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“Ally, you need to calm down!”

Lewis watches me with concern in his eyes as I pace around reception.

“How the fuck am I supposed to calm down?”

Emily and Harry have been gone for two hours. Two hours. What’s going on? I’ve tried calling her, I’ve sent messages, but she’s ignored my attempts to get in touch. She’s only replied once, and that was when I tapped out the plea: At least let me know you’re safe! To this, she responded: I’m safe, but I need time, Ally. Please stop trying to contact me.

“He shows up out of nowhere,” I growl, “and the next thing I know, she’s gone!”

I’d thought Emily was going to come back after five minutes, after putting Harry in his place. But then ten minutes went by, then half an hour . . .

Now the restaurant is about to open for lunch, and there’s still no sign of her. I’m a mess, all sorts of crazy shit going through my mind.

“Come through to the kitchen and have something to eat,” Lewis says, not for the first time. “It’ll do you some good.”

I shake my head. I’m too agitated to eat—too agitated to do anything, really. I tried cleaning one of the rooms—I also gave gardening a go—but it was no good: I couldn’t focus. That’s why I’m at reception, pacing.

“She’s taking him back. That’s what’s happening right now, isn’t it?”

Lewis holds up his hands. “Ally, relax! You’re looking into this too—”

“I’m not!” I snap. “She’s been away too long. If she’d wanted nothing more to do with him, she’d have told him to fuck off, and that would have been that.”

Lewis opens his mouth, but no words come out. It’s like he’s searching for the right thing to say but can’t find it.

I sit on the stairs, drop my head in my hands, and tug at my hair. “Fuck!”

“Oi, keep a lid on it!” Lewis scolds. “That is not okay!”

My outburst brings Jamie through from the restaurant, where he’s been setting things up for lunch. “Lewis is right. I’m not normally the responsible one, but you can’t go shouting ‘Fuck’ at the top of your voice when we’ve got guests in the building. Elspeth heard that through in the kitchen. Go for a hike. Clear your head. Get out of here! Lewis and I will handle lunch.”

“No!” I scratch at my stubble. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m waiting for her right here. I want to be looking into her eyes when she tells me she’s taking him back. I want her to see what it does to me!”

“Jesus!” Jamie shares a look with Lewis. “You’ve lost it, Ally. You’re acting really bloody paranoid.”

“Aye,” Lewis agrees. “Harry and Emily are just talking. Emily feels for you, Ally. You and her are good together.”

I drag my hand across my face. “How would you know? And why can’t the two of you just leave me alone? I won’t shout again, all right? But I’m not going anywhere.”

Lewis and Jamie exchange another glance.

“All right.” Lewis sighs. “You can stay, but at least go into the office and shut the door. You’ll still hear Emily when she gets back, but I’m not having you pacing around here and freaking out guests. Understood?”

“Fine!” I slam the office door behind me then slump into a chair and let out a very long breath. My leg jigs up and down, just as it’s been doing a lot lately. But this time, it’s not stress that I feel, nor even panic. It’s anger.

I’m angry at a lot of things. At my siblings, who I’ve been taking care of for years, often without so much as a thank you. At Aidan, for living such an easy life and getting to travel overseas while I’ve been stuck here the entire time. I’m even angry at Maw and Da, for leaving me with so many burdens to shoulder.

But most of all, I’m angry with Emily. Angry with her for tipping my world upside down, for putting ideas into my head, for making me feel things—only to then walk away the moment her ex came crawling back.

I bury my face in my hands, rubbing my temples, my leg still jigging furiously. When the door opens, I snap, “I told you to leave me alone!”

There’s no reply to this, so after a wee while, I look up. That’s when I see her, standing in the doorway, sporting an unreadable expression.

“Emily!”

“Hi.” She smiles weakly and takes a tentative step into the office. “Can we talk?”

Shit. This is going to be bad—I just know it is. But I brace myself.