The Life Daisy Devlin Designed

CHAPTER 45

Daisy was in bed by the time James got back. She’d been half-tempted to book into a hotel for the night, but had decided she wasn’t going to let Alma push her out of her own home.

James sneaked into the room, and Daisy felt his side of the bed sag as he sat down.

“Are you awake?” he said quietly.

For a moment, Daisy wondered whether she should pretend to be asleep, but she knew she was putting off the inevitable. She switched on her light, and wriggled into a sitting position, pulling the duvet tightly over her.

“I tried calling you.” He scrubbed a hand across his face. “Did you even have your phone on?”

Daisy’s heart seemed to have jumped to the back of her throat. This was it: they were breaking up.

“Were you just going to tell me over the phone?”

“Look, Daisy –”

“It’s fine.” She tried to wet her lips. “I know what you’re going to say.”

“I doubt it.”

“I’m not stupid.” She looked at him bleakly. “I can read the signs. Actually, I’ve been able to read them for ages, I’ve just been ignoring them.”

“The signs?” He frowned.

Anger surged through her.

“ You and Alma ,” she whispered furiously. “Where is she, anyway?”

“In her room,” he said patiently. “Probably in bed, it’s late.”

Daisy edged away from him. “So you were out together all evening?”

“Yes! We had dinner.”

Daisy blinked rapidly, determined not to cry. She’d been right: the signs had been there all along. Now it was too late to do anything. It was karma! She should never have even contacted Matt – she could easily have gone through her life without closure. Lots of people did!

“Her mother had a heart attack so she’s booked a flight home tomorrow. I wanted to take her mind off things for a while tonight. She’s worried sick.”

“What?” Daisy’s mind raced to catch up.

“She’d just found out.” James leaned back against the headboard, and tucked one leg up under him.

“So when I came home earlier …”

“She was in a total state, and I was trying to comfort her. I got her to call her brother once she’d calmed down a bit. He said their mother’s in hospital, but she’s stable.”

“Oh, that’s good,” Daisy said, faintly. “Why didn’t you just tell me what had happened?”

“Because you immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion, and I was worried I wouldn’t be able to catch Alma if I didn’t go. Her dad died of a heart attack when she was fifteen, and I didn’t want her to be on her own.”

“I didn’t know about her dad.” Daisy shifted uncomfortably in the bed. She was starting to realise how little she actually knew about Alma. “So she didn’t want to come back, then?”

“What do you think?” James yawned. “We just went for an Italian, and I asked them to make spaghetti and meatballs for her.”

She was the most awful, judgemental hypocrite in the whole world!

“I still wish you’d said something before you took off after her,” Daisy whispered. “Why didn’t you?”

James looked at her. “I was pissed off, Daisy. It’s the second time you’ve thought the worst of me. And the worst of Alma!”

“I’m sorry.” The words were a whisper. “I feel horrible. I just thought ... you and Alma, you’re always together, and you’re close. I mean, even you have to admit that!”

“She’s a nice person, Daisy.”

And I’m not. He didn’t have to say it. He looked so disappointed. But it was more than that. Even if there was nothing between him and Alma, it was pretty clear there was nothing left between the two of them either.

“It’s late, Daisy, maybe we should just talk tomorrow.”

Daisy took a breath. “Or we could talk now.”

“Fine.” James’ face looked waxy in the light from the bedside lamp. “But first … remember the app I was telling you about?” Daisy nodded. “It was bought over the weekend.”

“But you didn’t buy it?” She already knew the answer.

“Someone did a lock-out deal.” James dug his hands into his hair, so bits of it stuck up all over his head. “The students rang me this morning and told me they’d been approached on Friday evening. They were offered twice as much as we’d offered, but they weren’t allowed to say anything, and they had to sign everything over before Sunday.”

“Oh God.” She wanted to touch him, but he seemed too far away. “So, what happens now?”

James met her eyes. “It’s already happened. I got fired.” The words echoed quietly in the small room.

Daisy’s mouth dried up. “But it’s not like you lost the company money.” She stumbled over the words. “It’s not your fault that someone else got in there first.”

“That’s not how the board sees it. I should have moved quicker, I shouldn’t have let anyone get in and offer a better deal.” He shook his head. “We found out who bought it. Matt Deveraux. That has to be your ex, right? Did you know he was back in the country?”

James said something else, but Daisy didn’t hear him. She suddenly felt dizzy and there was a strange ringing in her ears. Could Matt have known that James had planned to buy it? It wasn’t possible – she hadn’t told Matt anything!

It had to be a coincidence! If Matt was keeping up with the latest in the tech industry, he’d probably come across the same thing James had. She tried to calm her breathing.

“James? There’s something I need to tell you.”

He flicked her a wary look. “What?”

Her heart was beating so fast, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to get the words out. “You know the big job I took on in Wicklow recently? It was in Granary House. Matt bought it.”

James turned to look at her properly. “When did you start?”

“In March.” Daisy’s voice wobbled.

“And you didn’t bother to mention that you’d taken on a job for the guy who treated you like a piece of dirt?” He stared at her.

“He’s just another client, James.” Daisy knew how weak it sounded. “And you and I don’t talk about our work to each other. Let’s face it, we barely talk about anything at all.”

“We’re talking now, aren’t we?” His voice was dangerously quiet. “So, is he with someone?”

Daisy spoke quickly. “No. But the house has been busy with workmen and decorators, and Kayley Lynch and her team. They’ve been filming and rehearsing there. Kayley’s even staying in –”

“I read that.” His jaw tightened. “That was after the flood, though, wasn’t it? Or maybe the place didn’t flood. Maybe it was just the perfect excuse for you and your ex to …”

“Hook up?” She swallowed hard. “That’s what you were going to say, wasn’t it? Why would you think that?”

“Because he was the one that got away, Daisy. And you never got over him!” James’ eyes glittered. “So you took up where he left off, and threw me under the bus for good measure.”

“That’s not fair! I would never deliberately hurt you.” She pressed her hands into her stomach, wishing she could deny everything. “I never told him anything about the app!”

“Screw the app!” James was shaking now. “Tell me nothing happened between you!”

She opened her mouth to reassure him, to draw a line under all the doubt and uncertainty she felt with James. It had been nothing – a couple of kisses. Only it had nearly led to something more. She met his eyes and realised that he’d already guessed.

“ James! ”

“ Don’t! ” He stumbled off the bed, grabbing the pillow.

“ What are you doing? ”

Their voices had got louder, she realised. They couldn’t wake Alma, she didn’t want her to know that they were fighting.

She dropped her voice to a loud whisper. “What are you doing?” Why had she said a thing? Now there was no going back.

James yanked open the blanket box at the end of their bed and pulled out a spare duvet.

“What does it look like?” He didn’t look at her. “I’ll sleep on the sofa tonight, and tomorrow I’m taking a break. I’ll go to London, see my family.”

“James, please – ” The rest of the words withered as she caught his expression.

After a few moments, she heard him going downstairs, moving around the sitting room, then the house fell silent. She switched off her lamp and lay back down, knowing she wouldn’t sleep.

She doubted James would either.

Briefly, she wondered if he’d find it easy to get another job. The tech industry in Dublin was small enough; word was bound to get around about what had happened. She tried to imagine what it would be like to lose Discerning Designs, and be forced to start all over again.

But what about them? She remembered the overheard snatches of conversation of Matt on the phone to Charlie. Right now she couldn’t think about that. No matter what was going to happen with Matt, James deserved to hear about it from her first.

He just needed a bit of time to calm down. She’d talk to him in the morning.