a grim kind of satisfaction at the prospect of James hearing that she was living with another man.
The promise of wrong-footing him – shocking him by doing something as unexpected as moving in with a virtual stranger, especially someone he openly loathed – made something inside Rosie glow with vengeful delight. James thought he knew her, upside down and inside out. He was so sure he could predict what she’d do from one day to the next, from oneyearto the next. She couldn’t help thinking:we’ll see about that.