Page 69

Elise gave Lydia a soft smile. “I don’t need you to repay me. Seeing you like this is all the reward I need.”

“Well, that may be so, but would you allow me to buy you a drink? I’m meeting up with a bunch of friends later. Halle included. I’m sure she’d be happy to catch up. Plus, we never got ‘round to grabbing that coffee.”

“Sure, why not? I’m comfortable to discharge you to a GP now. You’ll need to visit them every six months to get a new prescription. Dr. Pritchard will take care of you. That’s if you’re still okay to attend his surgery.”

“I’m fine with that.” It would be a tad awkward with Zoe to begin with, but Lydia was confident they’d move past it.

“Wonderful! In that case, you’re no longer my patient. Although if you have any concerns, you can always come to me.”

“So, you’ll have a pint with me?”

“Sure. I’ll meet you there if that’s okay. I have a few things to get finished first.”

“Perfect. I’ll see you at The Royal Oak around six?”

“Lovely.”

Lydia breathed a sigh of relief. Things were moving in the right direction. Meredith called that morning to set a firm moving date. Two weeks from Saturday and Lydia would sleep in her very own home.

Fe brought the triplets to the museum several times since their heart-to-heart. Lydia appreciated her sister’s effort and was more than happy to hear therapy was helping. The triplets were as insane as ever, which made Lydia happy. They seemed to be coping with their parents’ divorce better. Fe didn’t look so stressed out, even though Clark was trying his best to win her back. Which apparently Fe didn’t want.

The only hitch in her perfectly laid out plan to live her best life now was Halle. Well, remaining only friends with Halle, to be exact. The more time they hung out, the harder Lydia found keeping her boundaries in place.

Foolishly, Lydia thought that if they hung out in a group setting, it would make the situation easier. That was until Lydia had the opportunity to watch Halle interact with Cathy and Harrison. She was so effortlessly charming. Lydia was putty in her hands. It was only when Cathy nudged her—hard—in the ribs Lydia realised: one, she was practically drooling over Halle, and two, how hard she was finding their predicament.

Halle wanted Lydia. And Lydia wanted Halle, but she wasn’t there yet. Plus, Lydia wasn’t entirely convinced Fe wouldn’t do a one-eighty and lose her shit again.

Shooting off a message to Cathy and Halle telling them to meet her at the pub, Lydia made her way home with a small skip in her step. Shoving through the front door, Lydia called to Monty. The poor little guy was dwarfed by stacks of moving boxes piled around the place.

The sound of his paws skittering through the maze of cardboard brought a smile to her face. A loud yip announced Monty’s displeasure of his kingdom being overrun by these brown towers.

“Sorry, buddy. Not long now, okay? You’ll have loads of room at the house, and a much bigger garden. This is just temporary.”

“Does he ever answer you back?” Screaming, Lydia swivelled round, launching her purse at the intruder. “Lyds, shit, it’s me.” Breathing hard, Lydia focused on a cowering Halle.

“Fuck, why’d you sneak up on me?”

“I didn’t. You left the door open. I thought you heard me!”

“Well, I didn’t, clearly!”

“Yeah, I got that from the face full of faux leather! Jesus, you’ve got quite a throw.”

“I played rounders as a kid.”

“Yeah, I remember now. Anyway, is it safe to enter without getting pelted with accessories?”

“Yes. I just need a second to bring my heart rate back down. It’s currently somewhere in the bloody stratosphere.”

“Hey, Monty moo!” Lydia grinned through her palpitations as Halle knelt to roughhouse with her dog. Monty gave her his best “love me eyes” and Lydia lost them both for a few minutes.

“Did you scare the shit out of me just to fuss my dog?”

“No, I thought we could grab a pizza before going to the pub. I was only around the corner.” Halle stood, wiping Monty’s hair off her jeans.

“How come?”

“Ben got discharged. I popped in to give him one last check-up. Remind him to keep up with his physio.”