The Runaway Ex Quotes
By Shani Struthers
“Tara,” he said a third
time and then she had no doubt.
He had barely changed in
all the time they had been apart. Beautiful still, his hair lighter perhaps,
his eyes the cornflower she remembered. A face she had loved to distraction in
another lifetime. A face she had let go when adventure had called.
“Joseph?”
He smiled at her then, a
smile as soft as the memories she had of him.
It was. It was Joseph
Scott standing before her, like a gift from the gods.
The phone, where was the bloody phone?
“Hi, Penny. Did you lose
the phone again?”
Penny couldn’t help but laugh.
“Hi, Layla! Yep, I lost
the phone—again. Damn those cordless
inventions.”
“Is it okay to talk? Is
Scarlett asleep?”
“She’s cat-napping.
There’s a difference, a big one, unfortunately.”
Immediately Layla was
sympathetic. “Is she still not settling?”
“Put it this way, I reckon
world peace will be settled before she is.”
“Wow!” said Layla. “So
Tara’s in Florence. That’s a coincidence.”
“But that’s all it is, a
coincidence.”
“So how is she? What’s her
news? Is she on holiday here?”
“A holiday of sorts,”
Joseph replied, ignoring her first two questions.
“I know it sounds bad...”
he started.
“Bad? Joseph, are you
deliberately trying to be facetious?”
“No, look, it’s not a
secret, that’s the wrong way to describe it. It’s a... a situation.”
“A situation you can tell
me about?”
“No...”
“So it’s a secret,
whichever way you dress it up.”
“Are you going to tell
your parents or just turn up on their doorstep?” Layla asked.
Like I turned up on yours? The barb was clear.
“I... I don’t know,” Tara
replied. “To be honest, I hadn’t thought that far.”
“Perhaps you should—think
that far, I mean.”
Look, I’m trying here. I’m
trying to be Mother of the Year. I’m doing everything I can, but she hates me.
Yes, that’s right, hates me. She screams when she sees me at night, in the
morning, through the day. Nothing I do is right. I can’t seem to make her
happy, to make her gurgle, to make her coo. None of the things that those
bloody textbooks I devour tell you babies should do. But I try, Richard, I really,
really try.
If only she had said those words in
that order, but she hadn’t. They had come out stuttering, disjointed and
mixed-up instead. Even she thought she was an idiot.
“And you want to try this
baby-led nonsense now? In a packed restaurant?”
“What harm can it do? I’ll
get the spaghetti bolognaise and she can have some of mine.”
“But she’ll make a mess,”
Penny declared. That red velvet dress, it was from Boden. It had cost a bomb,
and she didn’t want it ruined.
“She won’t.” Richard was
adamant. Leaning forward to tickle Scarlett under the chin, he continued, “Will
you, my tweedle-pop?”
Tweedle-pop? Had he completely lost the plot?
“Her name is Scarlett,”
Richard replied.
“Yes, I know that.”
“So, how come you never
say it?” Richard sounded pissed off. “It’s... it’s weird.”
“Weird?” Penny couldn’t
believe it. “You’re the one who’s weird, Richard.”
“Before you say it—” Layla
couldn’t keep her voice from sounding waspish. “Yes, I do trust you. You’re the
one that’s paranoid, not me.”
“I’m not paranoid,” Joseph
immediately retaliated. “I just get the feeling you’re not being honest with
me, that’s all. You say you trust me but I’m not sure you do.”
Oh, and you blame me for that, do you? she thought, but refrained
from saying it. Acting the harridan every time Tara’s name was mentioned was
not going to endear her to anyone.
“Offer Tara an olive branch,” said Hannah. “Suggest meeting up, just
the two of you, get an insight into her personality. Don’t be so ready to
condemn her without good reason.”
Layla balked slightly at
the accusation.
“And you don’t think
sharing a secret with my boyfriend—a secret that’s upset him—and then telling
him he’s not allowed to share it with me is good enough reason to condemn her?
I can’t wait for this holiday to be over, to get away from here.”
“I never stopped loving
you, Joseph, despite leaving you. I... I still love you.”
“I love you too, Tara.”
As she turned away from
him, he caught her arm.
“You can do this, you
know. We can do this.”
“I know.”
“If you want me, I’m here
for you, every step of the way.”
“I haven’t left the baby, Richard. I’ve just come
to stay with friends for a few days. I’ll be back soon.”
“Her name is Scarlett,”
Richard suddenly yelled down the phone. “Why can’t you bloody well say it?”
“Strange situation for
you, though, isn’t it? Caught between two women.”
Joseph looked a bit
bemused by Penny’s comment. Bemused or annoyed?
“I’m not caught between anyone.”
Joseph pulled her to her feet. “Good luck, Tara,” he said. “With everything.”
“Thanks for the wish.”
Attempting a stab at humor, she added, “Let’s hope Lady Luck hasn’t forgotten
me entirely.”
No sooner had she said it
than she was in his arms. He was holding her close, as close as he used to,
close enough so she could feel how much he was trembling.
Tara was in turmoil? What
about the turmoil she was in? That they
had put her in?
“Is that all you’re
worried about?” Her voice rose with each word. “Your precious Tara?” Shaking
her head in disbelief, she continued, “What about me, Joseph? Since she’s been
back on the scene, you seem to have forgotten all about me!”
“Don’t be so bloody
stupid.” Joseph looked exasperated as well as angry. “I haven’t forgotten about
you, but the world, it doesn’t revolve around you, you know.”
“What do you mean, good
reason? I’ve given you no reason not to trust me.” Joseph’s voice was low now,
even more menacing somehow than when he’d been shouting.
